Mode of Transport: For hassle-free commute and make most of your time, hire a SUV or a Jeep (highly recommened) for the day’s sightseeing.

Advice: Put on trekking shoes for the day’s sightseeing.

Jungle Trek

06:00 AM – 01:00 PM

Begin your day early and head towards Neora Valley National Park. The journey would take close to 90 min.

You need to obtain permits before entering the forest.  Permits are obtained from the Forest Ranger Office in Lava. By getting here early you can avoid rush and save ample amount of time.

Vehicles are allowed till Zero-Point and at this point you will be provided with a guide who will be assisting you on your trek, covering important view points and providing essential details and information. The trekking is of moderate level and having the guide (ranger) makes it a lot easier. The trek would take around 90 – 120 mins.

Time duration: 4 – 5 hours.

After this, your next stop will be Changey Falls.

The falls is situated with the Neora Valley Forest premise but the route is separate, via Kolakham village. You have to walk for 15 minutes before reaching the site of the falls. There are multiple homestays at Kolakham.

Time duration: 1 – 1.5 hours.

For lunch, you will find plenty of small and medium restaurants in Lava.

Also read: Off-beat Itineraries

Lava and Rishop Sightseeing

02:00 PM – 05:00 PM

After quenching your hunger, head towards Kagyu Thekchen Monastery and Retreat Centre.

An ancient monastery, Kagyu Thekchen Monastery also serves as an institute where monks participate in special courses in Buddhist philosophy. Due to its high altitude, the monastery is covered in clouds making it a paradise for photographers. For more info, you can check www.jamgonkongtrul.org

Time duration: 45 min – 1 hour.

The final destination for the day is Rishop.

5 km for Lava, Rishop is a quaint village that has become a favourite spot for tourists to get the view of majestic Himalayan range. Tiffin Dara is the point for watching sunset along with the Kanchenjunga Peak. But to get there, you have to trek for 1 km through the forest. If the day is clear with little cloud cover, then you should not skip this trek. (Not advised for elderly people).

Time duration: 1 – 2 hours.