Excursions :

Dudhia:
Dudhia is a small hamlet on Mirik-Siliguri highway on the bank of river Balason. Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council's Gokul Wayside Inn is the favourite tourist joint at Dudhia. It is also the only decent accommodation available around here. There are a few small tea shops where you can get other essentials. Dudhia is a tranquil tourist spot. Above Gokul, as the hill starts rising from the plain, you can find Dudhia view point. You can see far and wide from here including great view of River Balasan.From Dudhia you can go to the Panighata village located right across river Balason. The forest department bungalow on top of a small hillock is now mostly deserted. But the ground in front of the garden is a good view point from where a large area of the Terai plain is visible. The ground is also used by city adventurers during the winter months for camping. Lohagadh is few kilometers further from Panighata. The place is on the Indo Nepal boarder. You can easily see nepali village of Salakpur across the river mechi from here.

The town of Jodpokhri :
Jodpokhri is a small rarely visited hamlet near Darjeeling . The place lies on the road connecting Darjeeling with Mirik at a distance of about 16 km from Darjeeling . 'Jod' means `a pair` and 'Pokhri' means `a lake`. So obviously there are a couple of lakes in Jodpokhri, which constitutes the center of attraction for tourists due to its rich natural environ. The lake is one of the very few places where you might get a glimpse of Himalayan Salamander, a highly endangered species of reptile.

Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council has created a nice tourist resort at Jodpokhri where naturebeyond can arrange for your accommodation. You can also stay at West Bengal Forest Development Corporation bungalow at Lepchajagat, which is quite nearby. The town of Darjeeling is visible from this place and an illuminated Darjeeling in the night makes for a beautiful view from the bungalow. Jodpokhri is close to the Indo-Nepal border and tourists can go for a day visit to the Nepal 's Pasupati market nearby.

Siliguri /New Jalpaiguri :
The twin Cities of Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri are the departure point to Darjeeling , Sikkim and the North Eastern States . Being the nodal point this place has become very busy and crowded. This area has got population over 2.5 lakh people. Siliguri also acts as a transit point for Nepal . This place is not very pleasant to stay as there are always long lines of buses and trucks. These trucks and vehicles might be good for business but they provide very ugly sight. Tourists come to Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri mainly to change bus or catch trains. If you have time then visit the almost forgotten wild life sanctuary of Jaldhapara. The best season to visit this park is between October and May. This the time when the new grass has come up and animals are out there. The sanctuary has elephants, dears, tigers and other animals but the main attraction is the Rhinos which are threatened by the poachers. Elephant Safari can be taken from Hollong.