A birthday staycation amid the pandemic was always a tough challenge to plan. Nevertheless, even with ever-evolving strains of COVID-19 emerging every other month, I was determined to spend my birthday in the hills this year, and what could’ve been better than Kurseong, a quaint hill station with all the charm of North Bengal and yet far away from the madding crowd of Darjeeling.

Day 1: Reaching the Cochrane Place from Bagdogra Airport

My day began with a short flight from Kolkata to Bagdogra, which lasted a little more than an hour. I had pre-booked a car from the hotel, and it took about an hour an a half more to reach the hotel.

The very entrance of the hotel gives off old-school vibes. Once home to Percy John Cochrane, a magistrate of Kurseong and an MBE, this heritage boutique hotel is a destination in itself. I was floored by its vintage decor and tea-themed curios that made it seem like a museum of sorts.

After freshening up, I had a quick lunch at Chai Country, the in-house restaurant, and I must say, I am in love with their Indian menu. Post-lunch, I spent the day admiring the breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape from the terrace, while sipping on some hot chocolate, followed by some caramel coffee.

Watching the sunset from their garden was another experience I would recommend. The room that I had checked in to had a decent view, too, though the suite rooms have a better view, especially of the Kanchenjunga.

Day 2: The Haunted Trail of Dow Hill and Other Sites of Kurseong, with an Unforgettable Lunch at Margaret’s Deck

My second day in Kurseong began with a beautiful sunrise from the hotel terrace, accompanied by the chirps of birds.

Following a quick breakfast with a view, I began my recce of the quaint town. My day was made by the spooky ride through the Dow Hill pine forest of Kurseong, the one that is touted as one of the most haunted spots of India, in the same league as Bhangarh or Kuldhara.

Legend has it that people have spotted a headless boy roaming about the forest, while many others have claimed to have heard children screaming or a woman running about. However, my driver, Amosh, and the other locals I met all dismissed such tales, saying they were figments of some random drunkard’s imagination. People did claim to have seen leopards along the stretch though.

The first “haunted” spot that falls along the stretch is the famed Dow Hill School. It is believed, people have heard footsteps and screams here during school vacations. Regardless of the cock-and-bull tales, the school is a treat for the eyes and offers an Insta-worthy view.

The next on the “haunted” list was the infamous Dow Hill church, an abandoned British-era church that looks like a scene straight out of a horror movie. The church premises have now been sealed off to tourists but the ambience there is definitely spooky.

A few steps away from the church is the most haunted site of Dow Hill, the Victoria Boys’ School, where apparently, people have spotted a young boy staring at them from one of the windows during school holidays. Again, the school premises are now out of bounds for tourists.

After covering the haunted trail and being mildly disappointed with the lack of any ghostly sights, I decided to cover the spots which I had initially decided to skip, two of the main museums of Kurseong: the Netaji Museum and the Forest Museum. However, after visiting both, I would definitely recommend them, especially the Netaji museum, for its serene ambience and beautiful view.

The Netaji Museum is where Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his brother, fellow freedom fighter Sarat Chandra Bose, had stayed for a few years. It’s still beautifully maintained, without a speck of dust, and houses some rare artefacts once owned by Netaji.

The forest museum, too, is located in a serene location, surrounded by pine trees, and houses some of the most awe-inspiring taxidermy specimens. Don’t miss the two life-size stuffed Royal Bengal tigers in the glass case on the first floor, which look like they’re going to pounce on you anytime. However, photography isn’t allowed in either of these museums.

The other sites that followed were Eagle’s Crag (more of a view point and a children’s park), the “I love Kurseong” sign and the giant Hanuman statue right next to it, and the lush tea gardens. I skipped the tea-garden walk, as I was hungry by the time we were done with the run-of-the-mill sightseeing of Kurseong.

The next spot, the stunningly gorgeous tea lounge named Margaret’s Deck, overlooking the tea gardens of Kurseong and Darjeeling, had been on my bucket list for a long time. The lounge is apparently built on a tea garden that was once owned by an Englishman, who had a daughter named Margaret. Margaret apparently loved being in the gardens but lost her life to an unknown disease while on her way back on a ship to England. It is believed Margaret would often stand on the deck of the ship and think of the lush green tea gardens that she once played around in. Thus, the Englishman decided to name the garden Margaret’s Hope, which now houses Margaret’s Deck.

Thus ended my second day at this beautiful hill station of North Bengal that many visitors to Darjeeling, unfortunately, skip.

Day 3: Coffee with Kanchenjunga

The third day was my last at this pretty place. I woke up too late for the sunrise. I did, however, catch the Kanchenjunga in all its splendour, at breakfast. Too bad, I wasn’t carrying my camera and had to make do with my modest mobile camera, though the weather was perfect for some awesome shots of the sun-drenched peak.

Post-breakfast, it was time for me to pack my bags and head back home, but I can’t deny, a part of me still wished it could stay back for a day or two.

Though I wasn’t expecting Kurseong to be this sunny and bright during my stay and did miss the usual misty and spooky ambience of this place, the weather made sure I clicked some really bright and clear shots.

My biggest takeaways from this trip were the sunrise and sunset experiences from the terrace and garden of the Cochrane Place. Margaret’s Deck is another place I will never forget. All in all, Kurseong, you made my birthday worth it!

Notes:

1. Eagle’s Crag charges a modest entry fee of Rs. 10 per person.
2. Entry is free at both the Forest Museum and the Netaji Museum.
3. Though The Cochrane Place offers a heritage stay, which is a bit on the costlier side, there are other stay options in Kurseong, such as the Kaizer Valley Hotel (owned by Mithun Chakraborty) and the Amarjeet Hotel (which many believe is a haunted hotel, though locals beg to differ).
4. Kurseong has a host of new cafes, apart from Margaret’s Deck. One such pretty cafe is Cafe Kurseong Diaries, which I really wanted to visit but couldn’t, as I had run out of time.
5. Either an RT-PCR test (conducted 72-hours prior to your travel dates) or a double-vaccination certificate is mandatory for entering Kurseong or any tourist spot in the Darjeeling district.