OVERVIEW
Lepchakha is a small beautiful Indo-Bhutan village. It is on the hilltop of Buxa Tiger Reserve. If you want to find solace for a few days from every day’s dull routine then this place will be your perfect destination. The serenity of this place will wash away all your experiences of the mundane world for a long time. You can experience a detoxification process after witnessing the picturesque village and surroundings.
This comely Lepchakha village is located in Bhutan’s southern hill area and a hilltop location of Buxa Tiger Reserve. The whole place is surrounded by dense forest. It is a very popular place of West Bengal ‘Dooars’. The inhabitants of this village are called Drukpa. The beautiful and different culture will please your thirst for travel. Bhutan is 2-3 km. away from this place. You can experience the local vibe of this place by choosing the homestay option.
WILDLIFE OF LEPCHAKHA
Lepchakha is situated inside the Buxa Tiger Reserve. Hence, everything that is expected out of the Buxa Tiger Reserve is expected on the way but since it is a hilly journey, on your way towards Lepchakha village, you will not encounter any elephant or bison hence the journey will be quite safe. But for sure You will be mesmerized by the charming chirping of Himalayan birds. . This route is also famous for the varieties of colorful butterflies and researchers from all over India come here to study butterflies.
LEPCHAKHA TREK
Trekking to Lepchakha is a very adventurous journey. It takes three hours to complete the trek from Santalabari. The journey starts from Santalabari, a small village of Buxa Tiger Reserve and it goes via zero point (Santalabari to Zero point is 2 Km) and Buxa fort (Santalabari to Buxa fort is 4-5 Km) to reach Lepchakha (Santalabari to Lepchakha is 7 Km). Most people takes their car till Santalabari but you can reserve a local car from Santalabari to reach Zero point but afterwards you have to start trekking. The trail is not that steep and an average person can go easily.
LEPCHAKHA HOMESTAY
Locals have built plenty of homestays at Lepchakha. There are 3 homestays in the lawn on the hilltop. Pamsha and Heaven of Dooars are the most popular homestay among the tourists. The view of the entire Buxa Tiger Reserve from the Lepchakha viewpoint is mesmerizing. There are other homestays as well in the cliffs. The food and room will cost a person around Rs.1000 per head per day. The Homestays arrange camping as well where they charge Rs.1200 for 2 people including Barbeque.
The people who live there are called Dukpa who are the original inhabitants of this place. Their culture is quite different which can be seen through their language, music and house structure.
The Buxa Fort is a very famous place on your way to Lepchakha which is a historical place. A gothic ambience will welcome you and many history-related facts and stories will excite you.
HOW TO REACH
| Transport Type | Nearby Option | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Railway station | Alipurduar Junction New Alipurduar Rajabhatkhawa New Coochbehar Hashimara New Jalpaiguri (NJP) | 22 km 25 km 12 km 65 km 75 km 210 km |
| Airports | Bagdogra | 220 km |
| Highways | NH-31 | 29 km |
CAR SERVICES
Plenty of cars are available from Alipurduar to reach Jayanti. The same car can drop you at Santalabari. From where you would be able to start the trek towards Lepchakha via zero point and buxa fort. Cars normally charge Rs. 1200 to drop you at Jayanti or Santalabari. Cars are also available from Coochbehar and Hasimara to reach Santalabari where the charges might be a little more.
BUS TIMING
Alipurduar to Jayanti: 7 AM and 2 PM.
Jayanti to Alipurduar: 9 AM and 4 PM.
BUXA TIGER RESERVE ENTRY FEE
| Transport Type | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| Bike | 200 Rs. |
| Car | 400 Rs. |
| Per Person | 120 Rs. |
Charges not required if you are coming by bus.
BEST TIME TO VISIT LEPCHAKHA
The best time to visit this place will be between October to March. In that time the sky remains clear, the trekking path is safer and less slippery and the amazing panoramic view of Buxa Tiger Reserve is clear from the Lepchakha view point.
PLACES NEARBY :
JAYANTI: 69 Km aya from Lepchakha, Jayanti is also called the Queen of Dooars because of its beauty. here one can visit Chota mahakal in a car but to reach Bara Mahakal you need to trek for 2 hours from Chota Mahakal which is a lifetime experience.
BUXA FORT: 3 Km away from lepchakha, Buxa fort is one of the famous places of Dooars. It is a fort that was built in the British era where they kept revolutionists captive.
RAJABHATKHAWA: Just 19Km away, Rajabhatkhawa is the entry point to Buxa Tiger Reserve and 17 km away from Alipurduar. It has a museum which has almost all kinds of wildlife taxidermy which can be of great benefit to researchers
SIKIAJHORA: The street interfacing the Jayanti riverbed, which is 36 km from Sikiajhora goes through the thick Forest of Buxa. It is called the Amazon of Dooars due to the backwater boat ride experience.