Sandakphu Trekking with photos [Manebhanjan -> Tumling/Tonglu -> Kalipokhri -> Sandakphu -> Phalut Trekking]

Duration -> 16 October, 2010 to 23 October, 2010






Mirik/Darjeeling to  Manebhanjan


We have started our journey from mirik around 10 am. It took 1.5 hours to reach at Manebhanjan. Lunch is cheap and plenty of restaurants are available there. Here you need to book the land rover from government booking counter if you don't want walk.  The land rover fare from manebhanjan -> sandakphu -> phalut -> manebhanjan is [ 3300 + 500 x every night stay of the car]. That means if you go to sandakphu and return back from there after 2 days you need to pay 4300 Rs. [3300 + (500 x 2)].

Manbhanjan to tumling road

Manebhanjan to tumling  [12 km]


First day we have stayed at Tumling/Tonglu [11000 ft]. It is 12 Km from Manebhanjan to Tumling. It has taken 2.0 hours for us to reach there. The first 4 km is good road. After that it is stony road. Accommodation in Tumling/Tonglu is readily available. You don't need to book anything previously. You can enjoy the Kanchanjhangha and full Everest range from there. Everybody see the sun rise here but don’t miss the sun set. Don't forget to go to the tonglu village from tumling. It's only 2 km from tonglu.
Min temperature in tumling during our stay is 6 C.
Tumling/Tonglu photos ->

The following is a rare photo. Cloud looks like fire storm during the sunset in tumling/tonglu at west bengal.

cloud on fire during sunset at tumling

full tumling village view

kanchanjangha from tumling during sunrise ->

kanchanjangha from tumling during sunrise 1

kanchanjhangha during sun rise from tolung

Everest from tonglu village during sun rise

kalipokhri village [our next destination] from tumling

cloud at your foot at tumling

cloud at your side at tumling

kanchanjangha at night from tumling

sandakphu top viewed from tumling

steep road 1

steep road 2

Tumling to kalipokhri [10/11 km]


This journey is brilliant jungle road trekking. I liked this road most than any other part. It has taken 2.5 hours for us to reach Kalipokhri. The view of the lake is tremendous.  We stayed here in the trekker’s hut which is readily available. Enjoy the beer or Rum in the local restaurants. See the photos of Kalipokhri and adjacent village below.

kalipokhri sandakfu 1

kalipokhri sandakfu 2

kalipokhri village

road towards sandakfu

road towards sandakfu top

kalipokhri 

jamu and nane will welcome you at kalipokhri

Kalipokhri to Sandakphu [8 km]


The steepest road is this one. It has taken almost 2.0 hours to cover the 8 km to Sandakphu. The min temperature in Sandakphu was 4 C during that time. We stayed in Sherpa Hut there. You can advance book it in the following address ->


Deputy Director of Tourism, Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council,Silver fir, Bhanu Sarani, Darjeeling
+91 354 2254879/2255351, Fax : +91 354 2254214


At singalila range they can book the following places ->


Maneybhanjyang Trekkers' Hut
Tonglu Trekkers' Hut
Gairibas Trekkers' Hut
Sandakphu Trekkers' Hut
Phalut Trekkers' Hut
Gorkhey Trekkers' Hut
Rammam Trekkers' Hut
Shirikhola Trekkers' Hut
Rimbick Trekkers' Hut

way to phalut

way to phalut 2

not a car road

way to phalut 4

way to phalut 5

way to phalut 6

not a car road

way to phalut

way to phalut

way to phalut

kalipokhri from distance

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Phalut is 22 km from Sandakphu. The road is much better than the road from kalipokri to sandakfu. There is only one trekker's hut available there. Advance booking is always recommended in Phalut.


The following photos are attached here also ->
Sandakphu photos
Manebhanjan photos
Phalut photos
kalipokhri photos
mirik photos


The Statesman Editor has contacted me recently and they have published some of the photos from this website in their Sunday travel feature recently. Here is the url of that article ->


http://onlinearticlebase.blogspot.com/2011/03/statesman-published-tumling-valley.html