About this Blog: Bijanbari is a beautiful and offbeat destination near Darjeeling. We had visited Bijanbari a few days back and stayed at Baasbari farms, an alternative stay option near Darjeeling. Read this blog to know about our experience at Bijanbari and about Baasbari Farms. 

Imagine spending some time at a place that is full of greenery and peace. Imagine staying at a small cottage in the midst of forest and mountains. And from the cottage, you can see the continuous movement of clouds across the tea gardens and mountains. At times you will hear the chirping of birds and if you observe carefully, you might see a few colourful birds as well. Wouldn’t that be quite refreshing? Well, this is what Baasbari Farms in Bijanbari near Darjeeling has to offer.

Bijanbari near Darjeeling is one of the most beautiful destinations near Darjeeling. This small town boasts of a sprightly river, enchanting mountains and forests and a peaceful stay amidst nature. There are a number of homestays in Bijanbari, all having their own specialty. We had chosen to stay at Baasbari Farms for our trip to Bijanbari.

Where is Bijanbari?

Bijanbari is a small town located about 25 km from Darjeeling town. Located at an altitude of about 2500 feet, this sleepy town has a population of nearly 1000. There are a couple of routes from Darjeeling to reach Bijanbari. I will cover them in the relevant section.

Bijanbari is a perfect place to experience the simple life of a Himalayan town. Not as crowded and popular as Darjeeling, the place is best to enjoy the beauties of nature. There is a school and college at Bijanbari as well as a market, but life, in general, is slow and uncomplicated.

One of the main attractions of Bijanbari is the Chhota Rangeet or Little Rangeet River. Most of the homestays in Bijanbari are located near the Rangeet River. This is where Baasbari Farms is different. Baasbari Farms is located on the upper part of Bijanbari amidst the mountains and forests. However, this is not the only reason why this stay is special.

Baasbari Farms – An alternative Stay near Darjeeling

Baasbari Farms in Bijanbari,truly an alternative and offbeat stay option near Darjeeling is an eco-farm built with local materials. The property is definitely one of its kinds in the area and adheres to the core green principles. It also has an on-site waste management system. As the owner states, the stay is inspired by the minimalism of Japanese aesthetics of Enso.

The entire property consists of a huge farm and has a bamboo unit and tented camps for stay. There is a kitchen unit and a dining hall made of local bamboo materials as well. Baasbari Farm claims to give their guests access to their kitchen for cooking. Of course the cooking materials are sourced from their own organic farms and gardens.

Baasbari Farms also hosts workshops for the locals on sustainable source of income, local building materials, natural resource management and other eco-tourism initiatives.

Our Experience at Baasbari Farms, Bijanbari

We were already in Darjeeling before we went to Bijanbari. While there are shared jeeps available from Darjeeling to Bijanbari, we had booked a car to travel to Bijanbari. We took the route that goes through Tukvar Tea Gardens and Jamuni Bridge towards Bijanbari. The distance covered in this route is almost 24 km and it takes about an hour to reach.

We started from Darjeeling and travelled through the winding and narrow roads. It was the same road that we had taken when we visited Singtom Tea Estate. Soon we saw the sign board of Tukvar Tea Estate and the tea gardens kept us company on the road.

After about forty minutes, we had descended quite a bit and soon reached Jamuni Bridge. This place has an eco-park named Jamuni Tourist Complex. River Chhota Rangeet flows by and there is a huge statue of Lord Shiva inside the park. This is quite a famous place to visit in the area.

We naturally stopped for a few moments, clicked pictures and flew our drone at Jamuni. Later we started again towards our destination.

Reaching Baasbari

Another twenty minutes of drive brought us to Bijanbari. The car dropped us at the gates of Bijanbari Hospital. From here, there is an uphill trail of about 5 minutes and then another few minutes of walk to finally reach Baasbari Farms.

There is a driving road that can take you right near the gate of the farmstay. However, the road was totally in bad shape because of the monsoons. So, we had to walk a little distance to Baasbari Farms.

There is a bamboo gate and a signboard displaying the name of the homestay. The best thing we liked about this place was the absolute greenery all around. We had opted to stay at the bamboo cottage.

Bamboo Cottage at Baasbari Farm

A first look at the bamboo cottage made me quite happy. And I am sure Agni was happy as well. The small cottage seemed to be hanging off the cliff edge. The entire cottage was made of bamboo. It had aesthetically pleasing furniture – a huge bed, a small table, chairs and another table. The room opened up to a hanging balcony, from where the hills and tea gardens could be seen.

It was already past noon and soon lunch was served. We had a delectable lunch of rice, dal, vegetables and chicken. The vegetables were procured from the local farm. The cook cum helper and caretaker was a jovial fellow, always having a smile on his face.

After lunch, we roamed around the property. There were two other luxury tents for stay and had other guests.  It was a day for simply lazing around. We sat down at the balcony and talked and gossiped as we watched the clouds moving across the mountains. In the evening we had Darjeeling tea and pakodas sitting on the balcony. The balcony seems to have become our favourite place!

The caretaker of the homestay could play the flute very well. In the evening, he played flute for the guests and we were quite mesmerised with his performance.

Early the next day, we went hiking down to the Rangeet River. It was a hike of about 40 minutes through the forest to the riverside. We spent some time at the river side. It is always pleasing to spend time by the river. But the hike up to our homestay was tiring. It took almost double the time to hike up to our homestay. But the experience was worth all the trouble.

What to do at Bijanbari?

The best thing to do at Bijanbari is simply relax and enjoy nature. Explore the place at your own pace.

There are several trekking routes from Bijanbari for all those who want some adventure. There are trekking trails to Singla Bazar, Relling and Jhepi, another beautiful and offbeat destination. A longer trek route will take you to Rimbick and further to Gorkhey and further to Sandakphu or Phalut.

You can also visit Jamuni Tourist Complex, which is quite a famous place for the locals.

How to reach Bijanbari?

The nearest Railway station is New Jalpaiguri (NJP) and if you are flying in then you have to reach Bagdogra. From Siliguri, Bagdogra or NJP, you can take a car directly to Bijanbari. A car will take about INR 4000 – 4500 for a one way trip to Bijanbari.

If you are driving and coming from Siliguri by the Hill Cart Road, take the diversion from Ghoom to the left. You have to go past Mariabong tea gardens and further drive up to Bijanbari. The distance from Ghoom to Bijanbari is about 23 km by this road.

Bijanbari from Darjeeling

If you are coming from Darjeeling, there are two routes that you can take.

The first one is via Tukvar Tea estate, Jamuni Bridge and Pulbazar. You have to cover a distance of about 24 km in this route and it takes about one hour fifteen minutes. We had taken this route to Bijanbari.

There is another new road to Bijanbari that branches off the Lebong Cart Road via the Soom Tea Estate towards Bijanbari. The distance in this route is 15 km, but the time taken is almost the same. In Darjeeling, you can hire a cab from Chowk Bazar or Gandhi Road to Bijanbari. A car will take about INR 1000 to Bijanbari.

How to reach Bijanbari by shared vehicle?

If you are on budget, then you can take a shared jeep from either NJP or Siliguri Junction towards Darjeeling. A shared jeep will cost you Rs 400 per seat. Buses are also available from Siliguri towards Darjeeling. To reach Bijanbari, you have to get down at Ghoom and then take another vehicle to Bijanbari.

Shared jeeps from Siliguri to Bijanbari are also available, but the jeep starts from Siliguri early in the morning, by 8 AM.

Shared jeeps are available from Darjeeling to Bijanbari from the Chawkbazar Stand. These jeeps are at regular intervals and the last one leaves around 2 PM. It is better to ask about them a day ahead of your journey if you decide to take a shared vehicle.

Where to stay at Bijanbari?

There are a number of homestays at Bijanbari. Most of the homestays are located near the river at the lower part of Bijanbari.

The place we stayed, Baasbari Farms, is located in the upper part of Bijanbari. While the homestay is located amidst greenery and provides an absolutely delightful experience, the river is a bit far from the homestay.

Contact of Baasbari Farms: +91 9932240537

Food is available at the homestays and most of them are quite delicious.

We had spent quite a relaxing time at Baasbari Farms in Bijanbari, Darjeeling. As I mentioned before, the balcony became our favourite place where we relaxed and spent some quality time with each other. So, if you are looking for an offbeat weekend in North Bengal, you can consider Bijanbari and Baasbari Farms for your next weekend.

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