Kalimpong’s rendezvous with Fortune
Life is all about good times, beautiful memories and time well and gainfully spent. I distinctly remember my formative years and trips down to the Darjeeling Hills and some parts of the serene North East. My trip to the Fortune Resort Kalimpong, the latest addition to the ‘Hills of Fortune’ properties, was like a walk to my earliest years and boy, oh boy! What a trip, what a resort and what a destination!
The North East and East has such unique opportunities to get away, discover and enjoy with its rich tapestry. Be it the Himalayas, Kaziranga National Park, Tawang Monastery, Ziro Valley, Sivasagar or Darjeeling, Bishnupur Terracotta Temples or the Sunderbans, all such wonderful places. Add to it all, the people, cuisine and some amazing hotels which are growing by the day.
Top it all with the infrastructure initiatives of the Government of India: rail, road and air and you have such amazing connectivity that you can reach any location within hour from any corner of India. In fact, the efforts to promote tourism in these states has shown great results, be it through the Bharat Gaurav train that undertook a fortnight tour of the northeast or the world’s longest motor vessel river cruise, Ganga Vilas and much more.
Time to now narrow focus to the beautiful and quaint Fortune Resort Kalimpong, a shade under three hours from Bagdogra where we landed in Siliguri, West Bengal. Kalimpong makes for easy connectivity with Darjeeling, Gangtok in Sikkim, parts of Nepal or Bhutan, all within two hours of driving time in the hills.
Enough said about the North East, we were the guests of Fortune Park Hotels Ltd to take a look at the recently unveiled and a rather well appointed newest asset in the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal, the Fortune Resort Kalimpong. In hindsight, accepting the offer of Samir MC, the MD, Fortune Hotels, was the best decision.
Perched on a ridge above the Teesta River which flows in the valley and separates the town from the state of Sikkim, Kalimpong is situated at an altitude of 1,200 m, around 50 km to the east of Darjeeling. It was once the hub of trans-Himalayan trade between India and Tibet when merchants would ferry commerce by mule caravans over the Jelepla Pass on the Sikkim-Tibet border. The town is also well-known for its floral exports industry, especially its wide variety of indigenous orchids and gladioli. Tourism is the most significant contributor to the economy of Kalimpong, with summer and winter seasons popular with discerning tourists domestic and international.
Just about 80 km from the Bagdogra Airport, the Fortune Resort Kalimpong is set amid picturesque locales, away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Nestled between panoramic and enchanting views on Upper Cart Road in Basuripul, the resort offers 44 well-appointed rooms and suites with unmatched view of Mt Kanchendzonga and a green forested valley. It is ideal for travellers in search of a restful experience amid Nature and is a perfect confluence of modern amenities and Nature’s tranquillity, offering easy access to popular tourist locations should the enigmatic wanderers wish to explore. The resort is the best choice for small weddings and family vacays as also an ideal venue for corporate events and social gathering.
Together with a modern banquet hall and a lush green lawn space, the hotel is well-equipped to accommodate from 150 to 600 guests. Add to it the state-of-the-art facilities, a dedicated team, lip-smacking gourmet options and tailor-made services.
The contemporary décor of the rooms perfectly complements the beauty of Nature that is embellished with a burst of flora and fauna of the region. The resort also features an open-air swimming pool and a restful spa for guests to relax and rejuvenate. Not to forget, the world of culinary wonders at the all-day diner, Zodiac, where a multi-cuisine menu features Indian, Chinese, Continental and local delights to be savoured. Be it a wholesome breakfast or an extensive a-la-carte menu, Zodiac’s modish ambience and delectable menu is sure to satisfy the taste-buds of any guest. Take my word, I have been served some of the finest local, oriental, western and Indian cuisine by a most accomplished team in the kitchen and at the Zodiac. On the other hand, Neptune, the chic bar helps guests unwind and enjoy relaxed evenings in a vibrant setting. Its impressive selection of spirits and heady beverages paired with caringly crafted finger foods is sure to keep you good company.
And if your calling is to pick your bites in the adjacent gazebo or the lush green of the Fortune Resort, go indulge yourself to the brim and soak in the views of the valley as it stares in to your resort. The views, colours and ambience are simply breath-taking.
Tourists like me are advised to surely visit a few places and believe me each of them is a real gem. I, for one, started mine with Neora National Park that was established in 1986. Spread over 88 sq km in the foothills of the majestic Himalayan mountains, it is considered one of the wealthiest biological zones. It is bordered by forests of Sikkim on one side and by Bhutan on the other. I next visited Lava, a small hamlet, 34 km east of the town of Kalimpong. In fact, it is one of the few places in West Bengal to receive snow in winter. The route to Lava (2,138 m) is scenic with the transformation in vegetation, from tropical deciduous to wet alpine trees of fir, pine and birch clearly visible as you drive up. The forests are quite popular among locals and tourists for trekking, birdwatching and picnicking.
If you love your history, I strongly suggest you don’t miss getting to Pedong, a town in Darjeeling district, around 20 km from Kalimpong en route Lava. Located on a ridge, it commands a panoramic view and lies on the historic Silk Route that connects India with Lhasa via the Jelepla Pass. Don’t miss a quick visit to Damsang Gadi, the historical fort built in 1690 AD by the Lepchas and was once at the centre of the long-standing feud with the Dhupkas of Bhutan. And also get to Sangchen Dorjee Monastery, one of the oldest in Pedong-Kalimpong region.
To test your adrenaline rush, go para gliding at the adjacent Deolo Tourism complex and get to take first-hand look at the Mt Kanchenjunga, some ranges that separate us from China, Nepal and Bhutan. It gets easy when all you have to do is a crow’s flight on a para glider or for that matter look into the Fortune Resort Kalimpong from the valley.
For the compulsive shopaholics, Kalimpong won’t disappoint your desires if you are ready to explore the local markets for the unique and affordable local art, curios, fabric, clothes and loads more, be they local Nepalese or Tibetan items, you are in for a surprise. It is all so cheap and affordable, you can indulge, indulge and indulge and still come away with loads in balance.
The small hill town of not too many Kalimpong is a cosmopolitan melange of cultures and communities. You will find all of them and service with a smile is second skin to these gentle locals. And Fortune Resort Kalimpong is an ideal blend of well trained and experienced locals and others who carry their passion to serve on the sleeve and go out of their way to make one’s stay comfortable, enjoyable and one to remember. India has been served so well across sectors by our brothers and sisters from the North East and with all the experience gained, many have come back enriched with best practices and cutting edge experience.
The asset is ably led and managed by Prasanna Kumar Ray, an experienced Fortune hand and his team of do-gooders be it the kitchen F&B, ops, front office, engineering, security or sales to name a few. Keep in mind, managing an asset in the hills comes with its peculiar challenges never easy to handle, but the winners come trumps and this unit does it with magnanimous aplomb day in day out.
Last but not the least, the weather and the energy efficient resort. While, during our stay, the weather had been kind, like with most locations in the North East, Rain God are kind and they were without marring the experience and outings, there is hardly any need for air-conditioning. The resort has done well to manage its resources in energy and conserve with best practices possible and even have their own kitchen garden on steps and a sprinkling of a small tea plantation on its periphery. It is all still work in progress, this being their first season. So expect more in times to come.
Come savour Kalimpong, the rather well appointed Fortune Resort Kalimpong and the larger North East. It is the next destination that has to be on any eager and hungry travellers bucket list.
Thank you, Fortune Resort Kalimpong for having me over. I just ticked one more off my bucket list.
