Wildlife · Lava, Darjeeling & Kalimpong
Neora Valley National Park forest day
Enter Neora Valley National Park from Lava with a forest permit and guide for a day in one of eastern India's least disturbed forests, home to red panda, black bear and over a hundred bird species, with a chance of seeing the Kangchenjunga range from the ridge.
Photo: Sandipanjalpaiguri · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsNeora Valley National Park covers 88 sq km of forest from the foothills to about 3,200 m at Rachela Danda. It was established in 1986 and is linked by forest to Pangolakha in Sikkim and to Bhutan. Much of it is inaccessible, and that is part of its value: tropical, subtropical and temperate forest types sit stacked on one slope, with rhododendron, oak, bamboo and ferns.
From Lava, the forest department issues permits for entry with a registered guide and approved vehicles to points such as Zero Point inside the park. Rules on routes, vehicles and numbers change, so book through the forest office at Lava or your stay, and check current status before you travel. Start early; mist rises by late morning and wildlife retreats.
Red pandas are rarely seen, and you should not plan around them. Birds are the realistic highlight: satyr tragopan, laughingthrushes, barwings and many others. Barking deer, squirrels and signs of bear are common. Stay with your guide, keep noise low, and take every piece of litter out with you.
Good for
Also in Lava
More days here
Photo: Joydeep · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Morning prayers at Lava's Kagyu monastery
Walk up from Lava bazaar at dawn to Kagyu Thekchen Ling, the monastery on the hill, for morning chanting, butter lamps …
Photo: Sandipanjalpaiguri · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Changey Falls and Kolakham day trip
A half-day drive from Lava to Changey Falls, a tall forest waterfall reached by steps from the road, and on to Kolakham…
Trips through Lava
Do this on a trip
Each of these trips stops in Lava. Tell us and we keep a slot for this day.
Photo: Arne Hückelheim 2010-09-21 12:41:53 This is a … · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Lava by shared jeep
Shared jeeps, one short reserved car
Questions
Before you book
Do I need a permit for Neora Valley National Park?
Yes. Entry requires a permit from the West Bengal forest department, usually issued at the forest office in Lava, with fees for people, vehicles and a compulsory guide. Numbers may be limited. Rules change, so check current status before you travel.
When is Neora Valley National Park closed?
Like other national parks in West Bengal, Neora Valley closes during the monsoon, roughly from mid-June to mid-September. Dates can change. October to May is the open season, with October–November and March–April best.
Will I see a red panda in Neora Valley?
Unlikely on a day visit. Red pandas live in the park's bamboo and oak forest but are shy and mostly active at dawn and dusk. Treat any sighting as a bonus. Birds, forest and views are the main reward.