Things to do in Kalimpong
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Studio Foto Max
Studio Foto Max does film developing and processing, and will burn pictures to a CD for Rs50.
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Dr Graham’s Home
This working orphanage and school was built in 1900 by Dr JA Graham, a Scottish missionary, to educate the children of tea-estate workers, and now has more than 1300 students. There’s a small museum that commemorates the founder and his wife Katherine. The 1925 chapel above the school looks like it’s straight out of Scotland, with its grey slate, spire and bell. It features fine stained-glass windows. The gate is 4km up the steep KD Pradhan Rd. Many people charter a taxi to get here (Rs90) and then walk back to town.
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King Thai
A multicultural hang out with a Thai name, Chinese food, Bob Marley posters and British soccer banners for decoration, and Hindi/Nepali live music for entertainment. The excellent food is mainly Chinese with some Thai and Indian dishes: four different versions of chop suey are offered, along with wantons as a change from momos. There’s a bar with comfy chairs and a disco ball, and a regular crowd that mixes expats, monks, businessmen and Tibetan cool kids.
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Mangal Dham
This ungainly modern Mangal Dham is sacred to Krishna. In its ballroom-like prayer hall there are eight vibrant, life-size dioramas from the Krishna Leela. The temple is dedicated to Guruji Shri Mangaldasji, who's commemorated in a shrine below the prayer hall. The temple is about 500m downhill from Thongsa Gompa, or you can walk from the centre along Relli Rd and turn left by the Roman Catholic church.
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Nature Interpretation Centre
The Nature Interpretation Centre hosts what must be the world's most educational badminton court. Surrounding the court are a number of well-organised dioramas depicting the effects of human activity on the environment. It's an easy walk from the town centre. About 450m further up the hill is the small but serene Rishi Bankim Chandra Park (also known as Kalimpong Park).
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Gangjong Paper Industry
The small Gangjong Paper Industry hiding below Hotel Silver Oaks is a bit whiffy: apparently the fibre from the bark of the daphne tree that goes into this paper is resistant to all sorts of attack and decay. There's a small showroom selling attractive notebooks, greeting cards, lanterns etc coloured with natural dyes.
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Pine View Nursery
Kalimpong is a major flower exporter and produces about 80% of India’s gladioli as well as many orchid varieties. Visit Pine View Nursery to gaze at its eminently photographable cactus collection. Pine View has a few rooms.
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Gompu’s Bar & Restaurant
Gompu’s is famous for its massive momos (pork, chicken and veg), and has been pleasing locals and travellers with Tibetan, Bhutanese, Indian, Chinese and continental fare for ages. It’s found within the hotel of the same name.
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China Garden Restaurant
In the China Garden Hotel near the Motor Stand, this is Kalimpong’s best Chinese restaurant. The authentic soups, noodles and the spicy ginger chicken attract aficionados, though several Indian curries have snuck onto the menu.
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Santi Kunj
Kalimpong is a major flower exporter and produces about 80% of India’s gladioli as well as many orchid varieties. Visit Santi Kunj to see anthuriums and the bird of paradise flower (bulbs are also sold here).
reviewed
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Himalayan Bike Tours
Kalimpong-based Swede Roger Lenngren from Himalayan Bike Tours offers extreme sports in the area, including paragliding tandem flights (Rs2000 including transport from landing place back to Kalimpong).
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Fresh Bite Restaurant
Upstairs, across the road from the DGHC, this place has a huge range of almost uniformly good food including some hard-to-find dishes that you might just have been craving, like miso soup and bacon sandwiches.
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Shikhar
This hugely popular vegetarian restaurant with Tibetan and Indian snacks and meals is tucked under the Pizza Pan restaurant. Ultra cheap momos and filling chow mein are the most popular orders.
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Gurudongma Tours & Travels
Gurudongma Tours & Travels organises interesting tours, including trekking, rafting, mountain-biking, birdwatching and fishing, around Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Sikkim.
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Nurseryman’s Haven
Kalimpong is a major flower exporter and produces about 80% of India’s gladioli as well as many orchid varieties. Visit Nurseryman’s Haven to have a look at orchids.
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Pizza Pan
The 'acceptable pizzas for Kalimpong', as one local quipped, come in two sizes with a variety of veg and non-veg toppings, and are indeed acceptable, as is the coffee.
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Lark’s Provisions
The best place to pick up Kalimpong cheese (Rs180 per kg) and a packet of Kalimpong lollipops (Rs25). Also sells groceries and yummy home-made pickles.
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Tandoori Express
A clean new place filling a gap in Kalimpong’s food market by offering a good range of North Indian curries and tandoori dishes.
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Kashi Nath & Sons
Bookshop Kashi Nath & Sons has a good range on Buddhism, and books about Nepal and Tibet.
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Blessings
Blessings stocks a good range of books on Buddhism, and about Nepal and Tibet.
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3C’s
A popular bakery and restaurant offering a variety of mouth-watering pastries and cakes.
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Pine View
Pine View nursery has an eminently photographable cactus collection.
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Haat Bazaar
On Wednesday and Saturday, this normally quiet bazaar roars to life.
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