Kalej Valley – Rainbow Valley Resort

KALEJ VALLEY TEA ESTATE – RANGBULL

Kalej Valley is a lesser known tourist destination amidst lush green all over. From the hills of Darjeeling to the stretches of Dooars, There are enormous beauties of tea gardens. Though from the British era uncountable tea gardens had been established but tourism in this sector has been started for the last few years. Tea garden centered spots and offbit places near the tea gardens now days are very popular. A small place just near Darjeeling while going by the Rohini road on the way to Jorebunglow, via Kurseong route is Kalej Valley. Kalej Valley is a tea estate nestled in a sub-division of Darjeeling. The nearest Rangbull junction is within 5 km from Kalej Valley. From Darjeeling on the way to Ghoom station 4 km before is Rangbull junction. Kalej Valley tea estate was established during 1858 by the British. The British gave the title of this tea estate Kalej Valley by the name of a local bird that inhabits this region “Kaliz Phesant”. But apart from Kaliz Phesant other Himalayan birds also found in this region of Kalej Valley some of these Rufous Sibia, White Browed Shrike Babbler, Great Barbet, Drongo, Himalayan Bulbul, and White Capped Water Redstart. Kalej Valley is such a place where the divine nature has blessed with everything on this earth. Beauty should lie in your eyes to admire some places or the others. This fascinating place is best known for Buddhist Monasteries, Tea Plantations, ride on the chairlift, shopping in the colourful markets and trekking to high altitude spots. After the post independence, the ownership of Kalej Valley was transferred from the British to the Goodrick Company. Kalej Valley tea estate is divided into six divisions; these are Kalej Valley Tea Estate, Lower Kalej Valley Tea Estate, Dhuseri Tea Estate, Samirock Pani Tea Estate, Toong Sung Tea Estate and Balason Tea Estate. Among these six divisions, there are only two tea processing unit, one is at Lower Kalej Valley Tea Estate and another is Tung Sung Tea Estate. One will get to see many qualities of tea those are processes here. One of the best experiences one can have during their stay at Kalej Valley is to have a cup of garden fresh organic in the morning, its smell and colour will cherish for a lifetime. Tea tourism in this place has enhanced the financial conditions of these tea estates. There is a tea factory in this place which is worth visiting. The factory remains closed on Sundays. You will hear nothing in this place but only the chirping sounds of birds. Kalej Valley offers wide views of picturesque landscapes, long stretches of tea gardens and the hide and seeks of clouds all the day long.

Local Watch- able: One of the main attractions of Kalej Valley is the “Rainbow Waterfall” locally know as “Indrani Chaggo”. Rainbow Waterfalls is located within 2 km from Kalej Valley tea estate, estimated time takes around 10 minutes. This waterfall is coming down from a height of about 80 feet. At the bottom if Rainbow Falls numerous large boulders are gathered and has taken the shape of a small pond, tourists can take a bath in this falls as it also forms the source of many minerals. As the day light reflects on the Rainbow Falls a small rainbow gets formed. Other local watch-able includes “Mandirgaon” located within 15 minutes walking distance from Kalej Valley. An ideal picnic spot. Other destinations around Kalej Valley are Ghoom, Jorebungalow, Sukhiapokhri, Senchal Forest, and Darjeeling. The famous “Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary” is a nearby place of tourist visit from Kalej Valley. Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over an area of about 30.6 sq km and its altitude ranges from 4500 ft to 8500 ft. It is home to the some of the rarest species of fauna namely Himalayan Black Deer, Leopard, Himalayan Flying Squirrel, Assam Macaque and many more. Senchal Lake is also worth watching, as it circulates water throughout Darjeeling region. 

Nearby Places to Visit:
The Mall Road
Himalayan Mountaineering Institude
Shingamari Ropeway
Zoological Park (Darjeeling Zoo)
Mahakal Dara Temple
Tiger Hill, Darjeeling
Loyad Botanical Garden
Japanese Peace Pagoda
Waterfalls, Mirik Lake
Kalimpong & Darjeeling Tea Estate
Lebong Race course
Tibetan Refuge camp
Happy Valley Tea Estate
Pasupati Nagar Market (Nepal)

How to reach: Kalej Valley lies within 70 km from the nearest rail head NJP railway station and 5 km from Rangbull junction. The market of Rangbull and the settlement are just below the Hill Cart road on the steep hilly slops. From there the road has further stretched downhill. On an every single turn the road has stretched downward at about 400 to 500 meter. From Lamahatta at a distance of 20 km is Kalej Valley. Kalej Valley can be easily visited from Darjeeling located at a distance of about 15 km. From there take the right hand side and you will reach a place which is partly wake up and partly asleep, a hamlet call “Rangbull”. From there just go a little further and you will reach at the divine hamlet named “Kalej Valley”. The route to Kalej Valley from Siliguri is via NH31 via Ghoom. From Sevoke Coronation Bridge on the left-hand side there is a bypass road that connects to Ghoom via Jorebungalow and Sukhipokhri, this bypass route is known as “Darjeeling Bypass Road” and was constructed during the British era. One can also avail this route to reach Kalej Valley. Rangbull is situated just above the Hill Cart road; from there you can reach Kalej Valley. From Darjeeling it takes 40 to 45 minutes journey.

Best Time to Visit: Though Kalej Valley can be visited throughout the year, but it is better to avoid the rainy season. Winter is the best time for natural scenic beauty.