Bungkulung is an offbeat tourist destination in North Bengal. It is located at a height of about 2040 ft and is surrounded by a hill, jungle, tea garden, and river. Balasun river passes through the village and a small stream named Murmah Khola passes through Bungkulung to become a tributary of Balasun nearby. There are tea gardens such as Murmah Tea garden and Gayabari Tea Garden located nearby. One can find peace of mind and enjoy the silence of nature for a couple of nights by being here.
The proximity of Bungkulung to Siliguri, the major town of North Bengal, is also an advantage. The village can be reached in about 1.5 hours from Siliguri via Siliguri – Mirik road. Though There is some tourist movement to the village now, the large potential of the village largely remains untapped even today. Activities such as small hikes, fishing, camping, etc can be undertaken here.
Place Around
Mirik is nearby at a distance of just 13 km and can be reached in about half an hour. The Manju Khola picnic spot and a nice park are set amongst nature. The park was opened in 2011 and is about 8 km from Bungkulung and can be reached in about 20 minutes. You can also pay a visit to Dudhia which is about 11 km and takes about half an hour to reach. There is also a short route to reach Kurseong about 17 km away which takes about 45 minutes.
Activity
As Bungkulung is a combination of Hill, River, Jungle, and Tea Garden, guests can engage themselves in different activities. They can go for a village trek and discover the government-run project of pisciculture on several local ponds. Guests can also trek to the Balasun River and enjoy camping near the riverside. A Hanging bridge made of Old Iron Cascade will welcome you while entering the trek route through the jungle. Guests can also visit 2 Tea Gardens - Murmah Tea Garden and Gayabari Tea Garden and enjoy a visit to the factories of these gardens. In the evening local cultural programs are also organized in some local homestays on advance notice. Bungkulung is a village in the Limbu Community, people can enjoy the cultural dance program in the evening. A few orange gardens can also be seen in the village.
People
A large number of local people are dependent on agriculture and cultivation in the paddy fields. As tourism is getting popular in the village, local villagers are also engaging themselves as a guide, transporter, and hosts apart from cultivation. Villagers are also working in the tea gardens nearby. A part of the villagers is from the Limbu community through other hilly tribes also live here. Nepali is the local language here though Hindi, English, and Bengali are widely understood.
Getting There
Bungkulung is only 34 km from Siliguri and 35 km from Bagdogra (the major airport in North Bengal). It takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes from Siliguri or Bagdogra to reach Bungkulung. People can reserve a car and drive to Soureni and take a right turn to reach Bungkulung via Manju Park. There is also a direct road that originates close to Dudhia.
Climate
Bungkulung is located in the Balasun river valley. The altitude of the place is just over 2000 feet which makes its weather more akin to that of the plains. The summer month of May can be warm. The rest of the year's weather is quite pleasant, winter is cold and the monsoon witnesses a very heavy shower.
