Kurseong a small hamlet near Darjeeling is situated at a height of approx 4548 ft. Kurseong is the perfect
destination to enjoy the pristine beauty of the hills. Though Kurseong main town is
densely populated, you can often find hidden gems on the offbeat paths in Kurseong and one of the hidden gems is Nirvana Retreat. Nirvana Retreat is the best place to stay in Kurseong.
Nirvana Retreat is a place where the sounds of the
birds are your alarm clock, the clouds are the blanket that embraces you with
open arms, where the tall pine trees play the perfect backdrop for getting lost
in your dreams, the hospitality and the care keeps you warm and a place where time has stopped – that’s Nirvana Retreat for
you.
Nirvana Retreat is an offbeat stay
option in Kurseong nestled among the hills of Kurseong at a height of 6080 ft
much higher than Kurseong Town. and almost near to Darjeeling in terms of altitude.
Nirvana Retreat is neither a homestay nor a
hotel, it’s a perfect blend of both where you will feel at home yet get the
best services from the people at Nirvana Retreat, who will go the extra mile to ensure
that you feel special.
If you want to see the Video of Nirvana Resort we have a video which shows the entire Nirvana Retreat in Kurseong and what you can expect at Nirvana Resort.
Nirvana in Sanskrit means “a transcendent state in which there
is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released
from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth.”
and
Retreat means " the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)" which fits
perfectly for Nirvana Retreat in Kurseong as you will not only realize your own self but also forget the hardships of life and make you realize your inner self.
Once you
are here in Nirvana Retreat in Kurseong, you will forget all the sorrows of
life, you will desire to get embraced in the lap of nature which will you make you forget
everything in your life and you will just enjoy the place.
That's why I call it the best place in Kurseong.
Nirvana Retreat in Kurseong is the best place to stay in Kurseong that will help you
to make peace with yourself, understand your inner self, and make you close to
nature.
What Makes staying in Kurseong at Nirvana Retreat Special?
Location of Stay in Kurseong
Nestled among the hills in a faraway location from the
main town of Kurseong makes it the perfect location. The Nirvana Retreat is
surrounded by Pine trees giving it a fairy tale experience. In the morning and
afternoon when the clouds cover the Pine trees and enter your room it gives a
mystic experience.
The curved roads surrounded by pine & fern will
welcome you to the retreat. While you will be driving to the resort you are
bound to feel excited as the roads to the resort are extremely beautiful.
The chirping birds will wake you up in the morning and
during the evening you will hear the beautiful songs of the birds.
Nirvana Retreat in Kurseong is noise-free and that makes
it a perfect location to enjoy the sounds and sights of nature.
Kanchenjunga range is visible from Nirvana Retreat,
however when we went it was cloudy, and hence we couldn’t see the Kanchenjunga
range.
A Book Lover’s Paradise
Here you can spend hours looking at the flying clouds
among pine trees, or just grab a book and sit in the garden and get lost in the
words of a book.
The book & the atmosphere at the Nirvana Retreat plays as the
perfect stage where you can sometimes become a detective or just stroll in the
alleys of old Calcutta while getting immersed in a book and there will be no
one to disturb you apart from the sounds of nature.
Nirvana Retreat has a well-stocked library catering to the reading
habits of all. You can get books from all genres. It is a book lover’s
paradise. It simply shows how well-read are the owners of Nirvana Retreat.
One of the best parts which I have hardly seen in any
place is written in the library that “you can take any book back with you for
your home as a memoir of staying in this place.” Though it’s a beautiful gesture from the owners
of the resort, however, my suggestion is don’t take any book home, as if you
are taking a book home, you will be not allowing another person to enjoy the
book.
Mouth-Watering Food
While staying in Nirvana Retreat, I often wondered how is
it is possible for a team of two Chefs to serve a variety of cuisine and
not only that you will find all food tastes amazing.
Just to check, during my 2 days of stay at Nirvana Retreat I ordered all kinds of cuisine starting from Chinese, Indian,
Continental, Nepalese, and not once they faltered on the taste.
If you are a food lover like me, you can eat the entire
day yet not go cover even 1/5th of the menu.
Once you are here you need to try out the Nepalese dishes
like Churpi ka Achar, Gundruk ko Achaar, Sel Roti, and Karela Fry.
Note the Nepalese cuisines are on the
spicier side and hence if you can’t eat chilies like me you will not be able
to enjoy the cuisine to the fullest. But still, my suggestion is it’s
absolutely a must-try.
One thing you have to try is their Caramel Custard. They
don’t make it every day but if you are reading this then you should request
them to prepare it in advance.
I can go on and on about the taste of the food here. It’s simply
amazing. And yes try their Non-veg thin crust pizza too.
Nirvana Retreat has an in-house bakery and all the bread is
baked in-house, so you get fresh bread in the morning.
All the people in the restaurant go the extra mile to
ensure you have an amazing gastronomic experience.
Rooms in Nirvana retreat
The rooms in Nirvana Retreat are spacious and the best
part there are only 9 rooms which ensure that the guests are limited in the
Nirvana Retreat and you can enjoy a blissful time here.
The rooms at Nirvana retreat either have a Garden view or
a mountain view. Well, don’t confuse with the type of room as all rooms have
a mountain view. I preferred the Garden suite as you can just walk out of your
room into the beautiful garden in Nirvana Retreat.
If you are taking other suites then this luxury of
walking into the Garden from your room will be missed, however, you will have a beautiful balcony to yourself and to reach and enjoy the garden you have to climb down the stairs.
The rooms at Nirvana Retreat are named Lahache, Jurelee,
Chibay, Nayul, etc and if you are wondering what these mean then let me tell you
rooms in Nirvana Retreat are named after local birds found here. Also, you will
get to see the bird’s picture outside the room.
That’s why I call Nirvana Retreat is as close to nature.
Experiences at Nirvana Retreat
Apart from the location, rooms, and services, one thing
which defines a place is the experiences that it offers and Nirvana Retreat doesn’t
fail in this as well.
Though you can book a car from the reception and go for
touristy experiences, let me tell you three experiences that you should have
here while staying in Nirvana Retreat.
The first one is the bird-watching experience. You can
book the bird watching experience at just Rs500 per room and there will be a
professional bird watcher who will take you on a trail and show you the rare
birds of this place.
Kurseong is known for beautiful Himalayan birds. If you are
not into wildlife photography, at least carry a binocular to watch these
beautiful birds. There are approximately 20 different birds you can see in the
resort itself if you are lucky.
The second one is the self hike. You can start walking up
on the road from the Nirvana Retreat gate and explore the beautiful
surroundings. I am sharing a map of the self-hike. This hike is absolutely not
the off-beaten path, however, you have to walk on the road. Note that as this
is a hilly area you need to be fit enough to walk the steep road. This hike
will show you various beautiful moments of the hills in Kurseong.
The third one is to visit the Tea House at the top of the
Nirvana Retreat. The views of the mountains are mesmerizing from here and it’s
the perfect place where you can sip your favorite Darjeeling tea and enjoy the
surroundings. The best part they serve varieties of Darjeeling tea including
naturally flavored tea. This is absolutely a must-visit and a must-do experience
during your stay at Nirvana Retreat.
Things to Do from Nirvana Retreat
If you want to do touristy stuff while staying in Nirvana
Retreat, you can of course do that. However, I didn’t do any of this stuff as I
was in love with Nirvana Retreat property and wanted to enjoy it to the
fullest.
However, if you want to do local sightseeing you can book
a car from the reception. You should visit St John’s Church, St Mary’s GrottoLocal
sightseeing, Dow Hill Eco Park, Forest Museum, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Museum, Toy Train workshop, Kungsang Choiling Monastery, Chitray (at sunset or
sunrise), and Margaret’s Deck.
If you want to do local treks then you have options to do
a jungle trek from St Mary’s Hill to Dilaram or Tea Estate trek from Singell to
Ambootia, a Nature trek from Kharay Khola to Mahanaday, or a cycle trek in Dow
Hill Nature reserve.
Nirvana Retreat has mountain bikes available which you can
use for cycling around the hills near the resort.
One of the exciting trips you can do is Chimney, Father
Abraham’s Organic farm, Bagora (7150 feet), Namthang Lake, Ahal Dara,
Latpanchar, Jogighat River Valley, Mungpoo & Lamahatta. However, note these
places will be too hectic to cover in a single day. Hence pick up the places
properly well in advance and plan your route accordingly.
How to book your stay at Nirvana Retreat
While booking your stay at Nirvana Retreat forget the
booking sites and directly call Nirvana Retreat in Kurseong as they have
exciting discounts and when you call them while booking they take care of the
minute details and can suggest a room and experience accordingly.
You can drop a mail at info@nirvanakurseong.com or call
them at +91-853-805-9116 / +91-905-165-9499 / +91-890-021-1255 / +91-914-303-7182
and tell them that you have got a reference from Shoestring Travel blogger to get
exciting discounts.
How to Reach Nirvana Retreat
There is no public transport available to reach Nirvana Retreat.
You have to book a car to reach Nirvana Retreat.
Either you reach Kurseong by
shared cabs/ public transport and then hire a separate car to reach Nirvana Retreat or you can book a car directly from Bagdogra Airport or NJP to reach
Nirvana Retreat.
The cost of booking a car will be almost the same as from
Kurseong they will charge Rs 1000-Rs1500 for the entire car.
When to Visit Kurseong in Nirvana Retreat
Nirvana Retreat is a place where you can visit 365 days
of the year, however, if you have to pick one or two seasons then I would
recommend visiting Nirvana Retreat during winters ( Oct-Dec) or you can visit
during March-May as the weather is extremely comfortable during this time.
One Thing You shouldn’t Miss in Nirvana Retreat
Request Nirvana Retreat to host a bonfire with live
music and it is a different experience altogether where you will be listening
to live songs while warming yourself from the fire under the starry skies overlooking
the mountains. It’s an experience which you will not forget.
Let me know in the comment section below if you have any questions related to Nirvana Retreat in Kurseon and will be happy to answer.
Also if you have stayed in Nirvana Retreat share your experiences below.
While traveling to Kurseong don't forget the best place to stay in Kurseong is Nirvana Retreat. Stay safe and enjoy traveling.
An avid traveller & photographer always on the lookout for unique destinations,culture & food.We are in search of Unknowns among Knowns and bring Offbeat and Unique destinations across the world.
Through this travel blog Shoestring Travel I intend to bring travel stories & travel itineraries so that people can pursue their wanderlust on a budget. Read more about me here
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