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Date of the journey:- January 2020
Distance travelled:- 107 miles
Getting from Ilam in Nepal to Darjeeling, West Bengal India, was a frustrating journey. Ilam is only 47 miles by road from Darjeeling, about a 2 and a half hour journey.
However, owing to there not being an international immigration checkpoint on the Indian side of the Pashupatinagar border crossing, as of January 2020. Foreign nationals are required to cross the border at the Kakarbhitta/Panitanki crossing. This makes the journey 107 miles taking 7 hrs and 15 minutes.
The first leg of the journey was a shared jeep ride. From the Ilam bus station to the Charaali bus stop for a cost of 300 Rupees per person. This took us to the crossroads of Highways 01 and 07.
As jeeps are generally filled to beyond their comfortable capacity, with 4 people sitting in seats designed for 3. It is advisable to purchase an additional seat if you wish to sit in some form of comfort. Luggage goes on the roof.
At the Highways crossroad, tuk tuks are available for the 15 minute journey to the border crossing for 265 Rupees. Once dropped at the crossing point. Walk through the archway, past the Nepal police checkpoint. Then turn left into the Immigration Office Kakarbhitta. Follow the road and signs to the right. The immigration office is at the end of the building on the left.
Exiting Nepal is a simple process taking no more than 15 minutes to get the exit stamp required in your passport.
With that done. It was off across the river bridge, a walk of about 10 minutes. Half a mile, to the Indian police and security checkpoint.
A few formalities. Then a 50m walk to the Raniganj Immigration Checkpoint. Located on the right-hand side of the road after the junction with East-West Highway, not before as shown on Google Maps. Foreign nationals have to go to the building at the back of the immigration compound to complete entry details. We had already been into India and already had our visas, so re-entry was a very simple process for us.
Getting to Darjeeling from the border can be done in a number of ways. Shared jeep, bus, or taxi. Once you have crossed the border you will be descended upon by a thousand and one taxi drivers. All telling you that the only way anywhere is by taxi.
We spoke to the immigration officials who told us about getting a bus to Siliguri, from where we could get a shared jeep to Darjeeling. This was the option we went for. A 5 minute walk into the town of Panitanki we got the bus to Siliguri from outside the New Krishna Hotel, this was closer than walking to the bus station. The downside of getting the bus from here, it was crowded and we had to stand all the way to Siliguri, about an hour away.
The tickets for this journey cost 30 Rupees each. More by luck than judgement the bus stopped right next to the Darjeeling Shared Taxi Stand on Hill Cart Road. From here we were able to get a Shared Jeep straight to Darjeeling, a 3-hour journey at a cost of 150 Rupees each. Although a long journey from Ilam, it is very picturesque going along the mountain roads.
The shared jeep drops you off at the shared taxi stand in Chauk Bazaar on Hill Cart Rd. Getting transport to our accommodation, Hotel Villa Everest. Booked through Booking.com was more difficult than expected. There are no tuk tuks in Darjeeling and getting a taxi proved far more difficult than expected. Eventually, we managed to get a taxi for the 5 minute uphill journey.