Located just 80 kms from the Airport and Railheads, at an altitude of 1,250 metres, nestling in the lush green mid ranges of the Himalayas , this bazaar town was originally a part of Bhutan but later it was taken over by the British and finally it became a part of West Bengal and the hill station of "the Raj" . The word 'kalim' means King's Minister and 'Pong' - the stronghold of the King's minister. It is also called 'Kalibong' or the black spur by the hill people. 'Kalipong' in local dialect stands for 'Kaulim' which is a fibrous plant which grows in abundance in this region. It has an incredible stunning backdrop of towering snow capped peaks. The countryside around Kalimpong has a vast range of forests around Lava and Lolygaon, the wild and protected Neora National Park reaching up to the 3,152 mts high at Rachela trijunction between Bhutan , Sikkim and West Bengal , meandering river valleys of Git, Rishi, Rilli , the mighty Teesta and the enchanting Samthar Plateau. The journey from Darjeeling along the Teesta River is very interesting.
