Sittong:

Beautifully oriented by the aromatic orange orchard along with the undisturbed eye-catching green forest and its habitants, Sittong is apparently a neonate Himalayan destination in the mountains of the Queen of Hills. This quiet Lepcha hamlet is standing at an elevation of 4000ft(1219meters). Like Kurseong, Darjeeling Sittong has the same amount of beauty, serenity, wintery wonderland and in addition, it offers a tranquil, calm and soothing experience with a little sprinkle of adventure. This little picturesque Lepcha village is no doubt, one of the most untouched parts of the Himalayan foothills, which yet to be discovered. Sittong is a valley crisscrossed by a rivulet (Khola) and guarded by lush green hills combined with more than 50 villages with a radius of 15 to 20 kilometres.

Lepchas were the native community of this secluded majestic land. According to the Lepcha language, ‘Si-thong’ (Sittong) means “Pani ko Muhan'' which translates as “ The source of Water.” In the upper sittong, there used to be ponds named Panch Pokhari and Namfin Pokhari. These ponds used to fill up with crystal clear water throughout the year and provided water to this region. However, the ponds eventually got dried up(the evidence of the dried-up pond can be seen at present and it is also one of the hiking paths for adventure lovers). At present these ponds only get filled up during the monsoon season. However, an interesting old folklore runs through behind the reason for drying up these Pokhari or ponds. According to the Lepcha legend, in the Panch Pokhari during day time, when the sun used to get its pick, a sparkling reflection of a golden double-barreled gun can be seen at the base of the pond. Later, with the growth of the population, the greed of the people grew. By the instigation of greed, few among them(the villagers) excavate drainage to empty the water of the pond. However, they never succeeded; they never found the Golden gun.

Sittong is popular among tourists who look for getaways a little differently and in more secluded locations.. Visiting here is like time travelling – There are many traditional heritage buildings in Sittong like the 120 years old Lepcha Bamboo church which is now renovated and the 250 years old mud Lepcha Gumpha with the wall painting. The Salamander Lake which is a top attraction is just a few kilometres from Sittong. What we know as world-famous Darjeeling Oranges, are mainly produced in Sittong only. You can explore the traditional lifestyle of Lepchas and engage in cultural exchange talks. Enjoy the surreal view of Mt. Kanchenjunga from your view. You can either travel within Sittong village to enjoy the different attractions here since it is a relatively large geographical area, you may need to spend some time to cover the area well enough. The other option is to go beyond Sittong and explore the entire region.