Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary Trek
Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary or Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary is a part of Singalila National Park.
This is a short trekking route. The trek starts from Hilley. The cars go up to Hilley then the walking road on foot. Hilley to Barsey trek distance is only 4 km.
The beautiful colorful gate of the sanctuary will greet you at Hilley. Before entering, it is mandatory to get an entry ticket from the counter, the price is not high.
Cut the ticket and enter, and the only thing that will overwhelm you as soon as you enter is the green ceremony. Let’s move on again.
Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary Trekking
The trekking road through the young bamboo forest, this forest also has a red panda. however, Red pandas are very shy so it is very difficult to see them.
There is a strange silence in this place. There are only some unnamed birds and insects calling.
After a while, the bamboo forest will end and a straight up-rising forest of big trees will start. There is also a seating arrangement after some distance.
After going a little further you will see many types of Rhododendron. This route from Hilley to Barsey is so beautiful that even if the body thinks of getting tired, it will not let the mind. Proceed to see different colored rhododendrons around.
And after some distance, the jungle will end. Understand that the destination is near. A large water reservoir will fall on the left side of the road. Continue on the right, a little later you will see a large bungalow house, and just in front of it is a barrack-type low height house.
The big bungalow house is known as ‘Guras Kunj’ and is very popular. A barrack-type house is also a forest hut or barrack.
How to reach Barsey
There is no direct road to reach Barsey. You have to reach here by trekking. Hilley, Sareng, and Dentam are the three routes to reach here. The best route is Hilley to reach Barsey.
First, you have to come to New Jalpaiguri (NJP). If you want to reduce the cost then shere car is the best option. After some time from Siliguri, the shere car leaves for Jorthang. You can get many autos from NJP to Siliguri and from there you can book shere seats for Jorthang.
You can also get shere cars from Jorthang to Okhery or Hilley, but shere cars are limited on this route.
you can also book a personal rented car from NJP and come to Okhery or Hilley. It takes 4 to 5 hours. The distance from NJP to Hilley is 135 km.
And if you come on a flight, the nearest airport is Bagdogra. You can also get many personal rented cars from outside the airport to reach Hilley.
Best time to visit Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary
First, you can understand the specialty of this trek- Seeing the Rhododendron. This is exactly the reason why the perfect time for this tour is March to May, which means that Rhododendron can be seen at that time.
October to February is also a good time to come here. Because at this time sky is mostly clear Kanchenjunga can be seen very well. The experience of seeing Kanchenjunga from here is amazing. Lots of birds can be seen during this time.
Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary accommodation
Barsey has very limited accommodation, which can be booked a couple of months prior. So many visitors prefer to have lunch at Barseyand return to Hilley on the same day.
The Barsey has a large bungalow-type house called ‘Guras Kunj’ and a small forest hut. If you want to stay in the Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, you have to stay in one of the two.
Barsey Trekkers Hut or Guras Kunj: This is a government hut that is maintained and leased by the locals. Trekkers Hut has 2 rooms (3/4 divided) with a dining space, kitchen, and a beautiful dormitory (about 20 separate single beds) in the attic. Cost with meals varies from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2000 per person depending on the season.
Forest Hat: It is reserved for Forest Department officials. Can get approval to write and stay at the State Forest Department.
Tent: You can also pitch a private tent.
Barsey temperature
Summer [March to May]- Temperature 20 to 30 degrees
Monsoon[June to Aug ] – Temperature 18 to 28 degrees
Autumn [Sep to Oct]- Temperature 10 to 20 degrees
Winters [Nov to Feb]- Temperature -3 to 10 degrees.