There is a place on this earth, so serene and calm, where you can hear the melodies of birds every hour of the day! It’s a home to clouded leopards, black bears and Red Pandas. This evergreen cloud forest, at least 10,000 feet above sea level, will take your breath away with its pristine, natural and unperturbed beauty. It’s Singalila National Park.
This is the story of my 5 days in this heaven finding ‘red’! So, let’s set off on a spectacular, wild journey to find red (rare and elusive Red Pandas).
Singalila National Park is located at the northern tip of West Bengal, and borders Nepal at the west, and Sikkim at the north and east.
The closest airport is Bagdogra Airport, and our host arranged for a pickup from the airport to our homestay, which was right next to the forest (Habre’s Nest).
We arrived just in time in Singalila to watch the sun set beyond the mighty Himalayas. We were all mesmerized by the beauty around us: the blood-red sky, the amazing birds, and the canopy of the surrounding cloud forest.
It soon began getting extremely cold. We then settled around the heater, munching popcorn and chatting with our host.
The next day, we set out at the crack of dawn to trek through the mountain ranges, hoping to sight a red panda!
We left from the back of the resort, and there we were: smack-dab in the middle of the wilderness! We clambered over logs and boulders, trekking uphill the whole time, taking in the peace and beauty of the forest around us.
Occasionally, we slipped and almost fell, so we learnt to be careful and avoid stepping on rocks and near the edges of ravines. We also learnt to stay in the middle of the trail; we never knew if a treacherous ravine would suddenly open up near our feet at the edge.
We trekked for ages, and when we returned, tired but totally in love with Singalila, we watched the sunset from a mountain peak near our resort.
Throughout the 5 days we stayed there, we trekked for several kilometres each day, and every time we turned a corner, something new and beautiful met our eyes.
Sometimes it was a spectacular mountain view, and other times it was a new species of bird. Moreover, we thoroughly enjoyed all our little adventure treks!
One of the days, we headed to a viewpoint near Tumling, from which you could see Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, and Lhotse, 4 of the top 5 highest mountain peaks in the world!
4 of the top 5 peaks in the world in the background
But, so far, we had not found ‘red’. It was now our last day, and the mist was settling in at around 3 PM.
Just when we lost hope…Suddenly, we were called into the forest. A red panda had been spotted! I flew down the stairs, wearing opposite shoes and upside-down specs; all in a frenzy to spot a red panda.
We quickly trekked up a nearby mountain, following our guide. When we reached, it was the best moment of my life. The little creature was up in a tall tree, and it was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen, with its lush red coat and its glimmering black eyes.
Oh, I will never forget that magical moment! Singalila and red pandas have etched themselves in my heart forever.
On our way back, we stopped by at Darjeeling and visited the Darjeeling Zoo, which ran the conservation program for red pandas in the region.
There is no doubt that I would come here again one day.
Enjoy Singalila!
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