Dukpa Cultural Trek- 2019

Different people have their own choice but what if we tell you that we have found a place where you can get all the above, and most importantly, a new, unexplored region to travel!

So hold on travelers! Here we present before you the first ever “Dukpa Cultural Trek- 2018” – a trek you never heard of before!

Situated at the border of India-Bhutan and spread over more than 761 sq. km, Buxa Tiger Reserve or BTR is India’s one of the largest national parks. This National park is a peaceful home to animals like Asian Elephant, the Indian Bison, Leopards, Deer, Wild boar, Sloth Bear etc. But the specialties of BTR are reptiles, birds and butterflies. More than 200 species of birds and innumerable species of butterflies have been recorded so far. Now speaking about the flora, more than 400 species of trees, 350 species of herbs (some of them are rich with medicinal properties), various kinds of bamboos and more than 100 species of Orchids have been recorded so far. The entire area is vastly unexplored and according to the botanists more species are yet to be discovered.

These deep forests belong to the wildlife and its indigenous people alike. Yes, we are speaking about the tribal “Dukpa” people, who migrated from Bhutan in the ancient times to the forests of Buxa Tiger Reserve and made it their home. They were called by the neighboring Bhutanese people as the “Resident of the Dragon land” (Drug= Dragon, Pa= Resident). The soft spoken Dukpa people are an inseparable part of this National park and visiting their villages will open a whole new world of indigenous culture to you. Traditionally they live in wooden houses with specially carved windows frames. While entering their house one finds large siiting areas for visitors to hang out comfortably. The Kitchens are also very large as it’s the place where a family spends most of the daylight hours. The oven of the Dukpa kitchen is made of clay, with a quote of dolomite mixed clay. The main occupation of Dukpas are agriculture and animal husbandry. Though traditionally they have followed Buddhism, the recent generations also follow Hinduism and Christianity. Their language ‘Dzongkha’ is similar to the ‘Dzongkha’ language of the neighboring Bhutanese people, with slight variations. There are many such small and unique cultural details that make the Dukpa culture worth exploring.

Not to mention the fun of river-bathing, archery playing, cooking with the locals, storytelling session and so forth.

Natural beauty of Dooars: Dooars means Doorway to Bhutan. The beautiful Tea gardens and dense forest with having Mt. Kanchenjunga at the backdrop- Dooars offers some exotic view which is unique. You won’t get the view of the open valley here but the dense forest has its own charm. Let’s just say you’ll have to be here to experience it firsthand.

Dupka tribe: You have already read about the people. What we can’t possibly convey in words here is their warm hospitality and simplicity. These things are left for your field experience!

Flora & fauna: We will trek through the core area of BTR. This will give us the opportunity to spot some rare species of plants, orchids, birds and butterflies. You will get many species of butterflies on you way. With some luck, sightings of the Greater Hornbill, Rofous necked Hornbill will make trip worth and memorable.

Traditional weaving technique: In this age of factories and machines, come witness the traditional weaving technique of Dukpa people where they make handmade clothes, bags and more with their hard-work, patience and love!

Food and wine: Well Dukpa people don’t sport a long list of cuisines. But as the proverb says “Simple is the ultimate sophistication”. You will love their freshly cooked food and taste the locally brewed “Ara” or rice beer, if you like. While brewing the beer they don’t use any synthetic chemicals and the process itself very nice to watch.

Orange Orchard: Yes, this region of Buxa Tiger Reserve was famous for orange cultivation. Due to climate change and repeated bug attacks, now the orange cultivation is in the verge of extinction. Very few farmers still have such land and we will take you there. The oranges you get at BTR taste good beyond comparison.

Adventure: It’s not a high altitude trek and the route isn’t technically tough but don’t underestimate the hilly terrain of Buxa. It has all the elements to test your endurance.

Photography: For the travelers who love to take pictures, this trek will be a whole new book to you as you can capture those images which few people have taken. There will be a whole range of picturesque subjects like the local monasteries, the Dukpa people themselves, the river, the waving plains of Dooars, its wildlife and much more.

History: Historically this region used to be play a vital role. In the ancient times the Buxa fort which was under the Bhutan territory, used to protect the ancient ‘Silk route’ connecting Tibet and India via Bhutan. Later, in 1865 this fort was handed to the British and they reconstructed this fort to stone structure and used it as a high security prison and detention camp. The interesting fact is that this fort was second most unreachable and notorious camp after the infamous cellular Jail in Andaman. This made the fort most unreachable in Indian mainland in the colonial era. Though this fort is nowadays in ruins, it still breathes out the memories of countless freedom fighters of India who were incarcerated here, and it still holds the history of the those bygone times.

Spirituality: Above everything, this is a very spiritually uplifting place. Away from all the noise and pollution, Buxa Tiger Reserve may open a whole new door to you. Walking in the Buddhist monasteries or sitting quietly amidst nature will bring peace to your soul.

Cost: INR 9,700 7,800 /- only per person

Keeping in mind that the event participants will come from various directions, we have kept the cost from base to trek end point. Thats means from the starting point at Siliguri railway station to Santalabari where our trek will finish.

We have also shared the tentative sharing cost in the ‘exclusion’ section. We can also arrange the vehcile for you.

Responsible traveling: With the increasing number of tourists coming in every year, most of the beautiful, serene trails, places in the Himalaya are in danger. While this activity has become just profitable business for most of the operators, they are simply overlooking the bad effect of tourism. Now the vital question that a traveler should ask herself/himself – “What is the effect of my traveling to the Eco system? Am I helping the local conservation of just accelerating its destruction?”

To find the answer join us for this journey so that we can discuss and come to a conclusion.