Lakes in the lap of mountains have a charm that appeals to the soul. A leisurely walk beside its banks, or sitting there doing nothing, appreciating its beauty is the stuff dreams are made of. If you love such destinations, I have a suggestion for you. Mirik, a little hill station with a lovely lake, not far from Darjeeling, is is a wonderful off-beat destination, just perfect for a day trip. At an elevation of 4905 ft (1495 mts), Mirik Lake is basically located at the foothills of Darjeeling.
From verdant mountain scape to curvaceous tea gardens, to the pristine beauty of the lake in the middle of it all, Mirik is everything that charms the heart. Add to that, a cute little market facing the lake and a beautiful monastery atop a hill. I have fond memories of the lake.
Mirik- what’s in the name?
Lepchas, an indigenous tribe from Darjeeling believe that “Mirik” comes from two words- Mir and Yok, meaning “a place burnt by fire”. But what’s the truth behind this legend? If you know, do let me know.
{For more such lake destination in the mountains, have a look: Serolsar Lake (Himachal) ||| Thekkady- Periyar (Kerala) ||| Loktak Lake (Manipur)}
Mirik Lake near Darjeeling, an off-beat destination
Though not far from Darjeeling, this beautiful destination remains out of the priority list of most travellers. This is mainly because Darjeeling itself has so many things to offer to the travellers! Moreover, travellers visit Darjeeling for spending weekends, and there’s enough things to do in Darjeeling for 2-3 days. {If you want to know more, do check out: Best things to do in Darjeeling}. And if someone has more time, they head towards Sikkim, or undertake the Sandakphu trek.
But I think it’s a blessing in disguise. The fact that many tourists skip visiting Mirik Lake, it is far less crowded than Darjeeling. If you are visiting Darjeeling for the weekend, I would suggest to keep a day for Mirik Lake, like I did.
What makes Mirik a special place:
First of all, the drive from Darjeeling to Mirik Lake is absolutely scenic with views of Kanchenjunga at many places. On the route itself, one comes across a number of beautiful tea gardens. Once you reach Mirik, the lake is the main attraction.
Later, I realized that the original name of the lake is Sumendu Lake; it owes its other name to Mirik town. Spreading across 1.25 kms, and covering an area of 16+ hectares, it’s not really a big lake. But it’s not small at all. Perhaps, it’s the perfect size for a charming feel.
However, there are myriad cultural experiences to have as well. The Bokar Monastery, Ramakrishna Ashram and Don Bosco Church are some of the main attractions. Not far from Mirik, tourists can enter Nepal at Pashupatinagar; it has a nice market as well. Overall, Mirik Lake is a pretty nice place for a day for travellers putting up in Darjeeling. Else, one may stay in Mirik itself for a leisurely sojourn to explore the place at slow pace.
My day trip to Mirik Lake from Darjeeling
On the last day of my North East India trip, I kept one day for Mirik Lake as a day trip from Darjeeling. My day started at one of the most popular cafes in Darjeeling- Keventer’s. With my favorite English breakfast at the legacy cafe, I was ready for the day.
A drive in the clouds:
When I started from Darjeeling, it was quite sunny. Instead of hiring a taxi, I thought of getting onto a shared taxi. A little enquiry led me to the local taxi stand in Darjeeling. I had to wait a bit before the taxi could find its 10 passengers.
It was bright sunshine, when I left Darjeeling taxi stand around 10.30 AM. However, in about 15 minutes, as soon as the taxi drove downhills, the clouds started to jumble up on the road. With each minute’s drive, we were entering more and more of cloud space. At one point of time, it felt as if the vehicle was floating in the clouds! Not to be worried though, I was loving every bit of the drive in the winding roads down the hill from Darjeeling towards Mirik Lake.
Tea Gardens on the way:
If it was a clear day, I could have witnessed Kanchenjunga peak at many points on the way. However, clouds meant that I was due for a different experience! After more than an hour’s drive from Darjeeling, as we got nearer to Mirik Lake, clouds gave way to tea gardens. On both sides of the road, beautifully curated slopes of tea gardens kept coming to the view. Since I had visited a tea garden in Darjeeling just a day prior, I skipped planning for a visit again.
It was around 12.30 PM, when I reached Mirik, and marched towards the lake.
Exploring Mirik Lake and the Town
A quaint little place that Mirik is, it has not many things to do apart from hanging out at the lake. But the few good things to engage in there are enough to spend a pleasant day: hanging out at Mirik Lake, spiritual experience at Bokar Monastery and visiting one/ some of the tea gardens nearby (on the way to Darjeeling). And if you like, walk around the market, shopping or relishing on some local delicacies.
Mirik Lake:
As you would imagine, Mirik Lake is the heart and soul of Mirik town. Quite literally, all roads lead to the lovely lake. There is a narrow walking path all around the lake, which is ideal to take a stroll. I loved walking around the lake and witnessing how the entire lake was completely engulfed by the clouds in minutes!
A small bridge cuts the lake into two parts, not really, but virtually. The 260 feet long bridge is only a pedestrian bridge, and meant for touristic purposes. Justifying its name- Indreni Pull (Rainbow Bridge), the yellow colour arch-shaped bridge looks quite poetic.
Apart from walking around the lake, tourists love boating in the lake. Sensibly enough, they have allowed only small paddle boats/ manual boats, rather than mechanized boats. This ensures that the local environment is kept clean, and promotes sustainable tourism. I wished authorities at all tourist destinations were equally thoughtful. {For more such ideas, here’s a suggested reading: Sustainable Tourism and Government}
Besides, it was interesting to observe the tourists engage in myriad fun activities like costume photography, horse riding and of course, gorging on the street food.
Bokar Monastery:
After visiting the lake side, I decided to hike up to the Bokar Monastery, just a few hundred meters from the main market. Established by Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche in 1984, the monastery belongs to the Kagyu sect of Buddhism. Along with the main shrine, the monastery houses an institution teaching about 500 monks. I also saw small kids at a school in its campus. (Know more about Buddhist Monasteries)
While hiking up to the monastery, I met a few monks who told me all about the monastery. Some of the monks were all the way from Nepal and Bhutan. It was indeed a privilege to spend time with them and share some lighter moments.
Like most monasteries in Indian Himalayas, this was also designed following Tibetan architectural style. The monastery looked gorgeous in the traditional maroon, golden, black and white colours. However, due to thick clouds covering the monastery, I couldn’t get any great pictures.
{If you love Buddhist Monasteries, here’s a suggestion for you: Best Monasteries in Leh- Ladakh}
Tea Gardens:
Like the whole of Darjeeling district, Mirik Lake area has also has its share of tea gardens. As I said earlier, on the way from Darjeeling to Mirik Lake, I came across a number of large tea gardens. Prominent among them are Gopaldhara tea garden, Okaity tea garden, and Bukim tea garden. Going a little far from Mirik Lake, there are even more- Tarzun tea garden, Mangarjung tea garden, Seyok tea garden, and many more.
Though not all tea gardens give access for a tour, some of them offer nice guided tours. Since I didn’t visit one in Mirik, I don’t have primary information of these tea gardens. However, from my knowledge, you can visit Okayti and Gopaldhara tea gardens for a good experience.
{If you love tea gardens like I do, do check out: Tea gardens of Darjeeling}
Exploring the markets:
Before saying bye to Mirik Lake, and proceeding towards Darjeeling, I did visit the local market. The market is small, and not really a shopper’s paradise. Nor are there many great cafes or restaurants. However, close to the lake, there are enough street food vendors- phuchkas, chats, siddus, momos and the like.
A little away from Mirik Lake, on the way to Darjeeling, Pashupatinagar Market is a far better option. On my first visit to Darjeeling in 2010, I had visited this market, and had bought some home furnishing. People generally buy cheap (because of no taxes) electronic goods that originate in east Asia.
Myriad other experiences:
- Don Bosco Church: This cute little Roman Catholic Church is another stopover, if you wish.
- Walking around the town: While climbing down from the monastery, I took a longer route and walked around the residential areas of the town. Owing to its cooler climate, Mirik has a long flowering season/ spring. So, every house had so many varieties of flowers!
Mirik: Travel Tips
Best time to visit:
- Mirik is an amazing place to visit through out the year, whenever you have time!
- From mid-April to September, it offers a pleasant weather, and lots of clouds, and rains
- From October to November: perhaps the best time for clean skies, and for best views of the Kanchenjunga peak
- Though December to February, it’s winter times, it’s not too cold
- And March to mid-April, it’s spring time, very enjoyable
- Festival times: Annual Tea festival (March) ||| Lepcha New Year/ Losar (February) ||| Dussehra (October).
How to reach:
- Nearest airport: Bagdogra, just 48 kms away; take a taxi from there
- By train: Siliguri/ New Jalpaigudi is the nearest railway station, 53 kms away
- By road: Siliguri is the nearest town, just 46 kms away, and well connected with cities of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam.
- Or, if you are coming from Darjeeling, Mirik Lake is just a two-hour drive away.
How to get around:
It’s such a small place, you need only your feet to get around. However, to explore nearby places, you can jump on to a shared taxi, or hire your own.
Where to stay:
Some budget accommodation suggestions: Mirik Homestay ||| Hotel Blue Lagoon ||| Golden Sunview Homestay ||| Pradhan Hotel ||| Thapa Homestay ||| Traditional Hotel ||| Chaichun Mirik ||| Rangbhang Homestay.
What/ Where to eat:
Tea By the Lake ||| Samden Tibetan Restaurant ||| Nesang’s Gorkha Cafe ||| Hotel Annapurna ||| Jagjeet Restaurant ||| Silver Spoon Restaurant ||| Sukh Sagar Restaurant ||| Viraj Restaurant.
Concluding Thoughts
If you love quaint little places, if you love doing nothing, Mirik is for you. It’s totally worth visiting Mirik Lake directly rather than as a day trip from Darjeeling. Its sleepy vibes, enchanting views and quintessential charm are enough to make you stick to the place for longer than you plan.
The whole day, my trip from Darjeeling to Mirik Lake is etched in my memory forever. To make things perfect, the clouds came around in good measure. There cannot be a better drive than a drive through the clouds over the mountains. Though there are other things to do, I can go back to Mirik just for a walk by the lake.
Have you been there? If yes, do share your thoughts, and experience with us.
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