Chalsa

The small town of Chalsa lies in the Dooars, the belt of plains and low hills along the base of the Himalaya in northern West Bengal. It serves as headquarters of the Matiali development block in the Malbazar subdivision of Jalpaiguri district, and it is often called the Queen of Dooars for its scenery. For a long time its main claims were a halt for buses running deeper into the Dooars and the weekly Mangalbari Hat market.

The roads into town pass through tea gardens that cover the surrounding slopes, and visitors can walk among the bushes and learn from local growers how the leaf is raised and processed. Chalsa also sits close to Gorumara National Park and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, where jeep safaris look for elephants, leopards and many kinds of birds. Paths around the town lead to small waterfalls and viewpoints over the hills.