The Neora Valley Jungle Camp (NVJC) is the one of the latest accommodation offerings of Siliguri-based HELP Tourism. Established in 1991, the company tries to bring the resources of global tourism to the most local venues they can find and in the case of NVJC, they’ve chosen well. The camp is situated at an elevation of 1868m in an isolated northern corner of West Bengal and lies adjacent to the Neora Valley National Park, part of which lies in Bhutan and Sikkim. Theirs is the first tourism development to occupy Kolakham, a tiny village of 50 families which, despite being surrounded by booming tourism developments in Sikkim and nearby Lava, remains completely untouched by tourists.

This is mostly due to a lack of easy transport. Just 10 kilometres away in Lava, there are more hotels and restaurants than can be counted on two hands, and this is where the ‘road’ to Kolakham begins. It’s a seven-kilometre long rocky rural road that seems like it could slide off the mountain at any moment - during the intense rainy season of the East Himalayan region; this is indeed a very real risk. The camp is only accessible by jeep, which probably means that only true adventurers will make the journey for now. 

On arrival, four cabin-style cottages await, each outfitted with two singles and a double bed (bar one cottage that only has a one double bed). A dining area and small library are also under construction, plus there’s an area to set up tents in case a large group makes a visit. Most of the construction materials were also sourced from the local village.

There isn’t much to do here if you’re not a trekker, but if you are you’ll literally be floating in the clouds and doing your bit to support local communities with your tourism dollar. NVJC employs a mix of local and Nepali people and as the place starts to get more traffic, local manager Pal intends to employ even more people from Kolakham and teach them the business of eco-tourism. The camp is currently very eco-friendly and if future developments in the village stay small, Neora Valley National Park should stay pristine for years to come.