Pine, cinchona and farm walk with your host

Ramdhura's footpaths are older than its road. They link farmhouses, springs, fields and a small temple or two, and wind through pine woods and stands of cinchona. Your host will usually be happy to walk with you for an hour or two, explaining which crops go in when and pointing out wild plants used in cooking and medicine. There is no fixed route, so tell your host how long you want to walk and how steep you are happy to go.

Cinchona is the tree whose bark yields quinine, once the only effective medicine for malaria. The British introduced it to the Darjeeling hills in the 1860s and later planted it on the Kalimpong side too. You will see the trees on slopes around Ramdhura and Sillery Gaon. Ginger, cardamom in shadier spots, maize and seasonal vegetables fill the terraces between them. Cinchona bark is no longer an important source of quinine, as synthetic drugs have largely replaced it, but the trees remain part of the landscape.

The walk is gentle but involves some steep sections and uneven steps, so wear shoes with grip. Mornings are best for birds and light. Do not pick crops or enter fields without asking, and leave gates as you find them. A small tip to your host or the person who guides you is appreciated, though rarely asked for. In the monsoon, leeches appear on grassy paths; salt or tobacco water on your socks and shoes keeps most of them off.