What to Wear in Kalimpong

Layers all year

At about 1,250 metres, Kalimpong rarely gets very hot or very cold. The change comes within a day: a sunny noon can feel like summer, and the same street is cold once the fog rolls in at four. A T-shirt, a warm mid-layer and a light jacket cover most of the year.

December to February

Winter nights are cold and mornings are often foggy. Snow is rare in town. Bring a proper warm jacket, a woollen cap and socks for the evenings, and thermals if you plan to be on Deolo Hill at sunrise. Hotel rooms are rarely well heated, so pack for indoors too.

June to September

The monsoon is heavy here. A rain jacket works better than an umbrella on steep, windy lanes. Wear quick-dry trousers and shoes with a good grip, because the hill roads and steps turn slippery. Keep a dry change of clothes in your bag if you are travelling on NH10, where landslides can hold up the road for hours.

Monasteries and churches

Cover your shoulders and knees at Durpin Monastery, Tharpa Choling and the churches. You take off your shoes before entering a prayer hall, so slip-ons help. A hat is fine outside but should come off inside.

Walking

Kalimpong is built on a slope, and most sights are up or down a steep road. Wear trainers or light walking shoes, not heels or smooth soles.

Local dress

You will see the Nepali daura-suruwal with a dhaka topi and the women's gunyu-cholo at festivals, weddings and Dashain. Bhutia families wear the bakhu, a wrap-around robe, and Lepcha families the dumvum. Visitors are welcome to wear them, but ask before photographing people in traditional dress at a ceremony.

Buying locally

R.C. Mintri Road is the clothes street, with jackets, sweaters and shawls. The Haat Bazaar on Wednesdays and Saturdays has cheaper woollens. Check stitching and fabric before you pay.