A couple of years ago, I flew down from Kolkata to Bagdogra International Airport to reach Gangtok. After picking up my baggage from the airport, I proceeded towards the town.

The tranquil, sleepy town of Bagdogra is embedded in verdant greenery with lush tea gardens and a cluster of settlements at a distance. The town has a sizeable population of migrant workers from Bihar and there are Nepali-speaking people along with Bengalis.

Perhaps it is the eerie silence of the town that caught my imagination. Nestling in the district of Darjeeling, Bagdogra is about nine km away from Siliguri and 65 km from Darjeeling.

Bagdogra International Airport is the only international airport in North Bengal. A census town that derives its name from tigers and lions residing in the nearby forests, Bagdogra is an ideal destination to recharge one's batteries and rejuvenate tired minds.

The Bagdogra Tea Estate and Bengdubi Tea Estate are quite popular in the town. Bagdogra is well connected by flight services with all the major metros of India.

This quirky town receives a steady stream of travellers not only from across India but also from global destinations owing to its proximity with Darjeeling and Gangtok. For flyers travelling to Darjeeling, Gangtok, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, Bagdogra is the only airport in the Terai and Dooars.

A 15-minute drive from the airport made me reach National Highway No 31 in Siliguri. Once I reached Sevoke, I could experience the traffic snarls and the air was filled with dust and grime. It is unbearably hot in the crowded areas of Siliguri. In these times, Siliguri is a concrete jungle with all the major realty groups having their footprints there and luxury hospitality groups making their presence felt with high rises.

Besides, the information technology sector in Siliguri has progressed a lot. But one of the major drawbacks of Siliguri is poor planning of the town.

The Sevoke area in Siliguri is a busy thoroughfare with new-age departmental stores like Spencers, Pantaloons, City Centre and Big Bazaar.

Some of the hospitality groups on Sevoke Road are Sinclairs and Sarovar Hotel. One gets to cross the Himalayan rivers in Siliguri town including Balasan and Mahananda. River Balasan later joins the Ganga. It takes a lot of time to cross National Highway No 3 in Siliguri that is highly congested. Once you reach the Coronation Bridge, there is the meandering river Teesta flowing swiftly through the Sikkim Hills.

The road to Gangtok winding through the Sikkim Hills is surrounded by a canopy of trees and a cool mountain breeze starts blowing once the Himalayas begin.

One has to negotiate the inhospitable Himalayan terrain when driving along the Sikkim Hills and the infrastructure is a turn off at several points. It takes around four hours and 45 minutes to travel from Siliguri to Bagdogra owing to road congestion.

If steps are taken to improve the plight of the roads and traffic congestion is at bay, the travelling time will be less and the journey will be well worth the effort.