Sunrise at Antu Danda

We leave in the dark, usually between 4 and 5 am depending on the season, and drive up through tea and forest to the base of Antu Danda. From the road it is a short, steep walk to the top, where a viewing area looks east and north. Bring a head torch for the path and a warm layer for the wait; you will be standing still in the cold for half an hour or more before the light comes.

On clear mornings, mostly from October to February, the sun comes up over the plains and the haze below, and a few minutes later the snow on the Kanchenjunga range to the north turns pink, then white. In spring the view is often hazier, but the rhododendrons on the slopes make up for it. Local families come up on holidays, so expect company at sunrise, and on festival days a cheerful crowd.

We drink tea at the stalls near the top while the light changes, and our guide points out the plains of Jhapa, the hills of Darjeeling across the border and the ridges leading north toward Sandakpur. Once the sun is up, we walk down and drive back for breakfast at Kanyam, or carry on toward Ilam. The whole outing takes about four hours, leaving the rest of the day free.