Wildlife and birds · Jorepokhri
Walk around the twin ponds of Jorepokhri
An unhurried hour around the two small ponds that gave Jorepokhri its name, with conifer forest, mist and the signboards of India's first salamander sanctuary. Go knowing the newts no longer breed here, and look at why.
The walk itself is short: a path loops around both ponds and the forest edge in about ten minutes, and you could be back in the car within half an hour. Do not rush it. The ponds sit in a hollow of tall conifers at around 2,250 m, and early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the day visitors have gone, the place is still and quiet. Mist drifts across the water, forest birds call from the trees, and you can hear the drip from the branches.
Read the boards about the Himalayan salamander, the dark, warty newt for which this became India's first salamander sanctuary in 1985. Then look at the ponds themselves. A newt needs soft, vegetated margins, damp leaf litter and shallow still water to breed and shelter. Here, as Mongabay reported in 2026, concrete paving and tourist works have changed the edges and surroundings so much that salamanders are no longer found breeding in the sanctuary. Seeing that difference for yourself is the real lesson of the visit.
Stay on the paths, keep children back from the water and do not throw food or anything else into the ponds. If you find any amphibian on a path in the wet season, leave it where it is; handling harms their skin. Carry a warm layer and a rain jacket, because the weather changes fast at this height. Then walk on along the Mim tea road, or drive the 4 km down to Sukhia Pokhari for momos and tea.
Cost: Free or a small fee
Questions people ask
Good to know
Is there an entry fee at Jorepokhri?
There may be a small entry or parking fee collected at the site, set by the authorities and liable to change. It has never been an expensive stop. Carry small notes, and if you are staying at the GTA lodge you are already beside the water. Check current status before you travel.
How much time do we need at Jorepokhri?
Thirty minutes to an hour for the ponds themselves, longer if you want to sit quietly or walk the forest road. Most people combine it with Sukhia Pokhari, Lepchajagat and Simana in a half or full day from Darjeeling, or stop on the way to Mirik.
Why did the salamanders stop breeding at Jorepokhri?
According to 2026 reporting by Mongabay, the ponds were altered by concrete paving and tourist infrastructure, which replaced the soft, vegetated edges and damp ground the newts depend on. The species survives in other hill ponds, such as Namthing Pokhri near Sittong, Pokhritar and Panch Pokhri.
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