The crimson trail: chasing the spring bloom in North Bengal

Every spring, from late March to May, Darjeeling's trails blush red with gurans — one of India's 800+ rhododendron varieties. Come walk among them.

Spring arrives quietly along the Singalila Ridge, where the first bursts of lali gurans set the forest ablaze in red. (Shutterstock)

The trail from Maneybhanjang begins quietly, but the hillsides are already burning red with rhododendrons before you've taken your first proper step.

As trekkers pass through Tonglu and Tumling, rhododendron canopies close in, turning the path into a crimson corridor.

On the winding routes toward Sandakphu, the blooms scatter across the ground like molten lava, halting even the most seasoned traveler. (Shutterstock)

Up at 3,000m, rhododendrons crowd the ridgeline while Kanchenjunga sits quietly in the distance. (Shutterstock)