Darjeeling, West Bengl, India

Darjeeling is a town in West Bengal, eastern part of India. Darjeeling is a tourist destination for Indians as well as visitors from abroad. Darjeeling is also famous because of tea industry.

Darjeeling is connected by rail from New Jalpaiguri. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway runs on narrow gauge and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. Darjeeling is well connected by road with New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Bagdogra, Gangtok and Kathmandu. Nearest airport is Bagdogra.

There are literally hundreds of hotels and lodgings in Darjeeling of all types and categories. Some are great heritage and premium properties while some are mid priced and budget hotels. But the best of the lot are often run by the owners themselves and have traditionally been family run businesses.

There are many places you can get your food. But it depends on so many factors like quality of food, the location of the restaurant, upscale or budget eatery, ambience, cleanliness… there are actually so many things that you wish to have in place before you go for one.

While dining in Darjeeling you must keep in mind that the hill town goes off to sleep by 8:30 pm. Most restaurants, particularly the smaller ones go out of stock by 7:30 pm during high season and stop taking further orders.

Tourist attractions

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and Darjeeling Zoo

The zoo is located in the same premises where HMI is and therefore should be covered at the same time. The unique feature of this zoo is, it houses animals of high altitude and mostly from upper Himalayas. You can see some rare animals here like Red Pandas, Snow Leopards, Tibetan Wolf and lot more.

Tiger Hill

Located at the highest point in the Darjeeling area, Tiger Hill is best known for the dazzling sunrise view of the Kanchenjunga and the snow covered peaks of the entire eastern Himalayan range. On a clear day you can even see the mount Everest from here. Tiger Hill is located 11 KM from Darjeeling Town and takes 40 minutes to reach by car.

Batasia Loop

Located 5 KM from Darjeeling town and just below Ghoom, Batasia Loop as the name suggest, is a loop or a spiral of a narrow gauge railway track where the Toy train negotiates a sudden sharp descent from Ghoom. It's a wonderful viewing place with manicured gardens, streams and falls, from where you can get a wide range view of the Darjeeling's landscape, Kanchenjunga and the other Eastern Himalayan Peaks.

Darjeeling Ropeway

This is one way you can be part of special diverse offerings from the nature and all in one place. From the ropeway of Darjeeling which is also known as the Rangeet Valley Passenger Cable Car, you can have mind blowing view of the valley below, see the spread of lush tea gardens, dense forests, mountain streams in their full flow, waterfalls, and the awesome snow peaks at the background. Get off at a lower station and enjoy the tea estates, walk through the tea gardens, or just relax and enjoy the view around. It's hard to find all these together in one place. 

Darjeeling Mall and  Chowrasta

The Chowrasta or the Mall is the town center in Darjeeling. This is a lovely little flat area, a public square where four roads meet. This public place is where you would like to lounge, bake in the sun, sit and watch the wonderful views of the mountain range and see many locals and tourists hanging around. One side of the mall is lined with pine trees through which you get wonderful mountain vistas, the other side is lined with lovely boutique shops of different kinds. All around the mall, you have benches to sit and relax. 

Rock Garden and Maya Park

These two are scenic parks in wonderful settings located a few miles away from the Darjeeling town. Rock garden is about 10km and Ganga Maya is another 3 km from there. Rock Garden is all about terraced gardens at different levels that have been cut through the rocks having a waterfalls with nice seating arrangements. Ganga Maya is more spread out and has a beautiful stream flowing through it on a valley, has flower gardens, fountains and more. 

Japenese Temple and Peace Pagoda

About 10 minutes by car, you will reach a wonderful area that is symbolic of peace and tranquility. Located in the Jalapahar hill, the Japanese Temple is built in traditional Japanese style where you can join the prayers and feel the spiritual peace amongst humming and chants. Close to it is the Peace Pagoda where there are four large avatars of Lord Buddha. The view from the top is magnificent. You can see the snow peak range from here including the Kanchenjunga. 

Bengal Natural History Museum

What started as a modest effort in 1903 to display butterflies and birds of the Darjeeling district, has grown to house a large collections of mammals, birds, nests with eggs, reptiles, fishes and even insects of wide varieties. The displays are actually specimens of real creatures that had been captured, stuffed and preserved. The Bengal Natural History Museum can be reached by few minutes walk from the Chowrasta Mall. 

Observatory Hill and Mahakal Temple

Rising from behind the Mall, Observatory Hill is an ideal place to get a 360 degree view of Darjeeling and the peaks surrounding it. The Mahakal Temple, the central temple of Darjeeling of all faiths and is located on top of the hill where the original Dorjeling Buddhist Monastery once stood.
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