Darjeeling, West Bengal

Straddling a ridge at 2134 meter, Darjeeling, centre of India's most celebrated tea-growing district, has possibly the best views of any Indian hill station. Darjeeling has been a very popular hill station since the British times. These days it is a popular hill resort. It offers a magnificent view of the snow covered hills in the distant horizon. The vast bulk of Kanchenjunga, at 8,580 metres appears to sit above the town, its twin peaks separated by a wall of granite Here you can see the Buddhist Monasteries, visit tea plantations and see how the tea is processed, go for a ride on the chairlift and trekking. It has the unique attraction of its famous toy train. This miniature train loops and switchbacks its way up the steep mountainsides from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling.

During the Monsoon months (June to September) there are heavy rains and the view become very hazy. Average temperatures range from 8.5 degree Celsius to 15 degree Celsius in summer and from 1.5 degree Celsius to 6 degree Celsius in the winter.

How to go there:

Air: The nearest airport from Darjeeling is at Bagdogra, about 90 km away. The transport to Darjeeling by car or coach takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours.

Rail: Siliguri, which is 80 km away and New Jalpaiguri junction are the nearest stations to Darjeeling. Trains run to Siliguri, or New Jalpaiguri railway station, from Calcutta, Delhi, Mumbai, Madras and Varanasi. Calcutta is a convenient overnight train journey away, and there are also long distances buses from that city. The Toy Train is a Mini Miracle. The narrow gauge toy train between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, with its 0.6 m gauge track and hauled by sparkling tank engines, some originally built in Glasgow, is a rewarding experience. The rail-line was originally laid in 1880 and was a stunning achievement, winding its way up the hillside, often with brilliant views over the plains. At Ghoom it reaches 2,438m and then descends 305m to Darjeeling. You can have a excellent view of Darjeeling from Batasia, during the journey.

Road: NH31 connects Darjeeling with other parts of India. You may wish to drive from Calcutta (570 km) and visit other places of interest on the way. Siliguri to Darjeeling is along the scenic highway passing mountain villages and the Batasia (windy place) Loop.

Fast services between Calcutta and Siliguri with connections to Darjeeling, are available. West Bengal STC Bus have regular services on this route.

Best time to visit: Best time to visit the hill town is from mid-September to mid-December.

What to see:

Tiger hill: It is the place which is the "first pilgrimage" on the itinerary of almost all who come to Darjeeling. The 11 km journey to Tiger Hills starts in the dark hours of the early morning.

Observatory Hill: Offers a fine view of the twin peaks of Kanchenjunga. There is a Mahakal Temple of Lord Shiva and a Buddhist shrine.

Ghoom Monastery: It is the most famous monastery in Darjeeling and is about 8 km south of the town. It enshrines an image of the Maitreya Buddha.

Yiga-Choling Monastery: It is situated just below Ghoom. It is a monastery of the Gelugpa Sect and enshrines a 15 ft statue of the Maitrey Buddha.

Aloobari Monastery: is another place worth visiting. The monks often sell religious objects such as hand bells.

Bhutia Busty Monastry: is a colourful monastery, with Kanchenjunga providing a spectacular backdrop. Originally a branch of the Nygmapa sect's Phodang Monastery in Sikkim, it was transferred to Darjeeling in 1879. The Shrine here originally stood on Observatory Hill. It has a library with many old Buddhist tests.

Dhirdham Temple: is a conspicuous Hindu temple in Darjeeling. It is modelled on the famous Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.

Natural History Museum: It was established in 1903 and has a comprehensive collection of Himalayan and Bengali fauna. It is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm but closes early on Wednesday at 1 pm.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute: It runs courses to train mountaineers. There are a couple of museums here. The Mountaineering Museum contains a collection of historic mountaineering equipment, specimens of Himalayan flora, fauna and a relief model of the Himalayas. The Everest Museum traces the history of attempts on the great peak. There is a statue of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who conquered Everest in 1953, was the director of the Institute. The institute also runs film shows.

Zoo: Snow Leopard Breeding Program is run in the zoo. Snow Leopards are a endangered species. They have been successful in Leopard breeding here.

`Lloyds Botanical Gardens: It has chestnut, birch, ash, maple and magnolia trees plus a representative collection of Himalayan plants, flowers and orchids spread in the 40-acre garden. The hothouse are well worth a visit.

Padamja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park: is a home for yaks, Himalayan black bears, Pandas, Siberian tigers, deer and other animals and birds. It is also a breeding centre for snow leopards and red pandas. A new attraction is the Rock Garden.

Gymkhana Club: The word gymkhana is actually derived from the Hindi gendkhana (ball house). Ball games on offer here include tennis, squash, badminton, table tennis and billiards and roller-skating. Once it was the magnificent playground of the Raj, but now it is semi-derelict.

Passenger Ropeway: At North Point, about three km from town, this was India's first passenger ropeway. It is five km long and connects Darjeeling with Singla Bazaar, on the Little Ranjit River at the bottom of the valley. The rope-way service is closed on Sunday and holidays.

Tiger Hill: It is the highest spot in the area at 2500 meters. It is near Ghoom, 11 km for Darjeeling. It is famous for its magnificent dawn views over Kanchenjunga and other eastern Himalayan peaks. On a clear day, even the Everest is visible.

Senchal Lake: It is called "the lake of damp mists". It is close to Tiger Hill and supplies Darjeeling with its domestic water. It is a particularly scenic area and popular as a picnic spot.

Kanchenjunga: It is the world's third highest mountain with an altitude of 8598 m. From Darjeeling, the best uninterrupted views are to be had from Bhan Bhakta Sarani.

Observatory Hill: It is situated above the Windamere Hotel. This viewpoint is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. There is a Kali shrine here and the multicoloured prayer flags double as trapezes for the monkeys.

Chowrasta: This may be termed as the "heart of Darjeeling" - a place where people meet and sit to watch the world go by.

Batasia Railway Loop: is 5 km from Darjeeling, affords a fascinating sight of the Toy Train.

Tea plantations: and Tea of Darjeeling is most famous and is known as the Champagne of Teas, is also exported. The most convenient plantation to visit is the Happy Valley Tea Estate. Here tea is still produced in the orthodox method as opposed to the 'Curling, Tearing and Crushing (CTC) method. It is open daily from 8 am to noon and 1 and 4.30 pm, except on Monday and Sunday afternoon. The visitors can also take the special "Tea Garden tour" introduced by D.G.H.C. Tourism. The route is Darjeeling-Hima Falls-Marybong Tea Estate-Chongtong-Bijanbari, with a number of famous tea gardens on the way. The trip takes 6 hours.

What to shop:

The `star' buy in Darjeeling but naturally is tea. Other good buys include Tibetan handicrafts, tankas (Tibetan scrolls), beads, scraves, handbags, artefacts and decoratives, Gorkha knives, woollen knitwear and locally made carpets,leather work and wood work.

Some good places for shopping are Hayden Hall, Manjusha (West Bengal Emporium), Gram Shilpa and Tibetan Refugees Self-Help Center, which was established in October 1959 to help rehabilitate Tibetan refugees who fled from Tibet with the Dalai Lama following the Chinese invasion. The centre produced superb carpets, woollens, wooden carvings and leather-work. It has various Tibetan curios for sale such as Tibetan coins, banknotes, jewellery etc.

Around City:

Sandakphu: You can either trek or drive a jeep to Sandakphu. It is a small settlement located at 3,636 m on the Singalila Ridge. A properly constructed viewing point 100 m above Sandakphu offers fantastic views of some of the world's highest peaks, including the northern face of Everest (8,846 m), Kanchendzonga (8,598 m) Makalu, Lhotse and Chamlang. Chomolhari, the highest peak in Bhutan and Pandim in Sikkim is also visible from here.

The entire area is a birdwatcher's paradise with over 600 species including orioles, minivets, flycatchers, finches, sunbirds, thrushes, piculets, falconets and Hoodson's Imperial pigeons. Being away from busy trekking trails, the mixed rhododendron, oak and conifer forests of the area are particularly well preserved and a delight to walk through in April when the entire hillsides are ablaze with pink rhododendron blooms.

Phalut: It is 22 km from Sandakphu. It is at the junction of Nepal, Sikkim and West Bengal. It offers even closer views of Kangchendzonga. Singalila Trek is a 160 km stretch from the small border town of Manebhanjang 26 km from Darjiling. It is well organized trek requiring three to four days. There are small hotels for food and accommodation along the trekking route.