Spread in ribbons over a steep mountain ridge, surrounded by emerald-green tea plantations and with a backdrop of jagged white Himalayan peaks floating over distant clouds, the archetypal hill station of Darjeeling is rightly West Bengal’s premier attraction. When you aren’t gazing open-mouthed at Khangchendzonga (8598m), you can explore colonial-era architecture, visit Buddhist monasteries and spot snow leopards and red pandas at the nearby zoo. The steep narrow streets bustle with an array of Himalayan faces from Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet and when energies start to flag a good, steaming Darjeeling brew is never far away.
Most tourists visit after the monsoon (October and November)
and during spring (mid-March to the end of May) when skies are dry, panoramas
are clear and temperatures are pleasant. This is considered high season.
Winters can be cold here, so bring an extra jumper if visiting from December to
February.
Darjeeling sprawls over a west-facing slope in a confusing
web of interconnecting roads and steep flights of steps. Expect an uphill hike
to your hotel if arriving at the train station or jeep stand. The two main
squares are Chowrasta, near the top of town, and Clubside junction, which are
linked by pedestrianised Nehru Rd (aka The Mall), the main shopping street.
Hill Cart Rd (aka Tenzing Norgay Rd) runs the length of the bustling lower
bazaar and is Darjeeling’s major vehicle thoroughfare.
The development of the town dates back to the mid-19th
century, when the colonial British administration set up a sanatorium and a
military depot. Subsequently, extensive tea plantations were established in the
region, and tea growers developed hybrids of black tea and created new
fermentation techniques. The resultant distinctive Darjeeling tea is
internationally recognized and ranks among the most popular of the black teas.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connects the town with the
plains and has one of the few steam locomotives still in service in India.
Darjeeling has several British-style public schools, which
attract students from India and neighbouring countries. The varied culture of
the town reflects its diverse demographic milieu consisting of Nepalese,
Bhutia, Bengali and other ethno-linguistic groups. Darjeeling, with its
neighboring town of Kalimpong, was a center of the Gorkhaland movement in the
1980s. The town's fragile ecology has been threatened by a rising demand for
environmental resources, stemming from growing tourist traffic and poorly
planned urbanization.
Places to See
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI)
HMI is a destination by itself and a said to be a pilgrimage
for all climbing enthusiasts of the world. It was established in honor of
Tenzing Norgay after he and Sir Edmund Hillary climbed the Everest in 1953. It
has a well stocked museum with mountaineering displays and many expedition
artifacts, a boarding school for mountaineering students, houses for the
trainers, a restaurant, a souvenir shop and more. HMI is located on Jawahar
Road or the Birch Hill that can be accessed from the Mall Road and Lebong Cart
Road. One can actually walk down Mall road & then Jawahar road to reach
HMI.
The 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 11km from the
Darjeeling Town and takes about 40 minutes to reach by car.
Batasia Loop
Located 5km from Darjeeling Town and just below Ghoom,
Batasia Loop as the name suggests, 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.
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.
Mall & 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. And all around the mall, you have benches to
sit and relax.
Rock Garden & Ganga 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 3km 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.
Japanese Temple & 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
Rising from behind the Mall, Observatory Hill is an ideal
place to get a 360 degree view of Darjeeling and the peaks surrounding it.
Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center
This center was established on October 2nd, 1959 for
rehabilitation of Tibetans who followed Dalai Lama and escaped their homeland
during the period of mayhem. In order to sustain living, they adopted the
principle of self help. The center is located on a hill top that can be
approached from the Lebong Cart Road. You can see Tibetan men and women making
exquisite hand crafted items like woolen carpets, shawls, carved wooden crafts,
leather items and more. There is an outlet at the center from where you can buy
these items.
Darjeeling - Nearby Places
Kurseong
It is the peace, serenity and the healthy climate that
attracted many a great person to this place. Some of the famous poems and songs
of Guru Rabindranath Tagore were composed in Kurseong. The magic painter
Abanindranath Tagore and great composer Atul Prasad Sen got inspiration for
some of their famous works around Kurseong. Sister Nivedita, the great disciple
of Swami Vivekananda made Kurseong her home. It is learnt that Mark Twain spent
some time in Kurseong in 1885, Fazlul Haque the Prime Minister of undivided
Bengal also stayed here. Netaji Subhash Bose was interned by the colonial
government for a couple of months in 1936 in a house at Giddapahar near
Kurseong. To know more click here.
Kalimpong
67 Km from Siliguri, this beautiful hill town in North
Bengal which can be reached from either Siliguri or Darjeeling. KALIMPONG –
means king's minister's strong hold – a Bhutanese word. It is also called
Kalimpong in local dialect meaning "black spur". As per the Lepchas,
Kalimpong means ‘ridge where we play'. It is said that these local tribesmen
used to organise field sports while not engaged in agricultural pursuit – hence
the name.
Pedong
Pedong is a picturesque hamlet surrounded by pine forests.
It is situated 20 km from Kalimpong in West Bengal. Pedong commands magnificent
views of the snow ranges of Mount Kanchenjunga. It falls on the ancient Silk
Route that connected Tibet with India through the Jelep La Pass. Several short
and thrilling treks originate from Pedong leading to the Damsangdugi Fort, a
historically important site that witnessed a long ethnic war between the
Lepchas and Bhutias. A 300 year
old ruin hidden by dense forest at Damsangudi still
holds memories of the reigns of the Lepcha kindom.
Mirik
Mirik is a nest in the hills. This is one of West Bengal's
popular hill resort at an altitude of 1767 meters with its own special
charms-49 km from Darjeeling and 52 km from Siliguri. TREKKING: Trekking from
Mirik to Sandakphu, Phalut has become very popular. Short trek from Mirik to
Kurseong via Balasan river & Namsu could be covered within the day only.
Sandakphu
Sandakphu, situated at a height of 3636 m above sea level,
might not be famous for any tourist destinations, but is a true paradise for
all adventure lovers. Trek to the highest point on this hill station and you
will get the never seen before views of the Himalayan Range. A long stretch of
Himalayas starting from Bhutan till Mt. Everest is visible. River Teesta flows
through Sandakphu at quite a pace. The thundering River Teesta also offers a great option for adventure sports
especially river rafting. Sandakphu is the only place in the world where you
will find a Rhododendron and Silver fir forests. To reach Sandakphu, one has to
nearly trek for 12 hrs from Maneybhanjan, which is the gateway to Sandakphu.
You can also hire a Landrover from Maneybhanjan.
Jorapokhri
On the way from Mirik to Darjeeling lies a town of untouched
natural beauty called Jorapokhri. It is
situated only 16 kms from Darjeeling and 85Kms from Siliguri. The
presence of a couple of lakes in this area gave rise to the name of this place
Jorpokhri. (JOR-means a lake, POKHRI means lakes). The lakes are the main
attraction in this place.In and around the lake one can notice the Himalayan
Salamander, a highly endanagered species of the reptile family.
Lava
32 km from Kalimpong and situated at an altitude of 7200 ft.
commands panoramic view of Jelep La and Rechi La passes. Short drives through
dense forests from Kalimpong are tourist spots with unspoiled idyllic
surroundings. Lava is the gateway to the Neora National Park.
Lolaygaon
56km from Kalimpong and situated at an altitude of 5500ft.
Panorromic view of Kanchenjunga can be obtained from this point. Fabulous view
of Sunrise over kanchenjunga can seen from Jhandi Dara.
Rishyap
The place can be approached by a four-kilometer walk uphill
from Lava (32 km from Kalimpong) through the deep silent forest of Pines,
Rhododendrons and Orchids. Non-adventurers can take the 10-kilometer motor-able
route from Lava. The enthralling views of the vast range of Kanchenjunga, the
blue mountains of Sikkim, Nathu-La and Jelap-La passes are an experience of the
lifetime.
Lepchajagat
15km form Darjeeling and 77 Km from Siliguri, Lepchajagat,
bascially a Lepcha Village, is situated at Sukhipokhri near Darjeeling on the
Ghoom-Mirik road. Located on hill slope covered with rhododendron and oaks a
forest bungalow offers a magnificent view of Kanchenjunga snow ranges over the
forested hills and is the only accommodation available in the area. A nice
peaceful location and is ideal for honeymooners. The bungalow has 6
well-appointed rooms and provides excellent food. An ideal place to explore the
tranquillity of unknown Darjeeling hills.
Dooars Valley
The Dooars Valley is specially noted for its wild life
sanctuaries, the most notable of which is Jaldapara, offering memorable
elephant rides through rhino and tiger forests. Other sanctuaries include Buxa
Tiger Project, Gorumara and Chapramari.
Get there
By plane
The nearest airport is Bagdogra, near Siliguri, 96 km from
Darjeeling. Bagdogra Airport is 2.5 hours by road from Darjeeling and 2 hours
by air from Delhi, and 50 minutes by air from Kolkata.
You can take a prepaid taxi or shared jeep from Bagdogra to
Darjeeling as explained below.
Getting to and from Nepal can be tricky, despite their close
proximity. One can catch a share jeep to Siliguri and a bus to the Nepalese
border, changing buses in Nepal. An alternative is that Juniper Tours and
Travels - located just next to the clock tower in Darjeeling offer a service
where a driver can take you across the border and drop you at the Bhadrapur
airport in Nepal for your connecting flight to Kathmandu. It is more expensive
than organising your own transport but they make a concerted effort to look
after you and will help you out if the situation becomes dicey (particularly
with strikes in Nepal), they cannot be recommended highly enough and this is
unusual for India.
By Car
Siliguri is the nearest town connected to the mainline rail
network. Ample transport is available to Darjeeling from here. The most popular
modes of transport are taxi (usually shared by three to four passengers),
shared jeep (ten passengers) @ Indian rupee 100-200 depending on bargaining
skill.
Shared jeeps depart regularly, from several locations around
town. They are probably cheapest at the main bus stand. They leave when full,
and are a cheap and fast (but uncomfortable as roads are poorly maintained) way
to get to Darjeeling. An air conditioned prepaid taxi will cost Indian rupee
1800 (as of December 2012) - if you can find people to share it with you it
will obviously be cheaper!
If you have arrived by train at NJP, you can take a taxi or
shared jeep to reach Darjeeling from the booking counter at the taxi stand in
front of the railway station. There is also a prepaid taxi stand in front of
the train station. Note that if you arrive too late for the jeep to make a
return journey from Darjeeling, you may end up paying more, e.g. Indian rupee
200 per person. The prepaid counter will tell you that no jeeps are available,
so you'll have to find one via a fixer or by negotiating directly with drivers.
Tourists often opt to buy an extra seat or two to have more
space for the 3 hour journey up to Darjeeling! Luggage is carried for free on
the roof. Jeeps may stop for a snack and toilet break on the way up (normally a
few km short of Kurseong).
While going to Darjeeling from NJP, try to hire a
Taxi/Jeep/Sumo with overhead carrier, which has just arrived from Darjeeling,
as this will be much cheaper if you hire a vehicle which is going directly from
NJP to Darjeeling.
By bus
There is a regular bus service from Silguri to Darjeeling.
However, they are quite slow due to the steep, twisty climb up to Darjeeling. Shared
jeeps are almost as cheap, and faster.
By train
The nearest railway station to Darjeeling is New Jalpaiguri
which connects the city with all the major parts of the country. There are a
number of trains from cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Chennai, Mumbai,
Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar and Kochi.
Toy Train of Darjeeling
New Jalpaiguri (NJP),Siliguri is the nearest station on the
main inter-city line. Direct trains to NJP run from Delhi (approx 27 hours)
several times a day. If you are traveling from Kolkata (Sealdah Station) the
best train for you will be Darjeeling Mail (circa 12 hours) running nightly at
10:05PM.
From there (NJP), the famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
(DHR), known to all as the 'Toy Train' completes the journey to Darjeeling. The
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the first, and is still the most outstanding,
example of a hill passenger railway.It is now listed as a World Heritage Site
declared by UNESCO.
This route is very popular with tourists as it passes
through some very picturesque mountain scenery and has been the subject of many
romantic articles. The line has a series of zig zags and loops to gain height
and runs straight up several village main streets!
NJP to Darjeeling Toy Train service is suspended after
railway track damage due to recent earth-quake (September 2011). The service
may not be restored until 2013. The train now starts at Kurseong and terminates
in Darjeeling Railway station though times are not fixed. It is probably best
not to rely entirely on this service rather reach Darjeeling by other means and
go for a joy ride if and when time permits. Collect enough information if you
are planning to reach Darjeeling by Toy Train.
The steam 'Joy' train operates from Darjeeling to Ghoom
round the famous Batasia Loop, four times a day – enquire at Darjeeling
station. Costs Indian rupee 400.
A steam train also operates Siliguri to 'Agony Point' above
Tindharia most Saturdays and Sundays. Enquire to Siliguri station. There is
also a daily 'School Train' that leaves Kurseong at 06:15 arriving Darjeeling
at 08:45. It leaves Darjeeling at 16:00 arriving Kurseong at 18:30. This is
still hauled by a steam engine and is one of the last 'day to day'/ordinary
steam trains running anywhere in the world. IR keeps changing the times for it
and it is notoriously unreliable often running hours late.
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