Darjeeling
 Darjeeling
is a popular hill station, surrounded by tea plantations on all sides.
The views over the mountains to the snowy peaks of Kanchenjunga and down
to the swollen rivers in the valley are magnificent. Buddhist
monasteries; tea plantations; colourful markets and handicrafts shops;
trekking are some of the major attractions, not to mention the famous
'toy train' which is part of the fun in getting there. Excursions
include Kalimpong on the foothills and deep valleys of the Himalayas;
Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, overflowing with ancient temples,
palaces, monasteries and colourful bazaars. Darjeeling tea is one of the
finest teas in the world and the snowcapped mountains form a picturesque
background to the many tea plantations in the region.
Accommodation at Darjeeling:
Cedar Inn,
Sterling Resort,
Fortune Central,
Seven Seventeen
Weather and Best Time to Visit:
In Summer, the maximum temperature would be 14.9, and minimum, 8.6; in Winters the maximum would be 6.11 and minimum 1.50.
The best season to visit would be from April to middle June and September to November.
Major Attractions at Darjeeling
Tiger Hill
Situated at an altitude of 2590 metres (8482 ft.) and 13 km. form the town, this spot has earned international fame for the magnificent view of the sunrise over 'Kanchenjunga' and the great Eastern Himalayan Mountains. Even Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, is visible form here.
Observatory Hill
Apart form the magnificent view it commands, great religious importance is attached to the Observatory Hill by both Hindus and Buddhists.
Bhutia Busty Monastery
Originally built as branch of Phodong Monastery of Sikkim, it is situated at C.R. Das road and is 15 km minutes walk form the mall. It belongs to Nygmpa (Red Sect).
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
Situated on Jawahar Parbat about 2 km from Chowrasta, this unique institution trains mountaineers.
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Adjacent to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, it is a high altitude wild life.
Tenzing Rock and Gombu Rock
Situated at Lebong Cart Road. H.M.I. conducts Rock climbing lessons on these Rocks.
Darjeeling Toy Train
The fascinating narrow gauge 'Toy Train' still operates on the original steam engines and the loops and zigzags along the route are feats of engineering.
Access
Air: Bagdogra (90 kms
away) is served by regular Indian Airlines and Jet Airways flights from
Calcutta and Delhi.
Road: Darjeeling is well connected to the other major East Indian
Himalayan destinations of Kalimpong and Gangtok, both of which are less
than 3 hours away.
Rail: New Jalpaiguri (100 kms away) is the nearest mainline rail
station for Darjeeling and is connected to most parts of Northern India.
From here the World Heritage Toy Train takes visitors on the picturesque
ride to Darjeeling.
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