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Darjeeling Town :
Darjeeling town (population 83000 and elevation 2134) is located on a spur with houses hugging the hillside. The places to visit are Chowrasta, a wide promende atop a ridge lined with shops and restaurants; Mall Road, starting and finishing at chowrasta for a leisurely stroll amidst peaceful surroundings and splendid views Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological park which has the Siberian tiger, Himalayan black bear, red panda, snow leopard and many other animal and birds species, and the nearby snow leopard breeding center and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, a training centre for mountaineering which also houses the Everest museum; natural History Museum with its fine display of himalayan wildlife Observatory hills which has Hindus and Buddhist shrines Dhirdham a pagoda style Hindu temple Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center a major center for the production of Tibetan carpets, woodwork and leather goods the Buddhist monasteries of Bhutia Busty,Thupten Sangag Choling (Dali) and Yiga Choling (Ghoom); Batasia Loop a Marvelous feat of railway engineering;Tiger hill for its renowned sunrise view over Kanchenjunga and the eastern Himalaya; Japanese Peace Pagoda, established by the Japanese Buddhist order, Nipponzam Myohoji and Lyoyd's Botanical garden which has a varied collection of Himalayan Flora. Visitors can also take a ride in the Darjeeling-rangit valleys passenger cable car or hop on the toy train which wheezes and winds all the way from Siliguri to Darjeeling town via Kurseong.
Permit and Transport :
Foreigners visiting Darjeeling must possess an indian visa. No special permit is required for either travelling or trekking inside Darjeeling. However need to be shown as and when required.
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Access :
One can take a flight from Kathmandu, Nepal to Bhadrapur in east of Nepal (approx 50mnts), then drive to Kakarbhitta (Nepal-India border, 34 km), to Siliguri (36 km) and to Darjeeling (77 km, 2 hours 30 minutes). Darjeeling is also connected by road with Sikkim (120 km) and Phuntsoling border town of India - Bhutan (about 200 km). Darjeeling town is 90km from Baghdogra the nearest indian airport where schedule flights operate from New Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. the nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri (88 km) in Siliguri which is connected to Kolkata, New Delhi, Guwahati and major indian cities. Darjeeling is well connected to Siliguri, Kalimpong, Gangtok, border town of Nepal - India border like Pashupati Nagar & Kakarbhitta. From Siliguri buses, taxis and the famous toy train (8 hours ) leaves for Darjeeling.
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Season :
March - May and September - November are the best times to visit . Bring light woolen clothing during the summer (Max temp 16 degree) and heavy woolens during winter (mini 1.6 degree).
Adventure :
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Trekking, white water rafting, Kayaking, Canoeing, Biking and Rock climbing, Accommodation : There are modern hotels and restaurants in Darjeeling Kalimpong and comfortable lodges in Kurseong and Mirik.
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Places of interest in Darjeeling |
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Toy Train :
This small but sturdy steam engine train, introduced by the British over a hundred years ago, is as much a part of Darjeeling as the tea gardens and Kanchenjunga. Running on a track measuring a mere 0.61 meters, and playing from the plains of Siliguri to Dargeeling the toy train is an engineering marvel. The joy ride to Ghoom takes about an hour passing through the famous Batasia Loop.
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Iga Choling Monastery :
This famous Buddhist monastery, founded in 1875, is atop a hill at Ghoom, which is 8 km from town. It is famous for the statue of the Maitreya, or the future Buddha. He is depicted in a sitting position, and has blue eyes.
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Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park :
Situated alongside (HMI), the zoo houses many exotic animals and birds of the eastern Himalaya. The pride of the zoo is the Red Panda Project and the Snow Leopard breeding center, both aimed at saving these endangered species.
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Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center :
The Center, located on the outskirts of Darjeeling, was founded on October 1959 for the rehabilitation of Tibetan refugees who fled Tibet in the wake of the Chinese occupation. Starting with just four workers, the center today is home for more than 500 refugee families. The production of handicrafts like carpets, woolen products, wood and leatherwork using traditional materials and craftsmanship is the main activity here. Not only has this enabled to keep traditional skill and expertise alive, but having gained worldwide reputation for their excellence, it has also become the mainstay of the center's income. These items are available for sale at the center's showroom.
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Museum of Natural History :
The museum has on display birds, animals and butterflies of the eastern Himalayan region. |
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Tiger Hill :
Situated at an altitude of 2438.4 meters above sea level, and 11 km away from Darjeeling town, Tiger Hill is synonymous with spectacular sunrise and the play of different colours on Mt. Kanchenjunga. Mount Everest is also visible from here when the weather is clear.
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Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) :
Established in 1954, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, the first person to climb Mt. Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, was closely associated with this Institute till the time of his death. The Institute conducts basic and advanced courses in mountaineering, and has a field training center in west Sikkim where the advanced course students climb small peaks. The Everest museum, which is attached to the Institute, has on display rare photographs and mountaineering objects and artifacts. Tenzing's monument is also located here.
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Tea Gardens :
Introduced by the British in 1840 as an experiment, Darjeeling's "orthodox" tea is famous the world over. Darjeeling tea is produced by the orthodox method as opposed to the "curling, crushing and tearing" (CTC) method adopted in other places in India. The most
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convenient tea garden to visit is Happy Valley, which is only 2 km away from town. |
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Kurseong :
(elevation 1458 m), is a quaint little town about 30 km to the south of Darjeeling on the way to Siliguri. The Market consist of rows of shops lining the main road which is crisscrossed at several points by teh railway tracks of the toy train. The Places to visit are Eagle's Crag which has a park from where glorious views of Kanchenjunga on one side and the southern plains on the other can be taken in Dow Hill which has the forest museum , deer park and water reservoir,all set amidst moss-laden conifers and Chiney a serene open meadow.
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Mirik :
(elevation 1767 m)is another tiny hill resort easily accessible from siliguri, Kurseong or darjeeling. The center piece of the towns is the Sumendu Lake where boating under the serene gaze of Kanchenjunga makes for a most relaxing pastime. Rametay Dara and Deosi Dara are two elevated points
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near the lake from where the views is terrific. Apple orchards and tea gardens are other attractions.
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