Darjeeling

Famous for:
Beautiful hillstation also called "Queen of Hills". It is known for trekking and its Darjeeling Tea.


Video: Darjeeling the Queen of the hills!

Background:
Darjeeling means the land of thunderbolt, got its name from the Tibetan word "Dorje", which means the thunderbolt of Indra, the king of the Gods and "ling" which means the place. Dorje also means precious stone.
It is a land of breathtakingly beautiful vibrant green hills surrounded by the majestic Himalays with all its splendor.
It is one of the most fabulous hill stations of the world and offers a magnificent leisurely refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. It makes its mark in the innumerable memories of the travellers by the virtue of its sheer charm & beauty.


Video: Darjeeling from toy train

What to see:
Tiger Hill
Location: 13 km from the town at an altitude of 2591 meters (8480 feet)
It is famous for the magnificent view of the sunrise over "Kanchenjunga". Mount Everest, the highest peak of the world can also be viewed from here.

Batasia Loop
Location : Around 5 km from Darjeeling
This is a unique place where the the toy train wind its way around the loop. It is a splendid piece of Engineering and a major tourist attraction. There is also a War Memorial made for the brave sons of Darjeeling who died in different actions since 1947, which is also a must see for the tourists.

Observatory Hill
It has a splendid view and has also gained immense importance from both Hindus & Buddhists who come and worship here in great numbers.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
This institute trains mountaineers & has a museum that boasts of an interesting collection of mountaineering equipments.

Tenzing Rock and Gombu Rock
Location: at Lebong Cart Road
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute offers preliminary classes on Rock Climbing on these rocks.

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Location: Next to Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
It is a high altitude wild life park and the new home to Siberian Tiger. There are also other animals like Himalayan Black Bear, Deer, Red Panda, Snow Leopard & Birds. It remains open from 9 am to 4:30 pm and is closed on Thursdays.

Natural History Museum
Location: Walking distance from Chowrasta
A museum that houses a comprehensive collection of the fauna of the region. Normally remains open from 10 am to 4 pm (closed on Thursdays)

Lloyds Botanical Garden
Location: below the Market Motor Stand
Contains good collection of Himalayan plants, flowers, orchids etc. The green houses here are also worth a visit & are open from 6 am to 5 pm.

The Shrubbery
Location: behind Raj Bhawan on Jawahar Parbat
This gives a magnificent view of Kanchenjunga & Singla Valley.

Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway
Location: around 3 km from the town
It was the first passenger rope-way in India.


Video: Downtown Darjeeling

There are also Museums, Parks, Gardens & Art Galleries located about 2 km from Chowrasta on Jawahar Parbat.


Video: Sunrise and Kunchenjunga from Tiger Hill

Reaching there:
Air: Bagdogra Airport ( 90 km / 3 hours) is the nearest airport and has flights from Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati.

Rail: An overnight train are available from Sealdah Station (Koklata) to New Jalpaiguri (12 hours) and then a 7 hour toy train from Siliguri (15 mins from New Jalpaiguri and 82 km from Darjeeling) to Darjeeling.

Road: To reach Darjeeling by road, one has to first reach New Jalpaiguri / Siliguri from Kolkatta and then from there drive down to Darjeeling. The road from Siliguri to Darjeeling is right next to the railway tracks all the way.
Private Taxis and jeeps are also available from Siliguri to reach Darjeeling in 3 or 4 hours.


Video: Tea gardens


Video: The World famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railways

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