Darjeeling
Darjeeling
Adjacent to and surrounded by small Asian countries as Tibet, Nepal and Bangladesh. The beautiful “Queen of Hills” is one of the biggest Tea Producers of India & abundantly enriched with natural Heritage. It is situated on foothills of Himalayas at an altitude of 2258 meters. It is used to be a territory of Nepal in early 1816 – reflects the scenic beauty of the Kanchenjunga Peak. Kanchenjunga is the highest peak in India and well known as “Five Treasures of Snow” and revered by the inhabitants as the “Abode of the Gods “A bit away from Darjeeling town “Tiger Hill” , famous Sunrise is situated a an altitude of 2590 meters and offers a scenic view of the sun rising over Kanchenjunga. From this point one can view the beauty of the entire eastern Himalayan hills and can observe Mount Everest. It offers a sensational view of Golden glow of rising sun smattering its shades on the snow.
Darjeeling is filled with beautiful aesthetic points and interesting places for peoples having different tastes. The aesthetic mountain terrains offers adventures like Mountaineering, Trekking & Rafting , Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering is a centre of its own kind and dedicated in training in mountaineering. Darjeeling experiences a life of colours.
One who loves animals and the natural beauty the Himalayan Zoological Park is the best place to step in. The zoo was set up in the Birch hill area (now known as Jawahar Parwat) in 1958. In India this is the highest altitude zoo. It spans across 67.5 acres of area at an altitude of 7000ft. , and a home for Red Panda ,Tibetan Wolf , Snow Leopard and birds like Rose Ring parakeets , Ring necked pheasants , Blue gold Macaw and may others.
Botanical Garden is a special place for plant lovers and has a collection of Himalayan Plant and Flowers. For the lovers of Art & History, Darjeeling has a rich legacy of invaluable worth. Bengal Natural History Museum, established in 1903, has huge collections and specimens that include wide varieties of nests and eggs, reptiles and fishes, insects and more. All these specimens are real creatures that were preserved by museum. One can see specimens like Himalayan Brown Wood owls, Northern Spotted Owlet, Northern Brown Fish Owl and lot more. There are over 820 specimens of birds belonging to more than 400 species of the area. Among the thrilling experiences that Darjeeling offers are viewing of Rope-way and the railway loop of Ghoom, One of the highest railway stations in the world. The Toy train ride of Darjeeling is the best possible pleasure that one can experience.
Places to visit in Darjeeling
Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill is famous for its stunning early morning sunrise views with panoramic views of Mount Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga. It is located at an altitude of 2,590 m and 13 kms from Darjeeling. The beautiful views of the snow-capped mountains through the cotton clouds draw tourists from all over the country to Tiger Mountain. Surprisingly, it is also Ghoom Peak, the highest railway station for the Darjeeling Himalayas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Batasia Loop & War Memorial
On the way to Darjeeling from Siliguri by the famous Toy Train journey passes through the Batasia Loop and the War Memorial. This place is 5 kms ahead of Darjeeling city and located in between Ghoom (The highest point in the world where Locomotive Engines operate) and Darjeeling cities. Batasia Loop attracts people for spectacular view of Mt. Kanchenjunga & other snow-capped mountain peaks and watch the remarkable engineering marvel of Darjeeling Himalayan Railways where almost imperceptibly the railway line negotiates a circle and descends 1000 ft. in altitude.
At the centre of Batasia Loop a War Memorial stands. This memorial was constructed by the District Sainik Board, Darjeeling in commemoration of the brave Gorkha Soldiers, who sacrificed their life to protect the sovereignty of the Nation since Independence.
Ghoom Monastery
Also known as Yiga Choling Monastery . The monastery is 7 kms from the main city of Darjeeling. This simple yet striking monastery sits at an altitude of 8,000 feet and offers breathtaking views of the Kanchenjunga River. Lama Sherab Gyatso was the founder of this popular tourist destination in 1875.
It is the only largest monastery in Ghoom. Numerous flags surround the monastery, creating a calming atmosphere. Many Buddhist scriptures can be found here. One of them is the 108 volumes Kangyur, known as the Tibetan Buddhist canon.
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute & Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was started in Darjeeling when Tenzing Norgay climbed Everest to give training to learn Mountaineering and other adventure sports related to mountaineering and in that Institute one can see equipment etc.used by Mr. Tenzing Norgay and Everest Museum having complete details on Everest attached to institute one can visit Himalayan Zoological Park where one can see Himalayan animals like Snow Leopard, Tibetan Wolf, Tibetan Yak, Himalayan Black Bear and several varieties of birds.
Tibetian Refugee Centre
On October 2, 1959, the Tibetan Refugee Center was opened. After the dramatic escape of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, thousands of our compatriots left their homes and fled to neighboring countries to live freely. Most of the refugees took nothing but clothes and some food for their long and arduous march across the Himalayas.
Japanese Temple & Peace Pagoda
A visit to this temple at Jalapahar during prayer time should be on every traveler’s bucket list.
Next to the temple is the Peace Pagoda with 4 incarnations of Buddha. From the top of the tower you have a panoramic view of Darjeeling including the Kangchenjunga Mountains.
Tenzing & Gombu Rocks
Tenzing and Gombu Rocks are located on Lebong cart Road, commonly known as “Monkey Rock”, and are named after Tenzing Norgay and Nawang Gombu.
The Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering conducts a preliminary climbing course on these rocks.
Happy Valley Tea Garden
In addition to its unparalleled natural beauty, Darjeeling is known for its tea, which is considered one of the tastiest teas in the world. Happy Valley tea plantations are among the oldest and most famous tea plantations in Darjeeling. In this tea plantation, visitors have the rare experience of observing production and processing.
Observatory Hill
Observatory Hill is a hill near Chowrasta Square or commonly knownas The Mall in Darjeeling.
Observatory Hill offers views of the snow-capped peaks including Mount Kanchenjunga. Initially, the Bhutia Busti monastery was located here. Now at the top of the hill is the Temple of Mahakal.
- Connectivity
- Air
The nearest airport to the town to Darjeeling is the Bagdogra airport. It is located at a distance of 90 km from the Darjeeling town. This airport is well networked with significant airports like Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati. From the airport, the usual route is via Matigara and Rohini and takes just over 2½ hours.
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