Travel Guide of Darjelling
What to expect
So fancying a trip to Darjeeling? You must be lured by the dazzling snow
peaks of Kanchenjunga overlooking the hill town? And the beautiful tea
gardens on the slopes of rolling hills, the orchids, pines
& rhododendrons, the cute Himalayan toy train whistling its way
through the mountains? And you want to combine all that with great
sightseeing tours, food, shopping and other exciting activities. Right?
Yes, it's all possible in Darjeeling, a gem of a place known for its
youthful vibe combined with modern as well as colonial charm. Excited?
But perfectly planning & designing a tour here in the hills is
tricky.
I have been exploring Darjeeling for decades, initially as a vacationer
and then as a travel writer. Over time I have looked into many aspects
of Darjeeling at great depths and can perhaps claim that I know almost
every nook & corner of the hills and a lot about its life, people
& culture.
Kanchenjunga From Darjeeling
Darjeeling hill town is
located at an altitude of 6,710ft in north east India and is part of the
state of West Bengal. The nearest airport is Bagdogra and the nearest
major railway junction is New Jalpaiguri (NJP).
It takes about 3 hours to reach Darjeeling from both these locations by
car. Private taxis (available at NJP and Bagdogra), shared taxis
(available at NJP) and bus (from Siliguri bus stand, only 8kms from NJP)
are the main public transports to reach Darjeeling from NJP station or
Bagdogra airport. Alternatively, you can take the fascinating toy train
from NJP or Siliguri all the way up to Darjeeling soaking in the
Himalayan beauty in a 7-hour ride.
Hill Cart Road - Approaching Darjeeling
Although the area of Darjeeling hill town itself is small (about 10
square kilometers), Darjeeling is also a district and spans over a large
area of about 2,100 square kilometers. The district has subdivisions
like Kurseong, Siliguri etc as well as the hill resort town of Mirik. So
there are many lovely places to visit within Darjeeling hills itself.
Kalimpong
which was earlier a subdivision of Darjeeling district has become a
separate district of West Bengal effective 14th Feb 2017 with an area of
1,056 square kilometers of its own. It is no longer a subdivision of
Darjeeling district.
Within Darjeeling town area, you can walk to visit several tourist
attractions. Plenty of taxis (which are private commercial vehicles of
various types - small & large) are available at the stands. They
offer both local sightseeing tours as well as point-to-point transfers.
You can also get shared taxis (mainly Jeep type vehicles) at the stands,
but they are mostly available for transfers and seldom for tours.
Gangtok (the Capital of Sikkim)
which is only 4-hour drive from Darjeeling along with several other
parts of Sikkim offer great destinations to easily combine with
Darjeeling. And many even plan for combined visits to places like nearby
Bhutan to make the diversity of experience even richer.
Darjeeling hill town was originally set up as a sanitarium or health
resort by the British in mid 1800s. But over the years, it earned its
name for its world famous aromatic tea and then with opening up of roads
and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, for tourism.
You will see numerous sprawling tea estates in Darjeeling that produce
world's best tea, as well as the amazing narrow gauge Toy Train - an
engineering marvel of 1880s which could overcome the steep gradients and
curves of the mountains and provided a scenic railway transportation in
the hills.
Residents are mostly immigrant Nepalese (predominantly Gorkhas),
Tibetans, as well as some Lepchas and Bhutias from Sikkim. Nepalese are
mostly Hindus while Tibetans follow Buddhism. When you compare them with
the people of lower plains, they are quite different both in looks and
culture. It's an amazing world out there. But they are warm and tourist
friendly.
Darjeeling town from a distance
Over the past few decades Darjeeling lacked proper developmental support
and had seen random and thoughtless constructions & overcrowding
which it hardly deserved. Despite that the charming, sincere and
friendly people of the place have continued to strive hard and
successfully preserved pride of 'Queen of the Hills' as one of the best
places for tourism even today.
The town center of Darjeeling is known as Mall or Chowrasta,
which is a flat open public square, a pedestrian only zone free of
vehicular traffic and surrounded by colorful stores with backdrop of
mountains and valleys. Mall or Chowrasta is the main town center.
Most tourists try to stay near the Mall area to be close to hub of all
activities, restaurants and shops. So due to high demand, numerous
hotels of all types have mushroomed near the Mall area. Alternatively
you can stay a bit away, enjoy nature & views, and a location
relatively free of crowd.
During spring, summer and autumn, the weather in Darjeeling is
pleasantly cool and perfect for city dwellers who flock in volumes
during such time. Many come to enjoy the rains in monsoon and chill in
the winter as well. And when such visits are combined with wonderful
views of snow peaks and valleys, tea gardens, forests & flowering
plantations, amazing sightseeing tours & activities, great food
& stays, and all at affordable prices .... won't you love a vacation
like that?
There are much more to Darjeeling than just a few days of fun and
frolic. Won't you like to know why the name Darjeeling in the first
place? It's location, how the area is laid out & its altitude, about
its rich colonial history, how a land that once had only 10 people
living in it became a world known vacation destination? And what about
the people of the area, where did they come from, their religion,
culture and language? How about the flora and fauna in the region? A
little knowledge of all this will add a special flavor to your visit to
this wonderland. Visit Darjeeling Hills to know about them all.
So ready to further explore Darjeeling tourism and all its treasures?
Before you dive deeper, I would like to share some good news with
you....
In order to facilitate self designed and budget friendly vacation, I
have brought together many small & large hotels, restaurants, shops,
tour & adventure operators and even transporters who are among the
best. And they all offer great discounts if you have a Darjeeling Tourism Card
which you can get at a nominal price. So apart from shaping your own
vacation, you & your family can now avail great discounts almost at
every step when you use the card.
Now the treasures of Darjeeling hills... Visit the links for details.
Great Attractions & Places to Visit
There are countless tourist places here including great viewpoints
offering magnificent views of Kanchenjunga snow peaks, Buddhist
monasteries, historical churches, temples, rolling tea estates on
mountain slopes, museums, art galleries, parks & gardens,
waterfalls, cable car ride offering you stunning views of the mountain
landscapes and tea gardens below, and more.
Great Tours & Sightseeing
You will need to take a private or a shared vehicle or in some cases a
walking tour to visit some of the great tourist places I mentioned
above. While most tourists go for the 3-Point, 7-point or Mixed-Point
sightseeing tours offered by the local taxi drivers and tour operators,
there are some great tours and hikes like heritage tours, tea garden
walks, village tours and others that are hardly known to tourists.
Day trips to places like Mirik, Kalimpong and even Lamahatta and Mongpu
will keep you engrossed in marvelous scenic views & sights. You can
even make a Jeep safari to Singalila (high altitude national park) and
beyond to Sandakphu, a place known for offering one of the best views of
four of the world's highest five peaks, all in one stretch of snow. You
will find them all in the link above.
Guide to Darjeeling Hotels
We have tried out many hotels and lodgings over the years to get
different flavors of our stays. You will get all sorts of accommodations
in Darjeeling including budget, mid priced and even luxury hotels
& resorts. This guide will first tell you about the overall hotels
scenario in Darjeeling, what to and not to expect, and then take you
through a list of accommodations on different categories. You will find
links that will provide detailed reviews and insights into the hotels
along with pictures.
Darjeeling Restaurants Guide
When it comes to food, Darjeeling can offer great many options. Starting
from Thai and Tibetan cuisine, to Indian, Chinese, Continental and
Nepali dishes. There are real good food for all. Some of my favorites
include the Nepali thali, Tibetan wanton soup also known as momos in
soup, and a Naga dish that is prepared with dried bamboo shoots with
meat. While there are food of all types, there are also wide price
ranges that would suit all. In fact, there are some tin shack eateries
that are really great and offer excellent food at very affordable
prices. They have remained favorites to many returning tourists.
Shopping
Starting from handmade crafts & jewelry to many different types of
curios, woolen clothes, jackets and kashminas, Darjeeling can be a
shoppers paradise. There are some shops that are known for collections
of some of the greatest pictures of Darjeeling's life and landscapes.
And what about taking back home the "Champaign of Tea" from the place
where it is produced? During the peak season, most of the shops in
Darjeeling remain open until 8pm.
Nightlife, Bars & Pubs
The fun and entertainment in this mesmerizing hill town can continue
through the evening if you have the will to pursue. There are some great
pubs and bars in Darjeeling where many locals and tourists gather in
the late evenings. Some of the pub owners are now my great friends.
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Toy Train
The Toy Train as it is fondly called, has been the romantic heart of
Darjeeling that has touched everybody who has been to this hill
paradise. It was introduced in 1881 by the British connecting Siliguri
with Darjeeling with a narrow gauge line. It helped cut down the
enormous time it took to transport passengers by bullock cart and horse
carriages along the Hill Cart Road. It also allowed the less affluent
Europeans living at the lower plains to visit the health resort.
Trekking in Darjeeling
If you love to trek and enjoy the nature, don't miss out on one of the
many unbelievable treks in Darjeeling hills. There are routes offering
stunning views of the mountains, forests and wildlife. There can be
light treks over few days with 4-5 hours of walk a day that even casual
walkers can undertake, or heavier treks for several days over mountain
landscapes that offer fabulous experience.
Where else in the world can you get a vista of four out of five highest
peaks of the world in one stretch of snow, or get to see exotic rare
animals like Red Panda, or view flowering plants like rhododendrons,
magnolia, carpets of primula and over 600 varieties of orchids? I have
been to such fascinating treks and shared my experience in the link
above.
Darjeeling Weather & Climate
When should you visit Darjeeling? Depends on what and how you want to
enjoy. Most visitors target the view of Kanchenjunga in a temperate
weather. Many others like to feel the winter in the hills and the
occasional snow. Others love even the monsoon and play of the mist.
And there are some who just want to experience the mountains and
villages when there are no tourists, when Darjeeling is at its serene
best. This section will guide you through the weather conditions in
Darjeeling in different seasons, and let you know what can you expect
and what you can't.
Darjeeling Map
If you plan to explore Darjeeling and want to know where is what, you
need a good map. Unfortunately there aren't many good maps of Darjeeling
available, because in mountainous terrain where places are located at
different altitudes, it's not easy to draw up 2-dimensional maps. But I
could finally solve the puzzle. Here is a map that I use extensively to
uncover all the treasures in the hills.
Darjeeling Tea
No discussion of Darjeeling is complete without a discussion on its Tea.
After all this is what had originally placed Darjeeling into the world
map. During my numerous trips, I have been to many tea gardens and
estates in Darjeeling, seen the tea production processes, and had tasted
tea at their outlets.
Depending on the quality, Darjeeling Tea can range from Rs. 700/- a kg
for regular black tea to well over 50,000/- a kg for white organic tea.
I've been lucky to have seen even samples that broke the world record in
tea pricing during a tea auction.
And after you have explored this website and grabbed all my findings and
experiences, I would like to say one thing though... wherever you are
in the world, do pursue a visit to Darjeeling. It has all the greatest
ingredients to make a perfect vacation. You will come back again. I have
been coming back repeatedly since my childhood.
Mark Twain said about Darjeeling: "The one land that all men desire to
see, and having seen once by even a glimpse would not give that glimpse
for the shows of the rest of the world combined". Well honestly,
Darjeeling then and now are quite different, because time takes its
toll. But if you come with passionate eyes and mind to look for the
beauty, Darjeeling is still as amazing as it had always been.
And after your visit, share your Darjeeling Travel Reviews & Stories
so that we all get to know about your own experience as well.
Experience and findings are after all the pillars of this website. And
do keep coming back to this website. I continue to post my latest
findings and experience here. There are far more pages in this website
than what you may imagine. Take a look at the menu and explore the
links.
And finally, if you like my website, I'll appreciate if you share it
with your friends through facebook, google+ or whatever. That'll greatly
support the cause of this website, and that is to let Darjeeling be
known the way it actually is. May Darj make your day...
