Darjeeling---The Queen Of Hill Stations

Gifted to the British East India Company in 1817, Darjeeling is the hill station of West Bengal.This has been called the queen of hill-stations.

Darjeeling is one of India's most famous hill resorts. It is 2134 m or 7000ft above sea level.In 1835, Darjeeling was given to the East India Company by the King of Sikkim. It became a popular resort for the British who wanted to escape from the sweltering heat of the plains.

Tiger hills is the highest point in the area which provides the most exotic view of the Kanchenjunga peaks. From this place the other peaks of the Eastern Himalayas can be seen. On a clear day the sight of Mt.Everest is just enthralling.

Meter gauge train,The toy train (Now in UNESCO's Heritage List) coming from Siliguri is some thing which is liked by the elders and the children equally. The real fun in coming to Darjeeling is on the toy train. It takes six to seven hours to cover a distance of 82 kms and the slow speed gives you enough time to watch and appreciate the beauty which nature has provided it. This train passes through the Forests, waterfalls, over deepvalleys and through the mountains and tunnels.

The city is centered around the Mall which has a variety of shops, restaurants and hotels. Beautiful walk ways start from the Mall. Between Darjeeling and Siliguri is the small town of Kurseong which has several educational institutions and churches.

Trekking enthusiasts can check out Sandakphu and Phalut. From Sandakphu one can see four of the five highest mountain peaks in the world - Everest, Makalu, Lhotse and Kanchanjunga.

HOW TO GET TO DARJEELING:
Local Transport: Darjeeling is connected to Siliguri the main city in the plains by the Tenzing Norgay Road (formerly Hill Cart Road), from where you can take private jeeps,taxis,landrovers and cars. Bus services between Darjeeling and Siliguri are frequent.From Siliguri by bus/taxi/trekker to Darjeeling (80 km), about 4 hours.

Rail: You can take the famous toy train(from Siliguri Railway Junction), which is a meter gauge train operating over breath taking scenery. The journey takes approximately seven and half hours.However New Jalpaiguri railway junction is the nearest railway station which is connected from other indian cities through rail network.

Air: By air to Bagdogra (Siliguri) - flight duration is about 45 minutes. Indian Airlines as well as private airlines operate on this route. Bagdogra, the airport for Darjeeling hill areas has direct air connections with New Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati.

WHERE TO STAY:
Plenty of accommodation is available which will suit all budgets.At Darjeeling you can easily find out a range of accommodation options from high budgets to economical and low budgets.

PLACES TO VISIT:
-The Japanese peace pagoda.
-Nation's oldest passenger ropeway which connects North Point to Singla Bazar.
-The Tiger Hills.
-Two kilometers from Darjeeling is the town of Ghoom which is the highest railway station in the world. It also has a monastery.
-The Batasia loop (5 kms from Darjeeling) on the Darjeeling Himalayan railway is an engineering marvel and is another attraction even if someone doesn't want to take the slow train ride.
-The Tenzing Norgay Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.
-Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.
-The Lloyd's botanical gardens.
-The two popular view points are Jawahar Parbat and the Observatory Hill.
-The Dhirdham Temple.
-Senchal Lake : A favorite Picnic Spot about 10 k.m. from the town. The lake provides water supply to the Darjeeling town.

(Very soon i will give brief details about all the excursion places and also i will keep on adding infos here as i will keep on getting them.So keep checking this place from time to time.)

Compiled By: Saurav Chakraborty
Advertisement Space: