Darjeeling is often referred to as the Queen of India’s hill stations. Many local people flock here during the hot summer months to escape the heat and breathe in the fresh air form the mountains. Darjeeling is the most famous hill station set up by the English during their occupation of India. The town is spread along the ridge with magnificent views of the Himalaya form one side, including Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world and stunning tropical jungle on the valley floor from the other side. Darjeeling is also famous for being the staging point of the earliest Everest expatiations, and it is also renowned as the center for the world’s major tea production.
Darjeeling can be easily accessed from Silguiri by jeep or bus. Silguiri is the major transport junction and can be reached by train from most places in India.
There are many things to do and see in Darjeeling.
Tiger hill- this is the town’s most popular viewing station for the Himalaya and Mount Kanchenjunga. This is the best spot to get sunrise views of the mountains, you can stand breathless and watch as the sun in turn highlights each of the peaks, turning them pink. On a really clear day, you can see Mount Everest. Tiger hill is essentially an observation tower on top of the 2590m rise just 11 km outside Darjeeling itself.
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.-This place is the cenotaph of Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Darjeeling who famously accompanied sir endumd Hillary on his summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Tenzing was the long term director of the HMI and now days his ashes can be viewed here. The institute acts as a training post for the Indian Army and boldly teaches mountain climbing to Indians only. A part of the institute is also the mountaineering museum where you can see a range of mountaineering equipment from though the ages. At the museum is also a telescope set up to view Mount Kanchenjunga.
Ghoom Monastery-founded in 1850, this is the regions most famous and beautiful monastery. The Monastery comprises of a large shrine inclosing a statue of the Maitreya Buddha which is made of gold and stands 5 m high. This monastery has been painstakingly re furbished and is now at its full splendor.
Happy Valley Tea Estate- this is the best example of a tea plantation. The plantations are open for visitors and you can go there and watch tea pickers at work. You will be guided around the estate by one of the workers and will be shown the process of how tea is transformed from the plant to the beverage that we all know and love.
Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway- this is a short and very old cable car ride. You can take the trip from near the HMI, over the tea shrubs getting great views of Darjeeling and the valley below along the way. The round trip takes about half an hour.
Gymkhana Club- images of the Raj era and the English seem to go hand in hand with Gymkhana Clubs. This relic of the British empire is an interesting, if somewhat dilapidate place to explore. Inside you can use the facilities which include, billiards, snooker, squash, tennis and roller skating. There is also a very interesting library chock full of dusty literature and tales of imperialism.
Observatory Hill- another fine place to take in Darjeeling’s seemingly limitless views. The place is also a scared sight for Hindus and Buddhists. It is also closely tied to the origins of Darjeeling’s name. This grove protected by handsome pines and a thick web of prayer flags is fabled as the resting place of Indra’s septer or Dorje. Also near to the site you can explore the caves which have carvings of Vishnu and Ganesh among others, and keep a weary eye out for the fearsome monkeys that inhabit this area.
Zoological Park- a short walk from the town, you can find this beautiful and well kept zoo. Here you can see many rare animals like Siberian tigers, red pandas and of course the very rare and elusive snow leopard. The park is also home to the snow leopard breeding center.
Around Darjeeling there are also a number of interesting treks that you can do, in fact walking is perhaps the best way to get around the area. Darjeeling is also the gateway to the trekking Mecca of Sikkim.
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