Darjeeling

In my hands, I hold a bowl of tea
I see all of nature represented in its green colour
Closing my eyes, I find green mountains and pure water within my own heart
Silently drinking, I feel these become a part of me.

“How about a cup of tea”?

State – West Bengal
Best To Travel - April to Mid June and Mid September to November
STD Code - 0354
Main Attraction – Tiger Hill, Senchal Lake
Climate – Summer -18.5 degree, Winter -1 degree Celsius.

Darjeeling, “ Land of the Celestial Thunderbolt”is famous to the world for two things- tea and the Himalayan Toy Train. The hill station was given to the British as a gift from independent kingdom of Sikkim. Darjeeling lies in the Himalayan foothills and is surrounded by snowcapped vistas and once was a favourite summer resort of the British Raj. The mesmerising beauty of the land even compelled Mark Twain to say -"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."
Places of Interest
Tiger Hill – Darjeeling has in store for all the adventure seekers some of the most spectacular treks along the beauty of its magnificent majestic hills. Tiger Hill is about 11 km away from Darjeeling. The spot has earned international fame as it provides magnificent view of the sunrise over Kanchenjunga and the great Himalayan mountains. One can see even World's highest peak- Mount Everest.

Batasia Loop – The Railway Loop is a marvellous achievement of engineering. It is very fascinating to watch the toy train wind its way round the loop. A glorious view of snowy peak and town can be seen from this place.

Observatory Hill - Apart from the magnificent view it commands, great religious importance is attached to the observatory Hill. It is considered sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists. A Kali Temple is also located here.

Senchal Lake - The Senchal Lake is one of the beauties of Darjeeling which supplies it with its water from its 8,031-ft perch.

Tea Gardens - While in Darjeeling a visit to any nearby Tea Garden to watch the actual process of the manufacturing of Darjeeling Tea is worth it.

Dhirdham Temple - Situated just below the Railway station the temple is a structural replica of the famous 'Pashupatinath'' temple of Kathmandu, Nepal.

Buddhist Monasteries – There are a number of Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries in and around Darjeeling. To mention a few are – Yiga Cholling Monastery, Samten Cholling Monastery, The Drukpa Kargyud Monastery, The Bhutia Busty Monastery.

Accommodation
You can take your pick from a range of luxury and budget hotels in Darjeeling besides star categorized accommodation.

• May Fair Hill Resort
• Hotel New Eligin
• Hotel Cedar Inn
• Hotel Sinclairs
• Hotel Windermere
• Hotel Central Executive
• Pineridge Hotel
• Hotel Chancellor
• Hotel Mohith
• Central Hotel
• Hotel Seven Seventeen
• Apsara Hotel
• Hotel Lunar Hotel Shambhu

Restaurants
There are numerous cheap restaurants in Darjeeling. They include -

• Golden Dragon
• Vineet
• Lotus
• Penang.
• Lhasa Restaurant serves good Tibetan momos and thukpa.
• Park Restaurant serves the best Indian cuisine in town. Mouth watering tandoori items like - chicken sheek kababs and chicken tikka masala are the real delights.
• Windamere Hotel
• Keventer's Snack Bar

Check IN- in Darjeeling
By Air: The nearest airport is at Bagdogra, 90 km away from Darjeeling. Bagdogra is connected to important cities of the country by domestic airlines.
By Bus: There are bus connections to Darjeeling from Siliguri, Bagdogra, Gangtok, Kurseong and Kathmandu.
By Train: New Jalpaiguri /Siliguri is the rail head for all trains, except the toy train running to Darjeeling. Siliguri is connected to Kolkata and other parts of the country by train.
Or you can take the famous toy train, which is a meter gauge train operating over breath taking scenery. The journey takes approximately seven and half hours.