Darjeeling – The Queen of the Hills

No one is unknown to the charm of Darjeeling. It is one of the most preferred hill stations in the northeastern arena. Since Darjeeling offers panoramic views of Mount Kanchenjunga from strategic locations like Tiger Hill, thousands of people pour in. Aside from thrilling views of the surrounding hills, Darjeeling also offers engaging entertainment options like tea-tourism, carnival fests, and religious sightings. The main town of Darjeeling is also home to some vintage hotels, gardens, manors, and institutions which were created during the British era. It is also an excellent location to shop for woolens, Gorkha daggers called Khukuri, trinkets, prayer flags and of course, the world-famous Darjeeling tea.

LOCATIONS TO VISIT IN DARJEELING

Tiger Hill

A dawn trip to this location will have you arrive at breathtaking views of the sunrise with uninterrupted views of Kanchenjunga and Everest.

Bhutia Busty Gompa

This beautiful Buddhist monastery is decorated with colorful prayer flags and houses rare relics like the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

Chowrasta

This vehicle-free avenue is lined with excellent eateries, souvenir shops, and benches to relax by as locals offer pony rides around the area.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute

It houses the types of equipment used by Tenzing Norgay to scale the Everest. You can also book basic mountaineering courses here.

Tibetan Refugee Centre

This location shelters a live workshop where Tibetans manufacture handmade woolens and assortments like paintings and thangkas for sale.

Padmaja Naidu Zoo

Houses the elusive yet exotic red panda along with snow leopards and Asiatic black bears. The zoo is named after the former Governor of West Bengal.

THINGS TO KNOW

The tea estates of Darjeeling grow different types of Tea. The most popularly grown and consumed is the Black Tea, which is fermented and cured to bring out the maximum depth & flavor out of the leaves. The Oolong variant is a milder version of Black Tea since the leaves are comparatively less oxidized. The Darjeeling Green Tea is widely consumed on account of its high anti-oxidant content. The green tea is extremely beneficial for health.

HOW TO REACH DARJEELING

Nearest Railway Station – New Jalpaiguri Railway Station

Nearest Airport – Bagdogra Airport

Nearest Vehicle Stand – Siliguri Junction