Darjeeling is the legendary British hill station perched in the foothills of the Himalayas. Located in the northern extreme of the Indian state of West Bengal, Darjeeling is just east of Nepal, just south of Sikkim, and a bit west and south of Bhutan. It is most famous for its once magnificent tea estates. Despite a steady and inexorable decline since independence, roughly a half century ago, these estates still produce a substantial

For rail enthusiasts, however, Darjeeling is better known for its "Toy Train." This famous narrow gauge steam railway plies its way from Siliguri in the plains below up to Ghoom and Darjeeling in the hills. For more information you can visit the site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway at www.dhrs.org.

Blessed with a cool and bracing climate, and a panoramic view of the Himalayas, the world renowned hill resort of Darjeeling is a welcome respite during the hot summer months.
 

Situated at 2134 m above sea level, Darjeeling was acquired by the British from the Raja of Sikkim as a gift around a hundred and fifty years ago, and developed it as a rest and recreational center for their troops. Today the town retains many of the legacies of the British Government.

Darjeeling's population of about 100,000 is made up of people of many races and religions. Gorkhas, Bhutias, Lepchas, Sherpas. Yolmos and migrants from the plains have all made Darjeeling their home, and everyone lives in perfect harmony; at the shrine at Observatory Hill, you'll find Hindus and Buddhists offering prayers alongside each other. The official language is Gorkhali (Nepali), but Hindi and Bengali are also spoken, and almost everyone understands and speaks a bit of English.

How to Get to Darjeeling:
Foreigners visiting Darjeeling must possess an Indian visa. No special permit is required for either traveling or trekking inside Darjeeling. However, necessary travel documents need to be shown as and when required.

LOCAL TRANSPORT: Private Taxis, Jeeps and Land rovers are available for local sightseeing in and around Darjeeling.

AIR CONNECTIONS: Bagdogra Airport is 90 km (3 hours) from Darjeeling. There is a bus from the airport to Darjeeling (3½ hr). A taxi to Darjeeling is Rs.700 or Rs.150 for a seat in a shared taxi.

ROAD CONNECTIONS: Darjeeling is connected with all weather metalled road with Siliguri, Kalimpong, Gangtok etc.

• Darjeeling - Kalimpong...51 km
• Darjeeling - Siliguri....78 km
• Darjeeling - Gangtok...94 km

RAIL CONNECTIONS: Out-station trains (Indian Railways) generally come into either New Jalpaiguri or Siliguri. From there, visitors may proceed to Darjeeling by "Toy-Train" (journey time 6.5 to 7 hrs) or bus or taxi or Limo Van  (journey time 3 to 3.5 hrs) to Darjeeling.

TOURIST CARS/BUSES: Tourist Cars, Tourist mini coaches and Taxis are available for transfer of passengers between Darjeeling and Siliguri/New Jalpaiguri Junction/ Bagdogra, and also for sightseeing at fixed rates and may be reserved through Tourist Bureau, Govt. of West Bengal, Darjeeling.

Where to stay in Darjeeling:
You can take your pick from a range of luxury and budget hotels in Siliguri besides star categorized accommodation. The various hotel packages offer the best of facilities. The well-furnished rooms place most of the comforts at your feet.

HOTEL MAYFAIR HILL RESORT (Super Deluxe)		NEW ELGIN HOTEL (Super Deluxe)
The Mall Opp. Governor House		32 H.D. Lama Road
21 rooms.		25 rooms.
Multicuisine.		Multicuisine.
WINDAMERE HOTEL PVT. LTD (Heritage)		HOTEL CHANCELLOR
Observatory Hill		5.DR.S.M. Das Road
38 rooms.		52 rooms.
Multicuisine.		Multicuisine.
HOTEL MOHIT (P) LTD		CENTRAL HOTEL
Mount Pleasant Road		Robertson Road
29 rooms.		52 rooms.
Multicuisine.		Multicuisine.
HOTEL SEVEN SEVENTEEN		APSARA HOTEL
H.D. Lama Road		61, Laden-La Road
15 rooms.		33 rooms.
Multicuisine.		Multicuisine.
HOTEL CENTRAL EXECUTIVE		HOTEL LUNAR,
A.J.C. Bose Road		51, Gandhi Road
10 rooms.		15 rooms.
Multicuisine.		Multicuisine.
PINERIDGE HOTEL		HOTEL SHAMBHU PVT. LTD
The Mall		73, Gandhi Road
40 rooms.		20 rooms.
Multicuisine		Multicuisine
HOTEL SINCLAIRS,
18/1, Gandhi Road
54 rooms.
Multicuisine

Where to Eat :

Places to visit in and around Darjeeling:

Tiger Hill : Standing at a height of 2590 m (8482 ft.), Tiger Hill is 11 km from Darjeeling. An early morning trip to the Tiger Hill promises an unique experience. A view of the sunrise amidst the Himalayan range has earned it an international fame. From here you can get a glimpse of Mount Everest, the highest mountain and
Khangchendzonga range.		© Tripty

The Observatory Hill : Apart from the magnificent view it commands, this hill atop the Mall also is attached with great religious importance as a revered temple complex for both the Hindus and the Buddhists.
		© www.darjnet.com

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or the Toy Train : A visit to Darjeeling is incomplete without a ride in the toy-train of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR). The miniature train, given heritage status by UNESCO, covers the distance of 88 km between New Jalpaiguri station and Darjeeling. This fascinating narrow gauge steam engine train still operates with the original steam engine and the loops and the		© Benoy Thapa
zigzags along the route are remarkable feats of engineering. The journey from New Jalpaiguri may be a pleasant experience but it is the short ride from Darjeeling town to Ghoom, the nearest station, that becomes a joy ride in itself. The Toy Train is considered an engineering marvel and some prefer to call it one of the wonders of the world, to be preserved forever.

Batasia Loop and the War Memorial: About 5 kms. from Darjeeling, this railway loop is a marvellous feat of engineering and with its magnificent view of Darjeeling town with the Kanchenjunga mountain is worth an experience, whether aboard the Toy Train or just watching the Toy Train pass through this loop. The War memorial is constructed in		© www.httj.com.np
the memory of the brave sons of Darjeeling who died for the country since Independence in 1947.

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. Some of the Tea Gardens also sell their packet teas. There are about 70 tea gardens in this hill region and the most accessible one  is the Happy Valley Tea Estate, which is about 3 km from the town or within a walking distance of about 40 minutes (Closed on Monday).		© Benoy Thapa

Buddhist Monasteries: In and around Darjeeling there are important and interesting Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries. The oldest one is called the Yiga Cholling Monastery which is situated about 8 km from the town at Ghoom and enshrines an image of 'the Coming Buddha' or the Maitriya Buddha. It was constructed in 1875 and belongs to the Gelugpa Sect. The Samten Cholling Monastery is another		©www.darjnet.com
interesting monastery nearby. The Drukpa Kargyud Monastery, also known as Dali Monastery, is a big monastery located 5 km from the town. It belongs to the Drukpa Sect and the Drukchen Rimpoche resides here. The Bhutia Busty Monastery is situated at C.R. Das Road and is within 15 minutes walk from the Mall.

Japanese Peace Pagoda: The Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist inaugurated the Japanese Peace Pagoda in 1992. It is a recent landmark constructed by Japanese Monks and commands an excellent view of the town and the Himalayan Range.

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

Bengal Natural History Museum : While taking a walk in The Mall a visit to the Museum of Natural History which lies close by is worthwhile. This fine small museum exhibits an unique collection of the fauna of the Himalayan region, especially of the Eastern Himalayas.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute: It was founded in 1954 after the historic conquest of Everest on the 29^th of May in 1953, when two people set foot atop Mount Everest. They were, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa from Darjeeling and Sir Edmund Hillary from New Zealand. As an honour to the great Sherpa this Institute was formed with the aim of imparting mountaineering skills to all the enthusiasts. Tenzing Sherpa himself was one of the founding members and also the Field Director of the Institute.

It is situated on Jawahar Parbat and adjoins the Zoo. This Institute also houses a mountaineering museum which holds a rare collection of mementos from various Everest expeditions like equipments used by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary on their way to Mt. Everest and a letter written by George Mallory, the British climber who was lost while climbing Mt. Everest and whose body was found just a few years back. Nawang Gombu, the first man to have climbed the Everest twice is presently the Chief Advisor for the Mountaineering Training.

Himalayan Zoological Park and Snow Leopard Breeding Centre : About 2 km. from the town, this high altitude wild life park and new home of India's only collection of the Siberian Tiger, Himalayan Black Bear, Barking Deer etc. Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park or the town Zoo exhibits some rare Himalayan Fauna including the Snow Leopard, Red panda, Tibetan Wolf, Himalayan Pheasants, etc. It is a treat for all wild life enthusiasts. Just nearby is a very successful Snow Leopard Breeding Centre.

Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway : This Ropeway is in one of the most beautiful part of the town and is situated at North Point about 3 km from town. The cable car ride takes 6 passengers at a time and it passes over the lush green tea gardens with breathtaking view of the mountains (Kanchenjunga) and provides an experience that cannot be easily forgotten. The valley has glorious views of Sikkim and the river Rangeet.

Ava Art Gallery : Approximately 10 minutes by taxi from the motor stand, it is just below the main road on the way to Ghoom. This gallery houses fine art and embroidery work of Mrs. Ava Devi.

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