Botanical Gardens
This place is worth a visit for its distinct and distinguishing
collection of a variety of Himalayan plants, flowers and orchids. The
gardens also has a green house.
Chowrasta- The view of Downtown Darjeeling
This one of the exclusive shopping places in Darjeeling. Here the Nehru
Road and the Mall Road cross each other. The snow capped peaks of
Kanchenjunga are visible from this place. There are several Hindu and
Buddhists temples and you can also enjoy a pony ride form this place.
High In The Mountains
Whether you see it or not Kangchendzonga is omnipresent. Clothed in
beautiful mountain mists, there is always the off chance that a
brilliant sunset may bring its elusive image in. If not then from
October onwards you will have the beautiful view of the place from dawn
to dusk. Just soak in the splendour when the peak shakes off the night
to dress in the hues of a fresh dawn. The gold and orange version of the
light worths it. Close by is the Senchel Lake.
The
Chuk Chuk Gari....
If you have a time and inclination, catch a ride on the Darjeeling Toy
Train which UNESCO recognizes as a world Heritage Railway from Kurseong
to Ghoom. The Kanchendzonga Range also looms large and beautiful from
Bhan Bhakta Sarani further up. In the neighborhood is the Observatory
Hills.
Dhoom Gompa
About 8 kms from Darjeeling is the Dhoom Gompa. Here a very beautiful
statue of the Maitrayie Buddha ( prospective Buddha) is established. The
Monastery has also preserved some of the rare handwritten Buddhist
manuscripts.
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute & Museums
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is located on the West Jawahar
road. The institute runs courses for training mountaineers as well as
has the very good collection of mountaineering equipments which have
been used in various mountaineering expeditions and other wise. You can
also view the Himalayan peaks through the Zeiss Telescope given to the
Nepalese Maharaja by Hitler.
Observatory Hills
This point provides one of the breathtaking views of Kanchenjunga
peaks. This place is also very sacred for the Hindus and the Buddhists
as there are temples and the monasteries at this place. The Kali temple
is decorated with the colorful flags.
Birch National Park
This is a mountaineering museums, an ensemble of Mountaineering Museums
it has a great collection of mountaineering equipment, specimens of
flora and fauna, traditional attire of Himalayan tribes, souvenirs from
mountaineering clubs from all over the world and a relief model of the
main peaks of the Himalayas.
Tea Estates
Darjeeling is just as famous for its chai industry. The fragrances of
tea still rules the senses and lines the pocket here. Sprawling estates
with Bungalows as old as colonialism dot the local map. Some of the tea
gardens like Badamtam, Runglee Rungliot, Happy Valley, Thurbo,
Margeret's Hope and Castleton.
Gardener's Delight
Also tucked away in Darjeeling are gardens, parks and natural history
museums that has amazing selection of natural history. Shrubbery is a
garden with a view o0f Kangchendzonga and Singalila Valleys. The Lloyd
Botanical Gardens harbours Himalayan and Alpine plant varieties
including flowers and orchids.
Essential Facts
- Nearest Airport is Bagdogra and the nearest railhead is New
Jalpaiguri Junction. If you are planning to go from Siliguri, take
the Hill Cart Road that leads to NH55.
- The best season to reach to Sikkim is October to January mid
March to early June.
Tourist Office : Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, Below
Bellevue Hotel, Chowrasta Darjeeling.
By
Type
Take
the last winding bend of mountains and feel pure exhilaration fill your
being. Reminds you of those two British agents who sent off to explore the
region where present day Darjeeling is located Today Darjeeling wears its
'Queen of the Hill Stations' title of bit wearily. There are crowds and
clutter. For the place 'Dorje Ling' or a place of thunderbolts, remains just
as alluring with its little villages, tiny waterfalls and even tinier toy
train track. Darjeeling is situated amidst magical mountains as they are
imposing fortresses from their walls to their pinnacles, from their peaks to
their crevasses. These extraordinary summits rise up from the gentle plains
to the sky. Breathing, moving and relaxing in this scenery means really
understanding life and filling yourself with new, refreshing energy. 
