Darjeeling is a picturesque hill destination which is located in West Bengal, famous for its popular attractions such as monasteries, botanical gardens, a zoo, and the Darjeeling-Rangeet Valley Passenger Rope-way making Darjeeling the best location for a romantic honeymoon.
Darjeeling is a picturesque hill destination which is located in West Bengal and is the best location for a romantic honeymoon. Darjeeling, present among acres of tea estates, is 2,050 meters above sea level and thus has a cool climate all year long.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway established back in 1881 is conferred the title of World Heritage Status by UNESCO. The train begins its journey from the plains and rises to over 2000 meters above sea level, offering breathtaking views of the mountains as it chugs along. Darjeeling is also famous for its tea plantations with over 86 tea estates responsible for producing the worldwide famous 'Darjeeling Tea'.
The third highest peak in the world and the highest in India, the Kanchenjunga peak, is visible from here, and you can enjoy a panoramic view of the peak. Some of Darjeeling's most popular attractions include monasteries, botanical gardens, a zoo, and the Darjeeling-Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway cable car, which is the longest Asian cable car. Tiger Hill is a fantastic spot to see the sunrise over the mountains in all its fiery glory.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway also referred to as the 'Darjeeling Toy Train', is a 2 feet narrow gauge train which runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. A journey in the Darjeeling Toy Train has amazing sights with pleasing mountain views and pass by villages and local shops on the way, with children merrily waving at them.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway provides significant transport links between various parts of the Darjeeling hills and lower plains and is a piece of sheer engineering inventiveness and vision. The Darjeeling Toy Train was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 2 December 1999.
The Tiger Hill is most famous for its splendid sights of sunrise from where you can see the peaks of Kanchenjunga illuminate before the sun is seen at lower elevations. It offers a magnificent view of snow-capped mountains sitting amidst cotton clouds attracts tourists to Tiger Hill from all over the country. Interestingly, this is also the summit of Ghoom, which is the highest railway station in the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The roads get blocked by a convoy of jeeps and cars during the peak season. To get up to the sunrise spot, it requires a short climb on foot from the parking spot.
The Batasia Loop is a lush green toy train pathway that is meant to minimize the elevation of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. This unique design of this magnificent attraction allows the track to wrap around itself through a hilltop tunnel. One of the most enchanting aspects of the Batasia Loop is its unmatched natural beauty which is a wonderful sight to behold.
Located in Ghoom which is just 5 kilometers from Darjeeling, the motive behind creating the magnificent pathway of the Batasia Loop was rooted in easing navigation around the terrain of Darjeeling. The view of the train tearing past the white of the clouds and deeper into the green beauty of the terrain is a refreshing and enchanting expedition which should not be missed.
The Darjeeling Ropeway is a prime attraction of Darjeeling, giving its passengers an array of divine panoramic views as they travel across the magical valley. The Darjeeling Ropeway is India's first cable car system, set up to cater to the tea gardens in the valleys which did not have easy access. Today, it serves as a coveted tourist hotspot, attracting scores of tourists all year round to experience the beauty of Darjeeling's scenery in the best way possible.
With 16 cable cars, each car accommodates 6 people as it travels from the North Point in Singamari to the Singla Bazaar, situated by the banks of the enchanting Ramman river, transporting passengers at an altitude of 7000 feet. At the bottom end of the trip, the cable car halts for a while, where travelers may explore the lovely tea gardens, or relax at the small mountain cafe, before proceeding back to the Singamari base station.
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is recognized as one of the best mountaineering institutes in the world. Established with the primary purpose of this initiative was to encourage, enhance and support the interest of the people in the sport of mountaineering, and to channel the abundant energy of the youth into a productive and self-awarding sport.
Besides being one of the best mountaineering institutes in the world, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute has become a significant tourist attraction on account of its picturesque setting in the hill station of Darjeeling. The magnificent view of the 8586-meter high peak of Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world, from this institute is genuinely mesmerizing.
The Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park is a splendid enclosure in Darjeeling housing a wide variety of animals. The zoo is famous for its breeding and conservation programs and also includes an off-display breeding centre for snow leopards and red pandas. In addition to these rarer species, the zoo is also enriched with Asiatic black bear, barking deer, leopards, blue and yellow Macaw, Eastern Pangolin, Pheasant, Himalayan Monal, Himalayan Wolf, Lady Amherst, Leopard Cat, Macaw, Red Jungle Fowl, Red Panda, Royal Bengal Tiger, Sambar Deer, Temminck's Tragopan, Yak, and many more.
The zoo serves as the central hub for Central Zoo Authority of India's red panda program and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Owing to its unyielding efforts to repopulate these endangered species, the Darjeeling Zoo has been awarded the prestigious honor of "The Earth Heroes" in 2014 out of over 300 zoos worldwide.
The Rock Garden is an exquisite picnic spot with natural fall known as Chunnu summer fall, situated 10 km away from Darjeeling. It is also known as Barbotey Rock Garden which is surrounded by beautiful hill stream along with the slope covered with fascinating flower gardens and sitting arrangements at various level.
The Darjeeling Rock Garden also offers a delightful sight where one has to go through a scenic journey filled with rocky hills and greenery shared by sharp hairpins and extremely steep roads before one reaches the phenomenal sight of Rock Garden which is positioned between the clouds with the soothing sound of Chunnu Summer-fall. The tourist attraction is also surrounded by tea gardens and flower gardens terraced with a peaceful lake on the top where visitors can spend a beautiful time and relax after a long and tiring journey.
The Singalila range, the Singalila National Park was Initially, a wildlife sanctuary, the national park encompasses a beautiful, 78.60 sq km land of virgin rhododendron forests, alpine valley and rare species of animals and orchids. It is most famous for the breathtakingly mind-stirring view of the Himalayan peak that it offers, providing a panoramic view of the gigantic Himalayas from Nepal to Sikkim and up to Bhutan. Singalila is home to the very rare and exotic Red panda and the Himalayan black bear.
The Japanese Peace Pagoda is one of the peace pagodas designed to establish unity, harmony and goodwill amongst people belonging to different sects of society. Peace Pagoda offers stunning views of snow-clad peaks including the Kanchenjunga peak making it an ideal place for peace and nature lovers. The pagoda houses the four avatars of Buddha including Maitreya Buddha and was designed to bring together people of different caste in search of peace.
The Nightingale Park is a public park area frequented by the tourists and locals to relish gorgeous views of the Kanchenjunga ranges. It serves as an ideal place to unwind and recharge amidst lush greenery and soothing winds. Since the Nightingale Park is at a slighted elevated terrain, you need to climb a few steps to reach the entry to this green haven. There is a giant statue of Lord Shiva, a musical fountain along with the great scenery.
The highest peak of Singalila Ridge is Sandakphu, almost near the border of Nepal. Sandakphu, the highest peak in West Bengal, gives you a spectacular view of four out of five highest peaks in the world. You can reach the peak either by car or trekking.
The trek to the summit is quite exhilarating passing through several distinct terrains, from challenging valleys to the lush green of the lands dotted with rhododendrons, magnolias, primulas and vibrant wild flowers. The place is a paradise for nature lover with about 600 varieties of orchids alone.
The best time to visit Darjeeling is between April to June when the weather is pleasant. Many people also prefer visiting the place during the winter months from October to December. The months of July to August are having very heavy rainfall, a lot of roadblocks are observed in the hill station and hence visiting Darjeeling during these months is not very advisable.
Darjeeling has some of the most picturesque destinations with lush green valleys and peaceful mountains which makes the Darjeeling a must visit destination for the tourists. From enjoying the amazing toy train to Darjeeling rope way and lushly green surroundings, there is something for every traveler in this place. So, pack your bags, plan your tour, and move onto an unforgettable journey to Darjeeling.
