darjeeling

Darjeeling is a town in the Himalayan foothills of India's West Bengal state.

The town is quite famous for its tea and is internationally recognised and ranks among the most popular black teas in the world. Darjeeling is also known for having several British-style private schools, which attract people from all over India and neighbouring countries.

The Darjeeling Toy Train is one of the best iconic attractions that draws tourists throughout the year.

Darjeeling is one of the most popular hill stations in India. The beauty of this hill town attracts visitors from across the country to take a break from the bustling city life. From beautiful parks to monasteries, there is a lot to explore in Darjeeling. Some of the best places to explore are:

• Tiger Hill (Known for its Surreal Beauty)
• Ghoom Monastery (Famous for its Vibrant Colors)
• Happy Valley Tea Estate (Famous for Tea Plantation)
• Batasia Loop (Known for Panoramic View)
• Jhandi Dara Sunrise Point (A Perfect Spot For Nature Lovers)
• Tinchuley (A Peaceful Getaway)

There are many beautiful parks and gardens in Darjeeling some of which are natural and some are carved out of the open hill slopes. Some of them offer a grand view of snow capped mountains, while some offers the beautiful view of the hill station.

Some of the best parks and gardens to explore are:

• Botanical Garden (Also known as Lloyd garden, famous for collections of Orchids, cacti and many more)
• Rock Garden and Gangamaya Park (Famous for a multi-level picnic ground and a small lake)
• Shrubbery Nightingale Park (Known for Peaceful green space, sheltered benches & a large statue of Lord Shiva)

Darjeeling is known as the queen ofa hill stations. The town is all about serene hills, friendly locals, historical places, cafes, shopping streets, markets and malls. If you are planning to visit the city then you can always head to these below listed shopping spots:

• Bhutia Market (Famous for hand-knitted items at a reasonable rate)
• Nehru Road Market (Famous for leather bags, handicrafts, books, paintings, and many more items)
• Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre (Known for Tibetan carpets, woodwork decor, unique footwears, paintings and wood carved items)
• The Mall Road (Famous for scarves, sweaters, jewelry items, Tibetan masks, cafes and a lot more)
• Teesta Market (Located near the Teesta River, the market is famous for paintings, handicrafts, silverware, copper wares, lanterns etc.)
• Darjeeling Mall (One of the most visited malls in Darjeeling, famous for small bookstore, a cafe, Kashmiri shawls, winter clothes etc)
• Rink Mall (The mall houses Large retail stores like Big Bazaar and Reliance)

Darjeeling is very well known in the world for its tea plantation but the hill station is also home to a number of historical landmarks and heritage buildings which were left behind by the British colonial administration. Some of the famous heritage places are:

• Darjeeling Old Cemetery (It is known as the resting place of many British settlers and the one who is said to be the discoverer of Darjeeling)
• The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Also known as the DHR or the Toy Train that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling)

Everyone knows that West Bengal is packed with so much biodiversity and a rich flora and fauna, a tour to witness the wildlife in Darjeeling is inevitable. Some of the best nature parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Darjeeling are:

• Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary (The visitors can spot the wildlife animals like Bisons, Elephants, Rhinos, Wild Boar, Barking Deer and the Royal Bengal Tiger if you're lucky)
• Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary (Home to Royal Bengal Tiger, elephants, barking deer, the Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan pied hornbill, fairy bluebird and many more)
• Singalila National Park (The park is one of the few places on earth where you can come spot Red Panda)
• Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary (One can witness Black Bear, barking deer, leopards, flying squirrels, wild dogs and monkeys)

Food is something which is an inseparable element of culture. And if you're someone who loves to get closer to the culture of the destination you visit, than tasting food will definitely help you.

Scroll down to know the best dishes of Darjeeling:

• Kwati (A mixed soup made by boiling 9 different varieties of sprouted beans)
• Aaloo Achar (Made of boiled potatoes mixed with a flavor of the spices)
• Sel Roti (A homemade rice bread similar to doughnuts)
• Pork Curry (Prepared with Pork Chilies, Phagshapa, and barbecued pork)
• Tibetan Thukpa (Noodles served in a meat soup)
• Gundruk (Prepared with fermented green leafy vegetables such as mustard leaves, and spinach)

The hill station attracts around 4.5lakhs tourists annually. Darjeeling has a lot of attractions to offer and is not just limited to scenic landscape, rich flora and fauna, tea plantation.

Darjeeling has numerous religious places that is mostly influenced by Tibetan's culture. Some of the religious spots are mentioned below:

• Mahakal Temple (D edicated to Hindu god Shiva)
• Dali Monastery (A multi-storey, beautiful complex that’s home to more than 200 Buddhist monks)
• Bhutia Busty Monastery (Famous for tranquil mountain views, hand-painted designs)
• Ghoom Monastery (Famous for 15-foot gold statue of the Maitreya Buddha)

Darjeeling is not just a beautiful hill station at the foothills of the Himalayas but this place is also blessed with a distinct culture, and the festivals celebrated here are very unique. Some of the festivals celebrated here are:

• Tihar (A festival that is celebrated by feeding crows and culminates with Bhai Tika)
• Cham Dance (A ritual that is performed to tide over the negativity of the year gone by)
• Buddha Jayanti (The jayanti is celebrated by carrying idols of the Buddha and holy books on the streets)

While exploring Darjeeling, do visit the restaurants to savour lip-smacking cuisines. The restaurants offer amazing dishes that will complete your vacation in Darjeeling. Some of them are:

• Glenary’s Restaurant
• Lunar Restaurant
• Kunga Restaurant
• Revolver Restaurant
• Ara By Bellevue
• Hasty Tasty Restaurant

There are many hotels in Darjeeling that travelers find ideal to spend their vacation. Check out these below listed beautiful hotels :

• Mayfair Darjeeling (From INR 12,000 Onwards)
• Pine Tree Spa Resort (From INR 10,500 Onwards)
• The Elgin (From INR 9,500 Onwards)
• Cedar Inn (From INR 9,300 Onwards)
• Little Tibet (From INR 6,200 Onwards)

Darjeeling is not famous for its nightlife as most of pars and pubs get closed by 9.30pm. Nevertheless, you can enjoy evenings with your friends with drinks and good food. Some of the places where you can enjoy drinks are:

• Joeys Pub
• 1910 – The Lounge Bar
• Shangri La Restaurant & Bar
• Gattys Cafe

The museums in Darjeeling give the very essence of its history and rich culture. If you are someone who is looking for something deeper and more meaningful, exploring the museums would be best option in city. Some of the museums are:

• Bengal Natural History Museum (Famous for preserving the specific flora and fauna)
• Ghoom Railway Museum (Known for displaying the history of one of the most fascinating railways in the country)
• DHR Kurseong Museum (Known for displaying the journey of toy trains)

• Self Help Group & Self Employment Section - 1800-3458247
• Police Station - 100
• Child Helpline - 1098
• Citizen Call Centre - 15530
• Women Helpline - 1091
• Crime Stopper – 1090

Nepali is the most spoken language in Darjeeling but languages like Hindi, Bengali and English are spoken as well.

Nepali:

• Good morning! - Suva Pravath
• Good evening! - Suva sandhya
• How are you? - Tapailai Kasto Cha?
• Thank you - Dharai Dhanyabad
• Have a nice day - Tapaik Ko Din Suva Rahosh
• Good night - Suva Ratri

Bengali:

• Welcome - Shwagotom
• How are you? - Tumi kemon achho
• What's your name? - Tomar nam ki?
• Where are you from? - Tumi kotha theke eshechho?
• Good morning - Shuprobhat
• Good night - Shubho ratri

Hindi:

• Welcome - Svagat
• How are you? - Aap kaise hai?
• What's your name? - Aapka naam kya hai?
• I don't know - Mujhe nahi pata
• I don't understand - Mein samjha nahi
• Thank you - Dhanyavad