A trip to Darjeeling: The Switzerland Of West Bengal
Darjeeling:
This is one of the most famous hills stations of India located in West Bengal. You could see the beauty of the Himalayan ranges by reaching this place. Surrounded by dense vegetation, you can enjoy the lushly greenery and beautiful mountains all at the same place. The toy train of Darjeeling is a thing worth experiencing. Because of its exquisite beauty, it is also called the Switzerland of West Bengal. If you want to spend you days in a quiet, calm place and full of natural beauty, then this hill station should be your ultimate choice.
What to see in Darjeeling:
There are many places worth visiting this place. Some of them are:
Kanchenjunga mountains:
The name is derived from the Tibetan words, 'Kanchen' and 'Dzonga' meaning 'Five Treasures of the Great Snow'. It is also selected as one of the 200 Global Eco Regions recognized by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and is protected by the government as the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA). The area of Kanchenjunga gives you some of the most enchanting scenic beauties with the high mountain lakes, the vegetation of alpine grasses and bamboo trees and around 250 species of birds and wildlife residing here. The hills are all densely forested with oaks and pines. You can also get some glimpse of the wooden houses and the natural waterfalls. The view of this beautiful mountains can also be seen from most of the hotel rooms, chowrasta square, tiger hills etc of Darjeeling.
Tiger Hills:
You witness some of the amazing peaks of Kanchenjunga here. It is situated at a distance of about 15 kms from Darjeeling at an altitude of around 8500 feet. This is the highest point of the whole area and the beauty of the mountains is something to be gazed at. This hill gives you the clearest view of the Kanchenjunga Mountain. The view of the sunrise at this place is simply majestic but you have to get up early in the morning, something around 4 a.m. (even if you visiting in winters). But once you see the sunrise, you wouldn’t find something more beautiful than the sight. When the sun is up, you might also get to see the Mount Everest.
The Toy Train:
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the "Toy Train”, is a 2 feet narrow gauge that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. This 83 km. long section connecting Darjeeling with the railhead at Siliguri is of great importance and has been bestowed World Heritage Site status. There is a daily tourist train from Darjeeling to Ghoom which is a 3 hour journey. This is also the highest railway station in India. The Toy train is something unique which cannot be found in any other hill stations where you get to ride the whole area of Darjeeling. The train which previously ran on steam engine, now runs basically on diesel engine takes you through the steep narrow slopes all across the mountain. However, you have a few steam engines train but the charges that you pay are something higher than the Diesel engine train. But this ride is something which you should not miss at all. You also get to enjoy the ride through the Bastasia loop where this train takes a 360 degree turn. The Bastasia loop, which is just at a distance of around 5 kms from Darjeeling, has a memorial inside the loop which is dedicated to the soldiers who died in wars in 1947.
Chowrasta:
Chowrasta refers to the common point/location where the four roads meet from different directions. Located in the heart of Darjeeling, this is the place where you can walk around and shop. This is a quire stable place differing from the crests and troughs of the whole Darjeeling. It is a large open area surrounded by shops selling souvenirs, good restaurants and pony stables. You might find a lot of good shops like Oxford bookstore. The eating joint is also fabulous. You would enjoy the amazing sightseeing along your coffee at the coffee house. The promenade which is also popularly known as “Mall” is situated on the upper ridge of the town Chowrasta. You could also enjoy the rides on the pony which is exhilarating. From the aspect of shopping, you could like shopping for teas, picturesque of snow-cladded mountains and brass idols. Though, you would have to bargain a bit for the things but the prices are not overly rated.
The Zoological Park:
This zoological park is not like any other zoo which you find in the cities. You will find many varied Himalayan species like Siberian Tiger, Himalayan Black Bear, Barking Deers, etc. The red Pandas and the Siberian Tigers are something which you would love watching. The zoo is a bit smaller in area and there are not many animals but you could see the animals at a much closer distance just separated by a barrier. Also, the species found here cannot be found in any other zoo. The place is well maintained, clean and quite natural in its view. The layout of the whole place is very well organized and beautifully placed. There is also Snow Leopard Breeding Centre just adjacent to it.
Darjeeling Ropeway:
This is also known as the Singhamari Ropeway which is India’s oldest. The ropeway connects the North Point to Singla Bazaar covering a distance of about 5 miles. The view of the mountain ranges, the lakes, the ridges, etc from such a height gives you an awesome experience. The Ropeway which was closed for almost 8 years since October, 2003 became functional again from February, 2012. The ropeway was reopened on 2 February 2012 as a joint venture by the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation and Conveyor and Ropeway Services (CRS). The total roundtrip costs around 100 INR and takes you for a 45 minutes long ride. The cable car halts at various stops like Tukvar Village which is well known for its vast stretch of tea estate that started in 1856, followed by another village called Burnesbeg, and then the Singla Tea Estate which is owned by the Jayshree Tea Company.
Lloyd’s Botanical Garden:
Founded in 1878 and named after William Lloyd, this garden is full of different types of orchids. It is situated at an altitude of 1800 meters. Here you can find a variety of fauna like the sub-alpine plants, the eastern Himalayan fauna, and orchids. The Orchid House, the spacious glass house has all the different orchids grown here. You would also enjoy the Rock Garden and the herbarium.
Other Nearby Locations of Darjeeling worth seeing:
Kalimpong
This is one of the three echo regions in India and it is situated at an altitude of 1250 meters. It is set on a ridge that connects two hills - Deolo and Durpin Hills. The snow-cladded Mt. Kanchenjunga is visible from almost everywhere in Kalimpong. Starting from Darjeeling, the road drops from Ghoom to Teesta Bazar in 12km and passes through lush green forests and tea gardens. There is also a return train running between Darjeeling and Kalimpong. You could enjoy trekking in this small village. Bankim Chandra Park, the ecological museum;the National Park, famous for its tigers and Deolo Hill are a must see place. Other places of interest are Durpindara, Gouripur House, Kalibari, 7th Mile View Point, Thongsha Gumpa, Zong Dong Palri Fo-Brang Monastery, etc.
Lava
This is located at a distance of around 30 kms from Kalimpong and is at a height of around 6500 feet. This place is a good choice if you interested in the various flaura and fauna and the ambience of deep dense forest. You also get to see the beautiful view of Jelep La and Rechi La passes here.
Lolegaon
This is located at a distance of around 56 kms from Kalimpong and is at a height of around 5200 feet. You could get the best view of Kanchenjunga from here.
There is much more to be explored in the surrounding of Darjeeling than this. However, for a small trip of around 3-4days, these places would engage you enough. The expenses are not too much and you find few things much cheaper over here. So in a gist Darjeeling is a beautiful, economical place to visit in the midst of nature.
Image Source:Wikipedia
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