The Dhaka Times Desk Darjeeling, known as the “Queen of Rock Cities”, is located in the Himalayas and is famous for tea production, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which is a (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. The rock town flourished in the mid-19th century, when the British built a sanatorium and a military depot at Darjeeling. Earlier Darjeeling was the ancient Gorkha capital. Later the Maharaja of Sikkim gifted Darjeeling to the British.
Darjeeling is becoming a popular holiday destination in India due to its timeless beauty and pleasant climate. Apart from tourism, Darjeeling is popular for its various British-style private schools, which attract students from across India and even from neighboring countries.
Best time to visit Darjeeling:
The best time to visit Darjeeling is from September to June.
Places to visit in Darjeeling:
Tiger Hill
Observatory Hill
St. Andrew's Church
War Memorial
Peace Pagoda
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Crossroads and the Mall
Happy Valley Tea Garden
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
Dhirdham temple
How to reach Darjeeling:
Being a popular tourist destination, Darjeeling is well connected to other parts of the country. Here are the ways to reach Darjeeling.
By Rail:
The nearest broad-gauge railway station to reach Darjeeling is at New-Jalpaiguri. All trains from across India reach this station. Here is a list of trains arriving at this station from major cities in India –
From Mumbai:
Mumbai LTT – Guwahati Express/ 15645
Mumbai LTT – Guwahati Weekly Express (Via Bhagalpur)/ 15647
Mumbai LTT – Kamakshya Karmbhoomi Express (Unreserved)/ 15611
From Delhi:
Sikkim Mahananda Express/ 15484
North East Express/ 12506
New Delhi-Dibrugarh Town Rajdhani Express / 12424
New Delhi-New Jalpaiguri SF Express/ 12524
Brahmaputra Mail 14056
Pre-Relationship-Kranti Express/12502
From Kolkata:
Kanchanjunga Express/ 15657
Teesta Torsa Express/ 13141
Howrah – New Jalpaiguri Shatabdi Express/ 12041
Saraighat Express/ 12345
Kamrup Express/ 15959
North Bengal Express/ 13147
Kanchan-Kanya Express/ 13149
Darjeeling Mail 12343
Padatik Express/ 12377
From Chennai:
Chennai-New Jalpaiguri SF Express/ 22611
Chennai Egmore-Dibrugarh Weekly Express/ 15929
Jaswantpur-Dibrugarh Express/ 15901
Bangalore Guwahati SF Express/ 12509
Trivandrum Central-Guwahati Express/12515
By Road:
Darjeeling has a strong road network and is well connected with its neighboring cities by regular buses, such as – Siliguri, Karshiang, Gangtok, Kalimpong.
By Air:
Bagdogra near Siliguri is the nearest airport to Darjeeling, which is located at a distance of 68 km from Darjeeling. This airport is connected by regular flights from Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati.
Hotels in Darjeeling:
Darjeeling has many desirable hotels. Booking a hotel in advance is recommended everywhere as hotel prices go up during peak seasons.
Budget Hotels in Darjeeling:
Andes Guest House
Dr. Zakir Hussain Road
Darjeeling
Deckling Hotel
51, Gandhi Road
Darjeeling – 734101
Phone Number: 096 79 734048
Hotel Tower View
T.V. Tower
Dr. Zakir Hussain Road
Darjeeling – 73410
Mid-Range Hotels in Darjeeling:
Hotel Seven Seventeen
HD Lama Road
Darjeeling – 734101
Maine Oldie Bellevue
Crossroads
The Mall
Darjeeling
Top Hotels in Darjeeling:
Mayfair Darjeeling
Opposite Governor House
Darjeeling – 734101 http://www.mayfairhotels.com/mayfair-darjeeling/
Windamere Hotel
Observatory Hill
Darjeeling – 734101
Phone Number: 0354 255 4041 http://www.windamerehotel.com/
Shopping in Darjeeling:
Darjeeling has a lot to keep shoppers happy. From the head of Nehru Road and then the intersection, there are many shops from where you can purchase accessories and gift items. Some of the popular local handicrafts in Darjeeling are the Khukri, which is basically a curved knife with a well-furnished handle. One can pick up some other traditional materials in Darjeeling such as –
Tibetan masks, local ornaments, woolen materials, shawls and pashminas. Tirupati Handloom Emporium is an ideal place to buy shawls and jackets at affordable prices. Before leaving this place, don't forget to pick up a few packets of the world famous Darjeeling tea, which can be purchased from a popular shop called the House of Tea.
Cuisine of Darjeeling:
Local people of Darjeeling like to eat rice with beef and lentils. Other popular local dishes are momo (a pie-like dish with meat or vegetables), thupka (a thick soup made with meat and noodles), gundrak (fermented mustard leaves) and chang (local beer).
Restaurants in Darjeeling:
While in Darjeeling, don't forget to try various delicious local dishes, there are a few restaurants where you can enjoy some local dishes and other interesting dishes as well.
Sonam's Kitchen:
Famous for their breakfast menu, Sonam serves some delicious French toast, pancakes and sandwiches. Also, try the soups and pastas here.
Glenaris:
This restaurant is famous for its continental food, Chinese food, and tandoori dishes.
Park Restaurant:
You can get some authentic Thai food at this restaurant. The most famous ingredient on their menu is Tom Khan Gai – a delicious soup made with coconut and chicken.
Kungas:
A small family restaurant, Kungas is famous for momos, noodles and fresh fruit juices.
Hasty Testy:
This simple vegetarian restaurant in Darjeeling offers one of a kind masala dhosa.
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