Hill Station - Darjeeling

Darjeeling is popularly called the queen of the hills not for nothing. The picturesque beauty of the landscape is such that it is a visitor's paradise. The clean fresh air and the pleasant weather is a great relief from the heat and the dust of the tropics.

The beauty of Darjeeling lies in its morning mist, the glory of a snowy sunset and of course the Himalayan toy train. The beauty of the tea garden along the slopes and the flavor of finely brewed tea is something that you will not find anywhere else. Tibetan culture, monasteries and Himalayan tribal culture are some of the most interesting things that you will ever have a chance to see in your life.

One of the most important tourist attractions of the place is the Batasia Loop. Here, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway performs a 360° turn and moves uphill towards Darjeeling. This circular area has a beautiful garden and from this garden tourists can see Tiger Hill glimmering in the horizon. The Botanical Garden is worth a visit for its exotic and exclusive collection of a variety of Himalayan plants, flowers and orchids. The gardens also has a green house.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute & Museums runs courses for training mountaineers. It also has very good collection of mountaineering equipments which have been used in various mountaineering expeditions. Specimens of Himalayan flora and fauna are also kept here.

From Darjeeling you can enjoy uninterrupted view of the world's third highest peak, Kanchenjunga. Nowadays zoologists and environmental scientists are trying to protect the endangered plant and animal variety by breeding them in captivity. For example you will find snow leopards bred in captivity here.

Although Darjeeling is at a very high altitude, yet it is very easily accessible. The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport and it is only 100 km by road from the airport. If you wish to travel by train, the nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri from where you can either travel by Darjeeling Himalayan Toy Train or by road on a jeep. This is a wonderful place and a must see tourist hot-spot.