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| HILL STATIONS |
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| Darjeeling |
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Part Victorian holiday resort, part major tea growing centre, DARJEELING " the place of thunderbolt " straddles a ridge 2200m up in the Himalayas and almost 600Km north of Calcutta. It is a centre of India's most celebrated tea-growing district, has possibly the most picturesque views among all Indian hill resorts. Above all , the greatest appeal for visitors has to be its stupendous mountain vistas - the equal of any hill station in India, with Kanchenjunga , the third highest mountain in the world , dominating the northern horizon . Darjeeling is a fascinating place, where the tourist can see Buddhist monasteries, visit a tea plantation, see how the tea is processed, go for a ride on the chairlift, go shopping in the colourful markets or go trekking to high altitude spots, near the border with Sikkim. Darjeeling has the unique feature of a toy train, which takes you from Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling through the steep mountainsides.
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When To Visit
The best seasons to come and to attempt the magnificent trek to Sandakphu, to see Everst- are after monsoons and before winter(late Sept. to late Nov.) and spring (mid Feb.to May.) The average temperature ranges from 8.5 - 15 degrees Celsius in summers and 1.5-6 degrees Celsius in winters.
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What to See
Tiger Hill One really unmissable part of the Darjeeling experience is the early-morning mass exodus to Tiger Hill ( is the highest spot in the area at a height of 2590 meters, about 11 km from Darjeeling ), to watch the sunrise. The hill is famous for its magnificent dawn view over the Kanchenjunga peak. On a clear day, Mount Everest is also visible. It's also possible to walk up during the day and camp for the near the top . Close to Tiger Hill is Senchal Lake, a popular picnic spot.
Ghoom and other monasteries : Ghoom Buddhist Monastery is the most famous monastery in Darjeeling and is about eight-km from town. It enshrines an image of Maitreya Buddha (the coming Buddha). A half an hour drive leads to Sonada, where a large and interesting monastery of the Kagyupa sect is situated.
Observatory Hill : It is located nearby, houses a Kali shrine and is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. Not far from Chowrasta, the centre of the city, is the Bhutia Busty Monastery. Dhirdham Temple, Natural History Museum ,Ropeway, Botanical gardens and The Zoological Park are some other attractions.
Mirik : Mirik, 45Km southwest of darjeeling near the border with Nepal , is a pleasant place to come and enjoy a walk through the surrounding pine forests, with occasional glimpses of the distant snows.
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute / Museum : Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is India's most important training centre for climbers, holding countless courses all year round.The HMI Museum is dedicated to the history of Mountaineering, with equipment old and new ,a relief map of the Himalayas, and a collection of costumes of different hill people.
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Places to Stay
Alice Villa, Palace Mahakal, Youth Hostel, Bellevue, Pineridge , Dant Koti, Planters' Club, Towerview, Dekeling, Shamrock, Nirvana, Olive Dale, Windermere, Valentino, Pagoda.
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Getting There
By air : The nearest airport is at Bagdogra, 90 km away from Darjeeling. Bagdogra is connected to important cities of the country by domestic airlines.
By bus : There are bus connections to Darjeeling from Siliguri, Bagdogra, Gangtok,Kurseong and Kathmandu.
By train: New Jalpaiguri /Siliguri is the rail head for all trains, except the toy train running to Darjeeling. Siliguri is connected to Calcutta and other parts of the country by train.
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