Honeymoon to Dargiling

Dargiling

Snowy Himalayas comprise the hill tracts of northern West Bengal, Sikkim and the broad green fields and virgin forests of the Dooars Valley. Straddling a ridge at 2134 m and surrounded by tea plantations, Darjeeling is a popular hill station since the British established it as a rest and recreation place in the 1800’s. Outside the monsoon (June to September), the views over the mountains to the snowy peaks of Kanchen junga are magnificent. Darjeeling is a fascinating place where you can see Buddhist monasteries, visit a tea plantation, go for a ride on the chairlift, spend days hunting for bargains in colorful markets and handicraft shops, or go trekking to high-altitude spots for closer views of Kanchenjunga. One of the attrctions here is the TOY TRAIN which goes up the steep mountains from new Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling.

What to See?

Tiger Hill, Kanchenjunga Views, Observatory Hill, Bhutia Busty Gompa, Ghoom Gompa, Dhirdham Temple, Bengal Natural History Museum, Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Lloyd Botanical Gardens.

Excursions around Darjeeling

Kurseong : A quiet township between Siliguri and Darjeeling at an altitude of 1,458 M (4,860 ft.), noted for its secluded charma and Eagle’s Crag, offering a commanding view of the undulating plains below.

Kalimpong : Another beautiful hill town in North Bengal that can be reached from either Siliguri or Darjeeling. The trip from Darjeeling being memorable for its lovely road through forests and a place called the Viewpoint, offering excellent view of the confluence of the Rangeet and Teesta rivers, as also of the Himalayan mountain range from Durbindara summit. Kalimpong’s attractions include three Buddhist monasteries, orchid nurseries, a sericulture centre and Dr. Graham’s Home, a large sprawling school set up in 1900 for educating the children of tea workers.

Lava & Lolaygaon : Short drives through dense forests from Kalimpong are tourist spots with unspoilt idyllic surroundings. Lava is the gateway to the Neora National Park. Lolaygaon offers a fascinating view of sunrise from Jhandidara.

Mirik : A recently developed hill-station, Mirik has grown around a lovely lake with boating facilities and a milder climate.

Dooars Valley : Derived from the word ‘doors’, the Dooars forms a gateway to the hill stations of North Bengal and Bhutan. The valley stretches across a total span of 130 km by 40 km. the unending stretch of virgin forests is criss-crossed by the river Teesta and her innumerable tributaries. Beautiful motorable roads cut through deep forests teeming with wild life and Terai tea gardens.

Tourist Spots : The Dooars Valley is specially noted for its wild life sanctuaries, the most notable of which is Jaldapara, offering memorable elephant rides through rhino and tiger forests. Other sanctuaries include Buxa Tiger Project, Gorumara and Chapramari.

Sikkim : Once regarded as one of the last ‘Shangrilas’ because of its remoteness and spectacular mountain terrain, Sikkim is now fairly easily reachable by road from Siliguri. Much of Sikkim still retains its natural freshness, the beauty of its many monasteries and a presence of Tibetan Buddhism. Sikkim is divided into three parts : Gangtok, the capital, in East Sikkim, Phodang and Yumthang in North Sikkim and Gezing, Peling (Pemayangtse) and Yuksom in Western Sikkim. Sikkim has a number of Buddhist monasteries, places of great natural beauty, views of the Himalayan mountain range and trekking routes.

Flora & Fauna : The east Himalayas present an immense variety of flora and fauna. Plants and flowers abound in Lloyd Botanical Gardens, Darjeeling-balmy alpine plants, geraniums, spectacular azaleas, rhododendrons, free forms and conifers. Orchid Houses in Darjeeling and Gangtok contain some 2000 species of orchids.

The area, specially the Dooars, is rich in wild life, offering unforgettable elephant rides through rhino and tiger forests at Jaldapara. The place has a large variety of deer-sambar, barking deer, spotted and hog deer as well as elephants, gaurs, wild boar, reptiles, birds and fishes. Chapramari Wild life Sanctuary is mainly noted for its heronry.

In Darjeeling at the Zoological Park one can have glimpses of high altitude wild life, like the Siberian tiger, Himalayan black bear and pandas, while a nearby farm is breeding snow leopards.

Adventure Activities

Trekking : The East Himalayas present perhaps the best trekking routes in the whole of India. A popular trekking route from Darjeeling takes one to Sandakphu and Phalut from where one can have breathtaking views of Kanchenjunga and Mount Everest.

Hand Gliding / Ballooning : Both these sports have been experimentally introduced at Dhoteria in Darjeeling district, during the Tea & Tourism Festival in November 98. The topography, with its high ridges, cliffs and deep-down valley’s is an ideal venue for such sports.

River Rafting : The river Teesta, with its deep gorges, rapids and strong currents, is tailormade for river rafting, for much of the stretch covering both Sikkim and North Bengal. Canoeing and kayaking have also been introduced on the river Teesta and the lake in Mirik.

Mountain Biking : An exciting sport that has been introduced in the region is mountain biking. The route takes you from martam to Gangtok in Sikkim, via the famous Rumtek monastery.

Elephant Rides : Regular elephant rides are conducted inside some of the most exciting jungle land in India at Jaldapara for a once-in-a-lifetime sighting of one-horned rhinos and Bengali tigers.

A land of infinite charm with breathtaking views of Kanchenjunga, bewildering variety of flora and fauna, colourful festivals, lushgreen tea gardens, exciting adventure sports, daunting trekking routes, perfect solitude. All this makes the East Himalayas your chosen destination.

Golf : The East Himalayan region is now part of the all-India golf map with the introduction of the Duncans Runglee-Rungliot Golf Tournament at Chalsa in the Dooars Valley. Introduced in 1998, the Tournament is billed to be an annual feature from ’99.

Shopping

Popular shopping items include curios like Cati Silks, thangkas, brass statues, religious objects, Tibetien jewellery, tapestry bags, woodcarvings, Copper ware, woven fabrics, carpets, Paintings etc. Darjeeling Tea is also a popular souvenir.

Places to Stay

Prices vary widely with the season. In the low season prices drop by 50% to 75%, less for bottom-end places.

Mid-Range Hotels :The two star Bellevue Hotel (Tel. 0354- 54075), on Chowrasta, Sailung Hotel on the north side of Observatory Rd (a continuation of Nehru Rd) (Tel./fax 56289), Main Bellevue Hotel (Tel.54178), behind the Bellevue, Pineridge Hotel (Tel. 54074) on Nehru Road, Hotel Shangrila (Tel. 54149) on Nehru Road, Hotel Alice Villa (Tel. 54181, 41 HD Lama Rd), north of Chowrasta, Darjeeling Club (Tel. 54349, fax 54348, above Nehru Rd), The Hotel Dekeling (Tel. 54159, fax 53298, 51 Gandhi Rd, Hotel Sunflower (Tel. 54391, fax 54390, Nehru Rd (The Mall), The Ivanhoe (Tel./fax 56082, 4 Franklin Prestage Rd), Hotel Fairmont (Tel. 53646, fax 53647, 10 Gandhi Rd), Hotel Seven Seventeen (Tel. 54717, fax 54717) on HD Lama Rd., Hotel Mohit (Tel. 54351, Mount Pleasant Rd), Hotel Red Rose (Tel. 56062, fax 52615, 37 Laden La Rd), close to the train station, Hotel Silver Cascade (Tel. 52026, 9 Cooch Bihar Rd) up towards the top of the ridge near Hotel Aliment, Hotel Valentino (Tel. 52228, 6 Rockville Rd).

Deluxe Luxury Hotels : The New Elgin (Tel. 54114, fax 54267, email newelgin@cal.vsnl.net.in), off Robertson Rd, to the north of Chowrasta, The Windamere Hotel (Tel. 54041, fax 54043), Mayfair Hill Resort (Tel. 56376, fax 52674, email mayfair@cal2.vsnl.net.in ).

Apart from hotels and guest houses, regular Government tourist lodges and bungalows available in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Mirik, Kurseong and Siliguri.

In the Dooars too, tourist lodges, tourist centres and forest bungalows exist in Madarihat, Jaldapara, Hollong, Bardabri, Gorumara, Samsing and Malbazar and a PWD bungalow at Jainti.

How to Reach

Air : Nearest airport is Bagdogra and it connects Calcutta / Delhi / Guwahati.

Train : Nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Toy Train runs a romantic and age-old journey between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. From Siliguri onwards regular bus / taxi / jeeps available to Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Gangtok and Peling. Conducted trips are also available from Siliguri.

Bus: Nearest bus station is at Siliguri. But there are buses from jalpaiguri, bagdogra, Kathmandu, Kolkatta, Patna, Shillong, Agartala