Darjeeling is often called the Switzerland of West Bengal. It may not be as beautiful as Switzerland but it has something that even Switzerland doesn’t have. Darjeeling is a district of West Bengal located at 27 Deg. 13 Min. N to 26 Deg. 27 Min. N Latitude 88 Deg. 53 Min. E to 87 Deg. 59 Min. E Longitude. It’s a city in the lap of the great Himalaya. Darjeeling is one of most preferred tourist place in North East India. The outstanding beauty of Darjeeling attracts thousands of tourists around the world every year. Following are some of the must visit places in Darjeeling.
Tiger Hill
This is the place where everyone should start their tour. Witnessing the sun-rise over the Himalaya from Tiger Hill is a moment of a lifetime that no one will like to miss. 15km from Darjeeling, Tiger Hill is situated an altitude of 2590meters (8482 ft.). This is the highest point in this area and it gives the most exotic view of the Kanchenjunga peaks. If you got lucky and day is clear then you can even witness the sunrise on the Mt. Everest from here. Few more rare pics of Tiger Hill
Darjeeling Toy Train
The mother of all, a must ride for everybody and it’s a ride of a lifetime. This fascinating narrow gauge steam engine train is really an engineering achievement. If you don’t want to pay much time riding on it then you have another option to the sort ride from Darjeeling town to Ghoom. Everybody must try this in Darjeeling or your tour won’t be complete.
Zoological Park and Snow Leopard Breeding Centre
You will find Siberian Tiger, Himalayan Black Bear, and Barking Deer in this park. Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park has some rare Himalayan Fauna including the Snow Leopard, Red panda, Tibetan Wolf, Himalayan Pheasants, etc. Just nearby is a very successful Snow Leopard Breeding Centre.
Bastasia Loop
Located about 5 kilometres from the Darjeeling town, Bastasia Loop is a railway loop where Darjeeling toy train takes a 360 degree turn. This place has been designed for a panoramic view of Darjeeling city. And the memorial inside the loop is dedicated to the Gorkha soldiers of Indian army who died in wars since 1947. This is a must visit site for everyone.
Darjeeling Ropeway
You can find India’s oldest rope-way here in Darjeeling. This ropeway connects North Point to Singla Bazaar. It covers about 8 kilometres in 45 minutes. You will find dense forests, mountain ridges, flowing rivers, water falls, green valleys and tea gardens under you during this journey. It will give you a memorable journey for sure. You can’t forget this ride in your lifetime.
Lloyd`s Botanical Garden
This garden was founded in 1878 and named after William Lloyd. This garden is famous for its collection of different types of Orchids. It also has a glass-house full of alpine flowers and also features an Orchidarium and a collection of medicinal plants.
Tea Gardens
Tea gardens will be a pleasure for your eyes. Darjeeling Tea is known as the best tea in the world, and here you will get a chance to see the manufacturing process. You can even buy tea packets from these gardens.
The Mall and Chowrasta
This place is basically the commercial hub of Darjeeling town. This is a great place to sit and relax for hours, walk around the mall and you will see a great view of mountains, valleys with rhododendron trees and old houses. The picture shown here is a view of mountains from the mall.
Monasteries in Darjeeling
There are several famous monasteries like Ghoom Monastery, Bhutia Busty Monastery, Mag-Dhog Yolmowa Buddhist Monastery, Dali Monastery in Darjeeling where you can visit. One thing to remember is that visiting to these monasteries takes a lot of time on road, so try them only if you have enough time to spend.
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