The Itinerary had been chalked out we were to stay for three days and three nights at Darjeeling. Our Driver Prataph had done a great job of driving us from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling through the mesmerizing valleys of West Bengal. All the hotels and travel agents were pre booked so there wasn't any hassle for finding one. We had put up at Hotel Fairmont for our stay in Darjeeling.
The rooms were quite properly maintained but were not much spacious. The first thing I observed of the room is that there was neither ceiling fan nor Ac in that room. Coming from humid place of Mumbai the absence both was quite troubling to my mind. We had dared to enter Darjeeling during Monsoon and later was I to know that all throughout our stay the temperature was hardly been above 190C. In winter the temperature drops to single digit with occasional snowing once every few years. According to travel plan we had nothing to do on our day of arrival so we spent it playing cards and exploring the area arround.
Our evening trip of exploration seemed fruitful we had found out the MALL area, commonly called as Chowrasta it most popular probably due to the shops selling sweaters ,handicrafts, consumer durables, etc. Also among these are restaurant and cafe's, It was in one such restaurant did we eat the Tibetian delicacy Momo. We ended the trip by buying souvenir to take back home.
The Next day was complete tour, there is nothing much which i can recollect of my experience other than being just awe struck from all the sights that i was seeing.
Japanese peace pagoda:The Japanese peace pagoda depicts the various stages of the Buddha's life.
Happy Valley Tea Estate:Of about seventy tea gardens in this hilly region, this is one of the nearest, about 3 km from the town. Here one can see the processing of the world famous Darjeeling tea.
Lloyds Botanical Garden:A colourful garden situated just below the Market Motor Stand. It contains a representative collection of Himalayan plants, flowers, orchids etc. The green houses are well worth a visit.
Batasia Loop :About 5 kms from Darjeeling, this Railway Loop is a marvellous feat of engineering. It is fascinating to watch the toy train wind its way round the loop. The War Memorial constructed in the memory of brave sons of Darjeeling who died in different action since 1947, is worth a visit. A glorious view of snowy peak and town can be seen from this place. Entrance fee: Rs. 2/- Timings: sunrise till two hours after sunset.
Tenzing Norgay Himalayan Mountaineering Institute : The Tenzing Norgay Himalayan Mountaineering Institute trains mountaineers. It has a small museum as well.
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park : Adjacent to Tenzing Norgay Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.
Our Day three started at two thirty AM in the morning with the quest to see the Sunrise at Tiger Hills.Being at the eastern side of India the sunrise at darjeeling is aroung 3:45 to 4:00 clock.Tiger Hills situated at an altitude of 2590 metres (8482 ft.) and 13 kms from the town, this spot has earned international fame for the magnificent view of the sunrise over "Kanchenjunga" and the great Eastern Himalayan Mountains. Even Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, is visible from here. Later we visited the Ghoom monastery. After breakfast we started for our trip to Mirik another small hill station 50 KM away from Darjeeling at an altitude of 1750 mts.
I will write about it and the rest of our journey sometime later so keep checking the blogs. Suggestions are welcome.
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