Darjeeling

• Avoid traveling during rains as the roads here get really muddy and slippery.

• Stay Hydrated and drink bottled water that is sealed.

• Avoid street food.

• Wear footwear that is comfortable and water resistant.

• Keep your phones, laptops and iPods in a secure waterproof case as it can rain anytime.

• Power cuts are frequent here especially during the summer months. So, keep the mosquito coils, matchboxes and candles handy.

• Double check all the bills for errors or over estimation.

• Don’t use any valuable, jewelry or extra cash in hotels. Make use of the room safes wherever available.

• Keep daily cash and change handy.

• Don’t flash your valuables or large sum of money in public.

• Never pay for anything upfront especially to the drivers.

• Keep touts at bay.

• Avoid exchanging the money in the black market.

• Whenever and wherever you get currency exchanged, ask for a receipt.

• Carry small currency notes – INR 5, INR 10, INR 20, INR 50 and INR 100 when you are traveling in public transportation or eating in a street stall.

• Monkeys are troublesome here. Don’t flash food when you see a monkey around.

• When walking in the secluded area, keep a walking stick handy.

• Hold tightly onto your camera, purse, etc.

Darjeeling manages to be as beautiful as the royal princess of the old times ornamented with its green pearls throughout the day, from dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn and till the earth completes one more revolution of the sun.

April-June:

Summers are the best times to be in Darjeeling when the days are not too bright and the evenings are calm down with a hint of winters in them. With maximum temperature not going above 25 degrees Celsius, Darjeeling is a surreal destination for backpackers in summers as the windy air and the picturesque surroundings make it all worth a lifetime experience.

October-March:

When the monsoon decides to leave, leaving the soil a little moist and the wind a little humid, Darjeeling decides to get prettier with a perfect blend of beautiful weather, clouds and awaiting fog. In the months of November and January, there is dew on the grass, fog on the glass and flakes of cloud wrapping you up in the arms of nature. Winters could be too cold here with a temperature going to as below as -2 degrees Celsius. So, if winter is your love, do not forget to carry your woolens.

July-September:

Darjeeling experience heavy downpour in monsoons and this could make the traveling a little tough but for the lovers of monsoon, no place on the map could fit in as Darjeeling. It glistens into a new life with droplets of rain making music while falling from the leaf of a tea plant amidst the dark forests of a lush-green valley.

Darjeeling has already opened up its heart to various cultures and traditions ages back, people from all the places have turned into this land of epic essence. You can travel to this beauty in ways more than one:

By Air:

The nearest Airport to Darjeeling is Bagdogra Airport, a drive of 96 kilometers which can be covered in 3 hours in a taxi or a share cab. Bagdogra connects to all big cities of the country which makes it an easy reach even for a traveler from across the globe.

By Road:

The city is well-connected with the nearby towns with roads taking you through a scenic beauty across the stunning mountains landscape. You can drive down to Darjeeling from all nearby cities like Siliguri, Kalimpong and kurseong. There is a regular bus service from Siliguri to Darjeeling, a distance of 70 kilometers with a breathtaking view of amazing hills covered in a green blanket. There are buses from Gangtok too but the shared cab is more preferable.

By Train:

The nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri, 62 km from the main town. It connects all the major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Cochin, Chennai, etc. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways' famous toy train service starts at New Jalpaiguri and will get you to Darjeeling in about 7 hours.

You wake up on an early morning and you see that it’s still dark out there and you stand near the window with a cup of tea in your hand as you watch that sky taking up the light slowly and gradually with a little misty wind and hazy view finding glitter through the dew drops over the leaves of a plant that is now smiling to the sun. You wish to walk across such a land every morning when you wake up. Darjeeling is such a beauty and it will gift you something as amazing as the sunrays of hope. Explore "The Queen of Hills" while you hold your breath to some of the best views of this planet in these amazing Places to Visit in Darjeeling

•         Darjeeling Himalayan Railway – A joyride on a toy train that carries your ecstasy across the landscapes of a beautiful countryside is an experience that you cannot miss.
•         Tiger Hill – Tiger hills give life to a painting with rivers flowing down and the first rays of sun falling on the twin peaks of Kangchenjunga, with a panoramic view of the Everest where the orange and white blend into each other to make a spectrum of fantasy.
•         Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary - Another nearby attraction to find the various high-altitude animals and birds.
•         Batasia Loop: A circular 360 degrees that takes the toy train descending by 1000 ft.
•         Japanese Peace Pagoda - A glistening white structure influenced by the Japanese monks.
•         Rock Garden – where the rocks have been carved out to find a place for you to sit and enjoy the beauty of the greens.
•         Nightingale Park – A great scenery housing Lord Shiva and the musical fountain.
•         Sandakphu Peak - The highest peak in West Bengal, almost near the border of Nepal is a picture of snow capped mountain across the mist clouds.
•         Padmaja Naidu Zoo- A house to the only collection of Siberian Tigers in India and few other exotic animal species, such as Red pandas, Snow leopards and, Himalayan black bears.
•         Singalila National Park – A paradise to trekkers and adventure lovers, national park of India in Darjeeling, located on the Singalila Ridge at a height of 7000 feet above sea level is a treat to your eyes.
•         Observatory Hill - Atop the Mall road is the Observatory hill, of religious importance, hosting the famous Mahakal temple and the original shrine of Bhutia Busty monastery.
•         Monasteries – Visit the various monasteries of old times and of their own importance.

Darjeeling, the quintessential bucket list destination for all backpackers in India, remains a melancholic abode for those seeking wander lust in a tight budget in the lap of Himalaya where local life flows with color in her alleys. Find below a list of things to do in Darjeeling:

•         Watch the mesmerizing colors of sunshine from the Tiger hills
•         Dooars: The Sea of Tea Leaves - witness the sprawling beauty yourself and sip on that refreshing ‘Darjeeling Tea.
•         Feel the Thrill of White Water Rafting at Teesta River
•         Trek to Sandakphu, the Highest Point of West Bengal
•         Himalayan Mountaineering Institute: Match your Mountaineering Skills
•         Tattoos: The Hippie Factor of Darjeeling
•         Visit Kalimpong: A Perfect Amalgamation of Serenity & Spirituality
•         Take a toy train ride
•         Visit the Rock garden
•         Roam in the misty woods and wilderness
•         Batasia Loop: A Fascinating Blend of History & Patriotism

Darjeeling provides you ample options to stay where comfort collides with luxury embracing within the arms of nature unwinding you in the hills:

•         Crescent Resort
•         Cedar Inn
•         Pine Tree Spa Resort – Holidaying the class-apart way
•         The Elgin
•         Goomtee Resort
•         R.J Resort
•         Singtom Tea Estate and Resort
•         Central Heritage Resort and Spa
•         Central Nirvana Resort
•         Central Gleneagles Heritage Resort
•         Little Tibet
•         Darjeeling Gymkhana Resort
•         Rhododendron Dell Exotic Resort
•         Khush Alaya
•         Dekeling Resort at Hawk’s Nest

Darjeeling has scrumptious answers to your food cravings with a rich taste of different cultures speaking in various cuisines. Your Darjeeling Tour is incomplete without trying the tasty options from British style breakfast to the traditional North Indian and South Indian foods. Enjoy the delicacy of Darjeeling street food like Thukpa, momos  and the unique Churpi:, a local treat to kill The Winter Blues.

•         Keventers Restaurant: For a Tempting Start to the Day
•         Glenary's
•         Shangri-La
•         Park(Thai Restaurants)

The best option to explore any hill is to stroll down the place on your feet capturing all that it has stored for ages in its girth.

There are other transport options that keeps the Darjeeling moving like private or reserved taxis, shared taxis (operating on per person fare), public buses etc. Even the toy trains of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway serve as local transportation on specific routes.

Enjoy a beautiful evening with a cool breeze brushing your hair while you stroll down the  colors of Darjeeling local market.

•         Chowrasta: Shopping, Relaxation, & Fun
•         Bhutia Market: An Unforgettable Shopping Experience
•         Nathmulls – to buy an enormous stock of tea from an array of shops

Besides the amazing and alluring vistas, there is a huge range of charming and aromatic tea estates that stands apart in this valley to make this valley stand apart. A reminiscent of the British culture that brought tea to Darjeeling soil, Darjeeling now holds tea in its root as its very own signature, a character of significance that has risen of history and became the favorite morning brew across the world. Explore the following tea gardens, taking an endless walk through the Himalayan city on a misty morning when the sunrays fall over the blooming tea leaves smiling with dewdrops on their faces.

•         Glenburn Tea Estate
•         Makaibari Tea Estate
•         Happy Valley Tea Estate
•         Chamong Tea Estate
•         Gomtee Tea Resort

The land of history of diverse cultures, traditions and ethnic values, Darjeeling is a home for various monarchs who found their faith in the times of beginning and flourishing, in the calmness of this beautiful valley.

•         Bhutia Busti Monastery
•         Old Ghum Monastery
•         Dali Monastery
•         Samten Choling Monastery
•         Aloobari Monastery
•         Tashiding monastery

Trek through the verdant meadows and dense forests with flowers like rhododendrons, magnolia, orchids and varieties of wild flowers swinging in life full of colors. Trekking in Darjeeling provides you with sweeping view of four out of the five highest peaks of the world that includes Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Lhotse, all in a single stretch.

•         Sandakphu & Singalila Trek
•         Phalut Trek
•         Singalila range
•         Village Tour & Trek
•         Sikkim Trek - Dzongri & Goecha La
•         Trek from Tonglu and return to Manebhanjan via Tumling.
•         Tiger Hill summit.