HILL STATION
AT
DARJEELING
Darjeeling, the queen
of hills, is not just a huge rage among the tourists but also holds great
interest for the filmmakers who love to infuse the lovely backdrop of
Darjeeling in their movies.
The word Darjeeling is a
combination of two words 'dorje' meaning 'thunderbolt' and 'ling' meaning
'place' hence the word Darjeeling means 'the Land of Thunderbolt'. At a height
of 2050 meters, Darjeeling is one of the most visited destinations in the state
of West Bengal and
Darjeeling tourism is one of the mainstays of the tourism industry in this
state.
Darjeeling isn't your
typical tourism spot imbibed with same old visiting attractions or shopping
streets. Every nook and corner of Darjeeling reflects uniqueness and echoes
diversity in all aspects.
It plays a perfect host to Buddhist
monasteries, tea plantations, and the very rare Himalayan Red Panda. This
tourism spot draws travelers from all around the globe throughout the year and
is one of the favorite hill destinations in the country.
If you are lucky enough to land up in
Darjeeling, don't miss to seize the golden opportunity of digging into its
culinary delights, discovering the wonderful steep lanes, witnessing the
colorful festivals and lastly, traveling around in a toy train. Find out more
on the best time to visit Darjeeling by scrolling down the article.
These months
constitute the summer season in Darjeeling which is quite pleasant and not
harsh. The maximum temperature is around 25 degree Celsius. Bright sunlight
packed with windy air in the evenings make for a great vacation in Darjeeling
amidst the picturesque surroundings. This time is also good for sightseeing and
other tourist activities.
Summer starts in May and lasts until July. The
average temperature during summer varies between 11°C to 19°C. While May
remains a popular tourist month in Darjeeling, there are good chances of
showers and hails during this time. The Monsoon in Darjeeling starts in June
and it starts getting misty quite frequently. So, by June most of the tourists
would have left.
By Air
Bagdogra Airport is the
nearest air connection which is 96 kilometres away from Darjeeling. Many
carriers like Air India, Jet Airways, Spice Jet, Indigo, Go Air run direct
flights from Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata to Darjeeling. Delhi and Kolkata
airports are well-connected with international cities across
the globe. Now, few
international cities like Bangkok and Paro also have direct flights via Druk
Air airlines. Once you reach at the airport, you can hire a taxi or share a cab
to get to Darjeeling, which will take you around 3 hours.
By Bus
The regular bus
service from Siliguri (which is approximately 70 kilometres away) to Darjeeling
is quite slow but economical. Similar bus services are also available from
neighbouring towns like Kurseong and Kalimpong which is 31 and 50 kilometres
away respectively. Even Gangtok city runs daily buses to Darjeeling; however,
we suggest taking a shared cab instead.
By Train
The Darjeeling
railway station is administered by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR). The
nearest railway station in Darjeeling is at New Jalpaiguri (62 kilometres from
the main town) which connects major Indian cities like Kolkata, Delhi,
Guwahati, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar and Cochin. The DHR Toy
Train service starts at New Jalpaiguri and will get you to Darjeeling at a
speed no faster than 30 miles per hour. It takes 7 hours and halts at Batasia
Loop from where passengers can take photographic shots of Mt. Kanchenjunga.
