The name ‘Darjeeling’ is believed to have come from the monks of Bhutia monastery who referred to this region as “Dorje-ling” which means the ‘land of the thunderbolt’.
People say that Darjeeling is a place of six Ts- Tea, Teak, Tourism, Toy train, Tiger Hill and Trekkers paradise. Each of these ‘T’ is what makes Darjeeling a delight to visit and every T offers a multitude of possibilities and experiences that you can have only in Darjeeling. But then, you have to get here to enjoy it and how do you do that?
If you prefer flying, then the nearest airport is at Bagdogra, 94 kilometers from Darjeeling town and the nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri(NJP) which is 88 kilometers from Darjeeling. From here, Taxi services are offered. But if you want to have a little taste of the place before you actually get there, you can take a 7-hour long toy-train ride from NJP or Siliguri.
Once you reach, you will soon realize that this place offers one of the best views of Kanchenjunga (the world’s third highest mountain). Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage site is also here. Darjeeling is located at a height of 6800 feet and you can understand the climate at this altitude. In summers where the whole country falls into the tortures of heat is when people frequent this place. But then a lot of people prefers to visit here in October and November too when the skies are clear and you get a great view of the Kanchenjunga mountains.
Darjeeling has hotels all around it and finding an accommodation won’t be hard. All hotels will boast of their position that provides the best view of Kanchenjunga but the Tiger hills, on the summit of Ghhoom is the best to give you that view of the beautiful sunrise over the Himalayas. From Tiger hills, one can head to Gorkha war memorial, which is also a sightseeing point.
We all have been to Zoos but not many have gone to a zoo at 7000 feet. That is the experience you get in Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park. You get to see some very rare species of animals here, including the Red panda and the Himalayan Wolf. Throughout the Darjeeling area, you can see many monasteries and the peace and tranquility that lingers around in that area are unmatched.
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