Darjeeling
Darjeeling is a beautiful hill station, just like our Cameron Highlands, it was a place that the British colonials would go to run away from the heat of the lowlands. It is often referred to as the queen of the Himalayas and famous around the world for Darjeeling tea and the little blue trains of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway which has UNESCO World Heritage Status.
On a clear day, Mt Kanchenjunga forms a beautiful backdrop to this town that clings to the sides of the mountains.
Mt Kanchenjunga is the world's third highest mountain, with an elevation of 28169 feet. We only managed to see it on the first morning and sadly it was hidden in the clouds the rest our stay.
 |
| Mt Kanchenjunga overlooking the town |
The town center is the Chowrasta and the Chowk Bazzar. The Chowrasta is a flat vehicle free area that is surrounded by lovely shops and great views of the town. It's an oasis from the noise of vehicles in the rest of the town.
The best way to visit some of the places of interest is on foot, however you must remember a couple of
things. First a distance in the hills will feel like almost three times
of a similar distance on flat ground as you will be walking uphill. And most of the
roads in Darjeeling have steep gradient or slope. So unless you are used
to walking in the hills, it may not be as easy as you may think.
Second, there are some sightseeing places in Darjeeling that can only be
reached on foot. A vehicle can only go up to a point beyond which you
will need to walk. So make sure your have a good pair of walking shoes!
 |
| This is a lovely old style bookstore |
 |
| The inside of the bookstore |
 |
| The Chowrasta Mall |
There are many beautiful old colonial buildings that look like they belong in the English countryside rather than India.
A must do, is visit one of the many English style hotels and have English tea.
 |
| My companion for tea |
 |
| Having tea that was grown just down the road |
 |
| Cool weather and lovely views |
 |
| Lovely setting |
Another interesting place to visit is the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. It was established in honour of
Tenzing Norgay after he and Sir Edmund Hillary climbed the Everest in
1953.It has some nice exhibits on the Himalaya's and mountaineering.
 |
| Tenzing Norgay |
Next to it is the Zoo with some interesting Himalayan wildlife.
 |
| Red Panda |
 |
| Tea growing all around the town |
 |
| Derjeeling is spread up and down the mountain |
To be continued....
No comments:
Post a Comment