What comes first in your mind when you hear snow? Think think.... Switzerland? I'm sure you'll have this place in your list and maybe in the top. What if I say India has got mini Switzerland? Surprised? India has beautiful places to visit. Well I haven't been to Switzerland but I have seen similar of it in northeast Part of India. Darjeeling! Yes, Darjeeling is known as the Queen of hills and it somewhere resembles to Switzerland because of green mountains which are actually the tea gardens.
Darjeeling is the Hill station located in the West Bengal state of India. Along with the greenery it is also famous for Toy Train which heads from Siliguri to Darjeeling. There are different timings and mostly it is the tourist attraction so there are two trains running in the town covering the view of mountains. It's new for the tourist but very common for the locals and some even say it takes alot of time as there is steam engine and it's difficult to reach in time.
The other attraction is the Tea Garden. You will find this gardens everywhere while traveling here and that's what add more beauty to Darjeeling. There are some tea gardens where it's only for the tourist to visit and click photo also there are the traditional dress which cost like 50 bucks per person. Wearing this dress and clicking beautiful pictures of the Tea Garden is not less then a scene of any movie!
The other attractions are :-
~The Himalayan zooological Park - It is a zoo, museum, and mountaineering things basically they teach how to climb mountains and all stuff here. One can spend 1-2 hours here.
~Waterfall - It is on the way and 5 min photo stop for the view. You can skip it. Depends on you.
~Mountain climbing - This comes after waterfalls way back. Here's one rock and some ropes for the one who want to climb rock or never done before. It's a fun thing to do.
~Tibetan handicraft and museum - This place is must to visit if you want to know more about Gurkha culture and their skills of making sweater and shawls. Every thing the locals use in their house is here and you can even take one home as gift.
~Batasia loop - Batasia loop is famous for various things. It reflects the history of Darjeeling about how the train was constructed in a loop. The name of this attraction is given after that. From here you can get the clear view of Kanchenjunga mountain. It's so beautiful. Must visit place.
~Monastery - There is many monasteries in Darjeeling. You can search and visit. I saw plenty in Gangtok so I didn't visited here.
~Peace Pagoda - This is certainly the last point in sightseeing. A Japanese style Buddhist temple shaped as stupa is simply beautiful. A complete view of Darjeeling town is visible from here.
All of this sightseeing can be done in one day as places are nearby. 3 days trip to Darjeeling is enough and if you want to chill then you can add days according to your wish!
For shopping there are multiple markets where from branded stuffs to cheap rated all are available. All the markets are near by. I will still recommend you not to buy from here as its a bit costly if you guys are travelling in Gangtok first then purchase stuffs from there like sweaters or woolen clothes there is vast variety in Gangtok than here.
The sunrise in the mountains is surreal to watch. Here in Darjeeling, there is Tiger Hill point for sunrise view. I woke up at 3am and there is reason behind waking up this early. There are so many tourists who visits this point every morning. I can say about 3-4 thousand in numbers. Yes, this many. It's true, once you will get here, you will find by yourself. My Driver told me to get ready by 3 am so that I can find the perfect spot for the sunrise view. (note - please carry your blankets or thick sweaters with you as it gets really cold in the morning. Sun rises around 5:45 am, so grab your place and wait for the beautiful view. The first rays of sunshine will sooth your soul.
From here kanchenjunga mountain is clearly visible. Within few minutes of sunrise, the rays of sunshine fall on the peak of kanchenjunga mountain and make it clearly visible to the eyes. This view is worth to wait for. So don't run away after sunrise, wait for something more worth.
Darjeeling even look more beautiful in evening. Pleasant weather and long walk across the town.
If you have extra day left then try to visit Indo Nepal border and experience the beauty of nature by long drive. Indonepal border known as ielum where Indians are allowed to cross the border and visit pashupatinath market.
I hope my blog was helpful for you guys.
Thank you for reading.