In short, Darjeeling is one of the prettiest hill stations in India located in northern part of West Bengal. It's all about magnificent views of snowcapped Kanchenjunga, torrents flowing down the mountain slopes, lovely tea gardens, landscapes with firs, pines & ferns, and all that combined with friendly people and modern yet colonial charm.
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Location of Darjeeling
Darjeeling is part of the state of West Bengal in India and located at the northern part of the state. If you are looking for the coordinates (i.e. Latitude and Longitude) of Darjeeling, it is: 27°3'N 88°16'E. Geographically Darjeeling is bounded on its north by the state of Sikkim, on its east by Bhutan and on its west by Nepal. It's standing on a narrow ridge that juts out to the vast basin of the grand Himalayas. From a vantage point in Darjeeling, you get the best views of Himalayan snow peaks towards north and north east.
Area and Altitude of Darjeeling
Darjeeling is actually a widespread district although the popular Darjeeling hill town is the nucleus of the place. While the hill town is quite small (about 4 square miles or 10.4 square kilometers), the district spans across some 1,215 square miles of area (i.e. about 3,149 square kilometers including Kalimpong). The district includes the town of Darjeeling, Kurseong subdivision, Mirik and the terai region (lower plains) among other areas. But commonly by 'Darjeeling', one means the Darjeeling hill town.
Weather in Darjeeling
Weather comes with different faces in Darjeeling and each season has its unique charm. But one thing which the place offers consistently is respite from the heat and dust. Summer is pleasant with a chill in the sir, while winter is very cold but offers great visibility and monsoon comes with lots of rains, mist and fog.
Flowers and Plants in Darjeeling
Spring is the time to see Darjeeling hills getting covered with colorful flowers like the rhododendrons, large varieties of orchids, magnolias and more. While there are thousands of different types of plants in Darjeeling district, the most predominant in the hilly areas are the pine trees (locally known as dhupi) and in the lower plains, the Sals.
About Darjeeling Tea
It's an amazing story why the British had to look for an alternative place to grow quality tea and then chose Darjeeling as the place. Darjeeling tea has become a world famous industry by itself. Know about its story, what are the different types of tea cultivated in Darjeeling, how it's processed, the great tea estates and how can you tour them, best stores to buy Darjeeling tea and finally how to make a cup of such aromatic tea.
DHR Toy Train - History & Present State
It's a saga that dates back to 1800s when the mountain railway in Darjeeling was conceived by the Royal engineers. They created what is recognized as engineering marvels in those days and introduced a narrow gauge railway (popularly known as the Toy Train) which provided an all important communication between the plains and Darjeeling hills. Know about the story of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, its route, the journey, how and when the 12 small mountain stations were opened along the route between NJP and Darjeeling, and lot more.
How to reach Darjeeling
Many who come from outside West Bengal wonder if Darjeeling has an airport or a railway station by itself. While Darjeeling does have a small railway station for narrow gauge toy trains, those tiny mountain trains only operate between New Jalpaiguri (located at the plains) and Darjeeling town. Actually New Jalpaiguri (also known as NJP in short) is the nearest major railway junction.
The nearest airport is at Bagdogra. So after you reach NJP or Bagdogra, there is still some 90kms uphill road distance to cover to reach Darjeeling. And it takes time to negotiate the steep hilly roads. From NJP or Bagdogra, it takes about 3 hours to reach Darjeeling town by car. Bus (from Siliguri) and shared taxis from NJP and Siliguri are also available. You can also take the toy train from NJP which moves at a snail's pace and takes about 7 hours.
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