Saturday, February 5, 2011

Darjeeling 'Queen of the hills'


Darjeeling
Darjeeling is situated in the state of West Bengal in India at the altitude of 2,200m from sea level. Darjeeling is also called 'Queen of the hills'. When it is cloudy the pinnacles loom in mists as if they were illusionary, while the sun is shining they unfold in all their majesty and splendor. The town is also the capital of the Darjeeling district which is the northern most district of  West Bengal bordering Nepal. In face of the Indian Ocean,
 it reflects an obvious vertical landform and valley is tropical rain forest and lush green mountains will be an enchanting experience for the tourist. The excitement starts as soon as you leave the plains and take the uphill road to this beautiful hill resort in. Its scenery is one of unique beauty in the country attraction with velvety green hills abound in tea plantations, orchids and immense natural beauty. With its proximity to the snow clad peaks, every morning as the sun rises Dearjeeling offers bird's eye views of the grand mountains of the Himalayas.  It is almost completely surrounded by fragrant tea gardens which seem to flow over the layered slopes like pea green swells on a rough sea.
Location:  Darjeeling is situated in the state of West Bengal in India that can be reached by the 88 km (55 mi) long Darjeeling Himalayan Railway from New  jalpaiguri, or by National High Way 55, from Siliguri, 77 km (48 mi) away.
Transportation: It is connected through railway and road from other areas. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a 60 cm (24 in) narrow-gauge railway. It is an outstanding example of transportation system and becoming only the second railway in the world to have this honor. Bus services and hired vehicles connect Darjeeling with Siliguri and Darjeeling has road connections with Bagdogra, Gangtok and Kathmandu and the neighboring towns of Kurseong and Kalimpong. However, road and railway communications often get disrupted in the monsoons because of landslides. The nearest airport is in Bagdogra, located 90 km (56 mi) from Darjeeling.
Climate: Darjeeling's temperate climate   has five distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter, and the   monsoons. The annual mean maximum temperature is 14.9 °C (58.8 °F) while the mean minimum temperature is 8.9 °C (48.0 °F).
Hotel:  A large number of luxury hotel and resorts are available to cherish the tourists. Hotel staff shower their hospitality with best of their warm welcome on the visitors. It is necessary to negotiate on accommodation facility of your own range.  
Tourist Attraction: The interesting sights in Darjeeling are the Tiger Hill 15km from darjleeling town. A breathtaking view of Mount Everest, the highest mountain and Kanchenjunga range can be seen from here on a clear day. Batasia Loop is a railway loop that is proof of marvelous engineering technique. Train safari is necessary to look out the nature around the hills. Tea Garden that attracted tourists with its enchanting beauty and cool fragrance make them dreamy look. There are about 70 tea gardens in this hill region and the most accessible one is the Happy Valley Tea Estate, which is about 3 km from the town.  Dhirdham Temple is another religious place to see in darjleenig and other places Ghoom Monastery and   Observatory Hill are admirable beauty.