I've been meaning to update this blog for months but never seem to have the time nor inclination..but as I awoke at 2am on a Saturday morning and can't sleep, here we go:
My parents visited me from the UK in my half term in October and we all wanted to visit Darjeeling a) in general b) before I left India for pastures new. A lot of people/reviews had said you only need a few days in Darjeeling, which now I agree with, but we all wanted some r & r so taking it slow with one main 'thing' to do per day was fine.
We also wanted to spoil ourselves a bit and so ended up staying at one of, if not the, top hotels in Darjeeling. It was lovely, great food (I have rarely eaten so well in a week's sitting!), endless tea and coffee should you wish it, high tea and all set within a traditional, Raj style, wooden floors and fireplaces and all, hotel at the top of one of the many hills in the town.
Places I think worth visiting:
• Observatory Hill where the hotel is actually. On a clear day,
picking teapicking tea
picking tea
great views, and even with cloud, still interesting as you can just peek through the cloud to see the tea estates below. There's a temple 'complex' at the top on a path from the hotel. Tibetan flags everywhere but lots of monkeys, who didn't approach us or owt but I think they're pests so am never comfortable when there are loads of them, which there are there.
• Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre. This was pretty quiet when we went but worth it I think for the views on the ascent and descent (especially if you take the time to walk down and appreciate the views more) to it and to wander around the workshops where everything is done by hand and hand (or rather foot)-loom rather than electronic machinery.
• Darjeeling Zoo. I can't recall to being in many zoos in the past especially having lived in Africa where everything else pales in comparison, animal-wise, but this wasn't bad at all although of course lots of animals could do with more space especially the big(ger) cats. But as it's right next to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, you may as well take a look.
• The HMI (as mentioned just above). A well-set out Asiatic bearAsiatic bear
Asiatic bear museum focusing on Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary's ascensions and achievements as well as climbers from around the world.
• Tiger Hill, which takes around 40 mins by car and though we meant to leave at 3am, the cab was late so we didn't leave til nearly 4am. Was perfect timing though as then we only had to wait about 20 mins before the sun started to come up and one can see amazing views, a Himalayan panorama in effect. It was freezing and you need to get the right spot (away from the sunrise, which is on one side, go to the other to see the Himalaya) as it's packed but it was beautiful and well worth it.
• The toy train. We got it from town to Ghoom a few miles away, then back. Part of it was closed due to landslides and it's a rickety and quite loud journey ('TOOT TOOOOOOT!!') so I'm not sure if I'd like to travel the full 6-7 hour journey to Darjeeling itself in any case.
• The Hot Stimulating Cafe. This is a little shack on the left hand side if you walk down towards the HMI/Zoo. Some yummy masala chai, a view over the hills if there's no cloud, good music and you can even have a momo-making lesson which my mum and I did, a new skill to add to the box
• A tea estate to see Darjeeling tea being grown and produced, and to try some of course..Happy Valley Tea Estate is the one we went to I think but there are several.
I loved the beauty of Darjeeling, bustling town though it is, and after days of cloud in between our first and last 2 days, we got some great views over the Himalaya. I'd definitely go again but would sandwich it/make it a base from which to do some trekking.