Tea Gardens, Tibetan Monasteries, Toy-Train &
Orchids surrounded by the Great Eastern Himalayas

Besides the tea-town Darjeeling the hilly district within the Indian state of West Bengal also carries the same name.

The region extends in the North to the state of Sikkim, in the South to the city of Siliguri and its population and culture originate mainly from nearby Nepal. Amongst Darjeeling district’s important hill-towns are Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.

It is in the teagardens surrounding the town of Darjeeling where some of the world’s most exquisite teas are grown. Located at about 2000 m and originally belonging to the former Kingdom of Sikkim, Darjeeling once was the summer-residence of British India’s colonial rulers who were eager to escape the sweltry, hot humidity of the administrative centre in Kolkota. It is here, in the cool hills of Darjeeling where the British introduced tea-cultivation.

The ‚Toy Train‘ was built around the same time, in 1880 m for the transportation of tea. A steam loco used to transport wagons loaded with tea down the winding narrow-gauge railway-track to the plains. Darjeeling’s toy-trains and narrow gauge railway-track today attracts nostalgic railway enthusiast from all over the world.

From the ridges of Darjeeling’s hills the panoramic views onto its tea-gardens and Himalayan mountains, including Mt. Khangchendzonga in Sikkim and Everest, Lhotse and Makalu in Nepal on a clear day are fantastic.

In the lovely town of Kalimpong, located at 1250 m with its pleasant climate, many small nurseries cultivate orchids, cactuses and other flowering decorative plants for India’s cities. Missionary churches, Buddhist monasteries, Bhutanese houses and Hindu temples tell stories about the interesting history of this area.

Till the beginning of the 19th century, Kalimpong town and its surrounding region was part of the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. The Bhutanese Monastery Thongsa, unfortunately damaged during the Gorkha-insurrection in the 1980ies, is one of a few reminders of this era.

The rural areas south of Kalimpong offer wonderful opportunities to explore – by foot or jeep - Nepali agrarian societies off the beaten track.

Further East of Kalimpong town lies the are of Dooars, the door to Bhutan. Besides vast tea-gardens Dooars also has some beautiful sanctuaries that are ideal for nature- enthusiasts wanting to discover the flora and fauna of the Himalayan foothills. Besides a vast avian variety these sanctuaries provide habitat for elephants, leopards and even the Indian rhinoceros. Dooars is also famous for its rich culture, handicraft and colourful markets of the indigenous people.

Best Travel Time for Darjeeling, Kalimpong & Dooars

Spring is the best time to experience tea-harvest, exotic orchids and trees in bloom. From April onwards the fields begin turning from brown to green and from July to September the monsoon provides a lot of rain and humidity to the area. Clear sky and great mountain-views can be expected from October till December. Darjeeling’s natural wonders can be experienced by wonderful hiking and trekking whereas to get a taste of its colonial past and lush tea-gardens we recommend to get yourself spoilt by integrating some deeply relaxing days in some of the most exquisite tea-garden-bungalows.