Trip to Darjeeling

Last December, we went to Darjeeling for a short trip. We had heard so much about the place and were pretty excited about the trip. I would say that we returned from Darjeeling a touch disappointed. That may be because we went over there after a trip to Gangtok and so the benchmarks were high. Another reason could be because we did not spend much time at Darjeeling so may be we missed out on the real beauty. Moreover, we reached Darjeeling on a Thursday, which happens to be the day on which the markets remain closed. Whatever may be the reason, we did not enjoy the trip as much as we had expected.

We found Darjeeling pretty commercialized. If you land up there with no reservations/bookings, you are in for major trouble. Not that getting a hotel will be a problem but you will have to deal with zillions of agents. So we did not find Darjeeling very "user-friendly".

At Darjeeling, you would like to take a ride on the famous toy train. Please keep in mind that the trains run only in the first half. Almost all of them start between 9-10 am and if you miss them, you will have to wait for another day. There is a train at 12 or 1 pm but for some reason it is reserved for the VIPs!!! George Bush should have a toy train ride in his itinerary for his next India visit as there is a VIP train!!!!

Another attraction, much to the agony of my wife, is the sunrise at the Tiger Hill. In December, you have to start at 4 am to watch the sunrise at around 6:15 am!!! Not that the hill is pretty far off....you have to be there early to get a decent seat!!! Actually on the top of the hill, there is a big house. They sell tickets for each floor. The top floor obviously commands the highest rate. If you plan to go over there, ensure that the you get the tickets for the top floor in advance as it usually runs out of stock pretty quickly. We reached Tiger Hill at around 4:45 and the sunrise was expected at 6:15. It was already crowded when we reached there. Sleepy souls were waiting for the sun to show up. The main reason people go over there is because Kunchenjunga (or Khandchengzonga) range falls towards the western side of the hill. So when sun comes up, the range turns into golden in color which is quite a sight. But to watch that sight, you have to pray for a clear sky.

Around 6:15, when the sun reluctantly came out, it was welcomed by a huge applause....the kind of roar that you hear when Sachin Tendulkar steps out of the dressing room to bat!!! People were cheering the sun!!! I took several pictures and was pretty excited about the beautiful landscape. Then around 7 am I turned around, with a big victorious smile on my face, to check where my wife is.....and there she was....standing in a corner with an expression on her face which said, "NOW, can we return to the guest house?". I did not take any more chances and like an obedient kid, I quietly went and sat in our cab.

While taking a walk in Darjeeling, we saw St.Paul's high school. That was the place where the movie, "Main Hoon Na" was shot.

Apart from that there is not much to do at Darjeeling. Tea gardens are good sight but I do not think anyone would like to spend a day looking at the tea leafs. Of course, we did not get to explore the town much. It would have been a lot better had we managed to get a bike.

Locals suggested us not to have food outside as the water can create a lot of problem for the tummy. Moreover, we were suggested not to do any shopping at Darjeeling as the same products can be bought at much cheaper rates at the market in Siliguri, which is pretty close to the nearest railway station (New Jalpaiguri) and airport (Baghdogra).

Having said all that, I would still admit that Darjeeling is pretty beautiful. Its just that the heavy commercialization has made the town portion a little dirty. The authorities should do something about the place as it has huge tourism potential.