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March 27, 2010

Refreshing Darjeeling Tour

Refreshing Darjeeling Tour
Far from the madness of Delhi city I with three of my friends landed in Darjeeling. I had heard a lot about this destination and was very impressed. Now I was here to see it for myself. After reaching Siliguri we hired a taxi to Darjeeling which is around 75 km from this place. I really enjoyed the ride through the winding roads. No traffic jam, no pollution, it was a wonderful ride.

The moment we entered Darjeeling I was completely mesmerized by its charm and beauty. The sight of the verdant green hills was very soothing to the senses. The climate was pleasant and the environment was refreshing.

Darjeeling is a wonderful hill station of West Bengal state of India where nature lovers come from far and wide. Still retaining its old world charm, it is popularly known as the 'Queen of Hill Stations'. The most fascinating attraction of this destination is the refreshing and aromatic tea gardens. The forests here have their own unique charm.

Our first halt was the Tiger Hill which has an altitude of 2590 m. This is a famous spot as it offers breathtaking view of sunrise. I was enchanted to the hilt when I saw the sun rising like a fire ball over the great Eastern Himalayan Mountains from this hill. It was a Kodak moment. One can even get glimpses of Mt. Everest, the world's highest peak from here. Next we headed towards the Happy Valley Tea Estate. Roaming around in the gardens, breathing aromatic air and enjoying the mesmerizing views of the surroundings was a great experience. We also saw how tea leaves are processed. It was quite interesting.

Post lunch we headed towards the Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway which is the first of its kind in India. We enjoyed the cable car ride. After that we visited the monastery, garden and temple, which reflected the richness of this hill station. In the evening we went to the local market of Darjeeling and bought some handicrafts. We also picked up some tea packets as Darjeeling is famous the world over for its high quality and aromatic tea.