2020! A year when pandemic caused “Plan”demic for most travel enthusiasts as travel plans got canned due to lockdown. My travel blog was at standstill for quite some time now, but lockdown gave some right space to inhale and pen down memories from one of my personal favorite destination- Darjeeling and Gangtok which I visited in 2019. As you go through the blurb, I hope you find this travel experience as exhilarating as I found it and leaves you convinced to bag pack for first trip after lockdown to the North-East.
After exploring almost 3/4th of India, my quest for visiting the North East remained long-awaited. But this time there was no chance to miss North-east in the two week mandatory leave offered from work. Basic research was followed by chalking out of different locations to identify budget, itinerary, travel tickets etc. Plan was set. Gears were on! However after an intense brainstorming, I caved in my plan to visit Assam and Meghalaya and drifted to visiting Darjeeling and Gangtok instead! Was it an inner call? Or Mountain’s call? Whichever the call may be, the altered decision definitely turned in my favour. Flight ticket booking from Mumbai-Bagdora airport sealed my dates for an unforgettable two week trip.
I was all geared up for my ‘Budget Solo Trip’. As they say, “It’s not about the destination, It’s about the journey” and for me the journey starts much before the trip. Right from planning the itinerary, searching for reasonable flights stays (especially hostels), places to visit and things to eat, the commute and so on. You already feel like you are living your journey as you start planning for the trip. A kind of high that travelphilics can relate to.
To give you a brief perspective, Darjeeling comes under West Bengal state and Gangtok in Sikkim state and these two cities mark the start-point of the North East region. Frankly, a 12-15 day visit to this region may in itself feel too short considering the magnitude of this region and the numerous vivid landscapes and experiences this place has to offer! During my 12 day stay, I could roughly cover 60% of the entire region.
So here’s my experience from this trip and itinerary for all those who are planning for a short/long trip or it’s a choice between Sikkim and Darjeeling or both. I’ll be covering day wise itinerary including how to travel, where to stay, what not to miss etc.
My travel route: Mumbai - Bagdogara (nearest airport) - Kurseong - Darjeeling - Mirik - Gangtok - Namchi - Bagdogara - Mumbai.
Best time to Visit: April to July. It’s beautiful during winters too but you end up missing out on many of the tourist attractions as the roads are closed due to snow.
Expenses break-up:
Flight tickets: Mumbai-Bagdogara: ~ Rs.9,000 (Used Axis Bank’s Wednesday offer on MMT to book the tickets and saved around 2000 Rs.)
Hostel: Rs.500-800/night
Per day expenses on food and local commute: Approx. 700/day
Mumbai - Bagdogra Airport - Kurseong
Boarded the flight from Mumbai at 8.40 am and reached Bagdogara airport at around 11.30 am. Leaving behind the skyscrapers of Mumbai and landing into lush green landscapes definitely had left my mind in a better space. As you get out of Bagdogra Airport, you can head straight out and take an auto/share cab to Siliguri and ask the driver to drop you at the shared taxi stand. This will cost Rs 100-200. From Siliguri Taxi stand, look for a shared jeep (if you are on budget and travelling solo) go to Gangtok/Darjeeling. A shared ride to Darjeeling/Gangtok from Siliguri should not cost you more than Rs. 200/300. The journey will take up to 5 hours.
I took a share cab till Kurseong from Siliguri station as it was my first destination of the trip and took me around 2 hours to reach. I had to wait for around 1 and half hour to get a share cab as there is limited fleet available to Kurseong. Ride in the share cab is very uncomfortable as they fill in around 12 people in 8 seater cab, so be prepared for that if you want to save some bucks. But the entire route is so beautiful through the mighty mountains that you end up forgetting how you are travelling.
Pro Trip: If you want to travel comfortably and have good budget in hand, best option is to book a share cab through www.wizzride.com portal. They operate cabs directly from Bagdogara airport till Darjeeling, Gangtok and nearby famous places. It’s pretty comfortable as they have limited seating (4 people in 1 Innova). It would cost you around 550 bucks. P.s. I got to know about this service later on otherwise I would have definitely opted for it.
I reached Kurseong at around 4 p.m. I must say, it’s a hidden beauty. A hill station also known as ‘Land of White Orchids’ and is a sub-division of Darjeeling district. Historically, in 1835 it was handed over to the British by the King of Sikkim.
As this place is not too touristy, there are no hostels, so I had booked a homestay (Newang Makaibari Homestay) which was around 10 mins by cab from the main city, located in a remote village surrounded by tea estate. Beautiful family welcomed me to their quaint house and offered me freshly brewed black tea from their tea estate. Trust me, it was the best black tea I ever had.
Best part about staying in a homestay is that you get to experience their local culture, food, language and the lifestyle. To me the best way to understand and get to know everything about a place is by understanding the roots of that place.
In Kurseong, I had only an evening and next half day to explore the area. Tea estate, orchards and nearby villages took care of my evening at Kurseong. Interacted with some of the locals and back in the home stay, had some amazing pahadi chicken cooked at home in local style. Next day I started early in the morning, and explored below places.
1. Eagle Craig (1 km from main market)
This is a lovely view point and a garden on top of a hill. You can actually take the narrow lane next to Kurseong station and walk up to Eagle Craig. It will take about 25 minutes of walk. The view point and the park land is located at the end of the road which is the highest point on this mountain.
2. Dow Hill, Dow Hill Park, Forest Museum, Dow Hill Girls School, Victoria Boys School: (3 KM)
If you want to experience those historic schools of British times which you normally see in the movies, head straight to this place. Take a share cab from market which will drop you to the nearest point and then walk up through the jungle. Trust me you will fall in love with this landscape and feel like you are actually watching a movie. The place is very quiet, peaceful and you will hardly find any tourists here.
If time allows, you can also visit Giddapahar View Point (7 km), Ambootia Tea Garden (7 km), St. Mary’s Hill (3 km).
Places to eat in Kurseong: There are not many hotels and cafes here. I had my breakfast and dinner at the homestay and ate some snack at local shop near train station. You can also get some yummy Momo’s there.
Kurseong to Darjeeling by toy train
After spending some quality time in Kurseong, I headed to my next destination, Darjeeling and the journey was one of the highlights of this trip. I took a toy train from Kurseong to Darjeeling. This UNESCO heritage train ply from Siliguri to Darjeeling every day and goes through mountains roads at the speed of around 30 kmph. An experience you shouldn’t miss if you are visiting Darjeeling. The train ride will be through mountains and villages, you will get to see small little stations, foggy ride and experience of lifetime.
Pro Tip: Book the ticket of last compartment as you will get to see the entire train from there and it’s best to click pictures and videos.
Places to stay: You will find a lot of options here for stay right from hotels, resorts, homestays hostels. As I was travelling solo, I booked a hostel named Hideout Backpackers Hostel which was 7 mins walk from the mall road.
Hostel Life: Best part about the Hostel life is you get to meet a lot of travelers around the world with whom you can exchange your travel experiences and to an extent, life stories. You could find local Indians who have come for only first/second time on a solo trip or ones who are seasoned, a lot of foreigners who came to India on a backpacking trip of say 30-90 days and exploring most parts of our country. At times conversations gets really interesting as you would be talking to a complete stranger and understating his background, culture, language and what not and end up becoming good friends. On this trip, I met Harshit from Gujarat and Nidhi from Pune in the hostel and our ‘Solo trip’ lasted merely for 2/3 days. 3 of us bonded so well that we end up visiting most the places together. Coincidently we had very similar itinerary for 12 days of our trip.
I reached at around 5.30 PM in Darjeeling and the sun was almost set. It was quite dark. I walked for about 20 mins to reach to the Hideout Hostel where I was staying for the next 3 days. I settled in and without wasting any further time, I ventured out straight to the Mall Road. One of my favorite places in the hills, yes, the market area in mountains are famously known as the Mall Road. So, what makes it so special? Quint age old cafes from British times, small local shops selling Tibetian stuff, road side food stalls, and chilled windy weather. Man, I can actually imagine myself at the mall road, as I write.
While I was wondering on mall road, I already started planning my next day in my head. First thing on my list in Darjeeling was Tiger Point where you get to see the mesmerizing view of Kanchenjunga Peak, which is at its full glory when the sun rises. The sun rays hitting the peak and it turning in to orange shade is the most satisfying thing to witness. And this phenomenon occurs at around 5.30 am to 6 am in the morning and if you want to witness it, you have to get up by 3 am, leave from Darjeeling by 3.30-4.00 am and reach the tiger point by 5 am to find the best spot to stand and see the magic, Kanchenjunga in its full glory.
Darjeeling sightseeing
I got up at 3 am as planned. Went to the taxi stand, probably I was the first one to reach. There were various private taxi operators who were charging around 2,000 for the trip. But I looked for share cab and found one. He asked me to wait till he find 4/5 more people to accompany else he won’t go. I waited, waited and waited and in around 1 hours’ time only one or two guys turned up who were looking for share cab. By the time it was already 4.15, and the cabbie guy suggested to try my luck next day as it won’t make sense to go there after the sunrise. So I went back to the hostel, bit disappointed but with the hope to find some more people the next day who can accompany me.
After taking some rest, I came back to the mall road for the breakfast at famous Keventer’s café where one of the scene from Barfi Movie was shot. After my morning coffee and breakfast here, I was all charged up to explore the surroundings of beautiful Darjeeling.
Note: I explored major attractions in Darjeeling on foot. If you are in a group, would suggest to hire a cab for a day which can show you in and around Darjeeling including Tiger Hill in the morning. They would charge something in between 3-5k.
1. Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park (20 mins walk from the Mall Road)
This is the only specialized Zoo in the country and is internationally recognized for its conservation breeding programs of Red Panda, Snow Leopards, Tibetan Wolf and other highly endangered animal species of Eastern Himalaya. A must visit when you are in Darjeeling.
2. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute & Museum (Closed on Tuesday)
Situated inside Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI Darjeeling) was established on 4 November 1954 to encourage mountaineering & as an organized sport in India. The first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary sparked a keen interest in establishing mountaineering as a well-respected endeavor for people in the region. The museum is beautifully maintained which will tell you the glorious stories about the mountaineers and their achievements and will give you goosebumps.
HMI regularly conducts Adventure, Basic and Advanced Mountaineering courses. These are very comprehensive courses. They are also highly subsidized to encourage mountaineering as a sport.
3. Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Ropeway (15 mins walk from Padmaja Naidu Park)
If you love panoramic views and want to see aerial view of Darjeeling and its tea estates, Rangeet Valley ropeway is the place to visit.
4. Happy Valley Tea Estate (10 mins by share cab from Ropeway)
After your breathtaking ropeway ride, take small steps down to St. Joseph’s college and take a share cab to Chauk Bazaar and get down at Happy Valley tea estate. Here you will get to experience end to end process of how tea is made and after the tour of the entire tea making process, you will be taken for tea testing with 8-10 types of different teas for your taste buds.
5. Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center (Closed on Sunday)
Tibetan refugees in Darjeeling set up this place after they followed Dalai Lama and escaped from Tibet. They followed the principle of self-help so that they could become self-independent and rehabilitate themselves in India.
You will need a whole day to explore all these places. Enjoy it on your own pace but also don’t forget that these places get shut by 4 PM as sun sets early in the East. After a satisfying day, I spent some time at Chauk Bazaar. Chauk Bazaar is the main market of Darjeeling where you can shop souvenirs, winter wear, shoes etc. Also you can get share cabs from here for various long distance places like Siliguri, Gangtok, Pelling etc.
6. Japanese Buddhist Temple:
Also known as Japanese peace pagoda. is located exteriors of the main city and quite an uphill walk. Its better if you could hire a cab to reach there. It's quite a peaceful place. A must visit if you have time in hand.
Some famous cafes in the town:
Later in evening, I had my dinner at most famous and the oldest café in Darjeeling, Glenary’s. This Café cum restaurant is over 100 years old and was established during British Colonial days. This place is very famous for fabulous bakery products and some amazing breakfast it serves. Bakery and cafe is on the ground floor and restaurant on the upper floor. Also you get a very nice view of Darjeeling from this place. A must visit place when you are in Darjeeling.
Another cafe quite famous for non veg breakfast it serves. It is located right at the mall and has open terrace seating. One of the scene from Barfi movie was shot here.
Darjeeling - Tiger Hill & Mirik
You need to be very lucky and weather needs to be very clear if you want to witness magnificent view of Kanchenjunga Peak from Tiger Hill. I met few guys in the hostel who also wanted to visit the Tiger hill. I told them the plan, how to reach there and how we can save a buck if we go by a share cab and they got convinced. We tried our luck next day morning (2nd time for me) at 3.30 am, reached at the cab station, there were already 3 people waiting in the share cab and we 4 of us joined them. Got lucky this time.
But we had different challenge waiting for us. We reached at base of tiger hill at 4.30 am but it was full of fog, couldn’t see anything beyond 50 meters and it was very crowded. Our driver told us that you guys will be very lucky if you get to see the sunrise in this fog, chances are very slim, like 5%. We reached at the hill top, waited till 6.30 am, sunrise was all but done, but the fog was still the same. Another day, another disappointment. And then we headed back to Darjeeling.
On our way back, we visited 2 places (these places are included in the package of Tiger Hill to and fro trip)
Yiga Choeling Monastery in Ghoom is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Darjeeling built in 1850. This monastery belongs to Yellow Hat sect also known as the Gelupka.
If you are taking a toy train ride from Darjeeling or coming from Siliguri, you will pass by this surreal loop. You can also reach here by cab while coming back from Tiger Hill. This place has a lovely garden and will give you 360 degree view of Darjeeling and surrounding mountains. Batasia loop was an engineering requirement for the toy train to be able to handle a steep gradient. In all sense, it’s an engineering masterstroke to make toy train operational in the mountains.
We came back to Darjeeling at around 8.30 in the morning, went to Chauk Bazaar for breakfast, and had delicious authentic Puri Bhaji and Jalebi at one small thela.
Next stop on the list was a place called Mirik which is about 2.30 hr from Darjeeling. We got into the share cab and headed straight to the Mirik. The route is very scenic and surrounded by the tea estates.
Mirik is a picturesque small town nestled in the serene hills of Darjeeling. Once you reach Mirik, first visit Mirik Monastery on top and then Mirik Lake. This small town is very peaceful and you can sit along the bank of the lake and relax. Later you can walk over the arching footbridge and move to the other side and take a walk through dhupi forest.
Pro Tip: If you are not interested in visiting Mirik and haven’t travelled by toy train, you can take a short ride from Darjeeling to Ghum by toy train. It’s an experience of lifetime.
Other places you can visit on the way during your day trip to Mirik:
1. Jorpokhri: Tiny place on hilltop has twin lakes, surrounded by forest and offers magnificent view of Kanchenjunga.
2. Simana View point: Simana means border. This is Indo-Nepal border area. The road belongs to India and viewing are falls in Nepal but you can freely cross over to get the view.
3. Gopaldhara Tea estate: Get the wonderful view of tea gardens all around through this place. You can also taste tea here or can also buy packaged tea of the gardens from here.
Mirik is on the border of Nepal, so while returning back from Mirik, we visited famous Pashupati market in Nepal which famous for shopping. The main market is about 1 Km walk from the border. You can either walk or take a cab. You will need to complete some formalities and product your identity proof to enter Nepal. The market is full of imported electronic gadgets, jackets, perfumes, cosmetics, accessories and clothes. This stuff is quite cheap here but you will need to bargain a lot.
If you are travelling by share cab, ensure you inquire about the timings of the share cab as these cabs will not run beyond 4.30 PM.
Another attempt to experience sunrise at tiger hill
So this was my last day in Darjeeling and last chance to experience sunrise and get the glimpse of Kanchenjunga Peak. Again we got up at 3 am (3rd day in a row for me), got into a share cab from mall road and headed towards the Tiger hill. This time expectations were low but there was some hope. We were almost 3 kms away from the destination and another obstacle came in between. Roads were closed due to heavy snow fall the previous night and driver said now there is no chance that you will get to experience the sunrise considering the weather. Road was full of snow. We had to take a call. We decided to walk those remaining 3 kms through snow and take that slightest of chance of witnessing the beauty from the hill top.
We had quite a fun while walking through the snow. We decided not to get upset if we don't get the sunrise and just live in the moment and enjoy the snow. Finally we reached at the top. Took the best place and the wait game begun in that foggy weather.
And the miracle happened. Suddenly weather got cleared just before the sunrise and we got lucky. Third time lucky. All the efforts paid off. Sun started coming out slowly and sky started changing its color from blue to red to orange and to yellow. It was beautiful, it was like living a dream. And finally we got to see Kanchenjunga Peak in its full glory. Fresh sun rays falling on the tip of Kanchenjunga, it was magical. By far one of the best experience on the trip. The sense of satisfaction which I felt after that very moment was truly memorable. It still gives me goosebumps while I write this.
Thanks for reading. If you liked it, do like, share and comment. And if you have any doubts or need any help in planning your trip, do reach out to me.
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