subject: Experience The Charm Of Darjeeling & Gangtok [print this page] Darjeeling lies in the Siwalik ranges or the lower Himalaya at a great height of 2130 meters. It is a district of West Bengal governed by the Gorkha Hill Council. Three major towns of Darjeeling are Siliguri at the foot of the hills and Kurseong, Kalimpong on the hills. Gangtok located at a height of 1700 meters is the capital of Sikkim. It is visited round the year but the best time of visit is from September to May. The destination is popular for natural beauty and is the best place to get scenic views of Mt. Kanchenjunga. Most of the Darjeeling & Gangtok tour operators are located at Siliguri with their head offices at Kolkata.
Darjeeling is a pleasant hill station with places to visit like Dhoom Gompa, Lloyd's Botanical Garden, Pashupati, Kurseong, Natural History Museum and Chowrasta. Dhoom Gompa is just seven km from Darjeeling. The Buddhist monastery has preserved some rare handwritten manuscripts. The main attraction of this Gompa is the beautiful statue of Buddha. The popular attraction of Darjeeling is the Lloyd's Botanical Garden which is a must visit place. Spread on a huge forty acres of land it preserves various floras belonging to native Darjeeling, Sikkim and other neighboring areas. Pashupati near Nepal border is the place where tourists can buy imported items at reasonable cost. One can spot its wild life like one horn rhino, Gaur, Deer and wild boar at Jaldapara Game Park. Kurseong lies between Siliguri and Darjeeling. The place is beautiful and full of natural wonders. Chowrasta and lower bazaar are the major marketplaces where best food is available. Bengal Natural History Museum is near Chowrasta the center of Darjeeling. This museum contains around four thousand specimens of birds, reptiles, and animals found in the eastern Himalayas. North East tour operators offer many attractive tour packages for these destinations.
The main attraction of Gangtok is the Tsomgo Lake located at 35 km from the Nathula-Gangtok highway. This lake is considered to be holy by the people of Sikkim. The water color of the lake was studied and used to forecast future. Kanchenjunga is the topmost attraction which is worlds third highest peak. It is the paradise for trekkers with many unconquered trails as a challenge. Oldest Pemayangtse Monastery is located at the hill top and gives a wonderful view of the Himalayan ranges and the surrounding hills. There are many tour operators in Gangtok offering trekking tours for Sikkim. They also organize mountaineering expeditions as well as other travel services.
There are many Travel agents in Darjeeling & Gangtok offering leisure tours. Trekking tours and customized tour as per the requirement of the visitors. Highlights of the tours include visit to the Buddhist monasteries and beautiful tea gardens at Darjeeling. Enjoy trekking and other adventure activities. Get immersed in shopping activities at Darjeeling and Gangtok. River rafting in Teesla River is mostly included in many of the itineraries. Sightseeing at Kalimpong includes visit to cactus nursery and Zang Dog Palri monastery. Sightseeing at Darjeeling includes visiting Ghoom monastery, Darjeeling Zoo and HMI Tea Garden, The tours start from the Bagadora airport or New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in Darjeeling. These destinations are worth visiting as a leisure tourist or for adventure.
