India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [604]
GETTING THERE By Road Darjeeling is 80km (50 miles) from Siliguri, which is the nearest main transit point. Buses from Darjeeling usually leave from the Bazaar bus stand on Hill Cart Road. Darjeeling is connected by road with Siliguri, Bagdogra, Gangtok, and Kathmandu across the Nepali border. Kalimpong is 21⁄2 hours from Bagdogra as well as Darjeeling.
By Air The nearest airport is at Bagdogra (near Siliguri), 90km (56 miles) away. Jet Airways ( 033/3989-3333;www.jetairways.com) and Spicejet ( 1800-180-3333; www.spicejet.com) have flights to Bagdogra from Kolkata (1 hr.) and Delhi (2 hr.). If you decide to fly to or from Assam, there are 50-minute flights available from Go-Air ( 1800-222-111;www.goair.in). A taxi ride from Bagdogra to Darjeeling should take 31⁄2 hours and cost about Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500. From Siliguri, catch the toy train (8 hr.; see below) or a taxi (2–3 hr.; Rs 1,000) to get to Darjeeling.
By Train From Kolkata (Sealdah Station), the best option is the overnight Darjeeling Mail, which is supposed to arrive at the New Jalpaiguri railway station (scheduled arrival 8:40am) in time to connect with the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway’s famous toy train. The toy train departs at 9am for the scenic 8-hour journey (see “The Most Spectacular Train Journey,” below). Or you can hire a taxi or share a jeep (readily available), directly from the station, for the 3-hour, 88km (54-mile) journey to Darjeeling. Although the toy train runs daily, bad weather may disrupt services. If you intend to catch the toy train out of Darjeeling at the end of your stay, and wish to travel in first class (Rs 247), you must book your ticket in advance at the counter at New Jalpaiguri Station. You can reserve other tickets for major trains out of New Jalpaiguri at the Darjeeling railway station daily between 8am and 2pm.
GETTING AROUND It’s best to explore Darjeeling on foot, and if you need to haul luggage, ask for a porter and pay him well. Taxis are overpriced and unnecessary (with the exception of excursions to places some distance from the town). For local sightseeing tours or even jeep trips to Gangtok and other mid-distance destinations, contact the helpful Darjeeling Transport Corporation (30 Laden La Rd., opposite Apsara Hotel). It’s open from 8am until 8pm and can advise you on alternatives if they’re unable to accommodate you.
TREKKING & ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES Darjeeling is a good base for various “acclimatization treks” at lower altitudes than those you’re going to come up against if you intend to trek in Sikkim. For sightseeing as well as trekking tours around Darjeeling and western Sikkim Gurudongma Tours and Treks ( 90-0269-2611 or 94-3406-2100; www.gurudongma.com) comes highly recommended. For white-water rafting, contact D.G.H.C. Tourism (Silver Fir Bldg., The Mall; 0354/225-5351). A well-established tour and travel agency in Sikkim, with a branch in Darjeeling, is Himali Travel Specialists (30 D.B Giri Rd., Darjeeling; 0354/225-2741 or 98-3204-5091; somgff@rediffmail.com).
The Most Spectacular Train Journey
A polite voice at New Jalpaiguri railway station frequently announces that “the train is running 30 minutes late, the inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.” It’s a small price to pay for what must be one of the slowest, most spectacular train journeys in the world. Since July 4, 1881, Darjeeling’s aptly named toy trains—including the world’s oldest functioning steam locomotive—have puffed and wheezed their ways between the hill station and the plains. In December 1999, the railway became India’s 22nd World Heritage Site, only the second railway in the world to be so recognized on the list. The trip between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling covers a mere 87km (54 miles) but takes almost an entire day to transport passengers up 2,055m (6,850 ft.). En route, with rhododendron slopes, rolling hills, and Kanchenjunga in almost constant view, you pass through villages with names