P a g e | 1 364 Embassy, Koramangala, Bangalore. Ph: +91 9483958408, 9880388991, [email protected], www.takeabreak.in BEST OF NORTH EAST Darjeeling – Gangtok – Kalimpong 7 Days / 6 Nights GANGTOK KALIMPONG DARJEELING P a g e | 2 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Darjeeling: Tiger hill sun rise, Himalayan mountaineering institute & zoo, cable car, Ghoom Monastery, Japanese temple, Observatory hill & Shopping Gangtok : Rumtek Monastery, Ranka Monastery, Ban Jakri Falls, Do-Dul Chorten, Institute of Tibetology, Hanuman Tok, Enchey Monastery, Tashi view point & Shopping Kalimpong: Thongsa Gompa, Durpin Dara hill & Jang Dong Palriffo Brang (Monastery) DAY 1: DARJEELING Darjeeling You will be greeted by the most exotic views that nature ever bestowed on mankind. Darjeeling, perhaps the most popular hill station in India, is located in West Bengal and is bedecked with many monuments of colonial heritage. Known as the Queen among all the hill stations, the hill station sits perched up on Mt. Kanchenjunga. Look around and you will see tea gardens and variety of flora and fauna scattered around everywhere. The town has not much to offer but unlimited natural attractions. Challenging treks and white water rafting lure every adventurer to Darjeeling. Day Notes Arrive Bagdogra Airport You will be greeted by our chauffeur and drive to hotel Check-in to the hotel & rest of the day at leisure Overnight at, Darjeeling Included BB DAY 2: DARJEELING Day Notes Early morning at 05:00 AM proceed to view sunrise over Kanchenjunga from Tiger Hills Visit Ghoom Monastery and Batasia Loop Return to the resort for breakfast Post breakfast proceed for sightseeing of Darjeeling Sightseeing of Darjeling: Himalayan mountaineering institute & zoo, Cable Car, Japanese temple & Observatory hill. Return to the hotel by late noon and rest of the evening at leisure Overnight at Darjeeling Included BB Visit the below sightseeing points Tiger Hill Tiger Hill in Darjeeling is famous for offering panoramic views of Mount Kanchenjunga. The hill is situated at a height of 2555 meters and on a clear day, views of Mount Everest can also be enjoyed from here. Tourists are advised to reach this spot at 4 in the morning, at the time of sunrise, when the sky is lit with multi hued colours. From Tiger Hill, Mount Everest (8848m) is just visible, peeping out through two other peaks standing by its side. Makalu (8481m) looks higher than Mt. Everest, owing to the curve in the horizon, as it is several miles closer than Everest. The distance in straight line from Tiger Hill to Everest is 107 miles. The first rays of the sun shoot ahead and shed light on the twin peaks of Kangchenjunga painting it pink and then bathing it in a beautiful orange colour. P a g e | 3 Ghoom Monastery Yiga Choeling Monastery of Ghoom is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Darjeeling area built in the year 1850. This is the original or the old Ghoom Monastery. There is another monastery called Samten Choling Monastery in Ghoom which is also sometimes referred as Ghoom Monastery by the local drivers. So if you are planning to visit the original Ghoom Monastery, be specific and mention old Ghoom Monastery. Ghoom is about 7km from Darjeeling town and located at an altitude of about 7,407ft. (or 2,226 meters). Located below Ghoom railway station, the external structure of the Yiga Choeling Monastery or the Ghoom Monastery was built by the monk and a famous astrologer Lama Sherab Gyatso in 1850. He was the first head of the monastery and continued his tenure until 1905. He later went back to his birthplace Tibet. Batsaia Loop Batasia Loop, a massive railway loop around 5 km from Darjeeling is a great place to enjoy a 360 degree view of the beautiful landscapes of Darjeeling and the majestic Kanchenjunga range. It was built with the aim of lowering the gradient of ascent of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Commissioned in the year 1919, Batasia Loop commands wonderful view of the serene surroundings with snowcapped mountains of the Eastern Himalayas. The place also has an Eco Garden providing information on organic farming and plantation in Darjeeling. A War Memorial set at the center of the Batasia Loop is dedicated to those Gorkha soldiers who sacrificed their lives in several wars after Indian Independence in 1947. Himalayan mountaineering institute The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI darjelling) was established in Darjeeling, India on November 4, 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 endeavour for people in the region. With the impetus provided by the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, HMI was established in Darjeeling. Tenzing Norgay was the first director of field training for HMI. HMI regularly conducts Adventure, Basic and Advanced Mountaineering courses. These are very comprehensive courses. They are also highly subsidised to encourage mountaineering as a sport. Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (also called the Darjeeling Zoo) is a 67.56-acre (27.3 ha) zoo in the town of Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. The zoo was opened in 1958, and an average elevation of 7,000 feet (2,134 m), is the largest high altitude zoo in India. It specializes in breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions, and has successful captive breeding programs for the Snow leopard, the critically endangered Himalayan wolf and the Red panda. The zoo attracts about 300,000 visitors every year. The park is named after Padmaja Naidu (1900–1975), daughter of Sarojini Naidu. The zoo serves as the central hub for Central Zoo Authority of India's red panda program and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway One of the best ways to experience the panoramic views that Darjeeling is so famous for, is by taking a ride on the ropeway. It's also called the Rangeet Valley Cable Car because of the spectacular view of the valley around the river Little Rangeet. You will need to board the cable car from Singamari which is some 3km (i.e. 1.8 miles) away from Darjeeling Chowk Bazaar. As you ride the cable car, in about 45 minutes you will travel from an altitude of about 7,000 ft. (or 2134m) down to 800 ft. (or 244m) where the last station Singla Bazar is located. Darjeeling ropeway started in 1968 and is the first cable car system in India. It was initially set up to cater to the tea gardens at the valleys below which did not otherwise have an easy access. Starting with just one cable car or a carriage, it was upgraded to accommodate 16 cable cars each having a capacity of six persons. Japanese temple There is a wonderful Japanese temple located at a 10 minutes driving distance from the Darjeeling town center. The temple is also known as the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple. The two storied white building was built in a traditional Japanese style in the year 1972. Close to the temple is the Peace Pagoda that showcases four avatars of Lord Buddha. From the top of the Pagoda, you get a panoramic view of Darjeeling landscape including the Kanchenjunga range. Earlier the car could enter through the main gate of the temple premises and park right below the temple. These days you will need to walk for about 5-6 minutes from the main gate along a narrow road that first goes downhill and then uphill. On the way you will notice a few small houses on the right with prayer flags fluttering in front of them. As you walk along, you will reach another gate. Right next to the gate and on the left are some flights of stairs that lead to the Japanese Temple. P a g e | 4 Observatory Hill Observatory hill is a hill near Chowrasta square, or The Mall as it is popularly known, in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. Magnificent views of snow-clad peaks, including Mount Kanchenjunga, are visible from the Observatory Hill. The Bhutia Busty monastery was originally located here. Now the hill has the temple of Mahakal. Two important arteries of the town, Nehru Road and Bhanubhakta Sarani, meet at Chowrasta. Another school of thought suggests that the presence of the megalithic core to have been a place of worship of the Rongs, representing a sacred location of the classic Long Chok (erect stones) type. The term 'Dotsug' was thus a literal translation of 'Long Chok' Shopping You talk to anybody who had visited Darjeeling and ask about great places in the hill town, the Chowrasta Mall will surely be one thing that will figure in the description. That's true. The Chowrasta or the Mall is the heart of Darjeeling town. Located on top of Nehru Road, this is a nice flat land where tourists and locals come to lounge in the sun, take a seat on one of the many benches along the periphery, and watch the wonderful views of the mountain peaks and valleys all around. Mall is like the town center or the social center of Darjeeling. This is where some of the old and heritage stores are lined up on one side, and there is open view on the other with many pine trees all around. If you want to feel the real vibe of Darjeeling, watch people and activities, this is the place to come. Another thing that you won't miss here... there are lots of young local lads with their ponies offering horse rides to children.