Historical Places
War Memorial-
There is a War Memorial near Batasia loop which is almost 5 km from Darjeeling town. This memorial was built in the memory of martyrs who fought different wars for the country's independence. From here one can get a panoramic view of the Kanchanjunga range.
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan zoological park-
As the name suggests this zoological park established on 14th August 1958 is named after the former governor of West Bengal. It is one of the best maintained zoos of India and it is here where captive breeding of the Tibetan wolf (an endangered species) is done. Captive breeding is also done for other endangered wildlife species like red panda, snow leopard and the Siberian tiger.
Himalayan mountaineering institute-
This Institute was set up after Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary successfully scaled the Mount Everest on 28 May 1953. It is the country's oldest mountaineering institute and legendary mountaineers like Nawang Gombu (the first man to climb Everest twice) and Lattoo Dorjee Sherpa have been associated with this pioneer institute.
Raj Bhavan-
It is the summer retreat of the Governor of West Bengal which has a sprawling campus with well manicured lawns, abundant greenery and dense woods. From here one can get a close view of the magnificent snow capped Kanchanjunga Range though nowadays visitors are not allowed inside.
Step aside-
This two-storied house was the final resting place of Deshbandhu Chittranjan Das, the great Indian patriot who died on 16th June 1925. Some of his possessions are still preserved here. A maternity clinic for the poor which is named after him functions from the ground floor.
Dr. Graham's Homes School-
This picturesque school on the slopes of Kalimpong's highest hill Delo was set up in 1900 by a missionary named Dr. John Anderson Graham. At that time there were only six students and all of them were orphans. Today there are over 700 students. This school which boasts of having its own dairy, poultry and bakery organizes the "Mayfair" fest every year in the month of May.
Gouripur House-
This famous house located about 2 kms from Kalimpong used to be the favourite haunt of Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian poet.
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Museum-
This museum which is 4 kms from Kurseong is dedicated to the memory of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and various documents and articles which belonged to him is preserved here.
Temples
Japanese Peace pagoda-
Considered as the highest structure of Darjeeling this peace pagoda was set up by a Buddhist monk of Japanese descent Nipponzan Myohoji. One can see the four avatars of the Buddha here.
Mahakal temple-
The hill on which this temple is situated is addressed to as the "Holy Hill" by locals. This is a revered place of worship and daily rituals are performed by both a Hindu priest and a Buddhist monk. There is also an observatory tower here which offers magnificent views of the Kanchenjunga peak.
Dhirdham Temple-
This temple was built in 1939 and is very near to the railway station. It resembles the famous Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu.
Druk Thupten Sangag Choling Monastery-
Situated at Dali, this monastery is about 4 kms the town and belongs to the Kargyupa sect.
Ghoom Monastery-
This is an ancient monastery built in 1875 by the Tibetan Lama Sherab Gyatso. Rare handwritten Buddhist manuscripts are preserved here and one can see the statue of the Maitreye Buddha which is considered as the 'Future Coming Buddha' in this monastery.
Tashi Dargyalingh Monastery or the Tamang Ghumba-
Built in 1926 this is one of the oldest monasteries of the Tamang community which belongs to the Nyingmapa sect.
The Mag-Dhog Yolmowa Buddhist Monastery Aloobari Monastery)-
This monastery which is situated on the Old Military Road or Aloobari road was built at the beginning of the First World War in 1914 and hence the name Mag-Dhog which means 'warding off the war'. One can see stunning statues of the different forms of Lord Buddha and Padma Sambhave here. There are also ancient scriptures and amazing herb paintings inside the monastery.
Kalibari temple-
About 2 kms from Kalimpong town is the Kalibari temple and the main deity of this temple is gigantic statue of Goddess Kali.
Wildlife Sanctuary
Darjeeling does not have any such prominent wildlife sanctuaries but its hills are a thriving place for different species of wildlife. Some of these are:
Lava-
It is tiny town located at a height of 6500 ft and is 32 km from Kalimpong. Rich in flora and fauna Lava is popular for natural excursions, bird watching etc. Log huts and rest houses have been built here by the forest department for tourists and travelers.
Lolay Goan/ Kaffer-
It is at a height of 5200 ft. and located at a distance of 56 kms from Kalimpong. Having dense virgin forests it is rich in flora and fauna and one can get a fantastic view of Kalimpong town as well as complete view of Kanchenjunga Range from here.
Jhandidara-
Jhandidara which is 4 kms from Kaffer village offers tourists a spectacular view of the sunrise as well as the Mount Everest peck. The chief attraction of this place is the Heritage Forest Park which has been developed forest department.
Samthar-
Samthar is a place for adventure seekers which is situated at a height of 4500 ft and can be trekked from Sevoke, Kaffer and Lava. There are dense virgin forests and one can watch spectacular birdlife as well as wildlife.
Mirik-
The hill resort of Mirik is located at an altitude of 1767 metres and is 49 kms from Darjeeling and 52 kms from Siliguri. The 1.25 km Long Lake is its main attraction. There is also a rich forest of Cryptomaria-Japanica trees here.
Ethinic Tour
A Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre was established in Darjeeling on October 1, 1959 for the cause of Tibetan refugees. This centre is very popular for its handicrafts. Carpets, woolen goods, woodwork, etc, which are made here are famous throughout the world.
Rishyap is considered as the best tourist site of Kalimpong. Situated at a height of 8250 ft it is 28 kms away from Kalimpong town and tourists have to walk the last four kms which is up hill to reach this place. Rishyap has a kind of medieval charm as there is no electricity here but tourists can stay in small cottage type accommodations built by the Sherpas. One can view the Himalayas as well as Nathula Pass, Tin Simana, Gangtok and Tibet Hills from here.
Kurseong which means 'the place of White Orchid' is 30 kms from Darjeeling and is situated at an altitude of 1458 meters (4860ft.). The climate here is mild throughout the year. Kurseong at one time had been frequented by many great people who were attracted by its climate and tranquility. Some of them were the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, painter Abanindranath Tagore, composer Atul Prasad Sen, Sister Nivedita (a great disciple of Swami Vivekananda), Mark Twain and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose.
The orange orchards of Mirik are a treat for the eyes. West Bengal gets most of its orange supplies from Mirik. While visiting Mirik tourists can also get a taste of village life of the hill areas.
About 35 kms from Darjeeling one can come across Mungpoo which is known for its lovely scenic spots, lush green tea gardens, flower nurseries, crystal clear rivulets and Cinchona plantations. The great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore used to spend his summers here and it was at Mungpoo where he penned many of his poems, articles, letters and stories. The place where he used to stay has been turned into a museum and many of his photographs, paintings, writings etc are preserved here.
As tourists move around this picturesque hill station they can indulge in mouth watering traditional delicacies like momo's (steamed meat dumplings), thupkas (Tibetan noodles), shaphalay (Tibetan stuffed bread), aludum (typical Indian potato preparation) or drink Tibetan tea (tea mixed with salt and butter) and Tongba (local millet brew).
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