India Travel

Trains

Calcutta to: Agra (1 daily; 30hr); Ahmedabad (1 daily; 44hr); Bhubaneshwar (10 daily; 8-12 fir); Chennai (5 daily; 27-35hr); Delhi (7 daily; 18-34hr); Guwahati (3 daily; 20-25hr); Gwalior (2 weekly; 26hr); Haridwar (1 daily; 30hr); Jabalpur (1 daily; 21 hr); Jaipur (1 daily; 30hr); Jalgaon (3 daily; 28-34hr); Lucknow (3 daily; 18hr); Mumbai (3 daily; 33-42hr): Nagpur (4 daily; 19-25hr]; Patna (5 daily; 7-10hr); Puri (2 nightly; 11-12hr); Ranchi (1 daily; 10hr); Shantiniketan (6-7 daily; 2hr 30min-4hr); Siliguri NJP (6-7 daily; 12-14hr); Thiruvananthapuram (1 weekly; 49hr); Ujjain (2 weekly; 33hr 40min|; Varanasi (5-8 daily; 8hr 30min-20hr],

Shantiniketan (Bolpur) to: Calcutta (6-7 daily; 2hr 30min-4hr), Siliguri (NJP) (5-6 daily; 8hr 35min-9hr 15min).

Siliguri (New Jalpaigun (NJP) to: Calcutta (6-7 daiSy; 12-14hr); Delhi (4-5 daily; 21 hr 15mii>-31 hr 10min): Guwahati (7-8 daily; 8hr 40min-10hr 50min); Patna (4-5 daily: 8hr 25min-11 hr lOmin); Shantiniketan (Bolpur) (5-6 daily; 8hr 35min-9hr15min); Varanasi (Mughal Sarai) (3-4 daily; 12hr-18hr36min).

Buses

Calcutta to: Bhubaneshwar (4 daily; 8-1 Ohr); Puri (2 daily: 12hr);

Siliguri NJP (4 daily; 12hr). Siliguri to: Calcutta (4 daily; 12hr).

Flights

Any disparities in length of flight times are due to stopovers operating on certain flights only. In the listings below. AA represents Alliance Airways (Indian Airlines). Al Air India, BB Bangladesh Biman, DA Dmk Air. IA Indian Airlines, JA Jet Airways, S is Sahara and TA is Thai Airways.

Calcutta to: Agartala (AA, IA 2 daily; 50min); Ahmedabad (AA 6 weekly; 2hr]; Bagdogra/Siliguri (IA, JA 8 weekly; 55min|; Bangkok (IA, DA, KL, TA 10weekly; 1hr20min); Bhubaneshwar (AA 6 weekly; 55min|: Chennai (IA. JA 2 daily: 2hr 5min); Delhi (AA. IA, JA 5 daily; 2hr 5min); Dhaka (BB IA, 2 daily; 1hr 10min|: Guwahati (IA, JA 2 daily; 1hr 10min-3hr 15min); Hyderabad (AA. JA 2 daily; 1 hr5Omin-3hr 15min); Imphal (AA, IA, JA 1 daily; 1-2hr); Jaipur (AA 6 weekly; 2hr 30min); Kathmandu (IA 5 weekly; 1hr 35mirv-2hr 15min); Lucknow (AA, S 2 daily; 2hr 20mm); Mumbai (Ai, IA, JA, S 5 daily, 2hr 30min); Nagpur (AA 3 weekly; 1 hr 30mm). Paro (Bhutan; DA 2 weekly; Ihr 20min); Patna (AA, S 1 daily; 1hr-2hr 30min); Port Blair (AA 5 weekly; 2hr); Varanasi; Yangon (Rangoon) (IA 2 weekly; 2hr20min).

Bagdogra (Siliguri) to: Calcutta (IA, JA 8 weekly;55min); Delhi (IA, JA 3 weekly; 2-4hr); Guwahati (IA 3 weekly; 2-3hr). Check to see whether
Bagdogra flights are operating as the airport has been shut for repairs.

Although the Lepchas, the original inhabitants of the area, have lost their traditional way of life in most other parts of Darjeeling and Sikkim. rheir lifesryle has remained relatively untouched in the unspoilt forest-covered hills and deep river valleys to the south of Kalimpong. Lying on an old trade route to Bhutan, the small hamlet of LAVA, 35km from Kalimpong and accessible by shared Jeep, makes an ideal base for exploring the nature trails ot Neura National Park, abundant with orchids, birds and other wildlife. Lava is also convenient for approaching the Rachela Pass (3152m) on the Sikkim-Bhutan border which provides excellent views of the Chola Range including Chomalhari (7314m). the sacred mountain ot Bhutan on its border with Tibet. Basic accommodation in Lava includes the Fores! Rest House, which should be booked through the Forest Department in Kalimpong. Pleasant trails lead west from Lava towards Budhabare. a weekly-market town in the Git River Valley which has a sprinkling of Lepcha, Gurkha and Bhutia villages. The track continues through forest Kafer which has a comfortable Tourist Bungalow with a dorm (Rs50). At nearby Lolegaon, there’s the Forest Rest House, and alternative accommodation in village houses; the trail north from here crosses the Relli River near the village of the same name and returns directly to Kalimpong. Gurudongma, Hill Top, Kalimpong, a well-organized, upmarket trek and tour operator, arranges treks in the region from their Farm House, a rustic but luxurious development on the beautiful Samthar Plateau, 80km from Kalimpong.

Kalimpong’s acute water shortages are likely to influence your choice of accommodation - few of the lower-range options have running water. The market area (Tenth Mile) and the area around the Motor Stand are where you will find most budget hotels.

The best restaurants are in the hotels - the Kalimpong Park, Crown and China Garden. Other options include the legendary Gompu’s bar and restaurant a: Dambar Chowk which serves great momos; the Mandarin, a Chinese restaurant at the Motor Stand; and the basic but friendly Kelsang, tucked around the corner from the Motor Stand servmg curd and Tibetan food.

Kalimpong, only accessible by road, is served by regular buses, taxis and Jeeps from Darjeeling and Siliguri. Direct transport to and from Gangtok in Sikkim tends to be limited; you could also connect from Gangtok Siliguri transport for local taxis or buses at the crossroads near the Teesta Bridge (no photography permitted) over the fast-flowing River Teesta. A sign near the crossroads welcomes you to Kalimpong although the town itself is 15km further on, and more than 1000m higher up. Since the advent of the new Bridge, Teesta Bazaar on the other side of the river is no longer the transport hub it once was, with the Siliguri road bypassing it by a couple of kilometres.

Most transport pulls in at the Motor Stand in the central market area. This is the place to pick up Jeeps and buses to Darjeeling (2hr 30min-4hr:Jeep from Rs50), Siliguri (2hr 30min; jeep Rs45, bus Rs30). and Gangtok (3hr; Jeep Rs50, van Rs85); each route has its own syndicate and ticket office. Moving on from Kalimpong, remember the last reliable transport links are around mid-afternoon. Kalimpong’s DGHC tourist office, Damber Chowkh (Mon-Sat 9am-4pm) is good for general information and leaflets; they also arrange white-water rafting on the Teesta (from Rs450).The Central Bank on Main Road changes money and the post office is close to the centre of town, above the bazaar area just behind the police station.

Though it may seem quite grubby at first, the quiet hill station of KALIMPONG, 50km east of Darjeeling, has much to offer including an extraordinary profusion of orchids and other flowers, plus great views of the Kanchenjunga, several monasteries and lots of potential for walks in the surrounding hills, which are still home to the tribal Lepcha community. Unlike Darjeeling, this was never a tea town or resort, but a trading town on the vital route to Tibet, and it was this very access to the borders which meant that Kalimpong was virtually out of bounds for tourists for a couple of decades following the Sino-Indian conflict of the early 1960s. Despite the large military presence, Kahmpongs recent history has been a sad one of neglect leading to major water shortages and a general decay in the infrastructure. A deep-rooted dissatisfaction has its political voice in the Gurkha Liberation Organization, a shadowy, radical movement committed to the cause of Gurkhaland and freeing the Darjeeling Hills from the state of West Bengal, with violence if necessary. The GLO, based in Kalimpong and led by Chhatri Subha, is fundamentally opposed to the GNLF who they accuse of a sellout. Despite occasional threats of political violence and wildcat strikes, this underdeveloped town with its leafy avenues conies as a breath of fresh air after the razzmatazz of Darjeeling.

Kalimpong spreads along a curving ridge to either side of its main market area, known as Tenth Mile.

There are none of the curio and tourist shops so abundant m Darjeeling but the silk brocade, jewellery, and Tibetan cloth available in local shops is cheaper and better quality here than in either Darjeeling or Gangtok. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, Tenth Mile gets very lively as villagers flock in from the surrounding areas for the principal weekly markets. Below the Silver Oaks Hotel, the Gangjong Paper Factory on Printam Road (Mon-Sat 9am-4.30pm) welcomes visitors to their handmade paper workshop and shop.

Rinkingpong Hill, which looms above the town to the southwest, was once a surveying point; hence the local name Durpin Dara, which means “binocular ridge". It is now firmly in the hands of the army, who allow tourists through in taxis but occasionally stop those on foot. At its highest point, entirely surrounded by the army, Zong Dog Palri Phodrang Monastery, built in 1957 to house three copper statues brought from Tibet in the 1940s, was modelled on Guru Rinpoche’s mythical pure realm palace and consecrated by the Dalai Lama. There is a large image of Guru Rinpoche (in Sanskrit: Padma Sambhava), the patron saint and founder of the Nyingmapa order, as well as some impressive frescoes, and an excellent collection of thangkas (not always on display). Upstairs there’s an image of the thousand-armed Chenrezig (or Avalokitesvara) and an ornate wooden mandala. In 1983 a scholastic institute was set up with funding from Bhutanese royalty to teach Buddhist philosophy. The monastery is a scenic 4km hike trom the centre of town.

At the other end of town, half an hour’s walk up Deolo Hill brings you to the Tharpa Choling Gompa, a Gelug-pa monastery, founded in 1892 but now being completely rebuilt. Below and closer to town is Dechen Choling Gompa, a small Bhutanese monastery founded in 1692 and belonging to the Nyingma school. Its two meditation halls are covered with beautiful murals in contrasting styles.The lower hall has extremely old paintings with a predominance of deep red pigments, whilst the shrine room above is bright and airy, with new murals in pastel shades depicting the main deities of the monastery. Halfway between these two monasteries just off the main road lie two other smaller Gelugpa gompas, Zhekar Choede and Sed-gyued Datsang gompa.

The strong impact of Christian missionaries in the area is evident in Dr Graham’s Home, further up Deolo Hill. Founded in 1900 by a Scotsman, the Rev Dr John Anderson Graham, as a home for six orphans, this school today has around nine hundred students, and has inspired several similar schools for the destitute and the handicapped in India. Above Dr Graham’s Home. Deolo View Point offers superb views of the town, the Teesta Valley below, and on a clear day, the snows and the passes of Nathula and Jelepla into Tibet. Nearby Deolo Lake is the town’s inadequate reservoir.

The Himalayan Hotel - a hotel and a “museum” as well as the home of the MacDonald family - set amidst landscaped gardens, is an impressive building with oak ceilings, teak furniture and a large collection ofTibetan artefacts and memorabilia. It is well worth a visit even if you can’t afford to stay here. David MacDonald was the interpreter on Francis Younghusband’s mission to Lhasa in 1904 and was later posted to Tibet as a British Trade Agent until he retired in 1924. MacDonald helped the 13th Dalai Lama to escape from Tibet in 1910, and served as British Political Officer in Sikkim where he was responsible for Britain’s relations with Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim.

Kalimpong is renowned for its horticulture and especially its orchid culture with around fifty nurseries such as Sri Ganesh Mani Pradhan, Ganesh Villa, 12th Mile, specializing in new hybrids as well as cacti, amaryllis, palms, ferns and other species of plants. Although Kalimpong blossoms all year long, die best time to see orchids in bloom is between mid-April and mid-May, when the flower festival is usually held.

MIRIK, 45km southwest of Darjeeling near the border with Nepal, is the region’s newest resort, primarily geared up for domestic tourists. There is a large and lively Gelugpa or “yellow hat” monastery above the picturesque central lake, but most of the tourism is centred around boating on the lake. Surrounded by large tea estates and pine forests, Mirik is a pleasant enough place and can be visited as a long day-trip from Darjeeling or as a stopover on an alternative route down to Sihguri.

Most of the accommodation is restricted to the newer Krishnagar settlement at the southern end of the lake. At the bottom of the road leading to the gompa is linny’s Lodge, a pleasant budget option. Comfortable Jagjeet has a good restaurant; Sadhbhawana is pleasant and roomy but reasonable; and there’s new and comfortable Mhehmg, which doesn’t serve food. The choice of eating places includes Sukh Sagar, a good Sikh-run vegetarian restaurant by the lake. Buses and shared Jeeps (last at 3pm) run to and from Darjeeling and Siliguri.

Often obscured in cloud, GHOOM (2438m), with its charming little railway station and tiny bazaar on the edge of jorebangla, has several interesting monasteries, the most venerated of which is Yiga Choling, or the Old Ghoom Monastery tucked off the main thoroughfare, above the brash new Sterling Resort. From Ghoom railway station, head back towards Darjeeling for 200m and turn left into the side road (signposted) and continue through the small market for 500m. Built in 1850 by Sharap Gyatso, a renowned astrologer, the monastery comprises a single chambered temple, with a few-residential buildings and an outhouse. Inside the prayer hall is a huge statue of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. Adorned with katas (ceremonial scarves), this statue is of an exceptionally high standard of workmanship with fine detail above and around the bronze face. A painting of the Mahakala is hidden under red cloth as it is considered too fierce to be looked at directly.The monastery has had a recent face-lift with the murals repainted by local Darjeeling thangka artists under the guidance of master painter Dawa Gyentshe Bhutia.A short walk past the monastery lies the small open cemetery with wonderful views all around.

The new monastery, Samten Choling, on a bend in the main road to Darjeeling, is sometimes included on the Jeep tours to Tiger Hill. It’s a small but colourful gompa; you may prefer to spend more time looking around it when the Jeeps have all returned to Darjeeling, and the atmosphere is more conducive to taking in the murals and chatting to the few monks who live here.

In the small hamlet of Rongbul, south of Ghoom and below Hill Cart Road, next to the small Nyingmapa Gonjan Monastery, the School of Tibetan Thangka Painting is run by the artist Lama Tsondu Sangpo, and worth checking out if you are interested in Tibetan art.

Further down Hill Cart Road, the influential Sonada Monastery, founded in the 1960s, was the seat of Kalu Rinpoche who developed a large American and French following. It has recently been extensively renovated to house Kalu Rinpoche’s young tutku or reincarnation. Rooms are available for retreat and you can dine with the monks for a nominal fee.

Halfway between Ghoom and Darjeeling on the main road stands the imposing Thupten Sanga Choeh’ng. otherwise known as the Dali Gompa. inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 1993.This is a very active Drukpa Kagyu gompa with two hundred monks, including several young rittpoches. The huge meditation hall is richly decorated with exquisite murals and ceiling mandalas.

Five larger-than-iife statues represent, from left to right. Guru Rinpoche, Chenrezig, Sakyamuni,Tara and the fourth Drukpa Kagyu lama, Padme Karpo.

Ghoom is the highest point on the Toy Train railway, just 7km from Darjeeling. A steam-driven tourist train (Rs 200). leaving Darjeeling at 10.30am, travels up to Ghoom but doesn’t leave enough time to take in the monasteries at your leisure. The regular 8.30am service from Darjeeling is much cheaper and arrives here at 9.15am.You could take alternative transport back to Darjeeiing or take the top road for a quiet, traffic-free walk back, taking in the stupendous views along the way with a visit to the Peace Pagoda in the woods above the Dali Gompa.

Jeeps and taxis packed with tourists leave from Clubside in Darjeeling around 4am each morning, careering 12km through Ghoom and the woodlands to catch the sunrise at TIGER HILL. This incredible viewpoint (2585m) provides an unparalleled 360° Himalayan panorama, with the steamy plains bordering Bangladesh to the south, the Singalila Range with Everest beyond to the west, Kanchenjunga and Sikkim to the north, and the Bhutan and Assam Himalayas trailing into the distance to the northeast. From left to right, the peaks include: Lhotse (which actually looks larger than Everest); Everest itself; Makalu; then, after a long gap, the rocky summit of Kang on the Sikkim-Nepal divide; the prow ofJannu in Nepal; Rathong; tent-like Kabrus south and north; Talung: Kanchenjunga main, central and south; Pandim; Simvo; horned Narsing; and the fluted pyramid of Siniolchu.As the sun rises from the plains, it lights each one in turn: not yet obscured by the haze of the day, they are bathed in pastel hues. In peak season up to 500 Jeeps leave Darjeeling daily, transporting more than 5000 people to the viewpoint. Tour operators in Darjeeling offer tours for Rs50 (Rs400 for a reserved Jeep) including a stop at one of Ghoom’s gompas, and the Batasia Loop and Gurkha War Memorial for which there is an additional fee of Rs5.

The viewing tower provides a warmer space for those who wish to see the sunrise from behind the safety of glass and costs for the top floor or Rs 10 for the VIP lounge below (includes a cup of coffee). Viewing is followed by the entertaining post-sunrise game of’find your Jeep".

It’s also possible to walk up Tiger Hill during the day and camp for the night near the tap. The Tourism Bungalow, on the plain below the summit, offers cheap accommodation in dorm beds, and dinner.

One really unmissable part of the Darjeeling experience is the early-morning mass exodus to Tiger Hill, to watch the sunrise. This can easily be combined with a visit to the old monastery of Ghoom, and the huge monastery at Sonada on Hill Cart Road Cowards Siliguri. The picturesque lake at Mirik near the Nepal border attracts weekend crowds from Darjeeling and makes for an easy day trip.

Clubside Tours and Travels jp Sharma Road. Established and reliable company dealing with airline tickets, tours and trekking.

DGHC Tourism Silver Fir Building. Arranges transport, manages trekking huts and organizes white-water rafting on the River Teesta.

Diamond Travels 37B Old Super Market, Trekking, transport to Kathmandu, Calcutta and Guwahati.

Greenland Tours & Travels 21 Beechwood, Laden La Road. Low-key, friendly travel, tour and trek operator, with a book exchange, up the steps above the post office.

Himalayan Adventures Das Studios, 15 Nehru Rd. Established Indo-Australian company which runs upmarket treks and tours.

Himalayan Travels 18/1 Gandhi Rd. A major trek operator in west Sikkim as well as Sandakphu.

Juniper Tours and Travels Laden La Road, Established travel agent on main thoroughfare.

Kanchenjunga Treks & Tours DB Giri Road. An efficient, international organization run by Tenzing Norgay’s son: excellent for trekking and mountaineering.

Pineridge Travels. Pineridge Hotel, The Mall. Efficient, modern agency that arranges Jet Airways tickets as well as flights from Bhadrapur (Nepal) to Kathmandu.

Trek-Mate Singalila Arcade, Nehru Road Helpful agency which arranges treks to Sandakphu and west Sikkim. Also provides guides and porters and rents out sleeping bags, down jackets and day packs.

Cheques. Licensed private foreign exchange vendors are a bit more flexible but charge around four percent more than the bank rate. Amongst these, the Hotel Mohit is marginally more expensive than Hotel Seven Seventeen, both on HD Lama Road; Pineridge Travels, Pineridge Hotel, the Mall charges Rs2 for every USS changed.

Bookshops Oxford Books & Stationery, Chowrasta. Excellent selection of novels and coffee-table books.

Car rental Darjeeling Transport Corporation, Laden La Road is one of the more established operators; others are centred around Clubside.

Hospital Try Planters’ Hospital, Planter’s Club, the Mall; Mariam Nursing Home, the Mall

. The Tibetan Medical & Astro Institute, Hotel Seven Seventeen, 26 HD Lama Rd TI0354/54735 is part of the Dalai Lama’s medical organization, Men-Tsee-Khang, and has a clinic and a well-stocked dispensary. There is also a Women’s Clinic (Mon-Sat 1.30-5pm, Sun i0am-1pm), under Hotel Springburn,70 Gandhi Rd, run by Dr Gupta Singh.

Internet access Compuset Centre, Das Colour Lab, Gandhi Road; Cyber Cafe, Triveni Guest House, 85/1 Dr Zakir Hussein Rd; Cyber Cafe, 1st floor, Hotel Red Rose, 37 Laden La Rd; Darjlink, Hotel Pradhan, 57 Gandhi Rd. These places charge around Rs90 per hour.

Pharmacies Frank Ross S Co. the Mall: there are several pharmacies clustered around Sadar Hospital above the bus stand.

Photography Das Studios and Darjeeling Photo Stores, both on the Mall.
Post office The mam post office (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm is located on Laden La Road.

Thangka painters Dawa Gyentshe Shutia. Kamal Bhavan. below Botanical Garden, PB Gurung Road; Lama Tsondu Sangpo, the School of Tibetan Thangka Painting. Gonjan Monastery, Rongbul.

Tibetan studies The Manjushree Centre of Tibetan Culture, 8 Burdwan Rd, founded in 1988 to preserve and promote Tibetan culture, offers both part-time Tibetan language classes (Mon-Sat 4-5.30pm) and more intensive three-, six- and nine-month courses (from $150). The centre also has a library with lending facilities ($20 deposit), and holds regular seminars, talks, video shows and exhibitions. The Chakpon Medical School at Thurbo (en route to Teesta) runs excellent long courses in Tibetan medicine.

Visas and permits The Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office, Laden La Road, is opposite the State Bank of India (daily 10am-6pm); the District Magistrate’s Office is on Hill Cart Road, near Loreto Convent (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm),