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GHOOM
Called Sakya Monastery, the monastery in Ghoom is located 8 km from Darjeeling. Sakya monastery is a historic as well as significant monastery of the Shakya Order. The original monastery was built during the early twentieth century.
The monastery can accommodate around sixty monks. The statue of Maithreya Buddha (meaning "The Coming Buddha), which is 4.57 meter high, of this monastery is of interest here. The monastery also preserves some of the rarest Buddhist manuscripts.
TIGER HILL
The highest spot in the area (2590m) is Tiger Hill, 11 kms from Darjeeling near Ghoom. The hill affords glorious dawn views over Kanchenjunga and other eastern Himalayan peaks. Close by is Senchal Lake which, at a height of 2448m, supplies Darjeeling with its domestic water. It is a particularly scenic area and popular as a picnic spot with Indian holiday-makers.
TEA GARDENS
Darjeeling tea, famously known as the champagne of teas, is generally regarded as the World's best tea, fetching the highest prices at auction. The Darjeeling tea gardens are beautifully located, and the bungalows of the managers pretty without exception. The tea gardens are worth visiting, to observe the way tea is manufactured. Tea estate managers, "the planters" as they are called, are known for their hospitality. Even there is a high demand for organic Darjeeling tea
OBSERVATORY HILL
The oldest site in Darjeeling is the Observatory Hill, locally called as Makal-Babu-Ko-Thaan. The Hill has a fascinating story to it. According to legend, Lord Indra's scepter (Dorje), emblematic of his thunderbolt, is believed to have fallen at the place (ling) where the Observatory Hill now stands. Darjeeling thus derives its name from the Tibetan words 'Dorje' and 'ling'.
A Red Hat Buddhist Monastery called Dorje Ling, or 'place of the Thunderbolt' once stood at this very spot. A temple of Mahakala now stands here and the hill is thus popular with both Buddhist as well as Hindu worshippers.
PADMAJA NAIDU HIMALAYAN ZOOLOGICAL PARK
Darjeeling is the place of picturesque beauty and ultimate tranquility for the visitors. Tourists from all across the world visit the place for the scenic beauty.
The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling was established in the 14 th August, 1958. The main objective of the zoo is to preserve the endangered species of animals. The zoo is situated at an elevation of about 2133.5 meters. The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling is also dedicated towards conserving several endangered varieties of Himalayan fauna.
The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park at Darjeeling houses a number of endangered species named Red Panda, Tibetan Wolf, the Siberian Tiger and Snow Leopard. Captive breeding programs are undertaken in order to preserve the Red Panda. The Himalayan Black bear is an old resident of the zoo. The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling is a well-known center for captive breeding, with great care taken by the authorities during the entire breeding and raising process.
HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINEERING INSTITUTE AND MUSEUMS
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) was established in Darjeeling, as a step to organize the growing craze in the filed of mountaineering, after the ascent of Tenzing Norgay on Mt. Everest. This institute was founded in 1954, at the personal initiative of Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. The institute was initially located at Roy Villa, on Lebong Cart Road. It was shifted to current location, on the western spur of Jawahar Parbat, in 1958 and today, it stands perched at an altitude of 6,800 ft. The first principal of this institute was Late Major N.D. Jayal and its first Director for Field Training was the legendary mountaineer, Tenzing Norgay.
HAPPY VALLEY ESTATE
Happy Valley Tea Estate is a tea cultivation ground in Darjeeling district, West Bengal. The estate was established in the year 1854 by David Wilson, an Englishman, who had named the garden Wilson Tea Estate and by 1860 had started cultivation of tea. In 1903, Happy Valley Tea Estate was taken over by an Indian, Tarapada Banerjee, an aristocrat from Hooghly. In 1929, Tarapada Banerjee bought the Windsor tea estate and merged another nearby estate and gave the name Happy Valley tea estate.
KANCHENJUNGA VIEW
At 8598m, this is the world's third highest mountain. From Darjeeling, the best uninterrupted views of it are from Bhan Bhakta Sarani. The name Kanchenjunga is derived from the Tibetan Khang (snow), chen (big), dzong (fortress or treasury) nga (five) - big five peaked snow fortress, or big five peaked treasury of the snow.
CHOWRASTA
Chowrasta in Darjeeling is a spread around a large, open and asphalted area, surrounded with shops, small and big restaurants, cafeterias and pony stables. Chowrasta at Darjeeling is situated at a good height from the low lying areas and offers breath takingly beautiful views of the mountains. People can take leisurely horse rides here and take a few rounds of the Darjeeling Chowrasta.
