Straddling a ridge
at 2134m and surrounded by tea plantations,
Darjeeling has been a popular hill
station in India. It is a fascinating
place where you can visit Buddhist
monasteries, go trekking to high-altitude
spots for closer views of Kanchanjunga.
Darjeeling's famous toy train has
been looping its way up the steep
mountainsides from the lowland areas.
History Museum-Lloyd Botanical
Gardens-Victoria Falls-Japanese
Temple-Batasia Loop and War
Memorial-Tiger Hill-Samtencholing
Monastery, Ghoom-Drukpa Kargyud
Monastery
Sikkim
Sikkim-' the best-kept
secret in the eastern Himalayas'-is
nestled between Nepal, China (Tibet),
Bhutan & India. It is the ultimate
Paradise for Botanist & plant
lovers with over 4000 species of flowering
plants, including an incredible 600
species of Orchid. For adventure lovers,
the unrivalled trekking trails offer
verdant forests, rhododendron-covered
hillsides, remote monasteries, glaciers,
high passes and magnificent mountain
views. Khangchendzonga (8435m), the
third highest mountain in the word
lies in this small state of
Sikkim.
Places of Tourist
Interest
Gangtok- Tsuklakhang (The Royal
Chapel)- Pemayangtse Monastery-
Enchey
By Road:
Darjeeling & Sikkim are well connected
by road. By Air:
Both the hill towns are easily accessible
by regular flights of Buddha Air and
Yeti Airlines from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur.
When to visit?
Available year round,
except for the monsoons in July-August.
The ideal period is January to May
and September to December. Special
monsoon packages are available for
the paddy season.
Accommodation:
Many categories
of hotels are available from deluxe
to budget in Darjeeling & Sikkim.
Comfortable resort lodges are also
available in the outlying areas.
Visa
Foreign travelers
visiting Darjeeling, Kalimpong & Mirik
must posses an Indian valid visa.
No special permit is required for
either traveling or trekking inside
above-mentioned places. However, necessary
travel documents need to be shown
as and when requires.
Visa/ Special Permit
For Sikkim
In addition to an
Indian visa, foreign travelers must
possess an inner line permit to travel
into Sikkim. The permit is valid for
15 days. If tourists want to visit
the interior regions, they must also
require a protected area permit from
the Department of Tourism., India
Annapurna Tours and Travels will handle
all the official formalities.
Banking Service
Banks are open from
10 am to 2 pm Monday to Friday and
10 am to 12 pm Saturdays. Banks are
closed on Sundays and national holidays.
Most international banks have branches
in major towns in Sikkim.
Credit Cards
All major international
credit cards such as visa, master
card, Amex are accepted in urban areas
in Sikkim.
Internet & E-mail
Service
Internet & e-mail
connections are easily available in
Darjeeling & Sikkim where there are
plenty of cyber cafes that access
the net.
