Darjeeling-an iconic location Darjeeling is a gem to be known for its charm. The dazzling snow peaks of Mt. Kanchenjunga overlooking the hill town and the beautiful tea gardens of the slopes of rolling hills attracted Kunal Gharami and his family to visit Darjeeling once in a lifetime. This is the story of him telling about the journey and experience of his visit to Darjeeling in the previous year of December.

Booking the best tour package for a wonderful journey:

I have been listening about Darjeeling since I was a kid and always wanted to travel to Darjeeling to explore its beauty and ambiance with my own eyes but never got a chance due to daily routine work. But last year I somehow managed to get 3 days off from work and quickly planned to visit Darjeeling with my family. I surfed through the internet and Eastern Meadows Tours helped me in getting the best family package for Darjeeling. It was within my budget so I booked and started packing for the journey. Necessities to be taken for a comfortable Darjeeling trip in December: We took woollen clothes, umbrellas in case it rains and some necessities for staying at Darjeeling according to the weather conditions and the next day on 21^st of December, 2017 we left around 1:30 pm in the afternoon.

The story of a journey from Howrah to Darjeeling:

A special train passes from Howrah to NJP and the arrival time was 8:30 am but the train got late and we had to wait there for a long time. Finally, the train arrived at around 2.30 pm. We boarded the train and searched for our seats and after 10-15 minutes the train left from Howrah. We enjoyed the nature while the train was moving in its pace and after almost a few hours of journey, we reached NJP around 3:30 pm in the evening. After leaving the station, we had snacks in the nearby hotels in NJP and started our journey for Darjeeling. It was at a distance of 71 kilometers and it took us 2 hours 41 minutes to reach our destination. As the weather was cold and foggy, I was worried about reaching the hotel. But the driver was perfect with his driving skills and he dropped us at the hotel safely. It was a long tiring journey. So, after reaching the hotel at 8 pm in the evening we stayed overnight at the hotel to rest and wake up fresh for the next day.

The best places to get lost in Darjeeling:

The next day, we woke up around 4 am in the morning, had breakfast and left for our first location, Tiger Hill. We walked and reached the top of the hill to view the amazing sunrise. It was a treat to the eyes to start your day with such a beautiful sight. After staying there for an hour, we headed towards seeing the wildlife of Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park. We saw some of the rare and endangered species of animals and left for the Peace Pagoda. We could not get away from the beauty of the temple. The weather was pleasant and cool and we enjoyed strolling among the tea gardens which was the main attraction of this hill-town. The road was evenly and the view of the lush green tea gardens was mesmerizing. My trip has almost come to an end and we stayed overnight at the hotel. Returning to NJP via Mirik: Next day on my return to Kolkata, I took a short route and came to NJP via Mirik. If you are planning a vacation in Darjeeling then Mirik is the best place to spend a couple of days. Mirik is a small town which is a part of Kurseong within Darjeeling district. The average altitude of Mirik is 5000 feet and the highest point is at 5,800 feet at Bokar Monastery. The altitude is much lower and the temperature is comfortable and pleasant.

Returning Kolkata with a desire to visit Darjeeling again:

Now it was the time for me to wrap up and complete my 3 days journey and return to Kolkata. The train was to arrive at 4 pm. After sightseeing Mirik and traveling through the majestic woods and the surrounding hills we reached NJP at 3 pm. We had our lunch and packed some food from the hotel and departed to Sealdah at 6 am in the morning with the desire of returning back in the lap of hills someday again.

Choosing the best travel agency for a delightful journey!!

This is how he ended his journey and returned back to Kolkata with a heavy heart. All the facilities from car rental to hotel booking were organized by the best travel agency in Siliguri, Eastern Meadows Tours which made his journey from Howrah to Darjeeling a comfortable and memorable one.