2 Unique Places In The Country You Can Visit In Darjeeling

Darjeeling, a charming hill station in West Bengal, is famous for its beautiful weather, tea estates and views of the revered Kanchenjunga. But did you know that this destination is also home to some of the most unique places in the country? Read on to know the exemplary places to visit and amazing experiences you can have during your Darjeeling tour packages:

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park:

The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is commonly referred to as the Darjeeling Zoo. But there is nothing common about this park and conservation centre at all. Not only is it counted as one of the best zoos of the world, this zoo is the first in the country to receive the prestigious 'Earth Heroes' international award for its efforts in the conservation of endangered Himalayan species and Alpine species breeding programmes. This zoo in the Birch Hill area of Darjeeling was set up in 1958 and was originally called the Himalayan Zoological Park. It is the largest high altitude zoo in all of India, situated at an elevation of 2,133 metres above sea level and spanning over 67.5 acres. The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is home to over 200 species of trees, plants, shrubs and climbers, some of which are over 100 years old, as well as 60 varieties of orchid. Here you can actually observe some of the most endangered species in the world such as the Tibetan Wolf, Red Panda, Snow Leopard (as well as other rare leopard sub-species), Siberian Tigers, Goral, Blue Sheep, Slow Loris, Asiatic Black Bear and even different species of birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute:

The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which is one of its kind in India, was built in 1954 to commemorate the Tenzing Norgay's achievement of reaching the summit of Mount Everest along with Edmund Hillary. Tenzing Norgay was the first director of the institute and a statue of this amazing mountaineer still stands proud near the spot where he was cremated, just beside the institute. Over the course of time, HMI as it is generally referred to, has produced some of the finest mountaineers in the nation. A great place to visit is the Mountaineering Museum which holds memorabilia and gives details about the 1922 and 1924 Everest expeditions that had started off from Darjeeling. One of the main attractions within the institute is an extremely powerful telescope which can be used to see the entire Kanchenjunga range with great clarity. This telescope was originally presented by Adolf Hitler to Maharaja Judh Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal. After being passed down from generation to generation, it was eventually gifted to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.

So, whether you go on a tour of the tea estates or a ride in the toy train, make sure you visit these two amazing places during your Darjeeling tour packages. Seenu Mathew is a Web UI Designer / Developer with Cox & Kings. Travelling and photography are his passions. He recently returned from one of the Darjeeling tour packages during which he visited two of the most unique places in the country, the details of which he shares in this article for the benefit of fellow travellers.