Darjeeling is hip and happening. A cultural hub, it has always led from the front, be it fashion, music or even street lingo. It of course has an enviable past, and bears the label, 'Queen of the Hills', but, the reason to visit Darjeeling is now.

You can see a lot of the past in the present day Darjeeling, but you have more than enough reasons to visit the place for its present. One of them is the mountains: when you are here, the mountains are just a glance away. Many hill stations may boast the same, but the geography of this place is such that you are often surprised when a spectacular mountain view emerges out of nowhere, right behind a tin roof, smack in the middle of a crowded market place, as you traverse the ups and downs of the town. Going to a place like the Mall road or Tiger Hill may open up an entire mountain panorama, but anywhere else in town, you are never far from the mountains.

Tea, as the place is synonymous with, is another attraction. A sip, as many connoisseurs swear, is a taste of heaven, but even for the uninitiated, the fragrance is simply divine. The beverage apart, the tea gardens make for more than an interesting outing.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway(DHR) is another inherent part of the Darjeeling Experience, a must ride. A true encounter with the DHR will be to take the languid, circuitous ride from Silgadhi to Darjeeling (currently not in operation), but if you do not have the time or the patience for it, you can always opt for an abbreviated ride from Darjeeling to Ghoom.

The weather is another important element of the Darjeeling experience. The chill of Darjeeling or its pleasantness, no place comes even close to it, especially, spring and fall.

There's colour in every vein of Darjeeling - from the foliage to people, from the stalls to the food. There's just so much more…

Experience Darjeeling first hand. It beats any picture or text there is.

Darjeeling: Gorkhaland's Queen of the Hills | Photo Post