From monasteries to eco gardens: Why Darjeeling is every traveller’s dream

Darjeeling, a beautiful hill station with scenic landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and a fine climate, the ideal destination for your next vacation! This hill station offers a unique combination of tea gardens, historical sites, scenic beauty and vibrant traditions. This destination features a variety of destinations that suit all sorts of travelers ranging from spiritual seekers to adventure lovers.

One of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries found here. This monastery contains a statue of Maitreya Buddha, the future Buddha, made of clay brought from as far as Tibet and adorned with multicolored flags and elaborate murals illustrating the life of Buddha. This also contains different manuscripts of Buddhism. This monastery also offers beautiful views of the surrounding areas like snow-covered peaks, which will surely leave one speechless. This monastery remains open on every day of the week and there is no entry fee charged here. It also offers a serene atmosphere, and one will be able to see monks chanting and praying which also gives an insight into Tibetan Buddhist culture.

This zoo is a pioneer in conservation breeding of India's endangered Eastern Himalayan animals. This zoo has been founded in 1958 to conserve and study Himalayan wildlife. The zoo has established the natural habitats of the endangered animals here for their conservation. Some of the animals that are housed in this zoo are snow leopards, pandas, gorals (mountain goats), Siberian tigers, and a variety of endangered birds. This zoo was named after Padmaja Naidu, the daughter of Sarojini Naidu, who was fondly referred to as the "Nightingale of India." This zoological garden is the jewel of Darjeeling's conservation efforts and has also initiated a significant number of breeding programs.

This museum offers the perfect combination of history and nature. Here, travellers will experience a rich set of natural artefacts and fossils and gain an interactive experience with wildlife. This is a place best suited for nature lovers and curious minds. This museum is set in the beautiful Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, which features 4,000 stunning specimens spanning from birds, mammals, insects, and reptiles. Tourists can spot unusual and intriguing species like Himalayan brown wood owls, northern spotted owlets, and northern brown fish owls.

The Shrubbery Nightingale Park offers a beautiful view of snow-clad mountains on one side, while on the other side, one can see the beautiful pine trees. The park has Nepali cultural programs where every day, local dances take place throughout the peak season. This park is also referred to as the Shrubbery and has an arched doorway and is an oval shaped park. A popular tourist attraction now, this was previously a place where British women would go for a cup of tea and is now utilized as a park for an evening stroll. Visitors can also visit the Shiva temple here, from which beautiful waterfalls cascade as well.

This lovely garden is situated on the picturesque Batasia Loop along the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway track. This eco-garden has stunning scenery of the surrounding mountains as well as the majestic Mt. Kanchenjunga. A war memorial in this garden commemorates the Gorkha soldiers who laid down their lives. This garden has seasonal and perennial flowers and shrubs, which give the garden a multi-colored look. This garden is historically important as well as a natural marvel.