City of Darjeeling

Famous the world over for its delicate tea, Darjeeling spills down a steep Himalayan ridge in the far north of West Bengal, a romantic hill station wrapped in mist and ringed by some of the highest mountains on earth. On a clear morning the snowy summit of Kangchenjunga, the third-highest peak in the world, floats above the horizon in a sight few travellers ever forget.

The town carries its colonial and cultural heritage gracefully. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the celebrated UNESCO-listed Toy Train, still puffs through the streets on its narrow-gauge line, while the bustling Chowrasta and Mall draw an evening crowd. Above town, the Tiger Hill viewpoint is the classic spot to watch dawn ignite the peaks, and the Padmaja Naidu zoo and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute recall the region's great climbing tradition. Serene Buddhist monasteries such as Ghoom add quiet contrast.

The surrounding tea gardens are the soul of the place. Estates such as Happy Valley carpet the slopes in neat green terraces, and a tour through the bushes and the tasting of a fine first flush brew reveal why Darjeeling tea is so prized. The blend of Nepali, Tibetan, Lepcha and Bengali cultures gives the town a warm and cosmopolitan feel.

The flavour of a visit is gentle and atmospheric, early starts for the sunrise, leisurely walks among the gardens, steaming momos and pots of fragrant tea, all amid swirling cloud and the ever-present mountains.

For a Himalayan journey through the eastern ranges, Darjeeling is essential, a place of glorious views, living tea heritage and rich cultural mingling, and a wonderfully evocative base from which to explore the foothills below the giants of Sikkim.