Darjeeling

Let’s get away for New Year

I like to spend important calendar days away from home — birthdays, anniversaries, New Year and days like that. So when we decided, almost at the last minute, that we should get away for New Year, Darjeeling seemed like the perfect place.

Neither Pragati nor I had been to Darjeeling before. The idea of going to the mountains in winter had its own thrill.

The decision was made only a few days before the trip. We booked the flights on 27 December for a journey starting on 30 December.

This time, however, the suddenness of the trip did not mean we could leave everything until we arrived. We needed a taxi from Bagdogra to Darjeeling, and we needed somewhere for the driver to take us. So we booked the hotel in advance as well.

We were staying at Cedar Inn.

Delhi to Bagdogra

Our flight was around midday, but travelling out of Delhi at the end of December came with its own uncertainty.

It was foggy. Flights were being cancelled, and suddenly our spontaneous New Year plan didn’t feel quite so simple.

The worry was not just about the flight.

Our hotel booking was prepaid. If the flight was cancelled, we would not only lose the trip but potentially lose the money we had already paid for the stay as well.

So the wait at Delhi airport was tense.

Eventually, we were on our way.

At Bagdogra, there was a pleasant surprise waiting for us. A brand-new Baleno was waiting with the driver, who was standing there with a placard carrying our names.

Everything had worked out.

The road to Darjeeling

The drive from Bagdogra to Darjeeling was more than just a transfer. The landscape changed steadily as we climbed away from the plains, the roads became more mountainous and the cold became increasingly noticeable.

Darjeeling sits high in the Himalayan foothills, surrounded by tea gardens, forests and views towards the great peaks of the eastern Himalayas. It is easy to understand why the town acquired its reputation as the Queen of the Hills.

We had come looking for winter in the mountains, and Darjeeling was not disappointing us.

By the time we reached the hotel, it was almost dark.

Cedar Inn itself was wonderful. Our room had a coal chimney that served as the heater, and the view from the bedroom was something we had not expected — Kanchenjunga in all its majesty.

Kanchenjunga is the world’s third-highest mountain, and seeing it from the comfort of our room made the long journey from Delhi feel worthwhile almost immediately.

We retired to the room to wear away the tiredness of the journey.

Actually, saying we were tired isn’t quite right.

Mountains only refresh; they never tire anyone.

Darjeeling

The next few days were spent exploring Darjeeling and its surroundings. We used the same driver who had brought us from Bagdogra to take us around.

We visited the Kanchenjunga viewpoint. In a way, it was hardly necessary because we already had a magnificent view of Kanchenjunga from our bedroom every day.

But we were tourists, after all. Sometimes you have to do the touristy things.

We also went to Simana, near the Nepal border, and visited the local zoo. St. Paul’s School was right across from our hotel, so we went there as well.

The town itself had the character of a classic hill station — steep roads, old buildings, mountain views and the constant presence of the surrounding hills. Even ordinary drives felt different from travelling in the plains.

And then there was the toy train

Darjeeling and the toy train are almost inseparable in the imagination of anyone visiting the place.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is not simply a tourist attraction. It is a remarkable piece of mountain railway engineering. The narrow-gauge line was built in the late nineteenth century to connect the plains with Darjeeling, climbing dramatically through the Himalayan foothills. UNESCO later recognised it as part of the Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site. citeturn0search2turn0search4

The railway uses tight curves, zigzags and loops to gain altitude, with Ghum — high in the hills — forming one of its most famous points. The Batasia Loop is particularly well known for the way the railway negotiates the steep terrain while opening up views of the mountains. citeturn0search12

We couldn’t get a ticket, but we did see the train at the station and several times along the route.

That became one of the unfinished items on this trip.

In a way, knowing what the railway represented made missing the ride even more frustrating. We had come all the way to Darjeeling and had seen the famous little train, but had not actually experienced the journey it was built for.

One day, whenever we return to Darjeeling, we would like to actually ride it.

New Year in the mountains

We spent New Year’s Eve at the hotel.

There was no need for a big celebration or a crowded party. We were in the mountains, it was cold outside, and our room had a coal chimney keeping us warm.

So we simply chilled, enjoyed the weather and welcomed the New Year in our own way.

For me, that was exactly what I had wanted when we decided to get away for New Year in the first place.

There was something particularly satisfying about ending one year and starting another in a place so different from everyday life in Delhi. We had not planned an elaborate celebration. We had simply changed the surroundings, and that was enough.

A trip that felt unfinished

Darjeeling gave us what we had gone looking for — mountains, winter, cold weather and a break from home.

But the trip also left us with a couple of reasons to return.

We hadn’t been able to ride the toy train. And having come all the way to this part of the country, we hadn’t made it to Gangtok either.

So the journey felt slightly incomplete.

Perhaps that is not such a bad thing.

Some places are better when they leave something unfinished.

Darjeeling is one of those places for us.

There is still a toy train to ride, and there is still Gangtok waiting for a future visit.

Which means a second trip to Darjeeling is already on the list — someday.