Darjeeling: Offbeat Travel (7 Point)

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is where you can actually see some of the high altitude amazing Himalayan animals and some endangered species that are rarely seen anywhere else in the world. In India, this is the largest high altitude zoo. It spans across 67.5 acres of area at an average altitude of 7,000 ft. Darjeeling Zoo is now amongst the best zoos in the world. The zoo includes the conservation programs where you can see vulnerable and endangered high altitude Himalayan animals like the Tibetan Wolf, Red Panda, Snow Leopard etc all in semi natural habitats and there are Siberian Tigers, Yaks and lot more.

Darjeeling Ropeway Rangeet Valley Passenger Cable Car is One of the best ways to experience the panoramic views that Darjeeling is so famous for, is by taking a ride on the ropeway. It's also called the Rangeet Valley Passenger Cable Car because of the spectacular view of the valley around the river Little Rangeet.

As you ride the cable car, in about 45 minutes you will travel from an altitude of about 7,000 ft. (or 2134m) down to 800 ft. (or 244m) where the last station Singla Bazar is located. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was built as a tribute to Tenzing so that he could impart his skills to all those who pursued climbing activities in the Himalayas. HMI is now a complex of various activities and units. It is said to be a destination by itself and a pilgrimage for all the climbing enthusiasts.

The museum houses huge collection and specimens that include wide varieties of birds with nests and eggs, reptiles and fishes, mammals, insects and more. All these specimens are of real creatures that were captured and preserved. Tenzing Rock, a gigantic natural rock in Darjeeling is named after Tenzing Norgay, the man who created history by climbing the Everest first time along with Edmund Hillary in 1953. these rocks are used for rock climbing training by HMI. The right face of the rock can be used by amateur climbers or even tourists for climbing.

However one needs to take help of guides and pay some nominal fee. The gradient of the right face is gentle and surface is easier for climbing. The left face of Tenzing rock looking over the fence on the road, you will likely to get a shiver in the spine unless you are yourself a professional climber. The steep and almost vertical rock comes up from far below and rises high above the road level. Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center was setup by Tibetan refugees in Darjeeling on October 2, 1959 after they followed Dalai Lama and escaped from Tibet.

You will see Tibetan men and women making exquisite hand crafted items like woolen shawls & carpets, carved wooden crafts, leather jackets, coats and lots of other items. They have a training center that imparts skills to the new workers. Production of handcrafted items is the main activity of the center and its earning source. They export the items to as many as 36 countries all over the world.

Darjeeling tea is a tea grown in the Darjeeling district, Kalimpong District in West Bengal, India, and widely exported and known. It is processed as black, green, white and oolong tea. Darjeeling tea is normally made from the small-leaved Chinese variety of Camellia Sinensis Var. Sinensis, rather than the large-leaved Assam plant. Gorkha Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Lebong, Darjeeling, India. It has a seating capacity of 15,000 people, and is used for several events like association football, cricket, and cultural events.

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