West Bengal

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This heritage bungalow was built in 1841 as a summer retreat, by the owners of a tea estate in Assam. Incidentally, this is perhaps the only house of that era in Darjeeling that has retained all its past glory and possessions. At this Darjeeling Bungalow, you can get a glimpse of the Colonial era in the bungalows antique furniture, wooden floors and staircases. Many famous personalities like Sir George Everest (after whom Mt Everest is named), Vivian Leigh, Julie Christie, Lady Curzon, George Mallory, Andrew Irvine and others have visited or stayed in this house, sometime or the other.

Accommodation at Darjeeling Bungalow

This heritage property near the Mall Road has ten rooms and most of them have fire places, extra large beds and deep cushions. The wooden flooring, Tibetan show pieces, red carpet wrapped stair cases, antique furniture, paintings and everything else reminds one of the British era. There are single bed rooms, double rooms and double bed suites to accommodate the guests. The reception and lounge area as well as the dining hall with their antique furniture, are great places to relax. A small garden dotted with tea tables also add to the vintage charm. The rooms are named after the personalities who stayed there like George Mallory – the great British Mountaineer or Vivien Leigh – the Hollywood actress of “Gone with the Wind” fame.

How to reach Darjeeling Bungalow

There are all types of options to reach Darjeeling- by air, by road and by railways. The Bagdogra airport located 96 kms from Darjeeling has several direct flights from Kolkata and Delhi. One can also avail buses from Kolkata and reach Siliguri. Similarly, the nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri and there are several trains connecting it to Kolkata and other parts of India. Direct taxis are available from Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri to take the commuters to the serene hill station of Darjeeling.

Attractions of Darjeeling

Often termed as the “Queen of the Himalayas,” Darjeeling was a small sleepy Lepcha village in the Himalayan foothills with great views of Mt. Kanchenjungha. The British did not like it this way so in 1841, they started tea plantations in the nearby areas and soon built their summer homes in Darjeeling. With weather very similar to their homeland, Darjeeling soon became a little England teeming with colonial bungalows and continental eateries. The Toy Train soon came into being and reaching Darjeeling from the sun scorched plains of India became easy. With all these, the colonial culture of clubhouses and Mall Road strolling became popular and Darjeeling turned out to be one of the most popular summer retreats of British India.

Still holding back its old charm of the British Raj in its colonial buildings and park benches Darjeeling is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. This heritage bungalow is probably one of the oldest British bungalows of Darjeeling and spending a few days here would give you a glimpse of the colonial days of the British Raj.

One of the prime attractions of Darjeeling is the Chowrasta or the Mall Road. Visitors walk along this wide promenade undisturbed as no vehicles pass this area. One can get glimpses of lucrative shops as well as beautiful mountain ranges, while strolling along the Mall road or sitting on the surrounding park benches.

For animal lovers, the Darjeeling Himalayan Zoo presents a strong attraction with its array of rare Himalayan species such as snow leopard, Red panda, Clouded Leopard and Himalayan White Crested Bears. Those interested in History of Mountaineering can have a good time at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and Everest Museum which contains all the records of the various expeditions under taken to the Himalayas by the greats like Tenzing Norgay, Edmund Hillary and Others. The institute also offers courses in Mountaineering.

For nature loving tourists, Darjeeling has so much to offer. Apart from the breathtaking view of the snow-clad Mt Kanchenjungha, there are unspoilt greenery, rare and exotic flora and the flamboyant array of flowers. Rock garden, Lloyd Botanical Garden and Nightingale Park are must-visit for such tourists.

These apart, tourists can always indulge in actions like hiking, mountain climbing, shopping and mountain biking. Toy train ride is ‘a must’ as it retains the old world charm of riding on a steam powered train and offers a glimpse of Darjeeling’s colonial history.