Travel Guide To India (Part 4): Darjeeling

Monday, September 2, 2013

In part four of my video travel guide to India I travel to Darjeeling, the famed hill station known for its views and famous tea plantations. The city itself is nestled in the Himalaya mountains between Nepal and Northeast India, and is a popular place for people to stay before heading into the mountains for a trek.

In this video I visit Observatory Hill, home to the temple where it is thought Darjeeling got its name. Today there are several shrines there, thousands of prayer flags hanging from the trees, and even a temple cave.

I then head to Happy Valley Tea Estate, one of the only tea plantations actually located in town, where I explore the grounds and sit down for afternoon tea with a local picker. Despite what I always assumed to be an acute sense of smell, I had difficulty picking out the better tea leaves amongst the options, but I gave it a try anyway.

• Travel Guide to India: Part One (Calcutta)

• Travel Guide to India: Part Two (Bodhgaya)

• Travel Guide to India: Part Three (Varanasi)

[TheExpeditioner YouTube Channel]

By Matt Stabile

About the Author

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)