DARJEELING Area in Sq Km : 23 Population : 7,565 By Air The nearest airport is Bagdogra, (3 hour drive from Darjeeling), 90 km south near Siliguri. Indian Airlines has flights to Bagdogra from Calcutta (time taken: 2 hours) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Indian Airlines has flights to Bagdogra from Delhi (time taken: 2 hours) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Jet Air has flights from Delhi (time taken: 3 hour 45 minutes) to Bagdogra on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Jet Air has two flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Guwahati (3.5 hours) to Bagdogra. By Train There are 2 railway stations near Darjeeling: New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri. The Toy Train runs twice from New Jalpaiguri: A 8 hour 20 minute (only during high season May-end July) and a 8 hour 15 minute trip. (To take the Toy Train, tickets available only from New Jalpaiguri station) From Delhi, the best trains to Darjeeling are Northeast Express, Brahmaputra Mail and Rajdhani Express. From Calcutta, options are Darjeeling Mail, Kanchenjunga Express, Teesta Torsa, Kamroop Express. From Mumbai take Bombay Mail, Howrah Mail from Madras and Assam Mail from Guwahati. . By Road By road From Siliguri, Darjeeling is a 3 hour drive away. From Kalimpong, Darjeeling is a 3 hour 30 minute drive; from Mirik, a 2 hour 30 minute drive away; from Gangtok, a 5 hour drive away. September-November and mid-February. Reasons why: Best trekking season. Cool and breezy. No fear of landslides in these months. From the Airport It takes three-and-a-half hour by bus to Darjeeling. Ticket costs Rs 75. Private taxi costs Rs 700. Shared taxi costs Rs 150. From the Railway Station Take the Toy train leaving Siliguri station at 9 am. It reaches Darjeeling at 5:30 pm. From the Bus Station Early morning buses can be hired from Tenzing Norgay Central Bus station near Kanchenjunga Stadium, Siliguri. Hire a shared jeep to Darjeeling (3 hour journey, Rs 120) outside the Tenzing Norgay bus station. A luxury bus leaves for Darjeeling from the WBTD Mainak Tourist Lodge, Siliguri, at 8 am. Darjeeling is a small town so you can walk your way around. For sightseeing to nearby places hire a tourist bus, taxi or jeep. Darjeeling or land of the 'dorje' or thunderbolt, has a 'good-natured' climate. No storms or harsh winters. Plenty of warm water to soak your feet in after a tiring trek. Marvellous views of the world's third highest mountains, the 8586 m Kanchenjunga, as you sit sipping tea on the balcony. Market means sifting through mounds of woollens, thangkas (beautiful cloth paintings), bronze statues and jewellery in little shops on the Mall. It also means a holiday where you set the pace, enjoying leisure or seeking new mountains to climb. Darjeeling is every person's dream destination. 575 km to the north of Calcutta (capital of West Bengal in east India), this bit of heaven - great weather, easy access, cheap and plenty accommodation - draws busloads of tourists in summers. This is a 'compact' hill station: everything is within easy reach. Hike up the mountains, steal a sunrise, take back picturesque views in your camera, go trekking - it's like digging into a bottomless box of goodies. Darjeeling has known many masters: Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal, and the British East India Company. Its longest links have been with Sikkim who ruled the area between the present borders of Sikkim and the plains of Bengal , including Darjeeling and Kalimpong till the beginning of the 18th century. The cozy drawing room of the Windamere Hotel has been the setting of a royal romance: local belle Hook Cook met her future husband, the then king of Sikkim. Sikkim's hold over Darjeeling did not go unchallenged. In 1706 the Rajas of Sikkim lost Kalimpong to Bhutan, the rest of the region was captured by the Gurkhas of Nepal. This brought the Gurkhas into conflict with the East India Company and following the war of 1814, the Raja of Sikkim was reinstated with his sovereignty and a pension of INR 3000 (later raised to 6000) guaranteed by the Company. Sikkim, including Darjeeling, became a buffer state between Nepal and Bhutan. By the time the British took over Darjeeling, roads were laid, the first hotel was built in Kurseong, the second in Darjeeling; 70 British bungalows were propped up. Bazaars, a hospital and the jail followed. Cultivation of tea and coffee was introduced. The town, itself, was laid out by Lord Napier of the Royal Engineers. Darjeeling was well on its way to become the British summer capital of the east. Darjeeling's population today reflects its cultural mix. It has an equal mix of the Nepalese and Gorkha. (It difficult to separate the two: both have the look of a smiling Buddha wearing the pointed Nepali cap). There are the Tibetans busy at the markets selling handicrafts. And a smattering of Babus (as the upper middle class Bengali is known) from Calcutta who have made Darjeeling a temporary summer home. . Average temperature in summer varies between 8-15 degrees Celsius. Average winter temperature stays between 1-6 degrees Celsius.