Top 3 Places to Visit Near Darjeeling

It is summer in India now. Here, summer means a long vacation time. Most of the people in India plans a short or long trip to some hill station during this holiday. Among this summer destination, Darjeeling in West Bengal is a famous spot. Here is a list of top 3 places to visit in Darjeeling if you are going to Darjeeling this summer.

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

Located at an altitude of 2133.5 meters, this is a unique zoo beside Mountaineering Institute. The Zoo is situated against the magnificent background of Kanchenjunga.

The zoo is famous for breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions, and effectively bred Snow leopards, the endangered Himalayan wolfs and Red Pandas within it. The zoo is stretched over 44 hectares of area and attracts more than 3 Lakhs visitors every year. This zoological park is home to the Siberian Tiger, Himalayan Black Bear, gorals, deer, panther, llama and many endangered birds.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute

The great Himalayan Mountain range attracts mountaineers from all over the world through several years. It is  a dream for every mountaineer to conquer the peaks of Himalaya. The HMI is one of the oldest mountaineering institutes of India. And so every year many mountaineers join this institute with the dreams of climbing Himalayan peaks. The institute is located on the western region of Birch Hill and has a spectacular view of Darjeeling tea gardens and the snow clothed peaks of the majestic Kanchenjunga.

The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) was founded in Darjeeling with the personal initiative of Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.

The HMI enjoyed many impressive faculties that included luminary like Tenzing Norgay. The museum attached to this institute have many rare historical photographs. Many equipment used in great mountaineering trips, some good films on mountaineering and a large number of Himalayan birds and insects. The daring visitors will love the international standard outdoor artificial climbing wall that has a pavilion for spectators.

Ghoom Monastery

Ghoom Monastery is the local name of Yogachoeling Gompa. The Gompa is situated in a place called Ghoom in Darjeeling and thus acquired its name. In the year 1875,  a Mongolian astrologer cum monk established the Ghoom Gompa.

at the gate of this Gompa you will found a large image of ‘Maitreya Buddha’. The Gompa also has a huge collection of bells, rare thanks, scrolls, drums, and some rare  Buddhist manuscripts inside the monastery.