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Overview
Darjeeling, a town in India’s West Bengal state, in the Himalayan foothills. Once a summer resort for the British Raj elite, it remains the terminus of the narrow-gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, or “Toy Train,” completed in 1881. Furthermore, explore Kolkata the city of Joy, contrast, and culture. Once the capital of British India – now the capital of West Bengal. A visit to Kolkata will bring visitors in touch with a combination of a rich 400 years old heritage. Finally, visit the grandest mangrove forest in the world in Sundarbans. This misty swamp region is home to man-eating tigers and although a rugged terrain, the land is hospitable to the inhabitants who live and visit there.
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Tour Highlights
- Experience a combination of Kolkata’s rich 400 years old heritage, vibrant modern life and different cultures
- Visit Mother Theresa’s House, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata
- Appreciate Darjeeling, a land of infinite variety and charm in the Himalayan foothills
- Visit ancient temples and holy monuments to gain spiritual insight into Darjeeling’s ingrained Buddhist philosophy
- Experience the narrow-gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, or “Toy Train,” completed in 1881
- Visit the distinctive black tea plantations that dot the surrounding slopes of Darjeeling
- Experience the panoramic views of Mt. Kanchenjunga, amongst the world’s highest peaks
Itinerary
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Day 1:
ARRIVE BAGDOGRA - KURSEONG
Welcome on arrival at Bagdogra and transfer to Kurseong (55Kms / 02 Hrs). Evening free for leisure. Overnight at Hotel.
Kurseong, locally known as “Kharsang” which in Lepcha means ‘the Land of White Orchids’, referring to the small white orchids are prolific here. The serenity and tranquillity of this place are what attracts people. On the outskirts of the main town of Kurseong is Cochrane Place, a recreated and restored stately British Colonial home of its previous resident, Percy John Cochrane, MBE. The stunning view of the tea garden along with the mountains and the foothill forests of the Eastern Himalayas from this Tea Resort are enchanting.
Meals: Breakfast, DinnerAccommodation: Cochrane PlaceCochrane Place
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Day 2:
KURSEONG - DARJEELING
Enjoy an early breakfast and proceed for a tour of the Makaibari Tea Factory and Plantation to interact and discover the charming character, rich culture, and history with the friendly people of the tea estate. Lunch at Cochrane Place followed by transfer to the Kurseong Toy Train Station to connect the Toy Train (Train 9D / STD 15.00Hrs) to Darjeeling (30Kms / 03Hrs). This unique Mountain Railway’ project was first started in 1878 by the initiative of Sir. Ashley Eden and is now a World Heritage.
Darjeeling is a land of infinite variety and charm. Dorje, the mystic thunderbolt of the Lama-Religion was the origin of the name Darjeeling, which was first discovered by a British Captain Lloyd in the year 1829. Surrounded by Tea gardens; this little town faces some of the highest peaks of the Himalayas and used to be the summer retreat of the European Officers in Bengal. Evening free for individual activity and leisure, overnight at Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner -
Day 3:
DARJEELING SIGHTSEEING
Breakfast at the Hotel followed by a half day of local sightseeing covering Padmaja N. Zoological Garden (Closed on Thursday) established on August 14, 1958. It specializes in breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions.
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (Closed on Thursday) was founded in Darjeeling on 4th November by Pandit Nehru who said that “The institute trains young men not only to climb Himalayan peaks but also create in them an urge to climb peaks of human Endeavour.” HMI has the oldest mountaineering Museum in the country established in 1957.
Tibetan Refugee Self-help Center (Closed on Sunday) established on 1 October 1959, following the dramatic escape of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, thousands of Tibetans leaving hearth and home, fled into the neighboring countries to live as free human beings. The production of Tibetan handicraft is the center’s main activity. Enjoy an evening short walk through the local markets.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner -
Day 4:
DARJEELING – BAGDOGRA – KOLKATA
Breakfast at the hotel followed by a transfer to the Bagdogra Airport (78Kms/03Hrs) to connect your flight to Kolkata. Welcome on arrival at Kolkata airport and transfer to your hotel. Kolkata is the city of Joy, contrast, and culture. Once the capital of British India – now the capital of West Bengal. A visit to Kolkata will bring visitors in touch with a combination of a rich 400 years old heritage, vibrant modern life, and different cultures.
Meals: Breakfast, DinnerAccommodation: The Oberoi GrandThe Oberoi Grand
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Day 5:
KOLKATA TO SUNDARBANS AND VISIT TO TIGER RESERVE
Early morning, 7 AM transfer to Gothkhali (109Kms/3Hrs) through beautiful countrysides and rural bazaar. Arrive at Goathkhali Jetty and board into the motorized boat. After briefing and interpretation by our local guide/naturalist over a welcome drink, cruise through Vidyadhari, Durgaduani, and Gumdi rivers to the Sudhanyakhali watch tower and the visit to Sajnekhali Interpretation Centre. Experience the Island Cruise and arrive at Bali Island and check into TORA Resort. In the evening enjoy the infotainment by the local villagers. Overnight at the Camp.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerAccommodation: Tora Eco ResortTora Eco Resort
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Day 6:
VILLAGE LIFE EXPERIENCE AT BALI AND TRANSFER TO KOLKATA
After breakfast, experience the village walk followed by a manually oared country boat ride. Check out of the village camp and board the local boat for a cruise to Naubanki Deulbharani – Panchamukhani and numerous creeks and visit Dobanki to experience the Canopy Walk in the Tower. Lunch onboard the cruise; followed by transfer to Kolkata.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerAccommodation: Mayfair Hill ResortMayfair Hill Resort
The Mall, Opposite Governor House, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101, Indiahttp://www.mayfairhotels.com/mayfair-darjeeling/+91 354 225 6376Perched on a picturesque hill, MAYFAIR Darjeeling is a heritage hotel that exudes old world charm and quiet elegance. Wake up to birdsong and beautiful views as you soak in the blissful ambiance. The green foliage and the crisp mountain air will refresh your senses. Striking the perfect balance between the old and the modern, MAYFAIR, Darjeeling indulges you with its beauty and warm genuine hospitality whether you are traveling on a honeymoon, on a work trip or a family getaway. The luxury accommodation provided at the resort include spacious Family Rooms and lavish Suites. Dining options include a grand buffet restaurant serving some of the best food in town, an English bar with lovely sunset views and a charming multi-cuisine restaurant. Facilities at the hotel include an excellent Spa, a well-equipped gym, a state-of-the-art banquet hall, a children’s play area and a nice library.
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Day 7:
EXPLORE KOLKATA
The morning after breakfast start exploring the city of Joy with an introduction about the glory of Bengal, visit the Flower Market – a unique wholesale market of flowers which is situated in the bank of river Ganges near the famous Howrah Bridge and drive by the heritage buildings of Dalhousie Square. Explore the College Street Book Market by a hand-pulled Rickshaw and enjoy a cup of hot Coffee at the Famous “Indian Coffee House” which is running since 1942.
Enjoy a traditional Bengali lunch at the famous “Aheli” at The Peerless Inn.
After lunch, visit the St. Paul’s Cathedral, the first ‘Episcopal Cathedral Church’ in an oriental country, and the Victoria Memorial also referred to as the Taj of the Raj. This splendid white marble structure was built in memory of Queen Victoria between 1906 and 1921 and was formally inaugurated by the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VIII of England.
Visit the Mother House – the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity and the interesting Kalighat Kali Temple – one of the 52 Shakti Peethas in India, devotees from all over the country come to visit this holy temple. In between, you can also enjoy a short tram ride in the crowded streets of Kolkata. Overnight at Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, DinnerAccommodation: The Oberoi GrandThe Oberoi Grand
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Day 8:
DEPARTURE TRANSFER
In the morning after breakfast transfer to the airport to connect flight for home.
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This is a privately guided journey. Contact us on how to book this tour.Recent Reviews
We are back in Canada now, safe and sound! Denise and I would like to thank you both for organizing and managing a wonderful trip. We had high hopes at the start, and they were exceeded! The basic layout of the trip and then the detailed management made this a fabulous and exciting adventure. Thanks to the two drivers Resham and Ranji who were wonderful. Driving in India can be a bit exciting or, at worst very fatiguing, but the always smoothed things out, making the long and short trips comfortable and interesting. Many of the guides were excellent, with deep knowledge, and fascinating insights. In particular, we enjoyed our time with Suresh in Agra who always went the extra mile, Harsh in Udaipur who taught us so many things and then put them together, and even the "Professor" Jha Raji in Varanasi, who gave us an introduction to a whole new world for us. The guides in Dharavi, the tea plantation , and spice plantations were very interesting. We saw many wonderful things and had a great introduction to a fascinating country; Denise even got interested in cricket! Please keep in touch. We'll be thinking about next year. Bahut dhanyavaad
Bruce and Denise Shaw
Waterloo, Canada
Thank you so much for arranging our trip. We had a fantastic time and overall the experience was more than we could have imagined, everything was perfect. The hotels were all extremely good, we encountered no issues anywhere, our driver Babu was fantastic (very timely and accommodating) and we saw everything we wanted to! I will definitely recommend your company to people who want to arrange an India trip. Once again my sincerest gratitude for your assistance in having made this such a great holiday!
Shafin & Shereen Jivraj
London, UK
Hi Nazir, Just wanted to let you know how much Maggie and I enjoyed our tour. I have to admit that India wasn’t high on my bucket list and that Maggie was the one who was really keen to visit. I’m now a convert and was overwhelmed by the history, culture and the teeming life of the country. The organization of the trip could not be faulted, the quality of hotels exceeded my expectations and our tour guide Rajeev Sharma was the perfect host being informative, entertaining and attentive throughout the visit. The entire experience was excellent value for money. My only complaint is that I now have several thousand photographs to sort through. Kind regards, Rod and Maggie Pye
Rod & Maggie Pye
Mississauga ON,
Dear Mandira and Nazir, We had a really wonderful time. Our guide was very professional, informative and warm which really makes a huge difference when going with a group..and we could not have been luckier group wise- everyone was friendly and engaged. The hotels were all extremely good. We really enjoyed the range of food, the optional cookery session was a real insight into family life- a most delightful family. We really enjoyed the performance in Kerala. It was such a pity the performers did not have a larger audience Thank you all at Explore India for such a professional and friendly service. We will most definitely recommend your company to anyone thinking of going to India. Kind regards Catriona
Catriona Stares
London UK, United Kingdom
A wonderful experience, you made good choices for our itinerary. The hotels were great, the guides were full of knowledge. The greenhouse resort amazing, perhaps an extra night there would be a great addition, the palace in Deoghar could have an extra night too! The marigold hotel was a truly fantastic experience, one I'll never forget. Tell Rajeev it was a memorable trip. He took great care getting us to and from airport, we really appreciated the extra effort.
A. White
Surrey, Canada
I want to let you know how pleased my sister and I are with the tour we took to northern India in February. All the facilities arranged for us were top rate. The itinerary was varied and thoughtfully put together to highlight many interesting destinations, while allowing sufficient time to visit at leisure. Your quick and effective response to the unforeseen cancellation of our return flight was impressive. Thank you. The success of any guided tour depends in large part on the guide, and that was certainly borne out in this case. Mr Shah is competent, amicable and passionate about his country. He was able to anticipate and avert possible problems, and enlightened us with information and (what we called) mini-lectures on subjects ranging from history archaeology and political structure, to cultural topics such as the caste system and arranged marriages. As a bonus, he is also "unflappable" and has a very good sense of humour. I have already recommended your company to friends, and hope they take the opportunity to discover a little of India as we did. Regards Donna Neve
Donna & Sandra Neve
Victoria BC
Dear Nazir, Thank you so much for your note. We had a wonderful time in India, and cannot say enough good things about our guide, Jishoy, and his team. Our driver Aneesh and his helper were incredibly competent, in the traffic jams, the winding roads, the wild traffic, and even fixed a puncture on a very narrow mountain road, with road construction going on all around. We felt very safe and well looked after during the entire trip. Jishoy was extremely well informed about India....the history and the culture, and shared stories about many aspects of Indian life. He was always kind, and very patient with us, and with everyone with whom we had contact. He also has a great sense of humour, and I think many of us would have liked to take him home with us😊. Everything went very smoothly and without any bumps...except for the bumps on the Indian roads:) I really loved your country. If I had any suggestions to make, it would be to stay longer in some of the areas......perhaps 2 nights in each stop, or even three. However, we would not have been able to cover the area we did, if we hadn't moved along as quickly, so I don't know what the answer to that challenge might be. Thank you to everyone who put this trip together, and again great tributes to our leader, Jish, who did everything in his power to make it a very special event for all of us. Sincerely yours, Margaret
Margaret MacKenzie
Salt Spring island BC, Canada
Dorothy and I just wanted to let you know what a great time we had with you and our fellow travellers during our recent adventure in India.It was indeed a 'TRIP OF A LIFETIME' and excellent value -- one we will always cherish. Your attention to detail was incredible, the hotels were fantastic, the food was superb and your assistants couldn't do enough for us Please thank them again on our behalf.
Peter & Dorothy
North Vancouver, Canada
Sheila and I would like to thank you for making our trip to India so special. As you know I really didn't share Sheila's interest in traveling to India but after speaking with you a few times decided to go. It truly was a journey of the senses with every moment filled with sights and sounds we had not experienced before. While we have travelled to many exotic places India certainly is unique. You were an amazing host and from our first day meeting you prior to the start of the tour you were very generous in providing car, driver and guide for us so we could see Delhi, also taking us out for lunch and shopping was very interesting and a nice way of meeting a few other fellow travelers before the trip started. We were overwhelmed with many of the experiences from the beautiful hotels to the boat rides on the Ganges to the two visits to the Taj Mahal. The visit for dinner and to see the elephants playing polo(no we didn't ride),dinner at Rambagh Palace, visits to the Dhobi Ghat, watching the Dabbawallahs organize lunch deliveries as well as the visit to the Dharavi slum were all amazing. I think the sound of horns honking will be with us for a while as well as the many "exciting" rides in peddle driven and electric rickshaws. If anyone is curious about visiting India we would strongly suggest they Explore India with you.
Dave and Sheila Gore
My mother and I wanted to send a heartfelt thank you for a wonderful and memorable trip to India. It was so beautifully planned – it is very clear you have put much thought and preparation into these trips. Rajeev was an excellent escort – he was very attentive and saw to our every need. He made a big fuzz over Mom for her birthday – which she said she didn’t want but I think secretly enjoyed!! In addition, he was such a comfort and help to poor Carol, who unfortunately had a medical emergency. The service was above and beyond, in every way! I would highly recommend Explore India to anyone looking for a well run, quality tour in India. We loved every minute of it!
Carolyn Kilbourne
Toronto, Canada
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