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Places of
Interest
 Day
Trips
Weekend
Trips
If
you have more than a weekend to spare
If you have more than a weekend to spare:
Darjeeling is internationally famous for its tea industry
and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
tea plantations date back to the mid 1800s as part of a British
development of the area. The tea growers of the area developed
distinctive hybrids of black tea and fermenting techniques, with many
blends considered among the world's finest. The Darjeeling Himalayan
Railway connecting the town with the plains was declared a World
Heritage Site in 1999 and is one of the few steam engines still in
service in India. Darjeeling is popularly known as the "Queen of the
Hills". Darjeeling with its natural beauty provides a wide variety of
activities from liesurely scenic walks to more gruelling activities such
as trekking and river rafting for the adventurous ones. Don’t miss
sipping Darjeeling tea on the terrace of Keventers while watching the
breath taking view of the snow capped Kanchanjunga.
Darjeeling is 759 km from Kolkata and is very well connected by air to
Kolkata and Delhi (Bagdogra Airport is 94km from Darjeeling), by railway
(closest station New Jalpaiguri is 88 km from Darjeeling) and by road.
Since Darjeeling attracts tourists through out the year it has plenty of
hotels but it is better to book both hotel and travel tickets in advance
due to the rush.
Making Darjeeling your base you can travel and explore Kalimpong, Lava,
Lolengaon and Kurseong to experience the beauty of the Himalayas.
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the
Himalayas. It is the least populous state in India, and the second
smallest in area after Goa. Gangtok is the capital and largest town.
Despite its tiny size, Sikkim is geographically diverse, owing to its
location on the Himalaya. The climate ranges from subtropical to high
alpine. Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest peak, which is located
in the north eastern part of Nepal can be seen from Sikkim. Sikkim has
become one of India's most visited states, owing to its reputation of
cleanliness, scenic beauty and political stability. The Nathula Pass at
nearly 15000 feet connects this state with China. The best orchids in
India grow in Sikkim and it has a great variety of flora and fauna. Due
to its proximity to the greater Himalayan range Sikkim does have a cold
climate with severe winters.
It is easily accessible from Kolkata by rail and road. There are a
number of hotels to suit every pocket.
However foreigners need permission from the Sikkim Tourism office in
Kolkata to visit Sikkim.
Puri, the holy city of Orissa has a remarkable value in
the field of Art, Architecture, Literature, religion and tradition. Puri
is the seat of Lord Jagannath, the Lord of Universe. This place is an
important religious centre for hindus. The sanctity of the place is well
known to all the pilgrims of the world. The town being situated on the
sea beach of the Bay of Bengal. The wonderfully wide beaches, the
fishing farms and the superb resorts make it a place equally inviting
for all kind of tourists. The beaches at the dawn are absolutely
breathtaking and worth the effort of waking up early to go to the beach.
Other places from Puri worth a visit is the SunTemple at Konark, The
Chilka Lake, Bitharkanika Wildlife Sanctuary(Olive Ridley Turtles) and
the Nandankanan zoo.
The nearest airport is 62-km away at Bhubaneswar. There are Indian
Airlines flights from there to Delhi, Calcutta, Hyderabad, Madras, and
Bombay. Puri has direct train service to and from Calcutta, New Delhi,
Ahmedabad, Vishakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Tirupati. There are a few
main areas where there are hotels along the beach. The northeast part,
near the fishing village, on or just off Chakra Tirtha Road, is where
most of the budget hotels are located and is a popular area for western
tourists. Another area is the main Indian tourist area, which is by the
Puri Hotel, near Beach Sea Road. Most of the people staying in this area
are Indians. There are also a few hotels in the southwest part of town.
It is quiet there and the seawater is clean too.
Varanasi, or Benaras, (also known as Kashi)
is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Varanasi`s Prominence
in Hindu mythology is virtually unrevealed. Mark Twain, the English
author and literature, who was enthralled by the legend and sanctity of
Benaras, once wrote : "Benaras is older than history, older than
tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them
put together" . Boat rides on the River Ganga are very popular,
especially at sunrise and sunset.
Varanasi is also renowned for its rich tapestry of music, arts, crafts
and education. Some of the world renowned exponents India has produced
in these fields were schooled in Varanasi’s cultural ethos. Luminaries
apart, Varanasi abounds in the art of silk weaving, an exotic work of
art which manifests itself in precious Banarasi Silk Sarees and Silk
brocades which are cherished as collector’s items across the world
today.
It also attracts Buddhists from all over the world as it was in Sharnath
that Lord Buddha preached his first sermon.
Trains are the easiest and most likely way that you'll reach Varanasi.
It's well connected to many cities including Delhi, Agra and Kolkata.
Being such a tourst attraction Varanasi has hotels that range from five
star accommodation to budget hotels.
Bodhgaya - About 15 km from Gaya, Bodhgaya was the place
where Gautam, later called the Buddha or the enlightened one, attained
Enlightenment. And here under a peepal tree one of the great religions
of the world, Buddhism, was created. This was twenty five centuries ago.
One of the four holiest cities of Buddhist faith, the Mahabodhi temple
is the main attraction of Bodhgaya and is located near the spot where
Lord Buddha attained spiritual enlightenment. Places associated with the
life and times of Lord Buddha are located inside the Mahabodhi complex
including the Bodhi Tree and a pond where according to legends, Lord
Buddha meditated for a few days. Visited often by His Holiness the Dalai
Lama and other Lamas from Dharamshala, Bodhgaya is not merely a
historical site but a vibrant Buddhist pilgrimage center of India.
The nearest airport, and railhead are at Gaya, 12 km away is very well
connected to Kolkata and other major cities.
Betla Forest - Betla (Palamau) shot into fame as early as
1932 for its tiger census - the first of its kind in the world. In 1974
it became one of the country's earliest tiger reserves. Endowed with
thick tropical forests and a rich variety of faunas, its core area of
232 sq. km. has been declared the Betla National Park. It is now a part
of one of the nine tiger reserves in India under Project Tiger. Betla
National Park is a great attraction to tourists. Tiger, Panther, Sloth
Bear, Wild Bear, Sambhar, Nilgai, Kakar, Mouse Deer, Peacock are also
spotted. The park, at an average elevation of 100ft is open throughout
the year although February, March and April are the best months to
visit.
The accommodation facilities in the tourist complex, include a three
star hotel, tourist lodges with canteen, log huts and tree houses inside
the forest with fully furnished suites. The tree house overlooks a
watering hole a few yards away where the animals gather in the summers
to quench their thirst. STD/ ISD, Postal and Internet facilities are
available in the reserve area. Bihar State Tourism Development
Corporation's Van Vihar is available for stay. Phone: 06562-86513.
Ranchi, situated around 140 km away, is the nearest airport with regular
air connections to Delhi and Kolkata. The nearest important railway
station is Daltonganj (25 km away), connected to many places in the
region with regular trains. Ranchi and Gaya are also convenient railway
stations for the tourists coming from Delhi and Calcutta respectively. |
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