Darjeeling is popularly known as the Queen of Hills. Darjeeling town is the district head quarters of Darjeeling district. It is situated at an altitude of nearly 2134 meters / 7001 feet in the Shiwalik Hills on the lower range of the Himalaya. Darjeeling literally means the land of Thunderbolt. It’s derived from the Tibetan words Dorjee means Thunder and ling means place. It is land internationally known for two of its famous product – The Darjeeling Tea developed by the British in the mid 19th century and the UNESCO world heritage site for the famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railways. It was developed by the East India Company during the British rule as the summer capital of India. Darjeeling town is assessable by the Hill Cart Road (National Highway 55) of nearly 80 kilometers / 50 mile long Darjeeling Himalayan Railway nicknamed the “Toy Train” that follows the railway line. Summer and spring seasons are most popular with the tourists. Winters are chilling with occasional snowfall. Darjeeling is one of the most popular hill stations even before the independence of India. There are a quite a large number of hotels and restaurants which offer a wide variety of cuisines.
