This Darjeeling trip from Kolkata turned into an unforgettable journey filled with clouds, mountain roads, local food, and a magical sunrise at Tiger Hill.
So Chandrika called me, and we talked for almost an hour. She said,
“Bhaiii, main bhi aati hoon Bombay se. Let’s go to Darjeeling.”
We said, yeah, that would be fun. She booked her ticket to Bagdogra Airport, and the trip was finalised — Ankit, Chandrika, and me going to Darjeeling.
But when the time came, the day Ankit and I packed everything and were ready to leave from Hamilton Station, suddenly I got a call from Chandrika.
She said, “Bhaiii, main nahi aa paungi. Urgent work aa gaya.”
At that moment, Ankit or maine itna sunaya use — in a friendly way —
“Bhaiii tune kaat diya hamara.”
Ankit’s mother was laughing.
We thought of cancelling the plan — let’s not go to Darjeeling. But our hotel was already booked, and Ankit’s mother said,
“Tum dono hi chale jao.”
So finally, we decided to go.
Hamilton to Siliguri – Gateway to the Himalayas
We took a train from Hamilton Station to Siliguri. After around 3 hours, we reached Siliguri — the corridor to the Himalayas and North Bengal.
We came out of Siliguri station, lit a cigarette, and again Ankit and I were talking about how Chandrika ditched us — laughing about it.
From there, we took a shared cab from Siliguri to Darjeeling. It usually costs around ₹150–₹200 per person.
Since the cab was going to depart after an hour, we had lunch and waited.
The Cab Ride That Felt Like Heaven
Finally, the cab started. Slowly, as we began climbing the mountains, the view became mesmerising — something I had never seen before.
Clouds covered the road. The cab felt like it was floating inside the clouds.
In Siliguri, the temperature was a little hot, but jaise-jaise hum upar ja rahe the, it started getting colder — it felt like heaven.
In between, I think it was Mirik, where the cab stopped. The driver said if anyone wanted to eat, they could.
There was a small café on the right side of the road. We ordered chicken thukpa — one for me and one for Ankit.
I swear, I had never tasted chicken thukpa like that before.
The taste, the view of the tea gardens, clouds passing through us — it felt magical.
And all this for just ₹100.
While eating, we kept thinking about what Chandrika was missing.
Reaching Darjeeling & Our Hotel Struggle
By around 7 PM, we reached Darjeeling. It took almost 4.5 hours from Siliguri.
Now came the fun part — finding our hotel.
Google Maps stopped working. It kept saying “go straight”, but we were literally standing on a mountain with no road ahead, just mountains.
😂😂😂
We asked some locals and finally reached our destination.
I was tired, but excited — it was my first time in Darjeeling.
Yes, if Chandrika had come, it would’ve been more fun, but still — focus on what you have.
The Coldest Shower of My Life
We decided to take a shower one by one.
But the temperature was around 5°C.
Ankit went first. He used all the hot water.
He told me, “Haan bhaii, garam paani hai.”
The moment I poured one mug of water on myself, my soul left my body.
I was abusing him —
“Saale, aaj tu gaya.”
I came out wearing only a towel. Ankit was also in a towel.
We took a mirror selfie — looking like a gay couple
(No intention to insult LGBTQ++).
We sent that photo to Chandrika and laughed like mad.
Darjeeling Morning & Local Food
Next morning, we went out to eat something.
Our motto is simple — no matter where you go, you must try local food.
We had thukpa again and then went to the famous
Glenary’s Bakery, Darjeeling
If you come to Darjeeling and don’t visit Glenary’s, your trip is incomplete.
Their chocolate cake and candies felt like another world.
We had:
Chopsuey
Chicken momo
One soup-based dish (not thukpa — still don’t know the name)
Hands down, Glenary’s was the highlight of the food on this trip.
Mall Road, Toy Train & Batasia Loop
Darjeeling’s Mall Road is something else. I don’t think I’ve seen anything that mesmerising before.
From Mall Road, you can see the famous toy train railway station.
The first time I saw it, I was sure — you’ve never seen anything like this anywhere else.
Then we went to:
Batasia Loop — the spiral railway track surrounded by lush greenery
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Even while writing this, I’m getting goosebumps.
Tiger Hill – The Moment I’ll Never Forget
When we returned to the hotel, the receptionist asked if we wanted to go to Tiger Hill early morning.
Cost was around ₹600 per person (hotel to point and back).
We checked YouTube videos, and immediately said YES.
Wake-up time: 3:00 AM
Departure: 3:30–4:00 AM
Sunrise Over Kanchenjunga
It was dark when we reached. We had to trek a bit to reach the main point.
Ankit was tired and said,
“Bhaiii aur kitna trek karna hai?”
I replied,
“Chal be saale, thoda aur.”
After waiting for around 30 minutes, the sky slowly started lighting up.
And then suddenly —
Kanchenjunga started glowing like melted gold.
It was love at first sight.
I had never seen anything like this before — not even after that day.
As the sun rose slowly behind the mountains, the first rays of sunlight hit us.
Everyone was glowing in golden light, with cold wind brushing our faces.
I just wanted to sit there the whole day.
Saying Goodbye to the Mountains
But sadly, that day I had to return to Kolkata.
We came back to the hotel, checked out, and took another shared cab to Siliguri — ₹250 per person.
Slowly, sadness kicked in.
At Siliguri:
Ankit took a train to Hasimara
I took a bus to Kolkata (₹900)
The bus reached Dharamtala at 8 AM the next day.
From there, I took a cab to Mukundapur, to my flat.
Alone again. Cooking for myself.
But with memories I’ll never forget.
Final Thoughts
That was my Darjeeling story.
I’ll also create a complete Kolkata to Darjeeling itinerary —
👉 [Itinerary link ]
And from here, my next blog begins.
