Tucked away in the lofty peaks of the Eastern Himalayas - Darjeeling, a frontier town of the fifties, at an altitude 7500 feet derives its present name from the local Tibetan "Dorje-Ling" - "the Land of the Thunderbolt". It is surrounded by lofty snow capped mountains encompassing all three natural zones - tropical, temperate & alpine within a short distance of hardly 30 miles. This is a region blessed by innumerable rivers & glacier fed streams, rich foothill forests supporting elephant migrations, diverse cultures, simple smiling people and the home of the champagne of tea.

Welcome to the Darjeeling - Sikkim phenomenon. Towering at 28,156 feet Mt. Kanchenjunga - the third highest mountain in the world which is considered as the Guardian Deity of the region, dominates the landscape. This region also hosts a UNESCO World Heritage – the tiny Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.  Your experience in this tour includes unique opportunities to visit picturesque and remote Himalayan  villages, tea plantations and some outstanding ecological sites in addition to interacting with local mountain communities.  Enjoy a taste of their lifestyle and be a part of it as you live with them.

Your first stop is the Makaibari Tea Garden – considered to be one of the best organic tea plantations in the world. From here a ride on the highest railway in the world on the quaint and antique “toy train” to a unique and lovely family run village resort. Shrouded in high mists and whispering English colonial cottages - Darjeeling is full of intrigue. Your accommodation here could be the Swiss Hotel  - a charming quaint refurbished colonial era hotel with stunning views of the Himalayas or the heritage Camelia House. The early Everest expeditions started here and you have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy long and relaxing mountain walks through cedar and pine forests. Plentiful antique shopping, visits to the Center of Tibetan Culture and History and a very intriguing Darjeeling Zoo, where the snow leopard is being bred.

Your Sikkim Experience starts with Bliss Resort – a wonderful family-run lodge at Mangalbarey, West Sikkim. This village – ensconced in a stunning location in the Himalayas, is in a rural setting far from the hustle and bustle of city life. A perfect hideaway from the humdrum of daily life. Enjoy a warm and welcoming Sikkimese hospitality stay. Our ‘piece-de resistance’ is the  Neora Valley Alpine Resort – a hidden gemstone of four alpine hardwood cottages overlooking a ridge with views of snow capped peaks from your bedroom – breathtaking. Remote, secluded and romantic – you will be hosted and fully serviced by a local community with a fully organic life style. Enjoy daily mountain walks or visits to the village 1000 feet down below, bird watching or horesback riding or a candlelit dinner overlooking half a dozen snow capped Himalayan peaks.

Sample Itinerary