Honeymoon in Darjeeling: The Flashpacking trip
“I don’t care if it is too cold to be romantic, I don’t care if it is too short for a trip to the mountains, I want nothing but the Himalayas as my honeymoon destination” I grudged on. No wonder I chose to honeymoon in Darjeeling.
We got married in 22nd January 2017, a time when winter is at its peak in India. Many would consider going to the Himalayas suicidal and the least romantic honeymoon idea during this time of the year; but well, I wasn’t looking for a romantic honeymoon at all, in my mind it’s all about adventure.
Our dates were pretty tight. The marriage party was 4 days long from 21st January-24th January, on 29th January there was another ritual at my home that we were supposed to attend, the ritual of ‘Ashtamangala’. On 2nd February we had our one-way ticket booked for Mumbai 6 months ago. The schedule left us with just two window period of 25th January-29th January morning and 29th January evening- 1st February in which we could go honeymooning. We chose the former one.
The Husband
Unfortunately, in a marriage the groom ends up having no role apart from just being the groom. The guests, family, friends, caterers, photographers, decorator, tailor, make-up artist, jewellers, florists, selfie-takers and everyone else waltzes only around the bride caring and fulfilling her wishes!
The husband saw this coming and in a desperate attempt ‘in having some role’ he took up the responsibility of booking accommodations in Darjeeling.
The Night in Train
When we bought the railway tickets to New Jalpaiguri station the 3AC and 2AC were already sold. We had our luck left only with sleeper coach of Uttar Banga Express train which originates from Sealdah station.
At 7:35 PM the train pulled away from Sealdah. The night in train was freaking cold and it turned out in the marathon of marriage we have somehow managed to underestimate the harsh weather.
The long distance Indian trains are plagued with passengers who travel without reserved berth. In the depth of night when those with reserved ones are deep asleep, the others squeeze their butt in an empty part of the seat. Not to mention the thieves always take benefit of the situation.
This classic problem of the Sleeper Class coach kept us awake the whole night. This was our 5th night of insufficient sleep in a row.
New Jalpaiguri – Darjeeling
The train reached New Jalpaiguri station on scheduled time at 6.45 AM. As soon as we got out of the station building several men surrounded us. Some were trying to sell us hotel stays, some were offering transportation services, others an entire tour package. Experience had taught us they are best avoided.
Shared jeeps can be hired from NJP station to various tourist destinations like Darjeeling, Kalimpang, Gangtok (check Gangtok Backpack Diaries) etc. These jeeps can roughly accommodate 10-13 people excluding the driver. The general rate is INR 200 per seat from NJP-Darjeeling. The journey takes about 3 hours. Alternatively private AC and non AC cars can also be booked. The nearest bus station is at Siliguri which is an autorickshaw ride away from NJP. Buses to various routes ply from Siliguri.
It was the morning of a national holiday in India, the Republic day- 26th January. On this happy occasion the cabbie of the shared jeep to Darjeeling increased the price of each seat of the jeep from INR 200 to INR 250. The jeep took almost an hour to get filled.
Me and Sayan were the first passengers so we got the two front seats beside the driver.
As the jeep rolled forward I could feel the mountain girl in me getting excited. This is the first time in life I would get the two love of my life together: Sayan and the Himalayas.
The greenery of the wooded road and the blue sky put a smile on my face. The jeep was rising up an incline. We were vertically moving away from river Teesta and watching colourful houses go by on both side of the road when finally I gave in to my sleepy eyes and Sayan’s welcoming shoulders.
Ten minutes after I woke up we got the first sighting of Mount Kanchenjunga. The last time I had seen Kanchenjunga was in 2011 from Sikkim. I had been to Darjeeling once before when I was a school kid of eighth standard but Kanchenjunga was for the entire time hidden behind the veil of cloud.
The driver politely asked me to stop my paranoid camera madness and re-assured me of continuous good weather in the days to come. Little did he know he would be proved wrong.
A very steep climb and direction from locals brought us to Dr.Zakir Hussain Road. More than a road it felt like an alley. The buildings on both the sides of the road looked residential; the rustling of the bright pink flowers was clearly audible in the pin drop silence.
Mr.Banerjee impressed me with the choice of the hotel. We were given a warm welcome by the ever smiling host.
After the much needed afternoon siesta we set off to chase the Darjeeling sunset.
Darjeeling Mall Road and Kanchenjunga — High points of honeymoon in Darjeeling
We haven’t seen Mount Kanchenjunga since alighting from the jeep. Not that the weather wasn’t good, we were not on the right side of the mountain. The road runs in a loop around the Darjeeling Mall.
I was expecting a very busy Mall Road- the heart of all actions in Darjeeling, but, winter seemed to have dampened everybody’s energy. No I am not complaining, rather I was feeling happy. I like visiting places when the tourist rush is minimum; it is not only pocket friendly but also gives one a chance to socialise with the actual locals.
We followed the crowd and round the loop we went. I escalated my speed. Fear of missing the sunset grabbed me.
Whenever there was a streetside vendor in sight, “Mujhe ek mimi dena” was what the local youth crowding the vendor chanted. Now, I had to know what this mimi stands for.
Hot steaming noodles in a bowl of soup were served to all who asked for mimi! So I learned Mimi is an instant noodles brand loved by the younger generation in Darjeeling!
My legs finally took me to the point from where the Kanchenjunga was visible. The sky wasn’t lit up in the fiery yellow hue. It wasn’t time for sunset yet. We seated ourselves and watched the whitewashed peak for minutes until I couldn’t take the cold anymore and craved for tea.
The chilly wind cut through our skin as we finished walking through the loop and ended up again in the Darjeeling Mall. In the Open Air Theatre , some local children were sharpening their hip hop dance style while others were just having a good time with friends and family.
Meanwhile, we, the ‘newly wed couple’ were busy tossing coins to decide who gets to shoot the sunset.
The husband as usual had to give in.
Dinner At Glenary’s
Glenary’s is one of the most popular bakeries in Darjeeling. The ground floor of Glenary’s is for all the baked goodies whereas the first floor is for fine dining. I have a craving for all things sweet. So straight we walked in. We were hungry. Consuming just cakes weren’t good enough to satisfy our gurgling stomach.
In our frugal lifestyle we don’t fine dine a lot but we were happy to splurge on the occasion of our honeymoon dinner. Surprisingly the rate card turned out to be quite pocket-friendly!
This is the first time we were in a restaurant with a fancy fire place. We loved the ambiance of the place and had a sumptuous dinner of beef steak potatoes (INR 295) and baked cheese macaroni (INR 285).
After watching me photograph each brick of the restaurant I wonder what the fine dining regulars were saying behind my back.
Good Night Darjeeling
The handful shops that were open in the hilly town were now pulling down the shutters. The cold was penetrating through all three layers of winter garments that we had worn.
We crossed the mall road, the stable, the roadside food counters and started ascending up Dr.Zakir Hussain Road. It was almost pitch dark and pin drop silent.
Compared to the rest of India women are generally safe in the Himalayan settlements. I have faced more number of eve teasers and gropers just one block away from my home than I have in my several travels in the Himalayas. At ‘worst’ those interactions could be described as innocent flirting as opposed to security threats.
Though I have walked numerous times in the dark and silent streets of several Himalayan towns and valleys, saying I wasn’t afraid of this one would be a lie. In my mind I was calculating the possibilities of being attacked, robbed, and raped by goons. From Mr.Banerjee’s silence I understood he was probably worrying about the same.
We breathed a sigh of relief when our host greeted us with a broad smile.
“Good Night Ma’am; good night Sir.”
Sure. It was our honeymoon, how can we not have a good night? 😉
*****
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Tania Banerjee
Tania is a freelance writer based in India who tinkers with words here and there but mostly focused on travel, food, arts and crafts. She writes for several Indian dailies and magazines.
65 Comments
Doreen Pendgracs
Congrats on surviving a 4-day wedding celebration! I can’t imagine having the energy for that. Sounds like you had an adventure packed honeymoon in Darjeeling. Glad you found some good food and hot tea to keep you warm. Looks like it was chilly there!
Tania Mukherjee
Haha thanks! 😀 Oh it was absolutely chilly, if it isn’t for the tea people would have been almost dead I guess!
Heather
Congrats on your wedding. An adventure is a good choice to spend your honeymoon. Sets a precedence for an life together filled with fun ideas
Tania Mukherjee
It definitely sets a precedence and thank you! 🙂
Chloé Arnold (@ChloeBArnold)
It may have been cold, but it looks STUNNING! Loving the sunset views!
Tania Mukherjee
The Himalayas are indeed stunning at any point of time! 🙂
Daisy
First of all, congratulations! And I can’t think of a better place than to spend your honeymoon amid the Himalayas- such a beautiful, mesmerizing spot to spend the first few days with your loved one!
Tania Mukherjee
Thank You! 🙂 I just wish we had more time in our hand!
Hot Foot Trini
What an awesome place to have a honeymoon! Hope you all had lots of fun even though it was pretty cold. Your pics do justice to Darjeeling in winter.
Tania Mukherjee
Thanks! And oh yes it was so cold gosh! I wore 3 jackets and even after that I was shivering!
Arzo Travels
Congrats on the wedding Tania. Seemed you had great honeymoons (hope it was a great one, and not only one good night :). The location seems like a great choice.
Tania Mukherjee
Haha! It was indeed great but I wish we had more time..just 2 nights 3 days! 🙂
CJ Haughey
I knew Indian wedding were quite a long and extravagant affair before. If I was your husband, I would have been glad to take a back seat and just admire those beautiful views at Kanchenjunga!
I’m glad you both had a great time and the potential troubles on trains or busy streets didn’t sour your experience!
Congratulations on getting hitched!
Tania Mukherjee
Thank you! Haha I was so happy to have someone who can take pictures of me. Generally on my travels I had to plead with people to take my photos, but now I have a permanent photographer with me! Haha!
Deni
This truly seems like an amazing honeymoon spot! The last photos showing the Himalayas in the distance at sunset is absolutely stunning! I hope you two had a fantastic trip (and have a wonderful marriage)! Congratulations!
Tania Mukherjee
It is indeed a honeymooners’ paradise! 🙂
paulinaontheroad
Congrats on your wedding. I would love to do that trip as well. The colours just look so bright there! 🙂
Tania Mukherjee
Thank you.
Bhushavali
First of all, Wish you a very very Happy Married Life!!! Adventure honeymoon sounds awesome, we went on a road-trip! 😉
I haven’t been to Darjeeling yet and to see Kanchenjunga with my own eyes would be such a treat! I’m glad that you managed to pack in all this, in the short time period you had.
Tania Mukherjee
Thank you! OMG a roadtrip for a honeymoon is nothing short of awesome! Where did you go for the roadtrip? If you are planning a trip to see the Kanchenjunga then put in lots of buffer days in the trip..Kanchenjunga is one moody lady and she may allure you for days before giving appearance!
Charlotte
I remember being in India on 26 January as well – lots of celebrations! Darjeeling is beautiful, glad you had a great time, and I love the Himalaya pictures.
Tania Mukherjee
Oh if you are in the famous cities in India on 26th January or 15 August you will face a lot of restrictions. Worst if you are flying into India on those dates! The officials at airport would be at their unfriendliest!
Jean
Oh the cold weather just encourages more snuggle time. Though extra layers and layers are needed to protect yourself against the cold. Congratulations on getting married and choosing such a fun and unique place to celebrate in.
Tania Mukherjee
Thank you and aww on the snuggle comment!! We did snuggle a lot to keep each other warm! Lol felt like Jon Snow and the Ygritte snuggling up north of the wall to keep each other warm! 😀 😀
Milana's Travels
That actually sounds so much better than the typical honeymoon! Most people are boring and sit at an all-inclusive but you had quite the adventure. Congrats on your marriage!
Tania Mukherjee
Thanks! I have almost come to hate the typical honeymoons. Nowadays honeymoon among Indians is nothing short of ‘status flaunting’. They spend a bomb and goes to some badass expensive island for a couple of days, brags about it in FB then sits at home for the coming 10 years! 😀 Bad financial planning!!
Iza (@IzaAbao)
Congratulations! It was such a long celebration.
That was an awesome adventure and honeymoon getaway! I like that it was not crowded with a lot of tourists. You have captured a great photo of the sunset. The baked macaroni looks very delicious.
Iza c/o Kathy James (Walk About Wanderer)
Tania Mukherjee
It was delicious indeed! The perks of travelling off season is you get the entire place for yourself!
Only By Land
This is an interesting trip for a honeymoon and those first few days as an official couple. I would love to taste some of that tea up in Darjeeling. I laughed when you were claiming who should take the first sunset photo.
Tania Mukherjee
Haha! 😀 We should probably get 2 set of cameras! Darjeeling tea is quite popular and they are available in every part of the World, particularly the first World nations!
Vicki Garside
Congratulations on your wedding, and what an incredible destination for your honeymoon! It seems like you made the most of your time too, even though it was short – and you’re lucky to have a husband who wants to adventure with you – I’m sure you have many more years of trips like thing (although hopefully longer!) to come!
Tania Mukherjee
Thank you! Darjeeling is incredible indeed. True I am really lucky to have a husband like him! <3
LP
What an absolute wonder the Darjeeling region is – what a great place to spend your honeymoon, especially when there’s macaroni cheese involved!
Tania Mukherjee
And it was so delicious!! 🙂
Linger Abroad
First of all, congrats on your marriage! We just got married as well and celebrated in New Zealand, which was a bit chilly as well (though not as cold as the Himalayas!), but we went for the adventure and loved every minute of it. But we did finish our honeymoon in Fiji so we got the best of both worlds. Your trip looks incredible though and looks like it was a ton of fun!
Tania Mukherjee
Newzealand and Fiji, wow that’s a perfect recipe for a fantastic honeymoon! 🙂 Congratulations to you too!
explorelovetravel
Congratulations on your wedding!! Your Himalayan honeymoon sounds like it was fantastic! Good thing you both agreed that you wanted an adventurous kind of honeymoon 🙂 your photos from the trip are lovely!
Tania Mukherjee
Thank you! Oh yes it was an adventure honeymoon for sure! 🙂
asoulwindow
You are so lucky, you got the view of Kanchenjunga. When I was in Darjeeling, I couldn’t enjoy it fully due to the poor health of my parents who were traveling with me. I need to go back and experience the activities mentioned in this blog. That baked macaroni looks fab.
Tania Mukherjee
Oh no! I hope your parents are better now. In which month did you travel and why did your parent’s health break down? Actually the cold and the wind on my 2nd day of honeymoon took a toll on my health. Had to pop in some medicines. The whole day I was feeling like a giant elephant is sitting over my head.
asoulwindow
I went in May. My dad had some throat infection. All sorted now.
Tania Mukherjee
Good to hear it is cured now. May be it developed from the chill in the air? I always wrap scarf around my neck when in cold places (but take it off during photo sessions 😛 ).
asoulwindow
Yes. Possible. Haha. Sounds fun.
Tania Mukherjee
Try it and ask uncle to do the same (though I think old people, particularly men, hardly cares if the scarf is getting in the photo or not 😀 )!
asoulwindow
Haha. True. Will convey
TaujahontheMove
omg lol you had me laughing about the train lol. The scenery is so beautiful and the mountains not to mention the food, now I love me some food lol and just to know that the ground floor had nothing but sweets man I would be in heaven right about now lol. This blog screams romance, fun, and adventure. I wish I was there. thank you for taking me virtually on your honeymoon lol.
Tania Mukherjee
So here I have sweet lover 🙂 ! Your comment made my day!
TaujahontheMove
Awww thank you i cant wait to read the next one
Tania Mukherjee
Currently sorting through 100s of photos to shortlist the ones that I will put in my blog! 🙂
Cat
I could see why you wanted the Himalayas as your honeymoon destination! The scenery along the road to Darjeeling is gorgeous. And the sunset view is totally worth waiting for! I’m excited to read more about your honeymoon in the mountains!
Tania Mukherjee
2 more articles are lined up. I wish we had more time to explore in a better way. We missed travelling to all those beautiful tea gardens!
Kimberly Erin
Congratulations on your wedding and your honey moon. When I get married I will do the same as you and take a more adventurous trip 🙂
Tania Mukherjee
Hey that’s awesome! It feels good to inspire someone. 🙂
Sandy N Vyjay
You are right, there can be nothing better than the backdrop of the Himalayas for a honeymoon. Darjeeling packs in the right elements of natural beauty and vintage charm. Traveling there in off-season is really a great experience as the place is less on tourists and you can walk around freely. We loved the place and would like to go back for more!
Tania Mukherjee
Yes. And ‘vintage’ was the word that was missing in my post! Thank you for reminding me! Darjeeling is an experience in itself!
The Travel Ninjas
Congratulations on your wedding! It sounds like you had quite the adventurous honeymoon. 🙂 Even though it was really cold it still looks like you had a great time!
Tania Mukherjee
Yes we indeed had a great time!
Kevin Wagar
I applaud your choice of honeymoon destinations. Is there anything more beautiful than the snow capped Himalayas!?
Tania Mukherjee
Thank you! People generally flock to the islands but we love the high mountains!
Lord
What a way to spend a honeymoon! 😀 T Good luck to the both of you! Kanchenjunga looks absolutely beautiful.
Tania Mukherjee
Kanchenjunga is indeed mesmerizing!
AdventureFaktory ? (@AFtravels)
Congrats to you guys for your wedding and honeymoon. I think hubby did a great job with the accommodation and I really love the idea of going to a different place on your honeymoon. That sunset view is spectacular.
Tania Mukherjee
Thank you! Haha the hubby is super talented indeed! 😀
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