Lauren Tabbron shares her favourite things to do in Manchester
Jess Astbury regales tales of festivities in warmer climates.
What to do
Darjeeling is one of the world’s tea capitals. Ever sat down to a hot Twining’s brew? In Darjeeling you can pick your own Twining’s branded leaves, and enjoy your cup of tea surrounded by the plants it came from.
The climate in Darjeeling is not the sweltering, sunny, monsoon climate that more southern parts of India experience. It’s cold, and it snows. This may not be the most appealing fact about the town, but this clime does accommodate the presence of white tigers in its zoo, and other mountain creatures that you might not previously have stumbled upon.
This is an experience that will either be unforgettably beautiful, of disappointingly misty. You’ll have to wake up in the wee hours, and get on a bus to a viewing point, but, assuming it’s a good day it will be the ultimate photo opportunity, seeing the sunrise onto the silhouette of Everest and Kanchenjunga mountain
What to buy
There are small businesses in Darjeeling that sell, beautifully wrap, and send tea to your loved ones all around the world, and what better present to send your relatives than a packet of Britain’s best loved drink direct from the place of origin? You can choose from cheaper teas, from as little as 20RS (about 30p) per pack, or from the highest quality teas, with the most enchanting and exotically complex names such as, "super-fine-tippy-golden-flowery-orange".
Perhaps this is not the fashionably Bolly-chic souvenir you’d wish to take home from India, but Darjeeling, being so cold, produces gorgeous, soft, woollen gloves and socks and jumpers and more. Let’s face it, once you’re home, you’ll get more use out of some souvenir socks than a souvenir sari.
Up in the mountains where you’d least expect to find expansive flea-markets, that is exactly what you will find. Heaven knows where it all comes from, but you can buy second-hand clothing, from cashmere cardigans, to children’s school jumpers, to misplacedly fashionable lace and leopard print embellished garments, all for less that a fraction of what they would cost at home.
What to eat
It goes without saying that curry, dhal, and all those Indian favourites can be sampled in Darjeeling, but the following are some slightly less obvious suggestions of what to try…
It is easy in India to be caught up in the old-worldly charm of it all, and forget that it is not all tea served out of mini-terracotta pots, and rice served on banana leaves. There are more modern parts of India’s food culture that are worth a try too. You won’t find Starbucks in the Himalayas, but India’s answer to the chain, Café Coffee Day – whose slogan reads: “A lot can happen over coffee.” – is everywhere in India, including, ironically, this tea-orientated town. If the chain is so popular that it exists at 7407 thousand feet above sea level, then surely it’s worth a visit?
Being so near to Tibet, Darjeeling has not only the influence of north Indian culinary traditions, but also a strong influence from Tibet and China. “Momos” (Tibetan dumplings), are a popular snack or meal, and will give you are taste of something more local than the nation’s favourite coffee chain.
Something quite unique to this cold but tourist town is the offer of hot milk with cereal. If you’re craving a bit of something that will remind you of home, cornflakes with hot milk is a pleasingly unfamiliar way of eating a comfortingly familiar foodstuff, and might leave you wondering why it had never occurred to you to eat your cereal that way on cold winter days at home.
The Bottom Line
Every town in India has something different to offer, but with its cold climate, and tea-mania, Darjeeling offers an alternative India that is both very Indian, but also won’t necessarily match up to stereotypical views of what one is likely to encounter in the subcontinent.
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