In the colonial era the hill station of Darjeeling was a favorite summer-get-away from the heat of the Indian planes. Terraced thee gardens and for railway enthusiasts the famous toy train are also among its attractions. I did the trip combined with Bhutan and Sikkim.

The Toy train

A ride on this 0.6 m (2 ft) gauge track steam train is a real treat. The train lives up to its status as World Heritage Site. Lots of fire, smoke, whistling and other noise make you feel time warped. In a world of electronics and complexity it is nice to see and experience some down to earth mechanisms that can be understood by just looking how they move. Another good thing is that the train is slow enough to jump on and off at almost any point of the trip.