The Best Hill Stations in India
India is home to some of the besthill stations. Snow capped mountain peaks, lush green valleys, enchanting
waterfalls, rolling streams and rivulets, mesmerising views of sunrise and
sunset, and the pleasant cool climate – all these make hill stations a favourite
choice for holiday destinations. From the Himalayas to the Western Ghats, there
are many hill stations in India.
Some of the top hill stations are:
Darjeeling,
West Bengal
Located at an altitude of 2,042
meters above sea level, Darjeeling in West Bengal is one of the most popular
hill stations in India. The Darjeeling tea, locally produced in the region, is
world famous and regarded as one of the finest brews of tea by many tea
enthusiasts and lovers. Nestled in between the mountains and clouds, Darjeeling
offers beautiful panoramic views of the surroundings hills and slopes covered
with tea plantations. Tiger Hill, just half an hour drive away from Darjeeling,
is well known for its early morning sunrise and view of the Kanchenjunga peak
if the sky is clear of clouds. The hill station is home to some of the oldest
Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a UNESCO
world heritage site. The region also has the largest high altitude zoo in
India. All these attractions make Darjeeling one of the top tourist spots inIndia.
Gangtok, Sikkim
Gangtok is the capital city of
Sikkim. The town is located 1,650 meters above sea level in the eastern
Himalayan range. The hill station offers some beautiful panoramic views of the
hills and surrounding valleys. Gangtok is most well known for its view of the
Kanchenjunga Mountains. There are other attractions like the Tsomgo Lake, Nathu
La Pass, Ban Jhakri falls, Tashi viewpoint and more sights to see. The Rumtek
Monastery and the Enchey Monastery are also popular tourist spots. Gangtok is
one of the few cities in India that can boast of a ropeway running through the
middle of the city. Built by Damodar Ropeways& Infra Limited, one of the oldest ropeway construction companies in
India, the ropeway in Gangtok is 935
meters long. It begins at Deorali Bazar and stops at Namnang and Tashiling. The
ropeway ride is popular among both tourists and local population. The DRIL ropeway ride offers a complete panoramic view of the full Gangtok
city. If the skies are clear, tourists can also be lucky to catch a glimpse of
the snow capped Kanchenjunga peak.
Auli, Uttarakhand
Being promoted as a premier skiing
destination, Auli is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. With its 3
kilometer long slope and a 500 meter long ski lift, tourists can enjoy an
exhilarating skiing experience here. Moreover, the snow-covered slopes of Auli also
present magnificent views of the Himalayas.
Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh
Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh is blessed with immense natural beauty. Located
10,000 feet above sea level, this hill station is home to some of the oldest
Buddhist monasteries, enchanting high altitude lakes and cascading waterfalls.
The hills and valleys offer mesmerizing views. The Tawang Monastery and the
Indo-China border are among the top tourist attractions here. Tawang is also
home to one of the highest cable car rides in the world. Built by DRIL, the
Tawang cable car route is built at 11,000 feet above sea level. There was some
challenge in erection of the upper station due to the poor accessibility. But
the project was successfully completed by DRIL. Taking this cable car ride,
tourists can enjoy a magnificent aerial view of the beautiful natural scenery
surrounding the town of Tawang.
Namchi,
Sikkim
Namchi in southern part of Sikkim is
situated at an altitude of 1,675 meters above sea level. It is most famous for
the world’s largest statue of Guru Padmasambhava, the Buddhist patron saint of
Sikkim, set atop the Samdruptse hill. To encourage more tourism, a pilgrimage
complex has been built on top of Solophok hill which includes replicas of the
four pilgrims (char dham) of India. This pilgrimage complex attracts a lot of
tourists to Namchi. Another major attraction is the cable car ride. Originating
at the Children's Park near Sandruptse hill to the Rock Garden in
Namchi, this DRIL ropeway is 2134 meters long. The ropeway was built on a difficult terrain with the dual
aim of providing eco-friendly and energy efficient system of transportation and
for the development of tourism. By taking a ride on this DRIL cable car,
tourists can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Kanchenjunga Mountains and the
surrounding scenery.
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