Darjeeling is a great place to experience real colonial coziness, with several charming heritage hotels. In this category our preference is for Mayfair Hill, but Windamere Hotel (tel. 0354/225-4041 or -4042; www.windamerehotel.com; doubles from $160/£81), originally a Victorian boardinghouse for English tea-planters on Observatory Hill, has atmospheric public spaces (though the list of do's and don'ts put a slight damper on the holiday). Its huge heritage rooms come with immense charm, but the hotel is showing signs of wear and tear (as you'd expect from a place built in 1889), as does the service. Another heritage property (and better bet) is the New Elgin Hotel (tel. 0354/225-7226 or -7227; www.elginhotels.com; doubles from Rs 4,400/$107/£54). With the air of a country manor, the hotel is frequented by an upmarket foreign crowd looking to relive the splendor of the British Raj. Like that of Windamere, its public spaces are filled with old-world charm -- old-fashioned sofas, deep armchairs, fireplaces, and beautiful rugs -- but some of the rooms aren't quite as grand (some odd color combinations, too), and the bathrooms are small. The best views are from room nos. 21 to 23, 31 to 33, and 51 to 53. More in the standard category of hotels is the Cedar Inn (Jalapahar Rd.; tel. 0354/225-4446; www.cedarinndarjeeling.com; doubles with half-board from Rs 4,500/$110/£56) -- it has rooms with fireplaces (ask for the observatory suite or the attic rooms) and a lovely garden with good views; the only drawback are frayed towels in the small bathrooms.
Finally, if you want to be assured of absolute peace and quiet, head for the nearby hill station of Kalimpong.
Looking for Orchids in Kalimpong -- For even more peace and quiet, head for this nearby hill station. At an altitude of 1,250m (4,000 ft.), Kalimpong is a restorative destination, with magnificent views, relaxing walks, a number of monasteries (Thara Choeling, Tongsa Gompa, Durpin) and an abundance of wild orchids. Also check out the interesting Pine View Nursery with its amazing assortment of cacti (Attisha Rd.; tel. 03552/25-5843). Kalimpong is known for its cheese and deadly red-chili pickle, both of which you can buy from Larks Provision Store (Rishi Rd.; tel. 03552/25-9774). You'll find a variety of places to stay, including several charming hotels that will delight Rajophiles. Silver Oaks (Rinkingpong Rd.; tel. 03552/25-5296, -5766, or -5767; www.elginhotels.com) has lovely exteriors with flowers spilling from every crevice and terrific old-world ambience; the luxurious doubles go for Rs 4,100 ($100/£51) including all meals (request Tibetan cuisine). However, the views aren't great and sound carries through the walls quite easily. On the flip side, the staff is extra chirpy in the mornings and you can enjoy their singing as they clean the rooms down the hall! Barely a 5-minute walk from here, representing real heritage, the Himalayan Hotel (Upper Cart Rd.; tel. 03552/25-5248; himhot@satyam.net.in) feels like the setting for a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Crammed full of history, it has a wonderful hilltop location (full-board doubles from Rs 4,100/$100/£51). Originally owned by David Macdonald, who also assisted in the escape of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1910, it has played host to the likes of Hillary and Tenzing, Mme. Alexandra David-Neel, and Shirley MacLaine. The old heritage cottage has eight rooms, with oak ceilings, teak pillars, a porch with an assortment of lovely wicker and wooden chairs, and stunning views -- ask for no. 5 or 6. Another option is a homestay called Orchid Retreat (Ganesh Villa; tel. 03552/27-4489; www.theorchidretreat.com), situated 4km (2 1/2 miles) from the main town, away from the noise and set amid a terraced nursery (full-board doubles 2,000/$49/£25). Run by the Pradhan family, it offers good cuisine and simple but lovely cottages surrounded by native and exotic species of plants. Rooms are spacious, but bathrooms (showers only) are a little tacky. The extremely interesting Ganesh Mani Pradhan, expert in the flora and fauna of the area, will be more than happy to show you around. Ask him to take you to Pedong, half an hour away along a lovely road lined with old trees -- it's a small village with some great views and an ancient Bhutanese monastery, with rare and unusual paintings of the Buddha.
