The call of the outdoors keep very few tourists cooped up indoors, be it in Darjeeling, Gangtok or Kalimpong. Tourists from around the world claim that viewing the sunrise from Lolegaon at Kalimpong and the Tiger Hill at Darjeeling and the sunset from the Durpin Monastery at Kalimpong is an experience incomparable with any hill station in the world. From the hilltop at Deolo at Kalimpong, the breathtaking view of the Kanchenjunga, Kalimpong and Melli, Sikkim, with the Teesta flowing for below, makes one feel on top of the world.

The drive up to any of the Elgin hotels from the airport at Bagdogra, or the railway stations at New Jalpaiguri or Siliguri is not without its share of beauty. Surprises lurk behind every bend. Steep cliffs loom on one side as the swiftly flowing Teesta far below on the other side, past the precipice on one side of the road, keeps gurgling company en-route. The drive to the pine forests at Lava in Kalimpong, Mirik on the Nepal border, Changu lake in Sikkim and the Nathula pass on the Chinese border are experienced by themselves. Rare and valuable scriptures and artifacts await the historically inclined at the various monasteries that dot the region.

Horticulture not just comes easy in these climes, but it is raised to an art form. Rare orchids grow wild and are collectively reared to be exhibited in flower shows throughout the year. At a Kalimpong nursery, one is treated to a splendid collection of cacti from the world over, maintained in crude greenhouses. The daring and adventurous prefer to go down to the Teesta for exhilarating the white -water rafting. Mountain biking is gaining popularity in the rugged terrain as trekking remains the universal favourite, with thousands of meandering tracks through pine woods leading to nowhere.

The travel desk at the Elgin hotels would be happy to assist you in getting to know this Himalayan region better. And after all the travelling adventure sports and sight-seeing, our guests do nor trudge wearily back to the hotels, rather they eagerly look forward to the delightful comforts that await to pamper and recharge them for another tomorrow at the The Elgin in Darjeeling, The Nor-Khill in Gangtok or The Silver Oaks in Kalimpong.