AsiaLIFE

There's more to the Himalayas than high-altitude trekking. Faine Greenwood dons her woolly jumper and checks out the old world charm of the area’s hill stations, and tries to catch a glimpse of Everest along the way.

India's hill stations offer a unique temperate charm all their own. Visitors can enjoy hot tea and astonishing mountain views while discovering fading hints of the British Raj era. From famed Darjeeling to the little-known town of Gangtok, each station is a unique insight into times past. Here are three of the best.

Darjeeling

Profoundly English Darjeeling was the favoured hill-top city of British tea plantation owners, who built the city in a slightly skewed image of their villages back home. Now resolutely Indian - though Gurkha separatists would beg to disagree - this decaying hill station has an unmistakably bizarre charm.

Darjeeling's top attractions are located near the Mountaineering Institute which was founded by Everest-conqueror Tenzing Norgay and Indian Prime Minister Jahwarhal Nehru.

Attached is a surprisingly good zoo housing Himalayan wildlife.

It's also possible to visit tea plantations, but a morning visit to Tiger Mountain, where you might catch a flash of Everest, is a must.

The most iconic symbol of the British years in Darjeeling must be the Darjeeling Planters Club, which has been converted into a hotel. Travellers can wander through the ghostly Club's lime-green halls, ancient English library and smoking area, decorated with hunting trophies.

Food-wise, it's impossible to miss out on Blind Date, an inexpensive Tibetan cafe located off NB Singh Road. Try cheese curry, fresh noodle soup and dumplings, fried Tibetan bread, and spicy chilli chicken while sampling tea varieties. If you're lucky, the clouds will part as you sip, offering a view of Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain.

For accommodation, the Shangri-La Regency hotel is centrally located and has warm, updated rooms. Doubles are $53 in high season.

How to Get There: The nearest airport is in Bagdogra, where you can book a taxi for the steep ride ahead. Another option is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or toy train, which makes a slow but scenic run up the hill from the New Jalpaiguri Station.

When to Go: April and May have the best weather while the following rainy season, which runs until October, can obstruct views.

Mussoorie

Dizzyingly steep Mussoorie was the favourite hide-out of British dignitaries stationed in Delhi during the British colonial period and was a place where Raj-era families and convalescing soldiers could come to escape the heat of the plains. After the fall of the British, the Delhi elite claimed Mussoorie as their own, retaining the old-school charm and slightly rickety colonial architecture of the “Queen of the Hills".

Mussoorie town can be busy but is worth a look and provides good restaurants, people-watching opportunities, and cold-weather shopping. Locally-made honey, peanut butter and woolly sweaters are on sale. But it’s an exceptionally steep yet serene walk up the hill to the hamlet of Landour that provides a quiet escape from the holiday buzz.

Housing the famous Landour Language School and the Woodstock American School, Landour is a haunt of the literary. Actor Victor Banarjee and writers Ruskin Bond and writer Stephen Alter all have homes here. Contemplative strolls and views of pine forests and the snows of Himalayan peaks are the name of the game in Landour and weary explorers can head to the Four Shops for a cup of tea and excellent pancakes.

Most cheap lodgings in Landour are occupied by Language School students, but high-budget travellers can stay in the historic Rokeby Manor.

It has doubles available for $188 in high season. Budget travellers will find the historic Padmini Nivas hotel provides a quiet get-away in Mussoorie town. Rooms range from $30 to $50 depending on season, and the attached Gujarati restaurant is excellent.

How to Get There: Mussoorie is most easily reached by a five hour train ride from Delhi to Dehradun. From Dehradun, you can hire a taxi up the steep hill to the town.

When to Go: March to June and September to November have the best weather, and the most tourists.

Gangtok

Little-known and hard-to-reach Gangktok may be the Himalayas most pleasant small city.

Although getting here requires either a helicopter ride or a seriously adventurous taxi trip, this gem is well worth the effort, as it features Tibetan monasteries and unique cuisine along with good restaurants, coffee-shops and attractions. The massive Kanchenjunga peak dominates the scenery when the weather is clear.

Gangtok is located in the semi-autonomous state of Sikkim, which was an independent kingdom until 1975. It remains culturally distinct from the rest of India, with a Nepali, Bhutia, and Tibetan ethnic majority.

Hire a taxi for the day and make the bumpy trek to the vibrantly painted Rumtek Monastary, the rightful seat of the 17th Karmapa, head of one of the four major Tibetan Buddhist schools. Outwardly serene, Rumtek is the source of a long-brewing controversy over who is the real reincarnation of the Karmapa.

Also worth visiting is the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, which features a museum, library, and friendly English-speaking Tibetan exiles to show you around. You can also take a cab to the nearby Chomgo lake and the scenic village of Lachung.

Sikkimese food is a delightful mid-point between the cuisines of India and Tibet, with a focus on forest ingredients, including ferns and wild nettles. It's hard to beat fried momos (dumplings) with chilli sauce at downtown's Taste of Tibet accompanied by Gyathuk noodle soup and local Hit beer.

The Hidden Forest Retreat hotel is the place to stay, with $37 rooms in wood huts with views of the valley below.

How to Get There: Flights to Siliguri Airport are available daily from Delhi. From there, it's easiest - and most fun - to take an hour long $65 helicopter ride into Gangtok. Taxis take six hours up steep mountain roads.

When to Go: The rainy season makes the going damp from May to October. You will also need a free Inner Line Permit to enter Sikkim, which is valid for 15 days but is extendable. Ask for it when you apply for your visa. Rules change often, so check online.