Darjeeling & West Bengal

Delhi to Darjeeling: a child-friendly train adventure

If you have ever balked at the notion of a long Indian road trip with small children – but nevertheless longed to get back to the good old days of the open Asian overland trails - the Rajdhani Express train from Delhi to Darjeeling might be just the easy, family-friendly adventure you are seeking.

Though it takes some 26-or-so hours (including a decent night’s sleep onboard) for the train to forge its way across the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, en route from India’s chaotic capital to the junction town of New Jalpaiguri, booking berths in a 'First Class AC' cabin allows you to watch middle India laze by from the simple comfort of your own small bunk bed-equipped compartment. Freshly made food (curries, rice, dhal and chapattis) arrives in tray form on your lap every four hours or so; station stops provide the opportunity to stock up with samosas, chai (tea) and bunches of bananas. With enough colouring books, games, and perhaps a portable DVD player and a good supply of Disney, parents can feel they are truly back in the realm of backpacker travel, without the attendant perils of India’s creaking ancient buses.

The story behind the photo: fury at Gangasagar Fair

In the first half of 2010, we ran a photo competition, asking travellers to submit their travel shots and help create a virtual photo mosaic of the world. We received over 130,000 amazing images and had to whittle entries down to finalists and a winner – no easy feat! We interviewed some of our finalists to get the story behind the image – like this one taken by Tuhin Dey.