West Point Backpackers Hostel

This was a fantastic stay with a wonderful host and great value for money! The best part of this stay was the host - Rebecca who made my stay very special. She is very warm, kind, friendly, helpful, and planned a tailored itinerary of Darjeeling based on what I like to do (which is a lot of walking/exploring!). She also knows local drivers who can take you to places (e.g. Tiger Hill, Bagdogra airport etc.) for very reasonable rates. It was also great eating fresh breakfast at the family home above the room, and getting to also know the wider family, who are also very welcoming, friendly, have a vast knowledge of the area and great stories to share. The location is very good too, around 20 min walk to the Mall (or take a shared cab from just outside the hostel for 15 rupees). There are several shops and places to eat outside the hostel too, and the Toy Train runs past the home which is really cool. The room itself was clean, very spacious, and the bathroom had a good hot water supply. The rooms were built by Rebeccas father so they have character and history to them which made it more special. There was also homemade chocolates in the room, along with local Darjeeling tea which was a nice touch. From the rooms terrace, you have a great view and can see the valley and the mountains (including Kangchenjunga). Further, I would also highly recommend visiting the lovely Dorjay and Leela who run the Dolma restaurant that is opposite the hostel (and recommended by Rebecca). They only cook fresh food, made daily and you will need to pre-order so that they buy the ingredients. The food is great, very tasty and you get a real authentic, local experience. I ate dinner there every day I stayed at the hostel, and Dorjay is very friendly and nice to chat with too. I would highly recommend this hostel to anybody visiting Darjeeling. Thank you, Rebecca for such a great stay!