Darjeeling Tourist Traps

We had a very bad experience once we landed at Darjeeling. These days the jeeps take you to lower Bazar or Lal Bazar from there you will have to climb up to Mall or near to your hotel. You also need to take the help of a local Pittu ( Coolie) as climbing is not easy for the plain landers with luggage. Here you will be surrounded by many hooligan type local youths who have been empowered by GJM or GNLF bosses to collect money from you as commission for searching a room for you! They take money both way from hotel also. Thus your hotel rate increases.

We had booked our hotel Seven 17 from Siliguri over phone and had a confirmed booking, but the hooligans demanded if I was carrying any hotel booking papers, I was n't as the booking was done over phone. One boy forcibly escorted me up to the hotel and demanded one days' rent from the hotel ! In 2000 it was Rs.500/- a day! After lot of haggling he left with Rs.200/- from the hotel and Rs100/- from me as fee for searching me a room! This was pure hooliganism. After that the hotel did not allow me any discount for my 7 night's stay as they said they will have to pay 10% of my room rent to the volunteers of GLNF everyday! That was the peace buying process for the hotel.
What you can do: These days you can book any good hotel in Darjeeling over net. Keep the printout of the booking slip ready in case you face the same trouble as I did. Just show them as you have confirmed booking.
Ask the hotel to send a car pick up or their man to the bus/ taxi stand to escort you. In 2000 it was not possible to make calls by cell phone for help. It was also not possible to take the help from Police as he was not harassing me but demanded money to get me a room! Well done!

Abbreviations :
GJM: The latest power: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

GNLF: Gorkha National Liberation Front ( They are not in power any more)