Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2027: Gujarat and Darjeeling Railway Make India’s Mark

Lonely Planet has chosen Gujarat and Darjeeling Himalayan Railways as two Indian items that have made it to the list of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2027: 25 destinations and 25 travel experiences. The list consists of 50 recommended items: half of which are destinations and the other half are travel experiences. While Lonely Planet describes Gujarat because of its salt flats, wildlife and heritage, Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, known popularly as the Toy Train, has been chosen because of its special mountain journey.

How the List Is Structured

The 2027 list is split evenly between places and activities. Each category is grouped into six regions.

India’s Two Entries in List

1. Gujarat

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2027 has named Gujarat one of the 25 destinations.

The travel guide mentions Gujarat for its salt flats, coastal regions, historic towns, wildlife and craftsmanship. Of particular mention is the Rann of Kachchh and the fact that Asiatic lions live there.

There are several heritage and cultural places in Gujarat, such as historic architecture, temples, handicrafts and textile tradition. The geographic diversity in the state goes from salt deserts of Kachchh to Gir forest. Thus, it is clear that Gujarat can be defined not only by nature but also by culture.

2. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Chosen As A Travel Experience

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) has been chosen as one of Lonely Planet’s 25 experiences to have in 2027.

Often known as Darjeeling Toy Train, it offers tourists an exciting mountain train ride through the hills and tea plantations of Darjeeling.

The 2027 Lonely Planet choice for travel experiences specifically mentions it as being a travel experience based around the Toy Train ride.

The train is also listed under Mountain Railways of India, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway has been operational since 1881 and it was the first of the three mountain railways that later formed part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Several Other Asian Places in List

• Destinations: Okinawa (Japan), Chengdu (China), Gujarat (India), Danang (Vietnam), Fulidhoo (Maldives)
• Experiences: Longboat trip to orangutan territory (Malaysia), Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (India), Michinoku Coastal Trail trek (Japan), foodie trail (Taiwan), Astana’s architecture (Kazakhstan)

Selected Places from Other Regions

• Destinations: Québec (Canada), Veneto (Italy), Oman, Rabat (Morocco), Bariloche and the Lakes (Argentina), New Caledonia
• Experiences: Galápagos expedition cruise (Ecuador), polar plunge in Antarctica, sailing the Aeolian Islands (Sicily), St Cuthbert’s Way to Lindisfarne (UK), Samoan culture (Faʻa Sāmoa)

UNESCO Status of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

There are many relevant static facts concerning the status of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. This railway is considered to be an excellent example of a hill passenger railway as well as having many innovative engineering techniques for overcoming hilly areas. This railway uses a 2-foot (0.610 metres) gauge track and runs from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling via Ghoom.

The Mountain Railways of India comprises of three historical railways,

• Darjeeling Himalayan Railway – West Bengal
• Nilgiri Mountain Railway – Tamil Nadu
• Kalka–Shimla Railway – Himachal Pradesh

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1999. After that the area of this property got increased in 2005 and 2008 for including Nilgiri and Kalka–Shimla railways.

Static Facts Related to the Topic