The famous DHR Toy Train rides on 2 ft. gauge tracks and has done so since the 1880’s. It has to climb from 330 ft./100 m in New Jalpaiguri to 7,200 ft./2,200 m in Darjeeling and to gain this altitude it uses 6 zig-zags and 5 loops. It has gained World Heritage status © Gnomeandi
Monks perform religious dances during the popular Paro Tsechu Festival in Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon. The celebrations are held at Paro Dzong, one of the prime examples of Bhutanese architecture © Samrat35
The Dharma Chakra Complex, also known as the Rumtek Monastery is the largest Tibetan Gompa in Sikkim near Gangtok. It houses many ancient religious texts, scripts and objects of religious art © Subhrajyoti Parida
Young school children and their teachers gather for morning prayers in Bhutan. They are all wearing the traditional clothes of Bhutan © Beat Germann
Since vehicles are banned from entering Mahatma Gandhi Marg in Gangtok, porters transport goods to shops and restaurants © Bgopal
Mahatma Gandhi Marg is the main tourism and business center of Gangtok, Sikkim. The pedestrian street is lined with glitzy shops, restaurants, cafes and bars © Bgopal
The Paros International Airport was built in distinctive traditional Bhutanese style with intricate woodwork around the roofs and windows © Anandoart
Night scene of the Trashi Chhu Dzong in Thimphu with paddy fields in the foreground. Dzongs are fortified monasteries, usually massive in scale and with high exterior walls © Jiali Chen
A tea tasting involves herbal teas of a variety of colors and flavors. In 1969 the first tea garden was established in the Indian state of Sikkim and since then the industry has grown quite substantially © Alena2909
Monks and devotees pray at the huge prayer wheels in the Dali Monastery in Dali, not far from Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal in India. Also called the Druk Sangag Choling Monastery, it is the seat of the Drukpa Order and home to some 300 Buddhist monks. This impressive monastery was built by Kyabje Thuksey Rinpoche in 1971 © Antonella865
Bhutan’s national dress for men, the gho, goes back to the 17th century and consists of a knee-length robe tied at the waist with a hand woven belt, called a kera. For special occasions they add a white silk scarf called a kabney. In the picture two men pose for the camera at the Trashi Chho Dzong in Thimphu, Bhutan © Antonella865
The valley town of Paro in Bhutan is a historic city with many traditional style buildings housing restaurants, offices and shops, especially in the main street. There are also numerous sacred dzongs and other places of interest to interest travelers © Lcchew
Bhutanese devotees dressed in traditional clothes pay tribute at the huge Avalokitesvara displayed at the utse or main tower at the Punakha Dzong during a birthday celebration of the 4th king. During the festival an image of the compassion of all Buddhas, the Avalokitesvara, kept inside the utse, is brought out on display. The dzong, built by Ngawang Namgyal in the middle 1600’s is one of Bhutan’s largest and most majestic monasteries © Antonella865
This viewpoint just outside Pelling in Sikkim offers magnificent scenic views of mighty Mount Kangchenjunga, the 3rd highest mountain in the world © Saiko3p
A typical Bhutanese dish is tasty and simple, consisting of rice and vegetables. Bhutan cultivates a large variety of vegetables and fruit, as well as rice © Wai Chung
Punakha Monastery is situated between the Pho Chhu, male and the Mo Chhu, the female rivers in the Punakha Valley. It has six stories, a central utse and three courtyards, making it the second largest in the kingdom © Peter Adams
The 108 red and white chortens of Druk Wangyal Khangzang are located on a hillock on the Dochula Pass between Thimphu and Punakha. They were built to honor the Bhutanese soldiers who sacrificed their lives in a battle against insurgents in 2003 © Ipek Morel Diplikaya
Tourists on horseback start the hike up to the Tiger’s Nest and the Taktshang Palphug Monastery perching on a steep cliff side in the Paro Valley, Bhutan © Ipek Morel Diplikaya
Visitors gather on Tiger Hill near Darjeeling to witness the sunrise on New Year’s Day on a cold winter’s morning. From this vantage point there are spectacular views of mountain villages and mighty Mount Kangchenjunga © Artitwpd
The weaving skills of women from east Bhutan are world famous and their products are highly sought after. Though traditional motifs and patterns are used, they often add their own creative ideas so no two textiles are 100% the same © UlyssePixel
Travelers in a cable car admire Gangtok from above and have a wonderful view of the surrounding mountains © Aliaksandr Mazurkevich
Young novice monks at their lessons in the Tsuglakhang Monastery in Gangtok, Sikkim. Inside the complex is the imperial Gompa of the former royal family of Sikkim © Aliaksandr Mazurkevich
Beautiful scenery of the Punakha Valley covered in rice fields and densely forested hills with breath taking views of the mountains. Bhutan has been described as an earthly paradise especially for lovers of nature © Maurice Brand
Two Drukair Royal Bhutan Airline Airbus A319 planes on the runway at Paro International Airport, one of the most challenging airports in the world because of surrounding peaks as high as 18,000 ft./5,500m. Just a few pilots are certified to land here © Kateryna Mashkevych
View of the Taktshang Gompa on Tiger’s Nest perching on a narrow ridge on the sheer mountain cliff near Paro, Bhutan. The monastery can only be reached by walking along a steep trail © Jeewee
Local devotees walk through the mist to the Do Drul Chorten in Gangtok, Sikkim. The stupa’s white dome with its eye-catching golden spire can be seen from many parts of© Gangtok © Vinayak Jagtap
Buddha figurines are sold as souvenirs in a shop in the popular MG Marg in Gangtok. The marg is a pedestrian street lined with restaurants, businesses and shops © Vinayak Jagtap
The Gaden Tharpa Choling Monastery sits on a hilltop in Kalimpong and was established by Domo Geshe Rinpoche in 1906 when he traveled to India on a pilgrimage and to collect medicinal plants © Kakoli Dey