Next time you are in Darj, stay at Ivanhoe House. Built in 1841, it used to be a boarding house for Raj-era Brit families. Its visitors include people like yesteryear actresses Vivian Leigh and Julie Christie who came here as schoolgirls.
Want a genuine throwback stay in the hills? An experience that will make you feel like you are back in the British Raj era? Book a stay at the Ivanhoe Heritage House in Darjeeling. Situated just 50 metres from the famous Mall Road, it was conceived as a summer retreat when it was built in 1841 (by a certain Mrs Mackie, the owner of Mokrung tea estate in Assam). Some decades later, it was transformed into a boarding house for British Raj families.
The guests roster is full of celebs of that era - from mountaineers like George Mallory, Andrew Irvine and George Everest to movie stars like Vivien Leigh (Gone with the Wind’) and Julie Christie (Dr. Zhivago). The latter used to spend their holidays here with their folks when school was out. Today it is a charming B&B with several deluxe doubles and singles and a couple of large suites. The golden wood-panelled halls, cast-iron fireplaces and gingham and chintz at the windows will make you feel like you are back in the early 1900s.