Lloyd's Botanical Garden spreads over about 40 acres on the steep hillside below Chowrasta, making it one of the more remarkable public gardens in South Asia. The altitude and climate allow species that couldn't survive on the plains — rhododendrons, magnolias, orchids, ferns, and several tree species found nowhere else at this latitude. In spring, when the rhododendrons bloom against the backdrop of Kanchenjunga, it's genuinely spectacular.
The garden is unhurried and under-visited — most tourists in Darjeeling never make it here, even though it's a short walk from the main promenade. The collection includes over 2,000 species of Himalayan plants, and the greenhouse section has a notable orchid collection. Mornings are best, when the light is clear and the crowds from lower Darjeeling haven't arrived.