Sikkim, a northeastern state in India and often casually termed as the brother of the 07 sister states of India is located close to India’s Siliguri Corridor near Bangladesh. A part of the Eastern Himalayas, Sikkim is known for its biodiversity, subtropical climates, as well as being a host to the highest peak in India. Sikkim’s economy is largely dependent on tourism.
My wife’s long desire to visit Sikkim was on the verge of fulfillment when we decided to visit Sikkim (East, West and South Sikkim) last year. As we were not able to travel for a long time due to lock-down, thus without any further delay we prepared the Itinerary and subsequently booked trains for the month of May, but to our dismay, my father-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer and he left for his heavenly abode on 29th April. We had to postpone our journey by a month.
In the meantime, we got a friend and his wife as a partner for our trip. We boarded the train from Howrah and reached New Jalpaiguri (NJP) the next day in the afternoon. We opted for a bus to reach Gangtok which is about 6 hour’s journey. Here it is appropriate to mention that shared cars as well as reserved cars are available from NJP but are not cost effective. For cost cutting, bus service may be availed from SNT(Sikkim Nationalised Transport) bus stop which can be reached by e-rickshaw from NJP and takes about 15minutes.
The journey to Gangtok is another beautiful experience as we were given a beautiful sight of river Teesta. On our way we had a glimpse of the amazingly constructed Coronation bridge. We reached the capital city at around 8 pm. After refreshing ourselves at the hotel room (Akshma’s Home) we met the hotel manager who asked for our ID cards for generating permit for our next day travel. Our plan for the next day was to visit Baba Mandir, Tsomgo Lake aka Changu Lake and Nathu La pass. Here it is pertinent to mention that temperature in Gangtok varies from 18-25 °C in the month of June.
In the next morning, with a lot of enthusiasm, we reached Changu taxi stand where our shared taxi which was previously arranged by the hotel manager was waiting for our pick up. We were somewhat lucky as June is a rainy month and we faced a very little rain at Nathu La pass only. We enjoyed the mesmerizing view of the surroundings on our whole journey, stopping at several waterfalls and taking snaps. However, the view of Changu lake was not great as the sky was obscure with clouds. We bought some gifts from the souvenir shop located beside Baba Mandir. We actually visited the New Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir.
Tip:
- Avoid oily food combined with tea before your journey.
- Keep a small amount of camphor as this will help breathing properly at high altitudes especially at Nathu La pass.
- Take a good jacket as temperature at Nathu La is quite low. Ours was 1°C combined with drizzling. Jackets and gloves are also available for rent at roadside stalls for a nominal amount. The driver generally halts at a roadside stall before reaching Nathu la.
During the journey, we stopped at several stops to quench our appetite and address the nature’s call. We reached the hotel room in the evening and then decided to take a stroll to the MG Marg which is a dense area comprising several eateries offering delectable delicacies and shops to quench your needs.
Our next destination was Reeplee Homestay at Namthang. We checked out from the Gangtok Hotel room next morning and headed towards Deorali SK Taxi Stand. This place provides transportation service to several places from Gangtok. Slots are to be booked from the counter. Our taxi was due after two hours as we were a bit late to reach the place. So, we decided to take a look around the local places. Located few metres away, there is Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, a museum and library. The place remains open from Monday to Saturday, and except public holidays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The entry fee is just ₹10. Photography is strictly prohibited inside the museum which contains ancient traditional Buddhist scroll paintings, coins and trumpets made from human bones, amulets and idols.
After the museum visit, we reached an eatery located just outside the museum complex where we decided to satisfy our belly. By this time, we were ready for boarding the taxi to Namthang.
We reached the homestay in the afternoon where the host welcomed us and showed us our rooms and got our lunch ready. The rooms were located in the first floor of the wooden house with attached bathroom having hot water facility. The ground floor has a big dining space, an attached wash room and a kitchen. The view from the balcony is amazing and if you are lucky enough, you can get a glimpse of the Kanchenjhungha as well. We had a hard luck as we visited in monsoon, we failed to get the view of it. In the evening we were taken to a nearby waterfall known as “Sweti falls”.
On the next day we were ready for sightseeing. The car service was provided by the host. We visited the amazing Ravangla Buddha park(Check the review here), the Chaardhaam(a replica of the four dhaams of India) and last bust not the least “The Temi” tea garden, the only tea garden of Sikkim. All these places have a nominal entry fees ranging from Rs.15 to Rs.50/- . We could not visit the Sandruptse Buddha Park due to landslide on its way.
The next day was reserved for Pelling Avalokiteshvara Chenrezig Statue and the skywalk. It was a long travel by car. The Statue is amazing and we had to cover around 150 steps to reach the feet of the statue. Entry fee is nominal and the skywalk is open to visitors from 9am to 5pm. The amazing feature of this place is that it is accessible in wheelchairs.
While returning to Namthang, we visited the Rabdentse ruins, an archeological site in West Sikkim. To reach the ruins, we had to walk around 2km uphill through a dense forest. Thereafter we visited the Kirteshwar Mahadev temple located along the banks of River Rangeet linked by two hanging bridges. We offered prayer and then reached our place of stay.
The next day we returned to NJP bidding goodbye to our host and thereafter boarded train from NJP to reach our place. It was overall an amazing experience. Though we did not get snowfall or had a glimpse of Kanchenjhungha, we had a great enjoyment.
Best time of Visit:
Best time to visit Sikkim is during winter or in the beginning of Summer. The skies remain clear and there are high chances of Snow at Nathu La and Changu lake will provide a mesmerizing view.
Our itinerary:
- Day 1: NJP to Gangtok, Stroll at MG marg
- Day 2: Gangtok to Nathu La and other local sight seeing and return to Gangtok
- Day 3: Gangtok to Namthang
- Day 4: Visit to Ravangla, Chaardhaam, Sandruptse and Temi tea garden and return to Namthang
- Day 5: Visit to Pelling for sight seeing and return to Namthang
- Day 6: Namthang to NJP
Did you visit Sikkim? Share your experience in the comments.
