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Published: December 5th 2019
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Two weeks running around visiting family and friends and after short hop to Chennai it was time once again to see if I still enjoy my nomadic wandering.
On the flight to Chennai and to Bagdogra (Airport for Gangtok) the thing that stuck me most was the dust cover that pervaded over India. Even from a 1000 meter altitude it was virtually impossible to see anything on the ground (no fun getting a window seat, cant see anything below). Looking at a 4,500Rs taxi fare I Had booked a shared taxi from “Whizzride” for my 4½ hour journey to Gangtok, capital of the state of Sikkim.
The car arrived a bit late due to traffic congestion, we finally started off around 2 PM. Due to some accident ahead there was a huge delay en-route and it was 9PM when we finally reached Gangtok. The roads were good in patches, but as one would expect winding as we started to climb to the hilly Kingdom.
I got my Sikkim permit stamped in Rangpo checkpoint (I had the document issued at Bagdogra Airport) and once in Sikkim the roads improved a little bit. The taxi did manage to drop me at
the hotel though it was not an assigned drop off point. Checked into the hotel but did not have a good night’s sleep.
The first day was spent looking around the 10 “must see places” in Gangtok. Most that I visited were not interesting to me. There were water falls, nurseries, flower houses and temples. The Ganesh Tok Temple, at one of the highest points in Gangtok was interesting ; unfortunately it was so misty that one could see no further than 200m.
The Enshey Monastry also had good views of the valley below. The plant nursery had a large natural garden with long walks and climbs leading to some scenic locations, which was quite enjoyable. The Sikkim Cultural heritage Museum (NIT) had a collection of artifacts and paintings depicting the Buddhist heritage and its close ties with Tibet. The afternoon was spend walking around the “MG Marg” the main shopping pedestrianised area in Gangtok which was only a 100m from the hotel. I was mainly looking for travel agents who could give me shared drives to other locations. Being a restricted area a foreigner is not allowed to travel alone, even with a guide and Driver.
There should be a minimum group of 2 tourists and the agent had to get your special permit.
The most striking thing about Gangtok is the way the city is constructed. It is built on steep hills. Except the MG Marg most roads are always on a 30⁰ to 45⁰ angle. Even walking up the 100M from MG Marg to the hotel was tiresome. Drivers and people are good and considerate, drivers especially considerate of the vehicles coming up the road.
On my searches I met with a French couple who told me that they were at a travel agent and he had a couple of people in the same predicament as I was. After a long search I was able to the mentioned travel agent and I booked my trip to Tsongmo lake to start with. For Indians they could proceed to Gurudongmar lake and Nathula Pass with a permit going further.
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Sreenivas Janyala
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Our experience of visiting West and South Sikkim, Darjeeling
Our experience of visiting West and South Sikkim, Darjeeling Sikkim was our first trip to the Northeast. We went in December and the weather was fine, not very cold. Sikkim is a scenic place with rolling hills, blue mountains and leafy, misty woods. You come across the turquoise blue waters of River Rangit and Teestha (WB) almost everywhere. The people are simple, warm and friendly and instinctively smile at strangers. The Baiguney Club Mahindra resort where we stayed is also a beautiful place, on the right bank of River Rangit beyond which rises a mountain. Sikkim is all mountains and streams and valleys carpeted with wild flowers. Roads are very good and road-widening is going on at some places. The Sidkeong Tulku Bird Park at Gyalshing in West Sikkim district is another lovely place. Set in the most dense forest I have ever seen, it is a half an hour exhilarating walk through silver oaks and other trees that reach for the sky. Sun light hardly falls through the dense canopy. The walk leads to the ruins of ancient capital of Sikkim, Rabdentse, and the fort offers expansive views of the Kanchanjunga range. We visited the 17th century Sangchen Pemayangtse Monastery where ancient scrolls of Buddha’s teachings are kept. Pelling is a quiet holiday station. There is a skywalk which offers beautiful views of mountains. The periphery and outskirts of Darjeeling are very scenic but Darjeeling town is over-rated. The tea gardens are really lovely and refreshing. You can enjoy the views from cable car also. The cable cars are a bit scary but it was safe. Darjeeling hill station is congested and jammed with traffic. There is an army memorial at Darjeeling worth visiting. We took a 30-km drive from Darjeeling to Nepal border town of Pasupathinagar. The route via Ghoom, Sukhia Pokhari, and Simana is very scenic with pine forest slopes on both sides of the road. It is a beautiful and memorable drive. We went into Pasupathinagar inside Nepal which is a tax free zone. Although people claim that the goods are all original but cheap, I found most of the items to be clever duplicates. It is a good place to buy jackets though. There is a little town named Jorthung, 3 kms away from Baiguney. It has a well laid out market centre…good place to buy trinkets and souvenirs. Outside the Biguney Club Mahindra, about 100 metres away on the Nayabazar-Legship-Reshi Road, we discovered a little eating place lovingly named Baiguney’s Rasoi. It is a small joint run by two women, and their home-cooked food was delicious and hygienic. And the food is reasonably priced. You can have sumptuous breakfast of Aloo Parathas, Puri Sabzi or bread omelette there itself on neatly laid out tables with the sun streaming in over the mountain. They prepare vegetarian and non-vegetarian lunch and dinner also if you inform in advance. There are lots of Oyos and other small hotels in Jorthang, Pelling, and Gyalshing. The Geyzing market was interesting with fresh fruits, and the Taatopani hot spring. We spent most of the time in West Sikkim and South Sikkim districts. We will do Gangtok and above next time. If you have a morning flight (between 9 am- 12 noon) from Bagdogra, it would be a good idea to start early from Gangtok, Baiguney or Jorthang as landslides can sometimes block the road. If you have a very early morning flight, better to return to Bagdogra the previous evening. https://sreenivas-janyala.blogspot.com/