Aha! Hi Zillah... thanks for that... by the looks of things we'll be hitting London in late July or August. Finally I'll be there not in the dead of winter! We'll be seeing you then. -Love Xav
Tips on Sikkim Train is cheaper than flying, and if you're taking a train definitely book it early so you can get one of the fast ones. Ask when you book your train whether there will be a 'food carriage' on the train, as some trains don't have this and you have to quickly jump out and buy something when you stop at stations... a little bit hair-raising.
You can't take a train all the way to Sikkim - you'll need to stop in Siliguri and then go on from there.
Some trains stop in Siliguri but there are many other trains that finish in New Jalipaguri (which I think are the faster ones) which is only a short trip away from Siliguri anyway, so check those ones out when booking.
Of course you don't need to go all the way from Delhi to Siliguri - you can stop in places like Varanasi and Patna.
The fastest way to get up to Sikkim from Siliguri is to go to Gangtok - a four hour jeep ride, but you can go via Darjeeling (4 hours from Siliguri) and then on to anywhere in Sikkim (another 4 hour ride). There is also the option of taking the toy train from Siliguri (9 hours!) to Darjeeling and then from there going by jeep into Sikkim. But we found that the road trip to Darjeeling went along the same route as the toy train so it's just as 'scenic'. But if you're into trains...
We got our permits in Darjeeling, which took a couple of hours walking across town organising, but you can get them in Delhi and I'm sure also Siliguri. Its no problem getting it - just fill in the forms, you don't even need to pay anything.
Anyway, have a great time! You must go to Tsomgo lake - Gangtok wasn't that great (expect warm beer), but the scenery at Tsomgo lake was well worth the trip to Sikkim for us.
questions about sikkim Hi, I enjoyed your blog. I'm heading to Sikkim in a few months and I was wondering if you have any tips for getting there from Delhi, lessons learned about getting your permit etc...
Thanks much!
Anticlimax I'm enjoying the photos, I'm enjoying your suttle humour and I am enjoying sitting back here in comfort vaicariously experiencing your adventures.
Lotsaluv
YELF
hmmm yes.. quite understandable, last minute reservations in India are near to impossible and this agent thing in India sucks. You may also use internet for reservations by the way, as by now you must have seen, getting tickets from windows in India is a hell of an experience.
http://indianrail.gov.in/
Make sure that you have bookings done well in advance, as the summers are approaching and travelling in Indian railways quadruples during this time
thanks Thanks for the advice... unfortunately all trains are fully booked for the return journey APART from our dear friend 4083. Two seats left when we booked in fact! It was meant to be. It takes some time to work out all the subtleties of the Indian train system - we had to book our return train from a station further up the line as they still had 'tourist quota' seats, but ours did not. Working it out yourself without a travel agent is not advised!
trains!! Hi both,
I thought it would be worthwhile to mention something about the trains in India. It is the BEST if you take the trains having the number starting from 2, as they are fast ones and seldom get late more than an hour at max.. enjoy your stay!!
Inspired! It is great to get your blogs- I am so inspired about India now! I am going over in December, and Jaisalmer Fort is at the top of the list- looks absolutely magical!
Again, fantastic photos, good work!
great photos Hey guys, excellent story-telling and amazing photography, have you thought of doing this as a profession? You could be the internet's Bill Bryson duo..
Have you got a great camera or just a great eye for a good shot? I need to get both those things before I go to India!
Hello Hi, Xavier its me your bro', and hi to Sarah too. Great to read about your adventures-i have ridden a camel also, in Alice Springs, about 20 years ago but didnt enjoy it much, quite bumpy. Mum is selling up her home at Old Mill Road after all these years and I am handling the sale. Hopefully we will get a record price for the area. Look after each other and keep safe
God bless
Wicked. The 'butchers'shops are stunning aye. Not sure of the Lao name for that pink fruit with pips, but have heard it called 'dragon-fruit', is tasty too!
Haze Apparently it mostly comes from Indonesia as a result of land clearance by burning. The problem has been severe since the late 1990s though there is an agreement intended to address it involving a number of countries including Laos, Indonesia, etc. Other countries feel Indonesia isn't doing enough to prevent it. El Nino weather patterns make it worse as monsoon rains are delayed. I saw the same phenomenon in Ghana - hot days but you couldn't see the sun - burning is a traditional agricultural method in Ghana and other countries.
I'm really enjoying your descriptions and photos, looking forward to next instalment.
Boat on Rivers
I think we've decided against long haul river journeys and are opting for the quicker and cheaper bus option. And more boring. Having said that, in Laos we've done a few short river trips- until recently it was their most important mode of transport after all... so I still get to imagine I'm Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now!
We are from New Zealand, a paradise in the South Pacific. Unfortunately it is a bloody long way away from anywhere else, so since we are going oversees we are going to make it count - Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, India, Cambodia, Germany, Italy, Russia etc. etc... We'll be away for a long time and we are sure to get into adventures. Some of which will be unfortunate for us and funny for you - so we hope you enjoy.... full info
Sarah and Xavier
Sarah and Xavier
Aha!
Hi Zillah... thanks for that... by the looks of things we'll be hitting London in late July or August. Finally I'll be there not in the dead of winter! We'll be seeing you then. -Love Xav