Blogs from Pelling, Sikkim, India, Asia

Day-5: Gangtok to Pelling via Chardham and Buddha Park At last, there was something to see in Gangtok. On Day-5 we were to travel from Gangtok to Pelling. As usual, taxi was expected anytime between 9 and 11. Fortunately, we could start the day at 9.30. Four places in Gangtok were on the list: Flower show, Do Drul Chortan Stupa, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology and Handicrafts center. Last two were closed due to weekly holidays. Flower show has good collection of flowering plants arranged nicely. As the number of photographs is just too many for this blog, I will put up elsewhere. Funny part was that every visitor wanted to be photographed himself/herself with the flowers. Selfie culture has changed the definition of photography. You are always in the center! Next was the Do Drul Chortan ... read more

Our next stop is Pelling in West Sikkim. It is easy to get around Sikkim in "Share Jeeps". They run often & are inexpensive, but crowded. This time we hire a jeep to take us to Pelling. The road is narrow and rough in places & includes very steep climbs and decents. We travel thru beautiful country & what I can only describe as "cloud forest", very lush vegitation, with lots of ferns and moss. Arriving in Pelling we walk to Pemyangtse Monestary, one of the oldest & most important in Sikkim. There, we are blown away by the wooden sculpture on the third floor, "Mandala of Padmasambhava's Heavenly Abode". It is a 3D wooden mandalla that took to monk who built it 5 years to complete. Next day at dawn, the clouds clear for a ... read more

For a relaxing or an adventure holiday sikkim is puuuurfect ! The scenery is like imagining sugary mountains ,crystal clear lakes,rivers etc.,and the white fluffy sky.But i can never forget the smell of fresh grass and big meadows....oh!beautiful. The main thing to eat that you should try there are momos you can have them either non-veg or veg .Now to talk about the landmarks ,well me myself has not gone to many but lets say you'v seen bangalore's M.G road &how stuffed and crowded it is well sikkims M.G road is just the opposite.When i went there i had icecream and had gone to ask for a tissue paper ,well he said that "nope" no where on M.G road do they give tissues & i was shocked! I'll say it is defenitly child friendly and all ... read more

Geo: 27.3016, 88.2327I really like Sikkim, the scenery is really amazing with the steep hills and looming mountains above. It's a nice place to come and relax and take in the silence before heading into the more crowded places. It's amazing to drive through the valley's and seeing houses built on the most extreme slopes and in the most random places where even getting access would be a hassle.After taking a 5 hour jeep ride from Gangtok to Pelling we settled into Hotel Kabur. Two French girls, Anna and Lucie, who took our jeep also stayed here. Hotel Kabur is a nice little place to stay with a nice restaurant up the top. Here we found a whole bunch of other travelers.We grabbed some dinner and headed for an early night, it was pretty cold so ... read more

VON DARJEELING aus konnten wir schon einen blick nach sikkim rueber werfen! in der ferne kann man namchi, die bezirksstadt von suedsikkim, auf einem bergruecken sehen! sikkim.... erst seit 1975 bei indien, davor jahrhunderte ein umkaempftes koenigreich, dessen herrscher, die chogyals, die macht ueber ein verschlossenes, der neuen welt schwer zugaengliches gebiet, hatten. (indien hat den letzten chogyal nach einer revolte der nepalibevoelkerung abgesetzt!) hier befindet sich der hoechste berg indiens, der kanchendzonga mit 8658 m, der die grenze zu nepal markiert. sikkim ist nur mit sondergenehmigung, der inner line permit, fuer auslaender betretbar! limitiert auf 15 tage, kann jedoch bis 60 tage problemlos verlaengert werden! allerdings kann man mit dieser nur beschraenkt reisen, will man zb. in den norden, braucht man spezielle genehmigungen und meist nur in gruppen erlaubt (expeditio... read more