GETTING TO
GANGTOK:
The trip to Sikkim
was a long awaited one and a long cherished dream come true. And there I was
landing one fine morning towards the end of March, at the Bagdogra airport from
Delhi with husband in tow. We hired a
cab from outside the airport and headed to Gangtok cutting through forests, long
winding road up and down hills, Teesta river flowing alongside the road with
people enjoying river rafting. The road climbing up the hill to reach Gangtok
was lined by several resorts and hotels, the imposing gate and campus of the
Sikkim Manipal University, several schools and multi-storeyed residences with
beautiful Geraniums, Azaleas, Orchids and Lilies in different hues and shades
in pots lining the balconies. After changing to a local cab at the main bus
stand, finally we arrived at our hotel – the Welcome Heritage Denzong Regency
located in the heart of the capital city on a hill overlooking several more
misty mountains and amazing views of Mt. Kanchenjunga. This is a boutique family owned resort. During
our stay we had a chance to meet the owner, a charming gentleman belonging to
one of the illustrious families of Sikkim. He makes it a point to chat with the
guests and take their feedback.
EXPLORING GANGTOK,
THE CAPITAL CITY:
The city literally
sleeps after sunset. The roads are deserted and the only activity one can see
is on the famous M. G. Marg where there are shops selling souvenirs, daily
needs stores, small hotels and lodges and several small restaurants serving
everything from North Indian Naan and Paranthas to Chowmein. The next day was
spent exploring the various tourist attractions within the city of Gangtok,
which included the steep walk up to the Do Drul Chorten(Stupa) which is
encircled by prayer wheels (we were told there were 108), the Namgyal Institute
of Tibetology which is close by and has a large collection of books and rare
manuscripts relating to Mahayana Buddhism and a short ride on the cable car to
get a panoramic view of the city, the Enchey Monastery and the White Hall where
you can view the permanent flower show comprising a large collection of Tulips
and Orchids - the captivating sight of the flowers is a feast to your eyes. We
made a customary stop at Tashi View Point, Hanuman Tok and Ganesh Tok. We were
done for the day and decided to charge our batteries for the trip to Nathula
Pass the next morning. We had already given copies of our ID proofs and
photographs to the travel desk of the hotel for the required permits.
A JOURNEY TO THE
WHISTLING PASS:
The next morning
we set out in an SUV to the Indo China border at Nathula Pass which is
approximately 55 kms from Gangtok and at a height of 14,450 feet above sea
level. The weather Gods were on our side and so with clear skies and no
landslides, we had a smooth trip to Nathula Pass arriving there by noon.
Nathula means the Whistling Pass. We made our way up the steps that lead to the spot where flag meetings are held
between the Indian Army and the Red Army. Standing next to the fence on the
Indian side and taking pictures with the Red Army building behind us was a rare
moment that will remain etched in our memory. On our return trip we stopped by
like all other tourists at the Baba Temple built in memory of Harbhajan Singh,
a sepoy of the Punjab Regiment of the Indian Army who went missing while
patrolling the border. It is almost a pilgrimage centre now with people leaving
bottles of water in the hope of fulfilling their wishes or to heal ailments.
This memorable day had another beautiful experience awaiting us at the Tsomgo
Lake, also referred to as the Changu Lake, a sacred lake, at an altitude of
12400 ft. This lake is frozen during winters. Do try the Thukpa, which is a
popular meal of soup and noodles combined and a ride on the Yak at the local
market near the lake.
The next day was
set aside for relaxing at the hotel and a visit to Rumtek Monastery, a must see
on a visit to Gangtok, situated around 25 kms from Gangtok on another hill
facing the capital city with its imposing and ornate buildings. We came across
scores of playful young boys being trained to be monks.
NORTH SIKKIM – THE
JEWEL IN THE CROWN
Instead of
returning to Delhi the next day, we decided to stay on and explore North Sikkim
after we heard about pristine natural beauty of the area. A visit to North Sikkim and back to Gangtok
would ideally require 3 days. There are two major destinations or attractions
in North Sikkim – the frozen Gurdongmar Lake and Yumtang Valley. We passed
through narrow winding roads, dangerously narrow and treacherous at many
places, passing through jungles and crossing many hills and stopping to admire
several waterfalls along the way, including the Seven Sister water falls. From
the small town of Chungthang, the road forks in two different directions – one
leads to Lachen which acts as a base camp of sorts for the journey further up
to Gurdongmar at an altitude of 17800 ft, the other one leads to Lachung which
is close to Yumthang Valley and Zero Point.
Our night halt was as Lachen. There are several homestays and small
lodges which are fine for a night’s stay.
Starting early in
the morning by 4.30 am, as we moved up to higher altitudes on the route to
Gurdongmar, we came across totally barren landscapes punctuated with frozen
hills and boulders of all sizes and shapes and a couple of locals with herds of
Yak. When we finally arrived at our destination, nothing we read or heard had
prepared us for the out of the world experience that we encountered there at
the lake. There was an eerie calm about the lake and it looked as if a
beautifully painted canvas had come alive to greet us. Since the water had
thawed a little at many places, the army men on guard advised the visitors against
walking on the lake. We stopped by a narrow stream of crystal clear and pure
water flowing from one side of the frozen lake, which we were told was the
river Teesta that originates from the Cho Lamu Lake located farther away and
just 5 kms from Tibet border. General entry to Civilians is not allowed to Cho
Lamu lake. Other than army check points
and bunkers there is no human habitation anywhere in the region and we were
told that China is just a stone’s throw away. It is difficult to remain in this area for a
long time since the air pressure is very low and breathing becomes strained and
one tends to get very tired easily. The night stay was at the other village of
Lachung, again at a homestay.
Lachung was more populated and just 25 kms
from the Yumthang, the Valley of Flowers. The drive to the Yumthang valley took
us through picturesque valleys and vast expanses of Rhododendrons in all
colours, red and purple being the most common. April and May are the best
months to visit this place to see the Rhododendrons in full bloom. Yumthang
valley is surrounded by hills with the Yumthang Chu river cutting across the
landscape and a carpet of flowers spread before you. We decided not to go
further to the Zero Point and made our way back to Gangtok which took around 5
and half hours through the same route. After staying overnight at Gangtok, we
retraced our steps of driving to Bagdogra and from there the flight to Delhi. The
beautiful pink Azalea plant that we picked up from one of the nurseries in
Rumtek managed to survive the harsh Delhi summer and the flowers remind us our
beautiful vacation in Sikkim.
TRAVEL FACTFILE:
Nearest airport to
reach Gangtok is Bagdogra which is served by daily flights from all major
cities to by AirIndia and Jet Airways. 4 hours by road or by Helicopter
(weather permitting) from Bagdogra
Nearest rail link
is at New Jalpaiguri in Siliguri and from there around 3 and half hours by
road.
BEST TIME TO
VISIT:
Enjoy Sikkim in
all its glory in April & May
