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Gangtok (1780M) Capital of the state of Sikkim, Gangtok or ‘High hill’ is
beautifully located amidst paddy fields, overlooking
valleys and snow capped mountains. It is not a quite
little hill station yet serves very well as a base for
your trip to Sikkim. It does have places that are worth
a visit.
Places of interest: Tashi point (offering great
view of Kanchenjunga), Directorate of Handicraft and
Handloom, Namgyal Research Institute of Tibetology, Dro
Dul Chorten (one of the largest stupas in Sikkim) and
visit to Rumtek Monastery situated 25 kms away from
Gangtok. The adventurous ones could take a helicopter ride
of the town.
Nathu La (4400M) and Changu Lake (3693M)
Nathu la is one of the highest motorable roads in Sikkim
and situated on Indo- China border. The route to china was
recently opened amid much fanfare. On the way back, we
stop at the tranquil Changu Lake. Lake is much revered by
locals. In winter it freezes completely whereas in spring,
a variety of flowers bloom upon its banks. It is also an
ideal habitat for red panda. En route, you could visit
Kyongnosla Alpine sanctuary where the blood pheasant and
red Panda can be spotted.
Yuksom (1760M) and Kecheolpari lake
Drive to Yuksom- the ancient capital of Sikkim via
Samdoupche; the holy spot where the tallest statue of Guru
Rinpoche has been built. Reach Yuksom and check into the guesthouse.
Visit the Khecheopalri Lake after lunch. The lake is
located in a valley surrounded by lush green forest. The
lake is revered by the locals and is considered to be a
wish- fulfilling lake. The legend has it that the birds
around do not let a single leaf fall into the lake.
Pemayangtse Monastery
Pemayangtse is the principal monastery in Sikkim and seat
of Nyingmapa order. It was established by Lama Lhatsun
Chenpo, one of the revered lamas who performed the
consecration of the first Chogyal (Monarch). During the
Chogyal reign, he had been entrusted with the task of
performing all religious rituals associated with the
royalty.
Darjeeling (2064M)
Watch the sunrise early in the morning from tiger Hill
followed by breakfast and full day sightseeing of Ghoom
monastery, Batasia loop, Himalayan Mountaineering
Institute, snow leopard breeding centre, Tibetan
handicraft and Lloyd’s botanical garden.
Kalimpong (1212M)
Kalimpong is a small and quiet Himalayan bazaar. It used to
belong to Sikkim kingdom, but was captured by Bhutanese
and remained with them until 1865 when it was taken back.
One could visit Durpin Dara hill offering breathtaking
views of Teesta and Rangit Rivers in the valley below. The
town is famous for its ‘glass noodles’, Gouda goat’s
cheese and lollipops (originally made by Swiss
missionaries).
Gurudongmar Lake (5200M)
The drive to this lake is one of the most picturesque in
Sikkim where the landscape changes from lush green till
Thangu to barren landscape as you climb higher and tree
line disappears. The legend of Gurudongmar Lake is
attributed to both Guru Nanak and Guru Rinpoche who are
said to have visited this region. The lake is frozen for
most part of the year. Guru Nanak/ Rinpoche is said to
have helped the locals with sourcing water from this lake.
While the whole lake freezes, the place where the guru
took bath is never frozen and is considered ‘amrit’.
Beyond the lake we have the armed forces stationed and
some of these bunkers are at 22000 ft. higher than even
Siachen glacier. Truly amazing is the site of small tanks
stationed here. The area being a plateau, this is probably
the only place where tanks can be used at such high
altitude.
Lachen and Lachung valleys (2750M)
Lachung is a very small town with scattered settlements,
dominated mostly by lachungpas and Bhutias. A Bhutia
village has a unique local self-governing body called the Zumsa, which substitutes the Panchayat. You can visit
monastery, handicraft center, go around for village. If
you are interested then you can do trout fishing. Lachung
is the last habitation on the road to Yumthang monastery;
hidden high on the hillside overlooking a settlement of
Lachungpas and barracks of the Indian army. There is an
army cantonment for the border protection. In the
distance, one can see the impressions of a track that was
once used by traders to cross over from Tibet with their
mules laden with Chinese silk.
Lachung's sister village, Lachen is only a recent host to
tourists. Situated at an altitude of 8,838 ft. and a good
six hours drive from Gangtok along the North Sikkim
Highway, Lachen stands on a grass and bush flat area from
the periphery of which rises the pine clad mountains. The
village comprises of barely 150 houses.
Chungthang (1710M)
Chungthang is a small town surrounded by high mountains
that seem to touch the sky. Chungthang lies on the
confluence of two hilly rivers Lachen and Lachung Chu and
the starting point of river Teesta has emerged as a major
subdivision settlement in North Sikkim. From here, the
road bifurcates for the Lachen and Lachung valleys. The
spot worth visiting at Chungthang is the rock on which
legend has it Guru Padmasambhava rested and the imprint on
it is said to be his footmark. There is a small opening in
the rock which remains filled with spring water Adjacent
to the rock there is a small stretch of land where paddy
grows, defying the conditions which are not conducive to
the growth of this crop here. It is said that while here,
Guru Padmasambhava had sprinkled a handful of grain on
this spot and paddy has grown here ever since. Chungthang
is also a good place to halt for sometime for a cup of tea
before proceeding onwards to Yumthang. It is predominantly
a Lepcha region.
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