We all need a break from our busy life every once in a while, for someone who is born and brought up in India, the ever green beautiful and somewhat snowy part of eastern Himalaya has always attracted me. After months of hard work at office wouldn’t you want to be a part of the cold mountains with a serene layer of green trees covering them, the clouds which were floating by so near to you and the hazy violet mountains with red icy peaks in the distant horizon as the sun was about to go down. Or view a beautiful lake at 18000 ft height or see a sublime but angry turquoise river making its way through the mountains and running through the valleys which are made up of the water melted by the ice of the higher up ranges. I am talking about Sikkim.
Allow me to take you to a journey in the picturesque mountains of Northern- Sikkim
HOW TO GO:
I started my journey from Kolkata by train at night and reached New Jalpaiguri the next day, it took around 10 hours.
From Jalpaiguri I took a share cab to the capital of Sikkim, the wonderful town of Gangtok.
It takes around 3-4 hours to reach Gangtok.
I would like to suggest that you book your hotel before hand in Gangtok from travelling websites.
You can spend two days in Gangtok. On the first day visit the local sites which are really beautiful
And on the second day you can go to baba mandir and Tsogmo lake.
NB: You’ll need to make passes to visit both Tsogmo Lake and north Sikkim which will be made up by the hotels you stay or by the many travel agencies situated in the Mg Marg.
The north Sikkim trip is of three days and two nights.You can book either a shared jeep or a personal car.You will not be able to choose hotels for your stay in north Sikkim but let me assure you all the hotels are good and clean.The journey will start at 10 am and you will reach Lacheng at around 7 pm. You will have the night to rest.
Next day the journey will start at early. At 3 am you have to set off for Gurudongmar Lake. Which is in the height of 18000ft.
You’ll return back in Lacheng by afternoon and after lunch you have to set off for Lachung. Rest the night.Next day will lead you too serene Yumthang valley and snowy Zero point.
From there you will go back to your hotel at Lachung and have lunch there and return to Gangtok by 7-8 o clock at night.
CAUTION:
• Do not plan this North-Sikkim trip with someone old or kids because the journey is hectic and in high mountains the oxygen level is less.
• Take Camphor with you smelling them will help you breathe properly in higher altitudes.
• Shared journey does not mean share food and shared lodging it only means shared travelling.
• You cannot go to North-Sikkim the day you reach Gangtok or come back to Jalpaiguri the day you set off from Lachung to Gangtok.
• Zero point will not be included in your shared trip you have to pay extra to the driver and the rate will depend upon your bargaining ability.