Itinerary Part-10: Sikkim
Dear Readers,
Having covered up most of the mainland of India (links to other itineraries at the end of the post), in my journey as a Solo Traveller across the country, I'll enter a region that I am most psyched about visiting, the North-Eastern states of India. The first leg on this journey to the North-east will be the state of Sikkim, the least populous and second smallest state of India. It is the home to the mighty Kanchendjonga Mountain, the highest peak in India and third highest in the world. This leg will be very challenging, as the public transport here is very limited.
As with all the other Itineraries, I've had help from friends, fellow bloggers, tourism department of Sikkim, travel companies and readers, providing me various inputs on availability of local transports, places to visit, places to stay, etcetera, to develop this itinerary. And, as mentioned in previous posts, this itinerary is loosely based on various ideal situations. Thus, following it may not be possible due to reasons out of our hand during the trip.
So here's the itinerary for the tenth leg of my All India Solo Trip, and first in the North-East region of India, the state of Sikkim:
Day 1: Yuksom. The first stop of this leg of the trip will be the small town of Yuksom, the “gateway to Kangchendzongha”. This place is famous for its gorgeous landscape and Snow-capped mountains. This also has number of Buddhist monasteries.
Day 2: Pelling. Next up, is Pelling, another small town, with rich cultural history, picturesque scenes and beautiful monasteries.
Day 3: Namchi. Next stop, is the home to world's largest statue of Padmasambhava (patron saint of Sikkim), Namchi. It translates to "top of the sky" in local Bhutia language. Also home to many monasteries and religious centers, it is quite an attraction for pilgrims as well as the regular tourists looking for a serene stay.
Day 4: Gangtok. Next stop, will be the capital city of the state of Sikkim, Gangtok. The name means "lofty hills", a name quite fitting to the city that lies in the foothills of the Majestic Eastern Himalayan range.
Day 5-6: Nathula Pass, Aritar Lake, Zuluk. Next up, is a 2 day round trip wherein I'll visit Nathula Pass, which served as a passage between India and Tibet before Chinese captured Tibet, Aritar Lake, a serene lake in the lap of picturesque forest and hills with paddy fields, and Zuluk, a small village with a large military settlement, the base for experiencing high altitude mountains. From here, I'll return to Gangtok.
Day 7: Rumtek. Next stop, is the seat of Gyalwa Karmapa of the Kargyu Scet Budhism, Rumtek Monastry. The lush green hilly terrain, a breathtaking topography and misty mountains makes Rumtek an ideal place for some quiet time. Night stay back at Gangtok.
Day 8: Ravangla. Next stop, on what is turning out to be more of a Buddhism trail, is Ravangla. A town located on the ridge between Maenam and Tendong Hill, this town offers a view of the Himalayas unlike any other.
Day 9: Yumthang. Next stop, is Yumthang, which has a fascinating blend of flora and fauna with breathtaking scenic beauty. On the same day I'll also travel to Zero Point, which is about 15 kms from China border, and has snow clad mountains which are easily accessible. Night stay at Lachung.
Day 10: Lachen. Next stop and the final one in the state of Sikkim, is a village, Lachen, which holds a very peculiar beauty in its simplicity. A place with less than 200 houses is, for me, a perfect stop to enjoy the nature's freshness with very limited crowd. Night stay back at Gangtok.
Day 11: Kalimpong. Entering back to state of West Bengal, to continue on the journey of the North-Eastern region of India, I take a stop at Kalimpong. Blessed with beautiful lakes, gardens and breath-taking views of the surrounding mountains, this small hill station is a paradise for nature lovers.
From here on, I'll be proceeding to Siliguri to continue my journey as a Solo traveller across India, continuing on the mostly underappreciated tourist destination, the North-East States.
So readers, if you feel that I should change the itinerary in some way or other for me to move much better between places, please specify them on the comment section. And ,as I've mentioned in earlier post, if any of you reader wants to join me in any juncture of this journey, I would love to share the journey with you.
You can also write to me at muditacharya28@gmail.com with your valuable suggestions and questions about this trip.
And keep following the blog as I release further details and further itineraries of the trip.
Cheers!
Links to other Itineraries:
TAMIL NADU
KERALA
KARNATAKA
MAHARASHTRA
GUJARAT
RAJASTHAN
PUNJAB, HARYANA, CENTRAL INDIA
ODISHA & WEST BENGAL
MEGHALAYA AND TRIPURA
MIZORAM, MANIPUR AND NAGALAND
ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND ASSAM
BIHAR AND JHARKHAND
UTTARAKHAND
HIMACHAL PRADESH
JAMMU & KASHMIR
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