Sikkim - A land of Winding Roads & Simple People!!

Sikkim - The Land of Winding Roads & Simple People !

Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Uttarakhand - Have seen & explored them all, through my eyes & camera lenses, for picturesque landscapes which are literally “For Your Eyes Only”. No amount of exposure & filters will make justice to what “we see” & imprint on our grey cells. And then comes SIKKIM - A yet less-explored beauty in the foot hills of Himalayas with impeccable sights to behold, combination of sleepy towns reached by stomach-wrenching roads (no jokes), proximity to higher Himalayas & a lively habitat to prolific flora & fauna. And ofcourse Monasteries, Momos, Thukpa & Rhododendron Vine :) On the top of all this, your best friend is the River Teesta - never ever out of sight as the guiding star, right after you land at Bagdogra !

Sikkim awaits you with a combination of erratic rains & pristine altitude cold weather. A perfect mix for a drive & coffee ! The roads are narrow & winding, hence require a special mention to the Drivers, who, I feel have now attained mastery over their clutches & brakes. Moreover, what makes them the best is their life-saving Patience. While you are constantly greeted by Prayer Flags in White, Green, Yellow, Red & Blue colours demarcating different prayers, the simplicity of the locals melts your heart. Their sincerity & conviction hides behind their mountain-hardened rugged faces. And their houses - Don’t ask :-) Perched on mountain slopes with their cute Red & Green roofs, , their balconies lashed with Flower pots with profuse overloaded flora !! All throughout our visit, we didn’t miss a single house without any flower pots neatly mended.

We followed this itinerary for 10 days including loads of nearby sights & some historic ones -

Mumbai - Bagdogra - Pelling - Gangtok - Lachen - Kalapathar - Gurudongmar Lake (17800 ft.) - Lachung - Yumthang Valley - Gangtok - Darjeeling - Bagdogra - Mumbai

We were lucky to enjoy snowfall & fresh snow at Kalapathar & Tsomgo Lake. Visibility was almost zero but never could think of it in midst of snowball fights ;-) The dizziness at crystal blue green Gurudongmar Lake is worth it at around 18k Ft !!

Don’t miss Latop’s Pizzeria at the Khecheopalri Lake for freshly made wood fired pizzas. Also try out different vines made out of Kiwi, Cherry & Rhododendrons at the Orange Garden besides the meandering river. Try your hand at Momos at local joints & slurp on Thukpas if you love them ! Local food is equally delicious - Dal Rice, different Sabjis & home made chicken with fresh condiments. And if you happen to squeeze in Darjeeling to you itinerary, don’t miss the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway’s (DHR) Toy Train - a UNESCO Heritage site.

It is less written more felt, Sikkim is a rugged state, not for faint hearted, lush green, snowy, sleepy, pristine, soft & simple, full of out-worldly experiences. And how can we end the trip without Salutes to our brave Soldiers, who stand & guard our borders against the Chinese aggression, day & night, in good & worse weather ! They deserve our ultimate respect !!