Glorious Gurudongmar | A paradise in the midst of nowhere

Working from home and the resulting monotonous daily schedule was boring me to death. Scrolling through travel reels on Instagram made it worse. But it also provided me the constant kick to check off another destination on my bucket list - Gurudongmar Lake, one of the highest lakes in India. So when my friend, another WFH-frustrated soul like me, called me with a plan for Sikkim, I said, "Say no more, my friend. I know exactly where we need to go." Bookings were made instantly and bags were packed immediately. Our itinerary was this:

Siliguri -> Gangtok -> Lachung -> Yumthang Valley and Zero Point -> Lachen -> Gurudongmar

Day 1

Gangtok

We boarded an overnight bus from Berhampore which left us sharp at 6 at Siliguri Junction. After a hearty breakfast, we started our journey to Gangtok. We had decided earlier that we would either share a cab or book a bus to Gangtok. But fortunately, another friend was going that way on the same day, and he asked us to join them in their cab till Gangtok. We reached Gangtok by afternoon. A shared taxi ride from MG Marg saw us at our hotel which we had already booked through booking.com. After a quick lunch, we went for a stroll at MG Marg, shopping for gloves, umbrellas that we had forgotten to pack for the upcoming journey. Coming back to our hotel, we had our dinner and slept off early.

Day 2

Lachung

We woke up to a chilly and cloudy morning. We had spotted a nearby monastery on the way to our hotel the day before. We decided to hike to the monastery before our morning tea and breakfast was prepared. The view was so mesmerizing. It seemed like someone had painted the small monastery on the canvas of a thickly vegetated mountain partially wrapped in the clouds. The early morning quiet added to the serenity of the place. We offered our prayers and headed back to our hotel.

After breakfast, we shared a cab to Vajra Taxi stand where we met our tour operator. We were joined by two families and another girl traveling solo from Mumbai. Due to some difficulties with the permit formalities we had to start late for Lachung. Lachung is around 110kms from Gangtok and it takes 6-7 hours to reach.

On the way we stopped at the Seven Sister falls for a break. The name comes from the fact that it falls in seven stages. The view of the water falling through the lush green vegetation down the rugged cliffs is awe-inspiring. After a short photoshoot session, we headed to Mangan for lunch 37 KMs away.

Note: No plastic bottles below 2L are allowed in Sikkim. We had to ditch our plastic water bottles at Mangan.

We started from Mangan after a simple lunch. It was mid of April and we had expected a clear sky. But the rain gods were not on our side. The weather looked grim and it had started raining. We were stopped at a waterfall couple of hours from Mangan. The traffic got halted as the road ahead was flooded by the water from the fall gushing down with full force. The rains worsened the situation. Everyone in our car had even started contemplating the option to head back to Gangtok. Finally, we crossed the fall after being stuck for more than a couple of hours.

When we reached Chungthang, it was already dark. Chungthang is the confluence point for two rivers, Lachung Chu and Lachen Chu which combines to form the Teesta river. The road also bifurcates from here - one goes to Lachen, another goes to Lachung. It is around 20 KMs from Chungthang to Lachung. We reached our hotel at Lachung at around 8PM. We all were famished. Dinner was served, and we slept like a log.

Day 3

Valley of Flowers

A sunny morning with clear skies was a treat to our eyes. As the snow-capped mountains in the distance bathed in the yellow hue of the rising sun, I strolled down the rustic streets of this small town. Lachung literally means 'small pass'. Our destination for the day was Zero Point along with Yumthang valley. However, tourists can plan to go to Katao also from Lachung.

The road leading to Zero point through Yumthang Valley was lined with different varieties of rhododendrons. March-May is the perfect time to behold the Yumthang valley in its full glory. The entire valley was a riot of colors. The valley was covered with a variety of shades of a zillion rhododendrons and primroses having clear blue skies in the backdrop.

Zero Point

Moving ahead from Yumthang valley lies the place where the civilian road ends, hence the name - Zero Point. It's a 1-hour drive from Yumthang. Zero Point is one of Sikkim's prime tourist attractions. Crossing the icy river to set foot on the snow-clad mountains and have a bout of snow fight with your friends is the second-best activity to do here. Sipping on a hot cup of coffee while admiring the grandeur of the scene still remains the best. It is advisable to carry heavy woolen clothes as the temperature can drop drastically owing to the cold winds.

Lachen

After a late lunch at our hotel, we started for Lachen which is a beautiful small hamlet that serves as the base for the journey to Gurudongmar Lake. The meaning of the name Lachen is 'big pass'. Lachen is about 50 KMs from Lachung via Chungthang. We reached our hotel at Lachen by 8PM. We went to bed early after dinner as we had to start early for Gurudongmar the next day.

Day 4

Gurudongmar Lake

We started at 6AM for Gurudongmar though it is advisable to start earlier because the weather at the lake area becomes unpredictable after 10AM. It is about 70 KMs from Lachen and takes 4-5 hours to reach. Our first stop was at Thangu from where the final stretch of the journey starts. The road from here changes and is mostly a gravel one. Further along the way comes the Giagong Check Post which is the last army check-post where the papers would be checked before going ahead. You must exit this check-post by 12:30PM on the way back from Gurudongmar lake.

A drastic change in the landscape can be noticed on this final stretch. The vegetation is scarce and has reduced to a few occasional bushes. The entire plateau is arid and a single road runs through this wide, barren landscape. As we approached the lake we could feel the shortness of oxygen.

It is advisable to carry camphor and oxygen cans in case of high altitude sickness or shortage of oxygen. Also, remember not to fatigue yourself much.

Gurudongmar lake is situated at an altitude of about 17800 ft and is one of the highest lakes in the world. Located just about 5KMs from the Chinese border, this lake is considered holy. During winters the lake freezes except for a small area. The portion of the lake is believed to be blessed and the water having healing powers.

As I stood by the lake, my mind could not come up with any adjectives to describe the serenity of the place. Despite the icy winds biting on my face, I felt a certain peace looking at the vast blue of the lake cradled among the lofty snow-capped mountains. There was a rugged stairway down to the edges of the lake. I sat at the edge staring at the reflection of the fleece-like clouds on the glassy water enjoying the calm.

Gangtok

We got back to our hotel at Lachen. After a late lunch, we started the return journey to Gangtok. It took about 6-7 hours to reach Gangtok. Our driver dropped each one of us at our respective hotels in Gangtok. It was already midnight when we had our dinner at the hotel.

Day 5

We woke up late the next morning. We had booked a bus from Gangtok to Siliguri on goibibo. It costed us ₹250 per person and the bus timing was at 2:30PM. So we had a few hours with us before lunch to shop at MG Marg. After lunch, we took a cab to the Deorali bus stand to board the bus. The driver charged ₹200 for the ride. The bus started late but reached Siliguri sharp at 8PM leaving us with ample time for dinner. Our return bus was from Siliguri junction at 9:30PM.

As I sat on the bus with a heavy heart contemplating the last few days, I realized that I am returning home with a beautiful experience and a handful of new friends richer.