Before starting this blog I urge you all to please follow the instructions provided by the government to fight against COVID-19#Stayhome#Staysafe my dear lovely friends.
North Sikkim was my last trip before the lockdown. Please read the blog until the end for more info& entertainment.
How to reach:-
By Rail – The nearest major railway station is New Jalpaiguri Railway Station (NJP). From New Jalpaiguri Railway Station to Gangtok nearly 130 kilometres. Gangtok to Lachung or Lachen is 5 - 6 hours drive which requires Inner Line Permit (ILP).
By Air – The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport (IXB). Chopper service is available for Gangtok from Bagdogra. Otherwise, tourist vehicles are also available from Bagdogra Airport to Gangtok & distance is nearly 130 kilometres via national highway 31 A.
By Road – Roads till Gangtok is national highway 31 A. Tourist vehicles or self-drive options are available from Siliguri to Gangtok.
Let The Journey Begin.
Like other travellers, our itineraries were preplanned but we were not aware that destiny play his role when we reached north Sikkim.
I and my 3 friends started our journey from Gangtok to Northsikkim & we booked the trip through "Connecting Northeast" & total cost of trip to Northsikkim was 20000/INR for four-person.
If you want to book your package through "Connecting Northeast" here is the website information.
https://connectingnortheast.business.site/
What were all the things included in the package?
Vehicle, Hotel, Food etc comes in packages/as there are formalities of Inner Line Permit (ILP) to be obtained it's also included.
Documents required for Inner Line Permit:-Voter ID card / Driving License is required along with 4 passport size photograph.
Why all the documents are needed:-
Sikkim is very close to the Peoples Republic of China’s border and the Defense establishment tends to keep things under a very tight vigilance. So, we have to follow certain parameters to visit these parts.
By the way, foreign citizens are completely forbidden from visiting a few places in North Sikkim and Nathu La pass.
Overall experience with connecting northeast:-
The package was cheap, customer assistance throughout the journey was quite impressive, facilities provided including Vehicle, Hotel, food was satisfactory.
The total duration of our trip was 3 days, Day1 (Gangtok), Day2 (Lachen), Day3 (Lachung).
Day 1:- If you are in Gangtok & not visit MG Marg it is not fair.M.G Road is truly the main attraction in Gangtok, its a busy street and the crowd here is just awesome throughout the day and evening. The most happening place in the town.
It is well clean & maintained I liked the most here was you will get almost everything in one place no need to go anywhere else.
Recommendation for coffee lover:-Try coffee at 'The Coffee Shop'
Address:- Anola Building, MG Marg, Gangtok, Sikkim 737101
Day 2:-Our first target was Lachen, we started our journey from Gangtok, almost completing a journey of approx 4hrs we reached Lachen.
Lachen:- It is situated at an altitude of 8500. Lachen is fascinating in its simplicity. Yes, it is not yet as big a tourist destination as Lachung is, but it to keep in possession a very captivating freshness. Approx count of houses were less than 200.
Lachen is the connecting point for some of the most interesting treks in North Sikkim as well as the gateway to the holy Guru Dongmar and Tso Lhamu lakes.
Tourists may visit the Lachen Gompa here and If you want to see the simple village life must visit ‘Lachenpas’.
We entered in the room & we started fighting for window-side bed If you are in my place you will do the same because the outside view was amazing like clouds cover the Queen of Hills Himalaya are welcoming you.
The day we entered Lachen temperature was 2c & we all know in that case we need bonfire which is one of the main itineraries for everyone especially when we are in hills stations, luckily we find one shop which was associated with our homestay. we went there & we had long chat with shop owner he was told few stories of Lachen & cultures of north Sikkim how they are spending their daily lives etc.
You come to know about many historic places, many other stories about that place when you interact with locals more, maybe that information you will not get through any blogs or internet sources.
We had to leave for Gurudongmar lake next day early morning so we all finished our dinner and slept early.
We heard lots of good things about Gurudongmar lake now it's time to explore it.
Gurudongmar Lake:- Situated at a height of 17,800 feet, it is considered one of the holiest pure lakes. It is (190 km from Gangtok city) remains milky in colour throughout the year. According to a legend, since the lake used to remain frozen most of the year, it was not possible to use its water for drinking purposes.
Way to Gurudongmar Lake :-
Everything was going good as of now, and we almost completed halfway our journey to Gurudongmar lake, you can say we were close but not close enough, suddenly our vehicle got stuck badly in snow and we had tried from our end but we can't do anything & most challenging part was lack of oxygen in high attitude. My hearty thanks to army personnel who helped us in this difficult situation, due to heavy snow in the upper area, they instructed us not to go there & we follow their instructions & returned back.
Quote:- Life is important above all because freedom, liberty, and dignity would be meaningless without it.(Source)
After doing many photoshoots, we quickly came back to homestay (Lachen), because we had
to leave for our next destination i.e Lachung.
Lachung :- The attractive in the appearance mountain village of Lachung, located at a height of 8610 ft, hold someone closely in one's arms, by snow-capped mountain peaks, breathtaking waterfalls, sparkling streams and apple orchards is the perfect holiday destination. Bank of Lachung Chu [river] which slices the village in two, Lachung is famous for its apples, peaches and apricots.
At Lachung you can visit the Lachung Gompa, built around 1880, the monastery is situated amidst apple orchards across the river from the town centre. Also, go see the handicraft centre which has exquisitely woven rugs and blankets.
Accommodation is not a problem in Lachung there were many hotels and lodges. It always opens their arm for tourists.
You can also visit the Shingba Rhododendron sanctuary through which flows the Yumthang Chu. The sanctuary is known for its abundance of Rhododendron trees and shrubs. Lachung is perfect for an overnight halt before you visit the spectacular Yumthang valley.
After completing 3hrs of journey we reached teaching & after an overnight half next day we had to complete our next targeted destination Yumthang valley, Katao.
Next day one bad news comes when we woke up, that tourist is not allowed to visit Yumthang valley due to some reasons, we confirmed this news with our cab driver & other tourists who return from halfway from Yumthang Valley & they also confirmed the same. Frankly speaking, I was shocked and wondering again destiny play his role, anyways journey not ends here our next destination Katao was waiting for us.
Katao:-Katao is situated in North Sikkim (India) and is nearly 144 kilometres from Gangtok. Katao Valley is situated at an altitude of nearly 15000 and is far away from the centre of Sikkim. Staying at Lachung one can visit Katao. With the panoramic view of snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. The valley is sparsely covered with poppy, primulas and rhododendron. A military check-post is nearby. Katao Valley is around 24 kilometres from Lachung.
We had lots of fun in Katao with snow great experience totally worth of money.
Things needs to keep in Mind :-
Let me tell you the trip to Katao is not in the standard packages of North Sikkim or Lachung tour you have to pay separately for Katao, our Katao charge was 3000/INR.
Please note that it is not easy to do Yumthang Valley + Zero Point + Katao and return to Gangtok in the same day.
We have to stay or reach Lachung on the previous night. Next day morning Yumthang Valley and Katao can be visited and stay at Lachung is necessary.
We didn't get a chance to visit many places in North Sikkim due to COVID-19 reasons & other restrictions due to bad whether ,anyways this was not the end will come again & complete the target.
This is all about an small experience we had in North Sikkim.
I’m ending my blog here, please also share your experiences in the comment box …stay connected with My travel Box’ to explore the next level.
I didn’t click pics in few places due to photography restrictions.
I'm not doing any paid services for any of the above-mentioned references. I'm sharing my own journey experiences and accordingly giving the rating and feedback.
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