The Best of Sikkim - Gangtok and Lachung

Tsomgo lake, also known as Changu lake is situated in Eastern part of Sikkim, a couple of hours' drive from Gangtok. Enroute Changu lake, we halted at the Kanchenjunga View Point which gives clear massive views of the entire snow-capped mountain range. You can take a ride on the colorfully adorned Yaks, or just pose with them an take a picture. If you have sufficient time at hand, you can also try the rope-way which gives mesmerising views of the Lake from above.

Gangtok has a lot of places to cover in a full day of local sight seeing. You can book a half day sight seeing tour which can cover Ganesh Tonk, Hanuman Tonk, Lahsa Waterfall, Bakhtang Waterfalls, Gonjang Monastery, Flower Show, Plant Conservatory and Tasi View Point. Do not miss going to the famous MG Marg in Gangtok in the evening

This area is highly guarded by the security personnel as it is the sensitive area of the India-China border. You can clearly see the Indian and Chinese flags on either side of the border and the two walls seperating the two countries' borders. Its a different experience which leaves you with a feeling of patriotism. The oxygen levels here are usually low so people are bound to feel a little uneasy.

Lachung is a tiny little town in North Sikkim and it is a 5-hour journey from Gangtok. Two of Sikkim’s major attractions can be visited by doing a night’s stay in Lachung

We headed out early morning to visit our first stop which was the majestic Yumthang Valley, also known as the Valley of Flowers surrounded by beautiful snow-clad peaks. The best time to visit Yumthang is between Feb to Jun which is the Flowering season. A tributary of the river Teesta flows past the valley and the town of Lachung. There is also a hot spring a few kilometers ahead of the Valley.

The route from Yumthang Valley to Zero Point offers brilliant valley views embraced by soaring snow-capped peaks. Carpets of red moss beautifully decorate the roadside as you drive up towards the scintillating Zero Point. The beauty of this place would make you want to stay there forever, but due to the high altitude and the lack of oxygen, it becomes difficult to sustain for more than a couple of hours. Nonetheless, this time is enough to build a snow man, get into a snowball fight or Stomp through the snow and make footprints! Being Gujaratis, we also did a fun garba session there.

After a delightful snow-fight session in the snow, don’t forget to treat yourself to the scrumptious Masala Maggie at one of the tea stalls at the parking area.