Gangtok Reviews

Gangtok Experience: Tshongu lake and Yumthang valley the places which are like created by God's own hand.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: Sikkimese local food is not to be missed.

Activities & things to do: MG Marg is a really beautiful place to visit at evening time

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: Lots of taxi services are there from either Bagdogra airport or from NIP station to Gangtok.

Gangtok Experience: Excellent.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: Baba Mandir, Yumthang and of course M G Road which further includes Ropeway.

Activities & things to do: Enjoy, relax and cut the stress. Shopping at M G Road and bargaining at Lal Market.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: By road from Bagdogra Airport and also from NJP by road. Also share a cab available at Siliguri stand and Sikkim Road Transport avaible from Siliguri stand.

Gangtok Experience: We went to Sikkim with a little uncertainty lurking in our minds since we had planned to visit interior of Sikkim i.e. north Sikkim as we had not met anyone from our friends/relatives who had ventured beyond Gangtok/Pelling/Darjeeling. We had gathered information from the net which was not very precise and assuring. Also we had 3 kids with us and the month was November which we were told was too cold for visiting Sikkim. But we ventured along. And what a trip it was!

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: We had booking for 2 days at Mintokling guest house. The hotel was great for stay and it was cold in Gangtok. It is completely dark in Sikkim by 5.00 pm. we had dinner at the hotel but we were disappointed. The dishes were not up to the mark. Next day we arranged for local sightseeing by a local taxi. The rates range from Rs. 800/- to Rs. 2200/. We opted for some 10 points package costing rs. 1400/-. We visited the Rumtek monastery, one more monastery, some view points, a garden, and the ropeway. to be frank we could not find any of them impressive. We suggest that visitors should select only 3-4 points/places and negotiate up to Rs. 800/- only as the ropeway and the flower garden is in Gangtok local and can be seen anytime afterwards. In the evening we booked a 3n/4d package tour of north Sikkim for Rs. 25000/- through omega tours (Mr. Deepak Rai). North Sikkim tour mainly consist of visit to Gurdongmar lake for which one night stay at Lachen is advised and then for visiting Yumthang valley and zero point one night stay at Lachung is advised. Many people opt only for Yumthang valley and zero point and avoid Gurdongmar. However I would recommend to compulsorily visiting Gurdongmar Lake if you are physically fit and mentally strong. We did not want our tour to be too hectic and hence opted for one night extra stay at Lachung. Next day we were on way to Lachen by Tata sumo. It took us about 6 hrs to reach Lachen. On way there is a Tashi point and some waterfalls, which were not worth watching in comparison to what we going to experience in the next 2 days. We reached Lachen at about 7.30 pm as the road was closed due to landslide and the driver took an alternate route. it was freezing cold. we had purchased jackets from Gangtok which were now priceless. The lodge/hotel at Lachen (hotel pine view) was a very much a basic hotel. Beds with blankets, geyser, a fixed meal with rice, potato sabzi, dal (rotis are a luxury here). We were told to be ready at 4.00 A.M sharp for the excursion to Gurdongmar Lake. We left for Gurdongmar Lake at 4.30 am. We were all freezing and the interior of sumo was warmer. It was pitch dark. The road was rough to say the least. At 5.15 am the sun rays appeared on the horizon and we began to see the snow capped mountains. The views that we were exposed to were stunning to say the least. Our cameras just could not stop clicking. We climbed and climbed higher and finally reached our destination “the Gurdongmar lake “. The lake was enchanting with dark blue water and ice capped mountains in the background. The lake is sacred and hence foreigners are not allowed here. it is only 5kms to china from here. It is situated at 17100 ft. And is one of the highest lakes in the world. a small temple is built here by the army. As there is lack of oxygen at this altitude, some of us felt a little giddy/nauseated. We explored around only for 15-20 minutes and turned back. It was a once in a lifetime experience. We were a little tense as the driver has asked us to keep the kids in the vehicle and had advised us not to wait for more than 10 minutes. However the kids did not feel any major problem. We had taken the precaution of having cotton balls in our ears, frequently inhaling scent of camphor (said to be useful?), eating popcorn etc. in fact, I would say that don’t go by the driver’s or tour operator’s excessive advice/warnings about high altitude problems and get tense, feel relaxed and enjoy the surroundings which you may experience once in the lifetime. We returned to Lachen at 3.00 pm for lunch and were feeling exhilarated as if we had accomplished some great achievement. (well ! it was an achievement, we had traveled from Pune at 1850 ft. , Gangtok at 4715 ft. Lachen at 9020 ft. and Gurdongmar at 17100 ft. i.e. 3/5th of Mt. Everest without any hiccups). Though we had traveled for more than 9 hrs, none of us was feeling tired and we were ready for onward journey to Lachung. Lachung was 3-4 hrs journey from Lachen. We left Lachen for Lachung thru Chungthang. We reached Lachung at 7.00 pm and stayed at hotel tourist centre. We were disappointed with the hotel however had to bear with the same as the better hotel nearby demanded exorbitant rates. The hotel was very much average/below average. The hotels here do not entertain direct customers and mostly have to be booked in Gangtok as package tours. We would recommend that before booking the package, please enquire about the hotels provided and insist for better ones like Fortuna, le coxy though they may cost more. The next day, we left for Yumthang valley and zero point. The Yumthang valley is full of rhodendron flowers in April/may and now in November there were no flowers but we could imagine the beautiful sight it must be. At Yumthang valley, we had a breakfast with momos served by smartly attired sikkimese girls having many stalls there. One more thing most liked by us in north Sikkim was there is a virtual monopoly of the ladies in businesses of small hotels/road side hotels/restaurants/shops and they are very much well dressed, smart and good looking and are doing the business with a flourish. We all also took on hire some gum boots to be used at zero point though some tourists advised us against the same but it was found by us as very good decision later. We left for zero point about 1 hour from this point. On way there are almost no villages/houses but only army camps could be seen. We met two jawans at a checkpoint and incidentally they hailed from Maharashtra and were very happy to see us and speak with us in Marathi. While returning, they waited for us, and gave my son a Cadbury which was a gift he would always remember since incidentally it was his birthday. We also offered them sweets we had brought from Pune especially prepared in Maharashtra during diwali and since the jawan’s diwali was spent here guarding the borders for us.

Activities & things to do: It was freezing cold at zero point (15700 ft). There is open land with no vegetation and cold breeze was blowing. There was small stream/river flowing and beyond it was snow and the snow covered mountains. We had to cross the stream/river to get to the snow and we blessed ourselves for bringing the gum boots. We crossed over and played in the snow till our stamina permitted. We could visit this point now but it was informed to us that it is almost closed/inaccessible in December and January when there is heavy snowfall here. We returned back to Lachung in the evening and had a night stay there. Next day, we left for Gangtok in the morning and reached Gangtok in evening. We found a budget hotel near mg road and stayed there for next 2 days. Next day we went for one day excursion to Namchi/char dhamin south Sikkim. Char dham is a Rs. 100 crore project going on near Namchi and was under construction when we visited. It is worth visiting though not yet complete. Our Sikkim tour was coming to a conclusion though we also visited Changu Lake as Nathula pass was closed due to snowfall and returned back. It was once in a life time experience.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: We reached Bagdogra airport at about 2.00 pm. A taxi booth is available at the airport for booking taxi (sumo/max and even Innova) to Gangtok. it takes about 4-5 hrs and cost ranges from Rs. 1600/- to Rs 2200/-. The taxis are not allowed directly to your hotel in Gangtok city if you reach there before 5.00 pm. They will drop you at taxi stand where you have to hire another taxi for local travel (Maruti van/Wagon r). Since we reached in evening the taxi driver dropped us at hotel (Mintokling guest house) by charging extra rs.200/-.

Gangtok Experience: The Best - a mini Switzerland.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: Food was good , Shopping is not cheap but one can do.

Activities & things to do: There is pub and disco also one can got to casino at Royal casino hotel.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: From Siliguri one can take car on hire to Gangtok.

Gangtok Experience: Awesome place, best for honeymoon.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: North Sikkim must not be missed. Best way out is to get a tour guide book from any local shop.

Activities & things to do: Trekking, China border on a height of 14200 feet and a lot more ... better you trust local people and tourism information counter on MG road.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: I just visited Gangtok and had some untold tips... Hope it helps.. 1) I have been to almost every state in India and found Sikkim second best after Kashmir; location wise, it's the best in India; also cultural & people wise. 2) Whole of Sikkim looks free from any kind of mischief or security violations. 3) Best time for north Indians in Gangtok is Nov - Feb and for south Indians is Sep - Nov. 4) Gangtok never sees snowfall, although you can have enough snow in north Sikkim , where you can go by a taxi from Gangtok. 5) Bagdogra airport uses very less advance technology which results into flight cancellation in hazy weather, so avoid travelling there in the first two weeks of January and if you are stuck in such a case, then best way out is to go to Kolkata (via luxury/sleeper bus services in night) from Siliguri and then have a flight to your location. 6) Train service is also not much reliable from New Jaipaiguri railway station as trains are late in hazy weather. 7) Never ever try to go out of Bagdogra airport and book a taxi. Booking a Sikkim taxi prior to your journey is the best idea. Other wise you can book a pre paid taxi to Siliguri taxi stand and from there you can get a Sikkim taxi starting with 'SK' 8) Personally I felt that my driver was really a nice & genuine person, He even helped me out in Siliguri when my flight got cancelled due to bad weather. 9) I found Sikkim a great place for honeymoon trips as the area is free from any security violations and is the cleanest city in India. 10) Always drink boiled or mineral water. 11) Last but not the least, helicopter booking should be done in advance.

Gangtok Experience: we group of 6 after visiting Darjeeling on 30.09.2010,we proceeded to Gangtok capital of Sikkim state which is situated at an altitude of6000 feet in the mount Kanchenjunga of east Himalayan range and it is a ever greenish,healthy,non smoking non spitting ,clean , hygiene and peaceful city. The climate during our visit was good and enjoyable.the maximum temp.is 20 and minimum is 15 degree. we reached Gangtok in the after noon and had our pre- arranged lunch at hotel Meylong situated on 31 a national high way.the roads are being maintaining by the border roads organization.we have seen the name board in the NH Kanchenjunga to Kanyakumari on the Himalayan top hills.by 4.oo p.m. We had been in the cable car rope way connecting four mountains. We enjoyed the hills nature,roads,buildings plesant view from 4000 feet height.then we visited m.g.marg,lal market which are shoping area with costly resturants and a leisurely place for the visiting tourists. .m.g. marg Gangtok is very busy marketing and resting place for tourists.on the one km shopping road,there are somany benches for sitting and taking rest.below the m.g. marg,lal market and super market are located.we stayed in hotel meylong which is better for our stay. On 01.10.2010,we started our sight seeing in and arround gangtok in two maruti vans since only smaller vechiles are allowed in gangtok for local sight seeing that too only four persons are allowed in a single vechile . we visited enchey monastery 200 years old,rebuilt during 1910,botonical garden,shanthi view point.in shanthi view point, coloured dresses were given to take hill view photos.then we visited do-drul chorten stupa built in 1945 with 108 prayer wheels.then we visited tibetian museum namgyal insitute of tibetology where we saw the 200 years old bowls made from skull and etc.we also visited rumtek monestery where nalantha university for buddist studies is located.we also visited num num view point and flower show centre and park.it is a very plesant one. variety of roses are there in the garden well maintained.then we visited ganesh tok and tashi view point which is in 7500 feet hight.one should not miss to see in gangtok.it was once on the way to old silk route to tibet and chinna.zoo is near by where snow lepord breeding station is located.some photos are here.there is is also an army traing cetre is located. at tashi view point, we saw the hills view and the roads towards chinna border .the climate was very enjoyable there in the top of kanchenjunga east himalayan hills . on 02.10.2010,we proceeded to namchi 8000 feet high which is 98 kms away from gangtok.enroute we visited singtom,temi tea garden.in temi tea garden,we got jolly mood and rolled in the tea plantations.the photo shows the enjoyment..then we visited buddist statue which is 100 feet hight.we also visited namchi rock garden and siva temple which is under construction at a cost of rs.45/ crores.further rope way construction project is underway connecting samdruptse and namchi siva temple hills at a cost of rs.25/ crores covering 10 kms. it will be a fine hill view to the future tourists once the project work is completed.we enjoyed a lot in namchi hill visit.we returned to gangtok by 5.00pm..we stayed at hotel meylong .some photos are here. we have missed visiting nathulla pass 17000 feet high and changu lake/tsomong lake because of road closure by the defence due to land slides enroute.further we were also not able to visit yumthang valley and pelling in north sikkim. 0n 03.10.2010,we said good bye to hotel meylong gangtok and left to bagdodra airport by 7.30 a.m. in inova vechile which is 140 kms from gangtok and 98 kms from darjeeling.we reached bagdogra airport by 11.45 am to catch spicejet flight tochennai.after passing through nearly 25 hills,zig zag roads and dangerous curves via silluguri. if anybody wants further details pl.call me no 09443259210 vijayakumar tirunelveli tamilnadu

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: good

Activities & things to do: go for all sight seeing places

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: go by share taxi from airport or from njp railway station

Gangtok Experience: Gangtok is beautiful and sparkling clean.I was surprised to see that its plastic free and a No public smoking is allowed,which I believe is implemented very strictly.Though its crowded the places to visit like Ban Jhakri Falls,Ropeway , Hanuman Tok ,Ganesh tok and Rumtek Monastary are all very well maintained and clean. As we did not visit Pelling or Lachung the star attraction was , of course , was the Nathula Pass.Its very bleak and cold and beautiful.Tough for people who are not very fit physically , but if one takes is easy and does not make any rapid movements its OK to breathe. The road is very bad and non existent in patches due to land slides and we were lucky to have avoided one which had happened only a few days back. The weather was good when we reached there but it became very bad with rains and fog and visibility was reduced to almost zero.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: We ate mostly at our hotel but all types of food are available but predominantly its Chinese and local cuisine.Although once we got good Butter chicken and Naan at Hotlicks (on the Ropeway bldg) and the next time , Pure Veg at Rasoi on M G Marg. Not much to shop except local handicraft as most of the stuff seems to be of Chinese make which come from across the border and that too not very economical.Found some good silver ear rings on our way back from Rumtek and some souvenirs and momentous at Tashi point. Not to forget the Makaibari tea at Laal Market which was quite good.

Activities & things to do: We did not do any trekking or river rafting so cannot comment.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: We went from Bagdogra to Gangtok by car and found the view spectacular but the road was really bad , it took us close to 5hrs to reach there although its only about 120 km. On our way back we took the chopper and it was an adventure .Although its a little dear with 2400 per head but the view is breathtaking and the time taken is just 25 min to reach Bagdogra.One word of caution if one is planning to take the helicopter then the shopping has to be curbed as they are very strict about weight , one can carry only 15 kg per head plus his own weight which should be average of 70 kg.Our baggage could not travel with us and had to follow us in the next trip , fortunately for us there was a long wait for the connecting flight to Kolkata.

Gangtok Experience: Gangtok is a nice place to visit on short vacations,except the exhausting taxi travel from the train stations and the airports.Being cold the year throughout it gives its tourists a pleasant atmosphere to move around. But one should always take an umbrella with him because sudden rainfall occurs sometimes. Gangtok is a clean place to be around .It is full of flowers sometimes and often filled with ice around the outskirts.Traffic this well maintained but is a bit expensive.Since big cars or buses are not allowed to ply around the city plying on the small cars are a bit expensive for some tourists.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: The Mahatma Gandhi Road which is the attraction of the Gangtok is a wonderful place.It is a well planned road for pedestrians without any vehicles plying on it.The area is mainly a market place with wonderful lighting and flowering on it.People can also sit around on the chairs placed on the side of the road and pass their time pleasantly. There are lots of restaurants around on this mall road but the most coveted one that I found was the vegetarian 'Parivar' and 'Rasoi'.For the Bengali taste the best one to go is the 'Woodland Hotel' very near the M G Marg. Rgarding sight seeing the best option is to take the two days for the local sight seeing and one day for Changu Lake, Baba Mandir and Nathula Pass. First day should include Ganesh Tok , Hanuman Tok ,Tashi View Point early in the morning and flower show, a ride at the cable car and hadicraft show.The second day can be taken for seeing all the monesteries, Tibetology and the Jhakri falls.The third day can be taken to move on to the long distance tourist spots like Changu Lake,Baba Mandir and Nathula Pass.People having high blood pressure and heart trouble should take precautionary measure or avoid these sites as they are located at a very high altitude of 1700 ft height. All the evenings can be spent on M.G.Marg Regarding shopping tourist should be alert as the quality of the clothes is not up to the mark.Only some woollen clothes can be picked up from Gangtok.Interior decorators can be choosily selected from the place. Thus on the whole Gangtok is a lovely place to spend from four to six days.

Activities & things to do: Those interested in trekking can go for it.Walking through the hilly roads early in the mornings also a nice exercise to experience.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: Heavy winter dresses should be taken from fur cap, jackets to boots.

Gangtok Experience: If Darjeeling is queen of hills,Gangtok is princess of Eastern Himalayas. Darjeeling is romantic Gangtok is youthful.when i passed sevok road,first Teesta river accompanied me then she introduced me with her lover Rangeet in Rongpo which is end of West Bengal & beginning of Sikkim.Gangtok is unlucky that Kanchenjunga is not that clearly visible but lucky to have number of water falls ,lakes & orchids.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: best place to visit in Gangtok is of course tsangu lake. If you want to see snow covered lake,make your plan in march.i luckily got a snow fall which is a mind blowing experience.M G MERG in heart of the city is a nice place to walk lazily or shopping.but best place to shop is lal market. Ban jhakri falls is a recent addition & worth going. Rumtek monastery is must ........enjoy a cup of tea with momo in shanti view point which is just 5 km before Rumtek.if you are lucky you can get a chance to see snow covered tsangu hill zero point from here. There are many good restaurants in Gangtok,try rasoi in M G merg .this is a good restaurant for veg items.

Activities & things to do: just relax.go out for sight seeing in morning & walk in M G MERG in evening.if you love orchids ,go to orchid house,if you love adventure ,go youmthang lachung,valley of flowers.if you love photography,go tsangu...baba mandir....nathula....youmthang.dont miss to capture rododendron.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: 1)first you have to reach either new Jalpaiguri station or Bagdogra airport.cars are freely available.remember ,they never allow more than 4 persons in a small car.rate for a tata sumo or max from NJP is rs 2000 to 2500. 2)try to book a hotel in m g merg. Kanchenjunga is not usually visible from hotels in central Gangtok.if you want to see view of the valley,book a hotel in ridge area or near lal market.rate for a good budget hotel is around rs 1500. bus stand in Gangtok is captured by touts so be careful.

Gangtok Experience: Gangtok is a gr8 place for getaway, with its share of hills, ice topped mountains, winding roads, chilling cold even in October and a very very clean town; market roads resemble European roads

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: One should not miss baba mandir, since it is not a temple (that we had initially thought) but the memory of a very brave soldier who had given his life there.....the original one is at a height of 1400ft and still retains the bunker from where he had fought. Changu lake, elephant lake are other sight seeing destinations. Shopping is like any other hill station with warm clothes etc.

Activities & things to do: River rafting

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: By train: to New Jalpaiguri and hire a vehicle from there....it'll cost around 3-4000 for the vehicle and took around 5hours

Gangtok Experience: Safe, cool, pleasant and relaxing destination. Lot of nice spots good people and one of the best place for Holidaying. Travel before the end of June. It starts raining from the first week of July, resulting landslide and blockage of roads.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: All types of food available. Do not miss MOMO and other Tibetian delicacies. Visit MG road for shopping.

Activities & things to do: Visiting spots, monasteries, lakes, and other places. Excursion, Trekking etc.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: Always advisable to reach Bagdogra by Air (connected to Kolkata, Delhi directly). Also approachable from NJP (New Jalpaiguri Junction) by road. Reserved vehicle (TATA SUMO) costs around Rs 1300, takes around 4 Hrs. Sikkim is divided in four section (EAST, WEST, NORTH and SOUTH) all worth visiting. It is advisable to stay at Gangtok (East Sikkim) for at least three days, later one can stay at different locations to cover other section of Sikkim. Pelling is worth visiting. One can visit Darjeeling also during the trip. In the Present situation always avoid visit to Darjeeling. Timti T garden in Namchi (south Sikkim) should not missed.

Gangtok Experience: A Nice Cool Place to be at, Pure, Clean, Beautiful Place

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: One should definitely visit North Sikkim, and that too for at least 2 nights.

Activities & things to do: Make sure to visit Yumthang Valley, Zero Point.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: No problem as such, trust the locals, roads at times tend to be non-existent, but believe in your DRIVER.

Gangtok Experience: Gangtok is one of the most beautiful hill destinations in the country. it has excellent hotels, good food, nice shopping and very friendly people. one of the most remarkable ethings about Gangtok is the eco friendly nature of the whole town.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: The food at Gangtok is mostly Chinese and Tibetan food, however there are a few cafes' that serve expensive coffee, but the ambience is electrifying. the city has a laid back feel to it and is really tourist friendly, try the 'Live and Loud' cafe, excellent ambience and live music every evening. do not miss MG Road, it is the cleanest shopping street in all of india. there is no littering allowed and the same is enforced, sometimes ruthlessly even.

Activities & things to do: the seven point tour that most taxy guys suggest is a good tour, they charge around rs500/- per taxy. try and visit tsango lake and nathula pass, though you need to book the passes through the army atleast a day or two in advance. any guide would happily organise it for you. do not miss the view of Kanchenjunga from tashi view point, preferably early in the morning. try the ropeway ride, the view is really good.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: The only way to go to Gangtok is through siliguri. all u need to do is reach siliguri or Bagdogra and then take a taxy to Gangtok.

Gangtok Experience: It was indeed a great trip & experience for both me and my wife. The people were friendly and the terrain has a great potential for becoming a much sought after tourist destination bor inland, foreign and NRI tourist in the years to come. I would like to visit Sikkim once again in near future.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: Food not so great from availability point of view but sufficient layouts are available for a leisurely meal.Gangtok city sight seeing, south Sikkim and nathula pass, Baba mandir and Changu lake are experience in themself. Adequate shopping avenues are available.

Activities & things to do: Sight seeing and other like rafting mountaineering etc

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: By air or from NJP.

Gangtok Experience: Gangtok, a cool and a charming place in Sikkim, a must visit for people travelling to this part of the country. So neat and clean, the city and infact the whoel state is an example for India to follow in its neatness drive. There are may excursions in and around gangtok which are a must see like the Tsongo Lake, Nathula Pass(for the patriotic types), Baba Mandir, Bun Jhakri falls, Ropeway etc..

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: Shopping is comparatively expensive here and things are not authentic. Most items are Chinese made with life of 4-6 months. Lots of food options and the best veg food and breakfast is available in Rasoi and Parivar restaurants. As mentioned in overview, there are many sight seeing places. One important note for people travelling to Nathula and Baba Mandir.. Since these places are at very high altitude(14200 fts), you may face breathing problems. Hence a simple solution is to keep 'kapur'(one which is used for a flame) with and keep smelling it whenever you have breathing problems. By the way M.G. Road in the heart of Gangtok is probably the best market place i have seen in India.

Activities & things to do: Ropeway, trekking, walking etc... If you are lucky then there is river rafting in Teesta river some 50 odd kms from Gangtok.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: Need at least 3 days in Gangtok if you wish to travel to Nathula as well. Keep warm clothes if you are travelling in winter as it can be very chilly. Summers are rather pleasant and for people who are used to air conditioners, please confirm with your hotels if they have room fans because these might be needed in summers. Do not travel in monsoon as there can be landslides and since roads are smaller in these places, you may get stuck. Also in monsoons nothing can be seen except clouds.

Gangtok Experience: Gangtok approach road from Bagdogra was very bad. The hill station itself was clean and the traffic was very orderly. The MG Road in Gangtok should be emulated in all Hill stations. The surrounding places like Temi, Rumtek etc and villages were clean and inviting. People were friendly and helpful

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: The restaurants on MG Road were fine depending on tastes but the one on top of the tourist centre was the worst. Would not advise it. At Namchi, we visited their best restaurant for Lunch and both my wife and I got food poisoning. Heard another couple got it the day after. Road to Nathula was almost non-existent.

Activities & things to do: Visit the Sikkim Handicrafts emporium and the flower show - a must. Visit Rumtek and Temi Tea estate. For older people like ourselves, the visit must be leisurely by taking rest after previous strenuous days.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: Visit via Bagdogra-- a worse airport than that we cannot imagine. The facilities are lacking considering the incoming and outgoing flights.

Gangtok Experience: Gangtok and places nearby are true destinations to spend time in Mother Nature's lap with gurglings water falls, inviting Himalayas, perfect weather, fog and flowers and river Teesta through the way to Gangtok.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: In Gangtok, as far as food is concerned, Momos is a must eat and preferably at Quick Bite in Gangtok, look for Pariwar family restaurant as well for all kind of cuisines.

Activities & things to do: White water rafting, hiking and trekking are a few things which you can go for other than sight seeing, equipments for these activities are easily available and make your Gangtok experience worth remembering.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: Suitable cabs are available from New Jalpaiguri railway station. Direct trains are not available up to Gangtok. If you are not used to curvy roads and have car sickness don't opt for destinations like Gangtok. Do carry some thermals with you whatever the season is.

Gangtok Experience: Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim situated around 114 kms from Siliguri (in West Bengal and home to the nearest major railway station and airport). The following major travel attractions are available: (1) A 1-day or a half-day trip of Gangtok and neighbourhood: Sight-seeing options are not that great within Gangtok. Sight seeing comes under 2 main packages: 5 points & 10 Points. It is better to go to MG Marg area in Gangtok and directly talk to a cab driver (which saves you money). Or else talk to any of the numerous tour-operators who have set-up shop in and around MG Marg. If you book from your hotel travel-desk, it will cost your more. We opted for a 6 point tour which set us back by Rs 1100 (in peak season). But rates usually vary from Rs 500-1000 depending on the season and no. of points. Usually the operator/driver suggests the points and you can bargain as per your interests. Have your pick from a sample list of points below. I didn't find any one of them much appealing (I bet you too won't if you have already visited other hill-stations like Ooty, Mahabaleshwar, etc). Within Gangtok: (i) Govt Instt of Cottage Industry (ii) Sikkim Research Instt of Tibetology (iii) Do-Drul Chorten Stupa (iv) Deer Park (v) The Flower Show complex (vi) Enchey Monastery - in the middle of a forest (vii) White Hall (viii) Ridge Park (ix) Ganesh Tok (x) Himalayan Zoological Park (xi) Sa-Ngor-Chotshog Centre (xii) View-Point (xiii) Gonjang Monastery (xiv) Ban-Jhakri Waterfalls (xv) Ropeway Remember that points (v), (vii) and (viii) are adjacent and so are points (ii) & (iii). Keep this in mind while bargaining for the points. Around Gangtok: (i) Tashi Ling Monastery (6 km) (ii) Hanuman Tok (7200ft; 5.5 km) (iii) Rumtek Monastery (24 km) (iv) Nehru Botanical Garden - 0.5 km from Rumtek (v) Deorali Orchid Sanctuary (vi) Tsuk la Khang - assembly & prayer (vii) Saramsa/Ipecac Garden (14 km) (viii) Water Garden (16 km) - picnic spot (ix) Fambong La Wildlife Sanctuary (25 km) I would recommend only the Ropeway (ride for approx. 20 min), Rumtek monastery and Ban-Jhakri falls. (2) A must-see is a trip to Nathu La Pass which will also cover Tchangu (also known as Tsomogo Lake) Lake and Baba Harbhajan Mandir. Permission is required to visit Nathu La, so it is advisable to use a tour operator. Book yourself a ticket from a local tour operator the moment you reach Gangtok. We reached at 17:00 hrs but instead of heading to the hotel, we went straight to MG Marg and inquired till we were confirmed by a tour operator. You need to submit a copy of your ID for the trip. Ideally, the booking happens 2 days before the trip takes place. The urgency could be understood from the fact that there are many taxis which return from Tchangu Lake everyday without visiting Nathu La Pass. The Nathu La Pass is open to public only on 5 days a week (wed to sun) and only a limited no. of taxis are allowed everyday. The cost is Rs 750 per person (during off-season it is even less) and the taxis are usually 10-seaters. Of course you can book a pvt. taxi if you like which will be 10 times the cost of 1 person. The taxi leaves at 8:00 hrs and returns by 17:00 or 18:00 hrs. Your tour operator will guide you regarding the pick-up point and time. The pass is at 14,200 feet, and is very cold (we witnessed snow even in October). Take very warm clothing and an umbrella as the rains are very unpredictable (luckily we didn't face any). If you don't have warm clothing, no need to worry as along the way you will find stores which sell sweaters/pullovers, hand-gloves, ear-covers, caps, cravats/mufflers. The route is as follows: Gangtok - Tchangu Lake (12000 ft; 40 km) - Nathu La Pass (14200 ft; 54 km). The first stop would be Nathu La Pass where you can enjoy the following: (i) a peek into Chinese territory (ii) cafe at 14000 ft (where you can delve into coffee, samosa, puffs, chocolates, burgers, etc.) (iii)If you are lucky you can witness snow along the way (we did and were excited like toddlers). The snowfall usually happens from late October till March, we were told. The next stop is Baba Harbhajan Mandir at 13000 ft. It’s a temple dedicated to an Indian soldier. From the Mandir, if you pay Rs 80 extra per person, the driver will take you to: (i) Memencho Lake - 2.5 km from Baba Harbhajan Mandir, which is the source of the River Rangopocha — a tributary of the Teesta. (ii) Tughlak - where there's lot of snowfall. Unfortunately we couldn't see the above 2 places as the other travellers were not too keen on this. While returning, the taxi will stop at Tchangu lake which is a very big holy lake among the mountains. It freezes in winter. You can have a Yak ride here. Unfortunately there are no boating options here. (3) Beyond Gangtok: If you are on a long-holiday (4 days or more), you can try out the following places which come as package tours. Booking for them are done from MG Marg tour operators or maybe your hotel travel-desk can help you out. (i) Pelling (7000 ft; 117 km) - from here one can go to base camp of Mt. Kancehnjunga. (ii) Khecheopalri (Wishing) Lake (145 km). (iii) Lachung (8800 ft; 116 km). (iv) Yumthang Valley (145 km) - called the Valley of flowers, is located on a flat valley. April and May promises colourful flowers whereas Nov to March usually sees snow. It also has hot springs. (v) Yuksam (124 km) - Hills and lakes. Since we were on a 3-day holiday, we didn't cover any of the above.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: Food is not an issue in Gangtok. In MG Marg there a lot of good eateries where one can have veg, non-veg, South and North Indian food. Don't expect an authentic dish like the ones you have back at home and you won't be disappointed. Food while travelling to Nathu La Pass is a major issue. The place where most of the taxis stop (nearby Tchangu Lake) doesn't have good options for eating. The Chinese recipes dished out were pretty tasteless and we had to be satisfied with Maggi. If possible, carry some food along so that you don't end up complaining later. In Gangtok, the major mode of commuting is city-taxis (there are no public transports like buses). They cover all the major places and are shared. Usually the fare is Rs 10 per person. You just have to stand on the road and wait for one. Or else for more convenience, book one through the hotel you are staying in. Usually it will cost you Rs 70 to 100 depending on the distance. All city-taxis go to MG Marg (this is where you will need to go often for planning your travel, eating or shopping). MG Marg is also a shopping destination where you can get all your necessary stuff.

Activities & things to do: check above

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: The major entry-point for Gangtok is Siliguri. Siliguri can be reached by the following means: (A) By air - Bagdogra is the nearest airport. Bagdogra has daily connectivity with Kolkata, Guwahati and Delhi. Bagdogra is 14 kms from Siliguri. From Siliguri, you have innumerable options to reach Gangtok (bus and taxi). Take a pre-paid taxi from Bagdogra airport to SNT (Sikkim National Transport) bus-stand. It will cost you Rs 260. There is also a North Bengal Transport bus-stand which is in the same road. From Bagdogra you can also have a helicopter ride to Gangtok; cost Rs 2000. Bagdogra airport has a counter from where bookings for the helicopter ride can be done. For more info, probably some other sources needs to be checked. (B) By train - New Jalpaiguri (NJP) is the nearest rail-station. It is 12 kms from Siliguri. NJP has daily connectivity with trains from Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati. From Mumbai, there is a train Dadar-Guwahati express which goes via NJP. Once you reach Siliguri, ask for SNT bus-stand or NBSTC (North Bengal State Transport Corp) stand. Both the bus-depots are on the same main road about 1 to 2 km apart. (1) SNT buses leave every hour for Gangtok. The last bus leaves at 13:30 hours. It is sometimes difficult to get a bus without waiting as there is a queue. Ideally, you might get a ticket for a bus which departs after 1 hour. (2) A better option would be to settle for a shared cab (Sumo, MaxX, Qualis, etc). They are usually 10-seaters (2 besides the driver, 4 in the middle and 4 at the back). We being a couple chose the front-seat from where you get a good view while travelling. The only disadvantage of sitting at the front is for the person sitting next to the driver often being poked at due to the gear being adjusted. The cost is Rs 150 per person. Usually, if its the holiday season one needn't wait much for the taxis to get filled (we waited 15 minutes). During non-holiday season, the drivers usually depart before its even full and you might get a bargain also in terms of price. We paid Rs 120 per person while returning. A private taxi can also be booked for around Rs 1500. There are lots of shared-taxis around the SNT bus-stand so locating one will not be a problem. The entire stretch has lot of private tourist buses also if one needs to inquire further. The entire Siliguri-Gangtok route is 114 km and it will take anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5 hours to commute. Do not miss the following in your journey: 1. Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary (15-20 km from Siliguri). Though we didn't sight anything out of the ordinary. 2. Teesta river which accompanies you for the major part of the journey offers some breath-taking views and photo-ops. 3. More than half-way into your journey, there is a stretch along the river where there are options for river-rafting both for swimmers and non-swimmers. The more adventurous can try it out. But its better to negotiate with the driver if you want to do so before you start your journey. 4. Soon on entering Sikkim, the Sikkim-Manipal Technology University on the banks of the river is a sight to behold. While returning from Gangtok, you have the following options: (1) Catch a helicopter ride to Bagdogra. The Sikkim Tourism office at the start of MG Marg provides you with booking options. (2) Go to Deorali bus-stand and catch a bus or shared taxi to Siliguri. There could be other options also but they need to be explored. Precautions: For the long hilly-rides, its better to carry medicines like Avomine (for Nausea and dizziness). Don't travel on an empty stomach and eat light before you travel, or else it will aggravate the problem. Maximum people were afflicted by nausea. I am no doctor, but I used a Avomine tablet as a precaution before my journey and it served its purpose. Carry an umbrella as the rains are unpredictable. People with breathing problems and a weak heart might face an issue at Nathu La as the oxygen content is low and even healthy people had to struggle to walk-up a few steps. Such people should consult a doctor before travelling.

Gangtok Experience: A very beautiful place especially if you are fed up with heat of plains , its nice place to chill out . Gangtok is also a gate way to a few most scenic Places like Yumthang , Lachun, zero Point etc. Prices in Gangtok are very less as compared to any other hill station in India for Hotel as well as taxi . Law and Order of Sikkim is very good . Pollution free fresh air mystic mountain views a lot of adventure like River Rafting , trekking etc are available here.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: Sight seeing comes under 3 main packages : 5 points , 7 Points, 11 Points and can be easily booked by Hotel where you are staying or directly by any cab driver (which saves your money). i will advise you to take a 7 point tour it contains all necessary stuff rest all the tours are waste of time and money. 7 point will cost you around 500 - 900 rs/- Depending on your bargaining abilities. NOT TO BE MISSED : Ranka Monastry , Rumtek Monastry , Jhakri falls , institute of tibetology(which is a very nice small museum), Flower Show , Ropeway , Ganesh tok and Cottage and Hand loom industry . If you want to shop for very cheap electronic stuff then i will suggest you to shop at siliguri : complex at back of bus station , Hongkong Market here electronic gadgets are at throw away prices totally unbelievable prices but you have to bargain a lot .

Activities & things to do: Go to Discos like 'Escape', 'Time-out' in Gangtok . Quick Facts: Liquor is Very cheap , Beer Costs just 38/- and the name is 'HIT'(also a name of mosquito repellent) Things To Do: Go for river rafting on return from Gangtok to NJP . It is completely safe for non swimmers(though a swimmer zone is also available for experienced ones ) and this is one thing u won't forget ever in your Life . 2 options are available 8 kms and 11 kms i will advise to go for 11 kms and price is 350 for 8km and 450 for 11kms per head. 2. For Nthula-Baba Mandir-Changu Lake trip Passport Size Photographs and Photo-id prof of each and every person is required for army Permit as it is Indo China border at Nathula on paying 500 extra cab driver can take you to TUGLAK where you will find a lot of snow comparable to that you find at Zero point .

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: No of options are there : 1. By road : from kolkata a 13 hrs journey 2. By Rail Nearest Railway Station is New Jalpaye Guri or NJP. A Few Travel Tips First Tip : Road to siliguri from Kolkata is a torture Full of pits and holes so Bus Ride is Bumpy Pls avoid Back seats in Bus otherwise u'll be tossed in air every 10 sec I would suggest Go by train and reach New Jalpaye Guri though i went by Bus cost was 500 for AC bus . Second tip: If u go by bus from kolkata = 13 hrs then siliguri to gangtok by cab = 4 hrs that means by d time u'll reach gangtok u hav spent around 17 hrs road journy That is very painful then u need remaining day in hotel sleeping all d time So go by train. Third Tip.:: stay away from middle mens when u'll reach siliguri or NJP u'll find 100s of middlemen or 'dalals' never believe their prices don't talk to them at all , whatever they say sounds very convincing and their prices are 90% high so just take a cab to gangtok a full reserved indica will cost