Hello Guys! I am really excited to share with you my unforgettable experiences from Sikkim.
I travelled to Sikkim on DECEMBER 2015 with my college friends. So, by now you might have guessed why I have mentioned "freezing weather" in the title. The weather was extremely cold since it was winter season. So, if you guys are planning a trip to Sikkim during December then make sure you have enough warm clothes with you.
Yes, the weather was cold but I believe it was the best time to visit Sikkim because during summer we might have missed snow covered roads and mountains , frozen rivers and waterfall. So, guys plan your trip accordingly.
Few Things to Know
I would like to share few things about Sikkim based on my experience before we begin.
- I found Sikkim to be one of the cleanest state of India.
- When you are at Sikkim the mountains , rivers, waterfalls and bridges won't leave you throughout the journey which will make you feel awesome.
- The local language is Nepali but people understand Hindi as well and if you are from Nepal you will feel like you are at home.
- Smoking at public places are prohibited. So guys, be careful, smoke at your hotel if you want to else you will be fined if caught.
- Generally MoMos, Thupka, Nepali and Chinese dishes are available.
- Food is a bit costly which is expected as Sikkim being a tourist spot.
- Locals are helpful and polite in nature.
Journey Begins....
Since we were students at KIIT University Bhubaneswar, we took a train from BHUBANESWAR to NEW JALPAIGURI. It took us around 24 hrs to reach our destination. If you want to save your time then you can take a flight to BAGDOGRA airport and travel to GANGTOK, the capital of Sikkim by road. On reaching NEW JALPAIGURI railway station we took TATA SUMO which was easily available outside the station. Our next destination was Gangtok which was around 120 km from the station. On the way to Gangtok we stopped at HONG KONG MARKET near Siliguri where winter wear were available at nominal price. The market was big and you can find lots of collection. You can try this if you have enough time frame to take out some time for shopping. I felt it was worth visiting.
Reaching Gangtok
The journey to Gangtok was adventurous as most part of the journey was on mountains on one side and TEESTA river on the other side.
We finally reached Gangtok where we met a guy on vehicle stand, he was a driver who also manages trip of tourist like travelling, sightseeing, stay, permit etc. He took us to our hotel in a private vehicle which was already booked by us. The hotel was near MG ROAD which I felt was the perfect location to stay. On the way to hotel he had already convinced us to take his services but we still enquired about this near MG Road and decided to go with him since he was jolly, frank and polite in nature.
By the time we reached hotel, it was already night and we spent some time roaming around at MG Road. Lots of option for food and shopping was available at MG Road. And I have to say that MoMo was everywhere. Most of the time we ended up eating MoMo. We returned back to hotel after having food.
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| MG Road |
Day 1 : North Sikkim Sightseeing and Seven Sisters Waterfall
We started early next morning after having breakfast since North Sikkim was far from Gangtok. We took TATA SUMO again as we were more in numbers. On the way to North Sikkim we stopped at many places to click pictures. But we spent more time at SEVEN SISTERS WATERFALL which was again wonderful.
By the time we reached North Sikkim it was already evening. Our driver had taken all the permit required for us to travel at North Sikkim. We stayed at a HOMESTAY which was again arranged by our driver. The stay was once again a great experience, during night time we were able to hear the sound of flowing river and food was great as well.
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| Seven Sisters Waterfall |
Day 2 : Yumthang Valley and Zero Point
Our next destination was Zero point. When we left our homestay , we had no idea this was going to be an unforgettable moment for each one of us. The journey was full of snow covered mountains and roads. We stopped at some places to play with snow which was really wonderful experience. On the way we stopped at YUMTHANG VALLEY which is popular as VALLEY OF FLOWERS specially RHODODENDRON. Unfortunately we could not see much flowers as the flowering season starts from February but we found a river where we spent some time and took pictures. That was the great spot for photography with amazing background.
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| Yumthang Valley |
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| River Side (Yumthang Valley) |
We finally reached Zero point which was near India-China border. The weather was freezing with temperature below 0 degrees and cold wave running all the time. We somehow managed to come out of our vehicle and had some tea to keep us warm. The view was once again mesmerizing, whole river was frozen and people were enjoying the view and taking pictures. This was again a great spot for photography. Also, guys be careful while taking pictures, there were some weak spot where the lake was partially frozen and you might get your leg stuck. I unfortunately stepped into one of those spot and guys I could not feel my leg for a while it was that much cold. Also, when you stop at Yumthang valley take boots which are available for rent. It can be useful at Zero point for walking on frozen river.
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| Zero Point |
Day 3 : Changu Lake, Baba Harbhajan Singh temple and Shiv temple
After covering North Sikkim we moved towards East Sikkim where we covered places like Changu Lake, Baba Harbhajan sigh temple and Shiv Temple.
Baba Harbhajan Singh and Shiv temple were close by and on the way to these temples we stopped at Changu lake. Near Changu lake there were spots for Yak Riding which you guys can try.
We spent more time at Shiv temple and Changu lake. Beside the temple there was a frozen waterfall which was again wonderful sight.
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| Frozen Waterfall near Shiv temple |
Baba Harbhajan Singh temple is popular for spiritual reason. It is believed that Harbhajan Singh who was Captain of Indian Army is still making his presence felt in the temple and protecting his country even after getting Martyred.
Day 4 : Rumtek Monastery and Good Bye Sikkim
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| Rumtek Monastery |
Finally the time had come to say good bye to this wonderful place. But before we bade good bye we visited a Buddhist Monastery near Gangtok named RUMTEK MONATERY.
So guys, Sikkim trip was one of the unforgettable trip of my life and I strongly recommend everyone to plan a trip at least once. It is truly worth visiting. Signing off with a video from Zero Point.
Hope my experience at Sikkim will help you guys 🌝.
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