Sikkim
Prominent tourist destinations in the Indian sub-continent can be intense and overwhelming in many ways – particularly for those touring from countries that are not used to crowds. My advice – add a Himalayan getaway that takes you away from the crowds & the heat to the peace, cool & tranquility of the mountains. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, the three Eastern Himalayan kingdoms – Nepal, Bhutan & Sikkim are especially appealing due to their rich culture, history & incredible mountain views.
We did a nine-day trip to the Indian state of Sikkim, in North East India in 2014, and I would highly recommend it for anyone visiting here.
Landlocked & sharing an international border with three different countries – Nepal to the West, Bhutan to the East, and Tibet (China) to the North, Sikkim is the least populated & the second smallest state in India.
My first impression of Sikkim was its natural beauty – sharing both an alpine as well as a sub-tropical climate, the entire state is lush green, and has over 30 mountain peaks, 21 glaciers, over 200 lakes and waterfalls too numerous to count. Your first waterfall will take your breath away, and after a point, you will start taking them for granted throughout the trip. In every mountain pass, you are bound to run through at least a dozen falls, each more beautiful than the other.
Waterfalls abound in North Sikkim
Nearly a third of the state is covered by the UNESCO World Heritage site – Khangchendzonga National Park and Biosphere reserve, and on clear days, the dominating view of Khangchendzonga can be seen from quite a few places in the state. Khangchendzonga is the third highest mountain in the world, and the highest in India.
The Sikkim Government has also strived hard to lead a green revolution, and is one of India’s leading environmental leaders. It is the first to ban disposable plastic bags, & first to target single-use plastic bottles. Styrofoam & thermocol disposable plates are banned as well. Sikkim is also the first state in India to go fully organic. In other words, the food here is completely free of pesticides.
All this shows when you visit – the towns and cities in Sikkim are some of the cleanest all across India, and there is a strong sense of aesthetics here. Sikkim is also a welcome respite from the heat and humidity in the rest of India. It feels like there is a natural air-conditioning everywhere you go. We focused our trip primarily on North Sikkim this time around.
Getting here
When we visited in 2014, the only way to get to Sikkim was to take a flight to Bagdogra airport (we had to do a connecting flight from Kolkota) or a train to Jalpaiguri, and then a 5-hour car ride thereafter to Gangtok. This has since changed with the construction of the stunning Pakyong airport in 2018. Built on a 200 acre area perched atop a cliff, the airport is an hour and a half drive (30 Kms) from Gangtok, and is considered an engineering marvel. At 4,500 feet above sea level, it is one of the tallest airports in the world & offers stunning views at takeoffs and landing. You can see more details about the airport here.
Gangtok
The capital of Sikkim, Gangtok is a vibrant hill station and forms the staging point for most vacations & expeditions in Sikkim. There are quite a few things to do in and around Gangtok:
- Rumtek Monastery: Rumtek Monastery is the principle seat in exile of the Karmapa of the Karma Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
- M.G. Road: A bustling pedestrian only main shopping area of Gangtok that is full of eats and shops.
- Lake Tsomgo, Hanuman Tok & Ganesh Tok
- Banjhakri Falls
- Bakthang Falls – This beautiful waterfall is located just 20 minutes from the city.
Bakthang Falls
Rumtek Monastery – Clockwise from Left: Vendor selling spiced nuts outside the Rumtek Monastery; A monk doing stretches outside the Rumtek monastery in Gangtok, Sikkim; Buddhist Artwork in the monastery; Monastery courtyard
Gurudongmar
Gurudongmar Lake, located at an altitude of 17,800 feet in North Sikkim, is a glacial fed lake that is sacred to both Buddhists & Sikhs. The Buddhists believe that the lake is blessed by Guru Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche) who visited in the 8th century. The Sikhs believe that the lake was visited by Guru Nanak in the 15th century. Sikh Legend has it that when the locals complained that the lake freezes over winter leaving the locals with no drinking water, the Guru took a stick (daang) and struck (maar) it at a portion of the lake promising that it will never freeze over, thereby the name of the lake.
The lake is hardly a couple of miles from the Chinese (Tibetan) border and is in a high security area. Unfortunately, since you have to pass through Indian Army check-posts and defense establishments to get to the lake, it is accessible only to citizens of India through a special permit (inner line permit). Citizens from other countries can visit as well, but prior permission needs to be secured from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
A typical trip to Gurudongmar starts at 4 A.M. from Lachen, the nearest town 68 Kms away that has accomodations for tourists. With the mountainous terrain & the condition of the roads, it takes about 6 hours to drive these 68 Kms. Additionally, since the Indian Army closes the checkpost to Gurudongmar Lake at 11 A.M., even if there are minimal breaks, you cannot afford to start later that 4 A.M.
We did the drive from Gangtok to Lachen (at 8,800 feet above sea level) the day prior, and headed to bed early. There was no heating in the rooms & we just had to deck ourselves with layers of comforters to trap the heat. We were all awake at 3:30 A.M. in the morning in the biting cold to start our trip. The first leg of the journey is through spectacular lush scenery and beautiful valleys. There is a gradual increase in incline through switchbacks. It is hard to resist the urge to stop and take photos, but the 11 A.M. deadline leaves you with no choice. We stopped mid-way at Thangu, at 13,000 feet above sea level, for some much needed warmth through an open fire hearth and helped ourselves to hot piping breakfast.
The second phase of the journey is through alpine pastures and scales up much faster in inclination. Beyond a point, the landscape becomes stark and desolate, with no sign of habitation. At the final stretch, a winding road seemingly at land’s end takes you to the shores of the stunning turquoise blue waters of Gurudongmar Lake.
Regrettably, we arrived here on a bad visibility day, and the sky was completely washed out. On a good day, you would be able to see the glaciers that feed this fresh water lake.
A short trek down through a staircase takes you to the shores of the lake. And then altitude sickness hit me like a ton of bricks – the almost 18,000 feet altitude, the severe lack of oxygen and the exertion was just too much for me to handle. Taking a simple step forward seemed to be a gigantic endeavour and I started to feel something I have never felt in my life before – headiness, a throbbing headache, and nausea, all at the same time. Mom seemed to do fine, but dad, brother and I were all feeling it. It might also be due to our arrogance and rush to do Gurudongmar Lake – we went from sea level to 18,000 feet above sea level in just two nights. I stopped every few steps on our way down to the shore, and took a while trying to work my way back. In spite of this, it is one of my most serene & spectacular experiences ever.
The drive from Lachen to Gurudongmar is very scenic, and it is hard to resist stopping for a photo
We stopped for breakfast at Thangu village on our way to Gurudongmar lake at this hut. Breakfast was quickly put together by the two ladies – hot Maggi noodles with vegetables, and hot chai! It felt like a lifesaver after the cold night at Lachen and the 4 AM wake up and drive routine towards Gurudongmar Lake. Pictured here: my mom, our main host a Bhutia lady, the other Nepali lady who helped cook, and our Lepcha driver next to my brother…very representative of the population of Sikkim state.
Stunning glacial fed turquoise blue Gurudongmar Lake located at 17,800 feet above sea level in North Sikkim
Yumthang Valley
Yumthang valley, also called the ‘Valley of Flowers’ in the Himalayas in North Sikkim is a must see for anybody visiting Sikkim. This enchanting valley is home to the ‘Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary’ with over 24 species of rhododendrons, and is a riot of color (red, blue, purple, pink) from early March to mid-June when the rhododendrons bloom.
Lachung, just 50 minutes away (25 Kms away) is the staging point for most visitors to Yumthang Valley. From the valley, you can also drive to Zero Point (Yume Samdong) about 23 Kms away. Zero Point is so-called as civilians are not allowed beyond this point. A few miles of no-man’s land then takes you to the Chinese border from here.
My brother Karthik posing next to a Chorten-Stupa at Yumthang valley
Clockwise from left: Teesta River at Yumthang; This cute little Bhutia girl is Kelly, the daughter of our host at Lachung; Rhododendrons at Yumthang valley; Prayer flags next to the Teesta River;
Dzongu Homestay
The Lepchas, a tribal society numbering around 40,000, are the original inhabitants of Sikkim. We did a homestay with a Lepcha family in Dzongu National Forest in Sikkim for a couple of nights. We choose this option to reduce the amount of time we spent cooped up driving from one location to another in North Sikkim.
We were told that we would be staying with Rinjong Lepcha and her family, and were apprehensive at first. Imagine our surprise then when this turned out to be the highlight of the Sikkim trip. We were impressed at the hospitality shown by her family. Her house was a small wooden two-storied structure with tiny rooms that had fantastic views of the Teesta River and it’s valley. The kitchen was unexpectedly large, and served as a place to receive guests, as well as dine and stay for warmth. Her entire family would join us for a conversation over dinner & sips of the homemade chang (a local fermented millet drink). We got to know her grandmother, parents, brother & sister-in-law over home-cooked Sikkimese meals.
Rinjong had a packed itinerary for us – plenty of local hikes, bushwhacking to the river Teesta, and mountain hiking for hours to a magical hot spring.
The hot spring in particular was an indelible experience. Due to the recent torrential rains & the ensuing landslide, our car had to stop miles from the entrance and we had to trek the rest of the way. By the time we had finished the brutal uphill slog, we were quite knackered & sore & more than ready for a soak in the hot springs.
The pool had an open roof and was split up into a men’s and women’s section. I could feel every ounce of stress melt away with the hot sulphur water coursing through my pores. And then magically, it started raining! The cold mountain air, the open roof with a view of the clouds above, the ice cold rain water & the very warm hot spring all added to a very euphoric feeling; quite the Russian Banya experience on steroids. I could have stayed there for hours. We felt invigorated, and started slowly making our way downhill to our car. And out came the picnic lunch that our hostess had thoughtfully packed for us – Momos, squash & hot tea. It really did complete our experience.
To get a glimpse into the real lives of the Lepchas, we highly recommend adding a Dzongu Homestay for those visiting Sikkim.
Pictures from our short hikes at Dzongu to River Teesta & to a buddhist temple on the mountain top through a short but very steep and very slippery climb right next to Rinjong’s house.
Sikkim Food
Traditional Sikkim food is very different from traditional Indian food. A few of their traditional eats are listed here:
- Gundrook: A soup made of fermented leafy vegetables (saag/mustard oil plant)
- Thukpa: A hearty, brothy, spicy noodle based soup with vegetables or meat. My favorite.
- Momos: Dumpling stuffed with minced meat or vegetables in a dough, and steamed in a bamboo box.
- Chhurpi: A traditional fermented cottage cheese cooked with herbs and spices, and served as an accompaniment to rice.
- Nguru with Chhurpi: Fermented cheese cooked with local fiddle head ferns.
- Butter tea: Tea made from Sikkim Temi tea leaves, yak butter, water, and salt.
- Chang: A locally brewed alcoholic beverage made of fermented millet, rice and yeast.
Driving around in Sikkim & B.R.O. Road Signs
Roads in Sikkim are quite treacherous, and are prone to landslides. While it is a very small state, the measly distance between two places can take much longer due to the quality of the roads. Border Roads Organization (B.R.O.) constructs most of the highways in Sikkim, and if you are ever tired of the journey, look to their signs to give you a little chuckle. Funny, and sometimes corny, they will break the monotony of the journey for sure. Here are some of my favorites from our road trip in Sikkim:
- Curves are blind and sharp
Drive your vehicle like playing a harp - If married, divorce speed
- Feel my Curves. Do not test them.
- Three enemies of road – liquor speed and overload
- Life is short don’t make it shorter
- You have a license to drive not to kill
- Lower your gear a Slope is near
- BRO cuts mountains but joins the hearts
- Reach home in peace not in pieces
- After drinking whiskey,
driving is risky - Better be Mr. late than late Mr.