Anyone been to Sandakphu?

laterally inclined

I need to know how much it'll cost me to go to Sandakphu from Siliguri and back. I also need to know how does one book the night stopover places on the way to Sandakphu. And how do u get a booking at the DGHC guest house. And a cost estimate alongwith all this would be great.

I'm on a tight budget. So the cheapest would suit me best.

somnath

Hi,

This may help you:
Destination Sandakphu-Falut

Me and my friend did the same trekk Calcutta to Calcutta it was 2200.00/man. I am Not sure about the rent for the Porters/guides right now. You can book DGHC huts from here:
http://www.holidayhomeindia.com/tif_eng_ban_1.htm
(This is a very useful link.)

My experience says it will be better if you leave it upto your porter. DGHC will push you to stay at Tumling but as per the suggstn of our guide, Tunglu was better for the night halt.

Babu can help you by providing latest info.

Thanks,
- Somnath

laterally inclined

thanx a lot somnath

somnath

indiaguide

Somnath,

Yes, Tonglu is better place to stay and DGHC have Hut. Tunling( Nepal) have only private hotel , SiKhar lodge is the best place for food. I like to stya at Tunling with good food and room.

babuchand

Yes, at tumling(Nepal) sikhar lodge, which is run by a lady, is a good place to have late lunch (at around 1-2pm.... it will take time to reach tumling from manebhanjang). tonglu(India) is in different route.... if one goes to tonglu he will miss the lunch at sikhar. and if someone is trying to reach sandakphu in 2 days then better to move ahead. stay at tumling ir better at Joubari 2km from tumling, in nepal. There is also cozy one place to stay and have nice dinner.

http://www.indiatravelogue.com/adve/trek/singalila.html

This is my travelogue…. one can go through for an exposure.

__________________
Njoy

babu
visit : http://www.webmania.co.za/travelmania/babu/index.shtml

"The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget."

cliffhanger

[quote=babuchand]Yes, at tumling(Nepal) sikhar lodge, which is run by a lady, is a good place to have late lunch (at around 1-2pm.... it will take time to reach tumling from manebhanjang). tonglu(India) is in different route.... if one goes to tonglu he will miss the lunch at sikhar. and if someone is trying to reach sandakphu in 2 days then better to move ahead. stay at tumling ir better at Joubari 2km from tumling, in nepal. There is also cozy one place to stay and have nice dinner.


hi babu,...... i visited sandakhphu in may 2004.....and at that time it was not allowed to go to tunling directly......we had to go there from tonglu ,and joubari was closed for trekkers ......... because of maobadi problem all the routs from nepal were closed for trekkers.......dont know the situation now......

babuchand

ya, the situation may have been worse in later months. in that case u have to go by meghma -> tonglu -> gairibas and stay there. thats th best acc to me as it reduces the kms for the final day.

when i visited last in end feb 2004 we were free to go anywhere.

avid said in one post that someone has been killed in that region some months ago....one can follow that post also in trekking forum.
that may not be on the sandakphu trail.... there are paths to dzongri (thru' Nepal) from toyephulebhanjang, after crossing phalut and singalila pass....the assassination may have happened there.

indiaguide

I been to there in Last December. one can go Tumling at that time. Even in last January my friend was also there.
Oh: Last May i send some Japanese tourist there .They stayed in Tumling. It bettr to avoid Joubari( Nepal).

cliffhanger

any one can go to tumling .......but at that time the direct rout between meghma and tumling was closed ........u have to go all the way to tonglu and then to tumling ......which rout did u take ...

cliffhanger

if any one try to go to sandakhphu in 2days.........it will be better to stay at dhotre , rather than manebhanjan..........the trek from there is much better than mane.......the distance is also reduced.......u can go to gairabas on day 1.....the next day to sandakhphu...

i dont know about the killing.....but during a YHI trek in 2003 someone had got lost during trek........ between sandakhphu and phalut ......a massive search was made but there was no result for few months, don't know after that...

babuchand

ya, starting from dhotre is a good option. dhotre is motorable, on the manebhanjang rimbik route. i have heard that the trek to tonglu from there is a bit stiifer. but only 6km.

regarding the lost person....the trail to phalut is the bord`er road and acc to our guide ( he was an experienced one, aged 52) the paths that fork down on left from the main trail leads to villages in nepal and they are epicentres of maoist activities. but as people staying there live on tourism and mountaineering, they wont do harm to harmless traveller.

so dont worry..... go ahead and Xplore.

we can arrange a indiamike trek in the region next february-march...
pals, how is the idea??? somnath, cliffhanger, laterallyInclined are u going???

cliffhanger

@babu......i dont think u have got the correct information.......the guy who got lost was not that old and was inexperienced........we had talk with one of the search party member and even the parents of the guy was there....


regarding the IM trek in feb/mar.....i don't think i will go ......i have been there many times.......and i am little bored with the route......may be i would like to be there when there will be lot's of snow.....

let's try skying in that time.

babuchand

sorry, let me state clearly.....
experienced 52 yrs old was our guide....
according to him the paths left to the trail goes into maoinst nepali villages.
hope this time its not as confusing as the earlier one

lots of snow..!! in january or december then.....one of my friend tried in jan 2005 and returned from bikhebhanjang.

I will be looking for goechala-samity lake during april-may 2006.
I think u have done that already. what abt your bagini glacier trek this oct???
i send u one mail, but u didn't replied.

cliffhanger

i don't think there will be snow in the month of december,i knew some who have gone there in last week of jan .......according to them it was like awsome..

no, i haven't done the trek......but i have been in that region thrice.....

sorry for not replieng ur mail .........we have changed our plan ,no bagini glacier this time ........we r planing to go to rupkund......