Just came back from North Sikkim - Any query welcome

Hi Just came back from Sikkim. Stayed at Hotel Bayul in Gangtok and at Apple Orchard at Lachen. Lachung was washed out and had the experience of a lifetime - saw landslide right in front of my eyes. Must say was pretty scary. Any query welcome.

Thanks ! Hope you had a wonderful time.

I am planning to reach gangtok on 22 June for honeymoon trip.
Is this right time to visit ? What are the places which we can visit without getting caught into landslides.

I have booked just the flight tickets. Is it good idea to pre book all ravel or booking then & there is better ?

You didn't face any problems with the strike and stuff? Is the hustle-bustle of the season still on, or has it been affected?
I read somewhere that the season was cut short due to the aforementioned reasons.

hi ,
will it be possible to visit nort sikkim at the first week of july?if it is .how much can it be cost?

Hi sorry for breaking the bad news but I guess Sikkim would be really inaccessible at that time. Even NJP to Gangtok is prone to landslide and so you would have to keep your fingers crossed.

Well I landed in NJP on the day of the strike and so a day was wasted. After that no problem whatsoever. Infact Gangtok was infested with tourist and so was Gurudongmar.

North Sikkim in July would be expecting a little too much. Sikkim is not really a place wherein you can enjoy & soak in the rain as the terrain is heavily prone to land slide and as in my case even a moderate amount of rainfall was really scary and almost took a tourist cab down with it. Infact even for reaching Gangtok you would have to keep your fingers crossed.

As for cost, Sikkim is amenable to all budget, you need not worry.

I enquired for quotes from a travel agency & they told 40K for 2 people for 7 days trip to Gangtok & North Sikkim from Bagdogra.

How is the deal ?

Which is the best hotel in Gangtok ?

Per se the quote appears to be on the higher side. Enquire about the following:
a) Which hotels shall be used in Gangtok, Lachen & Lachung.
b) Exclusive vehicle ??
c) Itinery ?
d) What happens if the trip stops in the middle due to a natural calamity (it is a real threat in these seasons...I had to haggle real hard to get back some of my deposit at Yarlam in Lachung ).
Gangtok has a wide variety of choice. What is your budget and what are your expectations from the hotel ?

I think it will be best, if you manage the trip yourself.
That is to book the hotel and transportation all by yourself. Do not worry..there is plenty of such options available there. All you need to do is a little burgain. Also, the time you have chosen is a little off season - so do not worry and proceed.

Im getting by with 500 rps a day for everything in Gangtok at mo and living well and eating good.
Got a 3 day tour of north tomorrow for 3200 also

Dear Vinay Sinha,
I am planning for a 7 day trip to Gangtok -Yunthang-Pelling tour in October 2010 with my wife.Will you please let me know the following queries:

1. What should be the ideal route? I mean if I go gangtok first and then to Yumthang I have to return to Gangtok again and from there to proceed for Pelling?

2. What will be the average costing for Yumthang tour including Zero point and Katao?

3. Can you suggest on approximate rate of hired car from NJP to Gangtok/Pelling? and Gagtok to Pelling?

Thanks in advance..

1. It does not matter much as Yumthang will have to be explored via gangtok alone. You may first go to Pelling and then to Gangtok or vice versa but for Yumthang there is no way out other than returning to Gangtok.

2.Zero point & Katao are not included in the package as permits are not issued for the same. You may however talk to the driver of your vehicle and strike a deal. Katao is off route and so may cost you additional 1500 to 2000, Zero point is further up Yumthang and should cost you around 1000 more. As for 1N/2D tour to Yumthang, the price varies and is suitable for all budget. I once did it for 1500 per person on a shared basis and once I did it for 14,000 per person with stay at Mayfair Yarlam. So whatever your budget, the cost will primarily depend upon your choice of hotel at Lachung.

3.An exclusive car (alto in my case) was for Rs.1200 for Gangtok from NJP. But then you have to be wary of the touts at the station who would start from 3000. Another point to keep in mind is that you should look for Sikkim number plate vehicle as they alone are authorised to take you to the hotel in Gangtok. All WB vehicles will drop you at the taxi stand from wherein you shall have to hire another vehicle to your hotel. The cost for Pelling should also be the same however whenever I have gone, I have not found many vehicles for Pelling at NJP. Ofcourse, shared taxi are also available but then that is not advisable for a first timer as you would be missing a lot of photo ops on the way to Gangtok.

Thank you very much Vinay for your quick reply. I may opt for going Gangtok first.One more thing is that if I pre book hotel in Gangtok how can I select days to stay.For example If I book for First and second night and skipping the third night for Yumthang book again for the fourth night at Gangtok then I have to be rest assured that I shall definitely get a good deal for yumthang package for the skipped night at Gangtok.As I want to book the tour after reaching Gangtok will it be wise if I try it reaching with 2 days in advance? Please remember that the tourism season will be at its peak during the time (18th to 24th October) I selected.

2 days prior to Yumthang visit is more than enough to plan things out. Technically speaking you can even start for Yumthang the same day, provided you reach Gangtok before 8 A.M. (when the permits start being issued) . Just to add you need 2 photographs and Identity proof for the permit.
just my little suggestion :
Why not add Gurudongmar to your itinery ?