Needed help on Sikkim visit in first week of May

mousourik

Hi Deep,
>>I will be reaching Gangtok on 1st May aroun 12 PM. Will Tsomgo >>be feasible that day?
>>If yes, I will take your opinion and do that. And plan for 7 >>point sight seeing on 5th May. I plan to start early that day >>and see Rumtek,Institute of tibetology etc before 1 PM.
>>How many hours does a 7 point journey take?

Tour to Tsomgo is never possible after 12 - the weather there gets bad after that time. So better plan local sight-seeing at Gangtok itself. If u really want to go to Tsomgo, it's always better to start as early as possible. But when u're in the hills, it's advisable to keep some time in hand. So think seriously if u want go there on the last day as u'll have to take the train that very evening !

amitmishr

Hi Mousourik,
Is it possible to isit either runtek monstery or institute of tibetology on the day i have plnned to go to changu and nathula pass. or will it be too tiring. also, what are the options to do in gangtok as i will be reaching there on day 1 at 4-5pm.

mousourik

Is it possible to isit either runtek monstery or institute of tibetology on the day i have plnned to go to changu and nathula pass. or will it be too tiring. also, what are the options to do in gangtok as i will be reaching there on day 1 at 4-5pm.

Amit,
Once u reach Gangtok at 4-5 pm, i don't think u can do a lot there. Pl. check with Mr.Prabir mentioned somewhere in this thread or your hotel people there for options.
As for the first question, had i been in ur place, i'd have focussed on nathula/tsomgo; i feel rumtek or tibetology a little hyped spots. but do check with ur driver if anyone of this two can be covered on the way back.
Also, if possible, include babamandir and tukla (i don't know anything about it but it was mentioned in this thread - it's better to cover all spots in the same route).

DeepPavi

Hi mousourik,

Thanks for your update!! Well have modified my travel plans. Plan to book a local cab on Monday Morning, 5th May for Tsomgo lake and Baba Mandir and return to Gangtok by 2 PM. I need to start for NJP by 3 PM. Hope this can be materialised with time constraints?

mousourik

Hi Deep,
Pl. start as early as possible in the morning. In fact discuss the start-time with ur driver. A note of caution - pl. be careful about drinking water in entier Sikkim. Also it's not advisable to take local noodles at Tsomgo.
Happy holidaying.

sherin2179

Hi Amit,

who is the agent who gave you this deal for 2 couples at 32-33k?

thanks,
Sherin

amitmishr

Hi all,

thanks to all of you for helping me out with the trip, which was excellent. Nathula and Changu was good, while I found yumthang a bit dissapointing. But the best part of the trip was the visit to Gurudongmar (it was snowing the day we visited there) and the journey to Lachen.

Will try to update you on the trips some time later. But anybody going to sikkim must try and visit Gurudongmar. It is quite an experience.

Sherin, i got the trip organized through Mr Prabir Sen.

sherin2179

Thanks Amit, which agency does Mr. Prabir Sen represent?

DeepPavi

Hi Mousorik,

Had a wonderful trip to gangtok. You wont believe got an agent who took us for 2 days 1 night trip to Yumthang and Zero Point for 6K flat!!! I had heard all high-fi rates of 9K-10K for an exclusive vehicle for a couple but i luckily got this offer.
All facilities were superb.
Here's how my iterinary went:-

1st May:- Reached NJP. From there went to Pelling. 2nd Half local sightseeing there.
2nd May:- Took an exclusive vehicle for 2K which took me around Rimbi Falls n rock garden,Kanchenjunga Falls,Khecheripuri lake +Phamrong falls+ Yuksam+ Tashiding+Ravangla and finally gangtok.
3rd May:- Started for 2 days 1 night trip for Yumthang and Zero Point. pricing 6K for this trip.
4th May:- Returned back to gangtok from an awe inspiring Zero Point view.
5th May:- Morning took another exclusive vehicle for 1200 bucks and saw Tsomgo lake + Hanuman Tok + Ganesh Tok. Reached gangtok by 2 PM and took a shared vehicle to NJP to catch my 8 PM Train.

Tons of thanks to all for their ideas. I would like to share that well planned trip can be really cheap as in my case. All we need is correct contacts. There are many such small agents who are unknown but their service is magnificent!!

mousourik

Deep,
I can well understand your joy!
Pl. post some information on :
1. Where you stayed at Pelling, rate and how u booked it.
2. Deatils of contacts u mentioned

Also, post the photos as soon as possible. Where did u find snow ?

DeepPavi

Hi Mousourik,

Here are the details of the contacts:-

1) Pelling:- Mount View Hotel contact Sonam Bhutia :- 9733015636.Room rent is 700/- with a clear view of Mt Kanchenjunga.
Overall sightseeing if you want in shared basis he will arrange for Rs 175 per head for a day.
2) If you need exclusive vehicle contact this driver named Pratap:- 9733150740. Quote my name to him and ask for the rates.

Snow I got in Zero Point i.e via lachung,Yumthang valley. that was awesome. May and June are best seasons to get snow with no roadblocks Happy sightseeing to you.

mousourik

Deep,
thnx for the input. i need one clarification - this Pratap guy wil do the booking for Pelling only or north sikkim also ? and what name shall i quote - DEEPPAVI from cal ?

DeepPavi

Pratap is the driver whom you should contact incase you need an exclusive vehicle for roaming in Pelling and there to gangtok covering Yuksam,Tashiding, Ravangla on the way.

In case you want to go shared then contact the hotel owner Sonam Bhutia. He will arrange a 1 day trip for Rs 175/- per head.

North Sikkim contact person is different.

Quote Deep had taken your exclusive vehicle for sightseeing around Pelling and then finally reach Gangtok on 2nd May.

psychotropic

I just finished a holiday in Sikkim and didn't see any of the places that you guys mentioned It was a conscious decision. Instead we spent 5 days with a Sikkimese family in a village called Pabyuik Naitam (1.5 hours frmo gangtok by road). Lived with the head of a 300 year old monastery in the middle of a jungle (zero tourists). Ate their food. Went for long walks/treks. The trip to the monastery itself is a short (1 - 1.5 hours) but taxing trek and the monastery is stunning, all the various parts of it were opened and shown to us. Exquisite murals, statues, masks, instruments.

Saw some waterfalls, lazed a hell of a lot, read a lot (finished vikram chandra's "sacred games" (brilliant) and a huge chunk of ram guha's "India after gandhi" (again brilliant). spent a couple of days in gangtok, which is a really charming town. Highly recommend a restaurant called Allen's Kitchen near the Deorali Jeep stand(their japanese rice and their prawn chilly are to die for). Stayed at a beautiful hotel called Netuk House (although listed tariffs is around 3800 we got a double room for 2300 with TWO (excellent) breakfasts thrown in. Superb service etc., If you're Indian, avoid their lunch and dinner as these are very spice-less meals designed for western palates (all the other people staying there were non-Indians).

Initial two days stayed at Hotel Tibet (in Gangtok). Decent characterless hotel, with an excellent restaurant serving superb pork momos, and the room had good views. Booked on ezeego1.com and ezeego1.com screwed up the dates, however the Hotel guys were really nice and since we'd paid for two nights, they let us stay two nights without any extra payments, although the reservation communicated by ezeego1 was for different nights (already elapsed). Ezeego1.com is a good site, but I am a little skeptical after this experience.

in Pabyuik Naitam, we stayed with a family and it cost us 500 rupees per head per night for stay, all meals and guidance with all treks/walks. Toilet facilities are rudimenary (ie a squat toilet in a dark bathroom), only ice (and i mean ICE) cold water for your baths. But otherwise great. Beautiful place, friendly people, in 5 days most people in the village knew us. In the process spent some time in a local tea shop sipping black tea and listening to nepali pop music. Visited a carpet weaving lady and watched her weave a traditional carpet. Visited the local school. Helped teach tuition to some kids. In return we were treated to a performance of a Lepcha dance, a Bhutia dance, a Nepali dance and a Hindi dance.

There are actually way too many things to say about the trip, but I am running out of time. The Pabyuik stay was arranged by Altitude Tours and Travels (next to the Sikkim Tourism Office on MG Marg), speak to Bhaichung Bhutia (no, not the footballer).

darkstar200

Hello all,
Hope you are doing well.. I just started looking at this site a few days ago and I am just amazed at the depth and breadth of information that is available.

My wife and I are planning a trip to Sikkim later this month and we came up with this itinerary .. wanted to get some inputs on whether this makes sense (too hectic ? right places ?) and any tips you might have. Also which areas would I need permits for ? and lastly does it make sense to reverse the trip i.e., do pelling / ravangla first and then the north ... Do we need any time to acclimitize to the place ?

Day 0 - Calcutta to Bagdogra; Bagdogra to Gangtok
Day 1 - See Gangtok and any neighbouring areas
Day 2 - Goto Nathula Pass and see Tsongo Lake
Day 3 - Goto Lachung (stay overnight there)
Day 4 - Goto Yumthang and zero point and stay over at Lachen
Day 5 - Visit Lake Gurudongmar and return to Gangtok
Day 6-7 - Goto Ravangla (stay in Ravangla & potentially do short trek to Mainam peak / sanctuary)
Day 8 - Go from Ravangla to Pelling (see Khechopari lake, Rimbi falls / lake gardens, Sanga Choelling monastery)
Day 9 - Pelling to Bagdogra and then back to Calcutta

Thanks a lot in advance,
Sai.