Pedong > Rishi Valley > Nathang Valley

Sorry Sanjoy I missed your question....
Yes it is possible but Babul or Mr. Pradhan may guide you better about Nathula (some permission or paperwork is involved there).

ok....
Thanx a lot for ur valuable suggestion....
Lets Hope for the best....

It is possible to go to Gangtok from Zuluk in one day. You can contact Gopal Pradhan (9609860266)of Zuluk, actually he is person who manages those thing,. S Pradhan generally does it through him.

Ok....Thanx a lot Mr Prasanta fr sharing the inf....
But i am little worried that traveling with a "WB" number plate car/Bolereo will create a problem in that route or not...."SK" number plate might not face this issue..!
By, the way I have not yet receive more snaps from ur end which u are supposed to mail me at my personal mail adress..

Thanks in advance.....

I am sending them again today, see if get them or not.
For Zuluk, you have take cab from Gopal Pradhan only, till Pedong or Rishi WB cabs are ok

yes..got it..
Thanx a lot..

Hi! Somnath,
Have gone thru many of ur posts and hence tempted to write to u directly considering the sea of knowledge u have about various places in India 'MahaGuru"
I have specific queries which you may have answered umpteen number of times but i will bug u once again. Apologies!!!
Background:- Planning to travel to Sikkim with my wife during DP vacations.Will reach NJP on 9th Oct morning. I have planned my return on 15th evening
1. How do i travel from New Jalpaiguri to Gangtok? Have heard that there are cabs available which charge 150-200bucks per person. Wld it be safe taking a shared cab for a couple? What wld be the alternate arrangement?
2. Once in Gangtok, cld you please suggest some decent hotel (Not very expensive - Rs. 600-800). Since, we would like to cover all the scenic locations i wld prefer a hotel which is centrally located. Have heard a lot abt cherryguesthouse & hotel Bayul. What wld u recommend Sir?
3. Do we need to make advance payment for hotel booking? Since, my mom-in-law is not keeping well, I don't wanna risk losing money incase my trip gets canceled
4. How do we commute locally or for sightseeing? I am sure an exclusive cab wld cost a bomb. So, I need ur advice for a cheaper alternative. However, i don't want to take a guided tour as I love traveling on my own and spend time admiring places. Please help
5. How wld u recommend i plan my itinerary? What places to visit? spend time in Gangtok or cover other places as well?
6. How much the whole trip cost for a couple (Inclusive of hotel, sightseeing, commuting etc??)

Thanks in advance!!!

Regards
Tarun

Hi Tarun,

From NJP to Gangtok you can take the shared cab at about Rs.200 per person.Its quite safe. On the other hand if you want to enjoy privacy,and stop wherever you want to for photography and food you can take an exclusive cab at Rs 1300 approx.

Both Cherry Guest House & Hotel Bayul are good. Take whichever is available.Chances of getting room during Pujas are slim as its peak season for travel to Sikkim.Would suggest you to pre book.

For pre booking the hotel you need to give only about 10% of the total room fare in advance. If you want you can also get many cheap & good hotels once you get into Gangtok.Tell the driver who brings you from NJP to Gangtok to take you to a hotel of your budget and they will happily oblige.

For local sightseeing you can take a shared cab.It wont be a problem.

You can go to Gangtok and Pelling, or Gangtok and North Sikkim

Two optional itineraries:-
1. 9th - NJP to Gangtok
10th- Changu Lake,Nathula Pass,Baba Mandir
11th- Local sightseeing
12th -Travel to Lachung(N.Sikkim)
13th- Yumthang Valley,Zero Point etc..travel to Lachen
14th - Gurudongmar Lake..Travel back to Gangtok
15th Leave Gangtok for NJP to take return train.

2. 9th - NJP to Gangtok
10th- Changu Lake,Nathula Pass,Baba Mandir
11th- Local sightseeing
12th- Travel to Pelling
13th -Pelling sighseing
14th -Pelling sightseeing
15th- Back to NJP.

The approx cost would be as follows..
If you go for shared cabs then about 12000-14000
If you take exclusive cabs then 20000 - 25000

Dear All,

we have decided to visit pedong and surrounding and have framed an itinerary as follows:

day ! & 2: pdeong
day 3: reshi
day 4 & 5: aritar
say 6 & 7: zuluk
day 7: gangtok


kindly advise.

Hi! Cutie
Such a helpful post. Really thankful.
1. I checked with Hotel Bayul & Cherryguesthouse. Luckily rooms are available in both. Rs.1300 & Rs.1500 respectively +Service tax. No complimentary BF or dinner. Advise if it is reasonable.
2. You have suggested 2 itinerary. That wld mean that North Sikkim & Pelling both cannot be clubbed. Going by the posts I guess Option - I is better. You have suggested 11th for local sightseeing. For how many days shld I book hotel in Gangtok? If i visit north sikkim then i will have to do check out at Gangtok hotel. So that means, I need to book another hotel for 14th stay.
3. I saw an alternate plan posted by someone. Please advice: -
9th Oct - NJP to Gangtok. I guess I shd be in Gangtok by 3pm if I take Darjeeling mail to NJP.
10th Oct - Gangtok to Lachen ( Visit Hanuman tak, tashi view Point, Phodong Monestry, seven sisters falls, Vima falls, Amitav Bacchan falls etc on the way to Lachen.)
11th Oct[/B] - Lachen to Tahngu to Gurudongmar Lake to Chopta Valley to Lachung
12th Oct - Lachung to Yumthang to Yumesamdong to zero Point and katao (Must Visit) to Lachung - Lunch - Gangtok
13th Oct - Trip to Tsongo lake, Nathula Pass & Tukula .Tukula is 5 Km from Nathula
14th Oct - First Half: - Rumtek Monastery (Biggest in Sikkim) & surroundings.
After Lunch - Ranka Monastery, Gangtok sightseeing.
15th Oct - Back to NJP

The above mentioned plan also looks pretty good to me. In this case, overnight stay in Gangtok on 9th & again checkin on 12th oct
4. Whom to contact for North sikkim tour? Are there local tour operators? Do they take responsibility of fooding & lodging at Lachen/Lachung? How much do they charge? Do they generally cover all spots as mentioned in the above schedule for Day2/
5. The hotel people don't accept credit cards & demand cash. Is it a local practice?
6. What wld be the best place for dining out? Souvenir purchase?

Thanks again

Its the same plan as the Plan 1 i gave you,just a few day changes. Its all the same.just the order is different.Its perfectly fine. You can go with this.

Now to answer your other queries
Yes the hotel rates are okay. Its peak season in October so Hotels rates would increase.So that way its okay.You can also try Hotel Anola. Its apprx Rs 1100-1200.

Yes in your trip,given the number of days,North Sikkim cant be clubbed wit Pelling
As far as teh no. of days for booking hotel in Gangtok, you have a talk with the hotel people and tell them the dates that you would be visiting North Sikkim.They would book the rooms for you on the nights you would stay in Gangtok.
What we do is we dont carry all our luggage to North Sikkim.We take whatever is necessary for a couple of days and keep the rest in the hotel in Gangtok.If the room is not taken by anyone else in the meantime,the luggage stays in the room.If there is someone who takes the room for a couple of days while we are gone,then the hotel guys keep our luggage safely in the cloak room.

When you go to Gangtok,the hotel you stay in,those guys will arrange the package of NorthSikkim for you.You can also pre book from here,through some travel agent.

All the spots mentioned in day 2 are not generally covered on the way to North Sikkim.Most of them are covered in the local sightseeing trip of Gangtok. But if you arrange with the agent who plans your North Sikkim trip then this might be done.
The package is inclusive of travel to and fro(from Gangtok to Gangtok), hotel,food,and sightseeing.The cost depends on whetehr you are going in shared vehicle or exclusive and what kind of hotel you are staying in.For shared vehicle for north sikkim trip it would be around 2200 per person,in a normal budget hotel.
For exclusive transport,it would be 14000 and above depending on place of stay.

Credit cards are accepted only in big hotels in Gangtok. The rest of the places are like small vilalges.they dont take cards.Carry cash with you.if you book the package from here then you can make the full payment in card to the agent.

You can shop for souveniers in Gangtok,MG Marg.

Cutiepie I really appreciate your early response.

Aacha, I have got a package deal from a Tour Operator (I posted a query on net). I am pasting the same below for your advise. Though he has quoted for whole trip but I will opt for package deal mentioned for days 4th, 5th & 6th. I have already replied back to him on this

U have quoted Rs.2200 per person for North Sikkim trip. This would mean I will have to roughly shell out Rs.5000 for 2 people on a shared trip & budget hotel. For an exclusive trip u have mentioned Rs.14,000 roughly. Since, this agent has quotes Rs.42,500 for the whole trip, shd I negotiate with him for Rs.14,000 for 2 day north sikkim trip. I dunno what he is going to quote.

Also, they have not mentioned the details of the hotel. Dunno if they wld shove us into a shitty hotel. Can you recommend a decent hotel in both the places?

Is the package advised by the Tour operator (day4,5 &6) same as per your liking?

Thanks again
TARUN

Second Package ( Including Gangtok,Lachen and Lachung)

Itinerary---------------------------------------------------------------------
06 nights 7 days – Gangtok (4),Lachen(1),Lachung(1).





Day 01 (09/10/2010) - Reception at NJP railway station/Bagdogra airport. Drive to Gangtok (125Kms) through winding road and lush green tea garden on the rolling hill slop. Spend the evening leisurely in Gangtok. (ONH: Gangtok).

Day 02 (10/10/2010) - Gangtok to Tsomgu Lake (Alt 12000ft/3600M), Baba Mandir and Nathula Pass indo china border excursion to enjoy snow at alpine lake and back to Hotel. 42kms in 2.5hrs (One way). Evening will be at leisure. (ONH: Gangtok).


Day 03 (11/10/2010) - This day is occupied for Gangtok local sight seeing 10 points including Banjhakri waterfalls, Ropeway, Tibetology,Do-Drul Chorten, Directorate of handicraft, flower complex, Enchey monastery,Ganesh tok and Hanuman tok and Tashi view points etc.Evening at leisure. (ONH: Gangtok).


Day 04 (12/10/2010) - Drive to Lachen (130kms, 8838ft). En-route visit at Kabi Lungtsok (historical site), Naga Waterfalls, Confluence of Lacnen Chu and Lacung Chu, Bhim Nala Waterfalls. Lunch on the wayside. Over night halt and dinner at Lachen.

Day 05 (13/10/2010) - Early morning drive to Chopta valley (33kms 13,200ft) and move to Gurudongmar Lake (another 32kms, 17000ft, foreigners will be restricted to Chopta valley only). Back to Lachen and drive further to Lachung.Evening free.Over night at Lachung.

Day 06 (14/10/2010) - Drive to Yumthang after early breakfast (24kms, 11800ft). Free time to enjoy the lush green alpine valley covered with colourful rhododendron forests and encircled by high snow caped mountains. Visit to the hot spring rich in Sulphur. Drive back to Lachung for lunch and after lunch drop to Gangtok.Overnight at Gangtok.


Day 07 (15/10/2010) - Check out from hotel and drop to Bagdogra / Siliguri (120km in 4hrs-5hrs). Tour ends.



Transportation:



(i) One Non A.C Tata sumo/Max for Pick up and drop to airport,inter transfer,Nathulla pass & Tsomgu Lake and sightseeing as per in the itinerary.


(ii) 1 Maruti Van for Gangtok city tour.



Room Type:


In Gangtok - Room Type - 1 Double Bed Room in EP Plan (Room only)



In Lachen - Room Type - 1 Double Bed Room in AP (Room + Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner).


In Lachung - Room Type - 1 Double Bed Room in AP (Room + Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner)






So, the total Package cost is Rs 42500/- (Forty Two Thousand Five Hundred) only.

Hi!
They have replied back with the 2 day package with itinerary. Quoting Rs.20,000 which is too steep I guess. Plus they had mentioned that few of the destinations will not be covered by them & asked me to speak to cabbie directly on this and pay him. I guess she mentioned for Zero Point & Katao, both of which have been highly recommended in couple of posts here.

Thay have also named the hotels. Please advise

Itinerary-------------------------------------------------------------------------
02nights 03 days – Lachen (1) and Lachung(1)

Day- (10/10/2010) - Drive to Lachen in North Sikkim (130kms, 8838ft). En-route visit at Kabi Lungtsok (historical site), Naga Waterfalls, Confluence of Lacnen Chu and Lacung Chu, Bhim Nala Waterfalls,Amitav Bacchan falls and Holy Rock at Chunthang. Lunch at way side. Over night halt and dinner at Lachen.

Day-5 (11/10/2010) - Early morning visit Thangu and Chopta Valley (33kms 13,200ft) and move to Gurudongmar Lake (another 32kms, 17000ft, foreigners will be restricted to Chopta valley only). Back to Lachen and drive further to Lachung.Evening free. Over night at Lachung.

Day-6 (12/11/2010) - Drive to Yumthang after early breakfast (24kms, 11800ft). Free time to enjoy the lush green alpine valley covered with colorful rhododendron forests and encircled by high snow caped mountains. Drive to Gangtok after lunch and drop to Gangtok at hotel.


Transportation:
One Non A.C Tata sumo/Max for North Sikkim Package.

Room Type:


In Lachen = 1 Double Bed Room in AP Plan (Room + Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner).


In Lachung = 1 Double Bed Room in AP Plan (Room + Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner).


Hotel Details :

(i) In Lachung - Mystic Valley/Lahasa Residency/Orchid Valley

(ii) In Lachen - - Shangrilla Retreat / Twinstick.

So, the total package is Rs 20000/- (Rupees Twenty Thousand)only.

The itinerary is fine.I dont know about the hotels they have quoted that much. TIf they are very good hotels then 20,000 is fine. But try to lower it down at least till 18k. Actually its peak season now and the rates increase steeply.Try to google teh details of the hotels and see how they are.

good morning.

I am leaving for sikkim tommorow. any information about weather in gangtok. whether roads to north sikkim are open( gurudongmar lake and zero point in particular).