Pelling Sightseeing

tacita

ok, i've now reconstructed my trip from my photos and can give you chronology. however, i seem to have one unidentified monastery in there.

mine was a 2-3 week trip, but here's the gangtok-->yuksom-->pelling part.

day 1: my first real sight-seeing day in india, via delhi-bagdogra, almost the entirety of which i spent at rumtek for the losar chaams. (punctuated with thukpa).

day 2: namgyal institute of tibetology; do-drul chorten (stupa) and adjacent gompa (the site of my most embarrassing moment in india, during my "purification" preparatory to entering. but that's another story...); ganesh tok (7 kms from gangtok); tashi view(less)point (it was cloudy)(8 kms from gangtok); himalayan zoological park (red pandas and snow leopard)(8 kms from gangtok; enchey monastery (paan and momos from the stand outside the gate)(3 kms from gangtok); directorate of handicrafts & handlooming (alas, the workshops were closed by the time i got there--made up for it in darjeeling); ended the day at the home of my taxi-driver having tea with him and his sisters, looking at family photographs, and trying to explain that i really and truly did not know who the indian heart-throb was in the picture with one of the sisters.); dinner at hotel tibet with a gaggle of people i'd met in and around gangtok.

i'd planned to go to tsomgo lake, which would have left me precious little time to cover gangtok's sights, many of the better of which i missed anyway--like the ropeway! were i going this time of year, i'd instead make time for the sarama garden (orchids!)(14 kms from gangtok) and/or the fambong lho wildlife sanctuary (orchids, rhodos, et al.).

day 3: departed pre-dawn for yuksom. en route: temi tea plantation (alas, also closed, but still a lovely sight); state biodiversity park in tendong (this wasn't on my list, but we were passing, so my driver suggested a quick stop); statue of guru padmasambhava in sandruptse; tibetan handicrafts center in ravangla (also closed!); lunch in ravangla; "mystery monastery"(ralong, i believe, but it hadn't been on my list--still, a lovely stop; fun novice monks delighted to meet a westerner...the gompa was closed); lingbon monastery (a/k/a yung drang kundrak lingbon monastery(a highlight of my trip--the only bon monastery in sikkim); phamrong falls; arrive in yuksom in the evening. a very long day, even without the temi tea stop).

day 4: up at dawn for 30-45 minute steep trek up to dubdi monastery; back to hotel for breakfast (lost a bit of time here dealing with an unforseen incident discussed elsewhere); coronation throne, adjacent school (the kids were a hoot), large, lovely wooden prayer wheel; stupa. departed yuksom late morning. lost more time inching over washed out road.

next stop: "hollow rock"--my driver stoppped the jeep and took me down a ravine to this "rock". however, when knocked on, it turns out to be...hollow. it's enormous and sounds like a metal drum of sorts. i have no idea exactly where it was or what it was called. (we had a bit of a communication problem and i don't hear well to boot.) it's a sacred site and prayer flags and silk scrves were strewn about. if someone can enlighten me, i'd appreciate it.

lots of driving, up-and-down, lovely vistas, a few waterfalls...to...khecheopalri lake; pemayangtse monastery (not to be missed); arrive pelling late afternoon

day 5: glorious pelling sunrise, rabdenste ruins; tashiding monastery (also not to be missed)

day 6: another glorious pelling sunrise; hike up to sangha choeling (2nd oldest in sikkim); breakfast at hotel; depart pelling late morning/early afternoon for darjeeling.

there are an infinite number of possibilities for structuring a few days in southern and western sikkim, best determined by what your "short list" is, your energy level, and what your driver recommends based on his knowledge of the roads.

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amateur

Would either of you feel mildly violent if I interject saying I'm 4'8" tall? Sometimes genetics can give us these amazing deals, eh? Apart from almost never having to crib about the length of bed or bed linen, I would escape paying full fare in some travel categories if my conscience didn't have its say!

amateur

WHOA! Tacita, this... blows me away. Really, really helpful. I'll start listing, and try and reply from the office sometime with what I think we'll do. Makes sense to just kinda take your trip as a blueprint and redo, methinx.

Yay! My trip plan is almost done!

tacita

would you feel mildly violent if i sat directly in front of you in a movie theater?

i hope the itinerary helps. i'll supply some cost information if i can reconstruct that, too. kinda fun reliving the whole thing, actually. am going to try to get some corresponding pix uploaded somewhere as well. ah...better late than never, and it seems you were just the impetus i needed to f-o-c-u-s. i did a brief trip summary somewhere, but it was, admittedly, sort of lame. i have some pretty good video, but uploading it is beyond my skills and a bit daunting.

amateur

Tacita, eagerly await the audio-visual/ visual, and await the cost detail even more

My schedule being a day short in Gangtok, looks like this.

May 19
Morning to Lunchtime: Siliguri-Gangtok, Rumtek on the way (Share Jeep, max. INR 300)
Post Lunch: Gangtok Locally - tibetology inst, do-drul chorten (stupa+gumpa), ganesh tok, Tashi view pt, enchey monastery, himalayan zoological park, sarama garden or fambong lho wildlife sanctuary. (Cab - how much???)
I'm pretty certain only some of this can happen - which ones are must-see?

Overnight at Gangtok, Cherry B&B (hopefully, haven't booked yet!)

May 20
Gangtok-Yuksom, via Ravangla - temi tea plantation, state biodiversity park (tendong), sandruptse statue, handicrafts center (ravangla), yung drang kundrak lingbon monastery (ravangla), phamrong falls on the way (Cab - how much???)
Overnight at Yuksom, Tashi gang (again hopefully, booking still to be done)

May 21
Pre Breakfast: Dubdi Monastery in Yuksom (Hike (30-45min, steep)
Post Breakfast: Yuksom Locally - coronation throne, adjacent school, stupa - can this be done on foot?
Sometime late morning, pre lunch: Yuksom-Pelling - khecheopalri lake, pemayangtse monaster, "hollow rock" on the way (Cab - how much???)
Overnight in Hotel in Pelling - still to choose which one, for the 2 nights.

May 22
Pre Breakfast: Sangha Choeling (Hike)
Pelling Locally - Rabdenste ruins; Tashiding monastery (Cab - how much???) -
what timelines should I plan for this? Will it take the rest of the day, or do we get the evening off for good behavior?

Overnight in Pelling again

May 23
5am to 10.45am: Pelling-Bagdogra (Cab, approx. INR 1500)

tacita

audio-visual?! sorry, it'll be a long wait...way, way beyond my limited tech capabilities. it's a wonder i mananage to upload a pic now and again...

a few cost notes, FYI:

pre-paid private taxi from bagdogra to gantok (5hrs?)= Rs 1450

private taxi for day in gangtok, including to/from rumtek = Rs 800. i arranged this through potala before i even knew where the taxi stand was--i was looking for "easy and expedient". i liked my driver very much, he spoke better english than most with whom i spoke in gangtok, and became both tour-guide and "buddy". the next day, i sought him out and paid him the same rate (without his having to share it with potala) to drive me around to my chosen sights.

hotel tashi gang, yuksom = Rs 750 (off-season-discounted to Rs 600) for a large room with 2 single beds, private bath; dinner at tashi gang (rice, dal, aloo gobi, 2 chappaties) = Rs 125

norbu ghang resort, pelling (room w/2 single beds, private bath, mountain views, breakfast included) = Rs 2165 (not cheap, i guess, but a really nice place and the views were exceptional.

can't sort out my receipts exactly, but it appears that my private jeep and driver for four days/three nights, gangtok-yuksom-pelling-darjeeling was ~ Rs 10,000. at approx US$60/day, this was, to me, an exceptional bargain. i don't know whether others might think it exorbitant or reasonable.

yes

sure hope you can find that rock--whatever and wherever it was--and then tell me! i've remained curious and confused all this time , but it was really nifty.

i think it's a full day--you'll have the evening to kick back. i'm sorry i can't remember the times/distances any more clearly. as you can see above, it's all i can do to remember where i went!

amateur

Thanks a lot, Tacita. This helps me plan better.

I was on the phone with Cherry B&B for the first night in Gangtok, and got that booked. Now I'm struggling with Yuksom and Pelling.

1. Can't locate the # of Tashi Gang Resort, Yuksom - only the sites that book directly seem to list it. Do you by any chance have it stashed someplace? Promise it'll be the last thing I make you dig for

2. Also can't figure out where to stay in Pelling - Norbhu Gang is beyond what my friends can afford for their room, am afraid. It's a toss-up between Phamrong hotel and Sonamchen hotel from the looks of tariff on the sites - any negatives you know of about these?

tacita

i do, on a receipt...at the office! will post it monday.

i think phamrong had been my second choice for pelling. i suggest you check the hotels forum and also search the sikkim forum for posts discussing pelling hotel recommendations--i know they exist--had a few such discussions here myself, if i recall correctly. if you can't find them, then maybe start a new thread, but be very specific about your budget. (edit: see a few pelling hotels reviewed here)

glad to help. heaven knows, many people here helped me. it's the "pass it on" formula for successful travel, and one of IM's raisons d'etre!

tacita

posted it in your pelling/yuksom hotel thread.

tacita

if you have yet had a chance, i suggest you read through this thread from the beginning, which will give you some ideas. you may want to stop to see a sight or two en route to pelling. if you arrive at the rail station with a list of sights that interest you, you could discuss a route with a taxi driver that would include some stops along the way. i haven't gone NJP-->pelling, but a driver there would best know what's reasonable for your time window and all the relative distances if you can't discern them well enough from a map.

amateur

Hi, tacita, am back after a (gruelling!) 3 weeks doing a city-to-city work trip. Sikkim sounds even more inviting!

Tour update: looks like I lose a further half day at Gangtok, will be arriving at Siliguri (Bagdogra) only afternoon May-19 since no buses leave Kolkata late enuff for my plans there on 18th; seems sightseeing within the Gangtok area is out... guess I have to replan so I lose the time at Pelling instead... will keep you posted.

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