Sikkim in March

abhi182

Am planning a weeks' vacation in Sikkim in March...
Essential aim is to get away frm the city, and relax in peace....

Can someone suggest me an itinerary...
Gangtok is out of questio i suppose given my primary aim

Is there any place that I can use as a base point....
Take off in the day for short treks to be back in the evening, and then just laze around with a book and a beer
The lonelier and far removed frm civilization, the better
ALso, i'd love to visit some of the highland lakes that sikkim is dotted with....

Will be travelling on a very low budget
Any suggestions plz

Edit: I am an Indian National ...

somnath

Hi,
I am Somnath. u can try 2 night and 3 days packg tour to Yumthang (from Gantok) then go to Ravangla where u can enjoy a short trek to Mainam peak.
Another opt may be Yuksam (rout : Shiliguri > Jorthang > Yuksam). Spend a couple of days there and go to Peling (can enjoy 30 min short trek to Sangakcholing monastery) for rest of the days. while returning, take Peling > gezing > Legship > jorethang > Shiliguri rout.
Hope you will enjoy. If u need some more onfo regarding this, pl let me know, I'll try to help.
Bye
Somnath

abhi182

Thanks Somnath....
However, I was hoping that I do not have to take a packaged tour so that I can do things at my own pace....
Like if i like a spot, i stick around there for as long as I like or practically possible....
I guess i'd prefer not to be dictated by the set timings and fixed plans of a pckgd group tour.....
Like I have travelled (backpacked) extensively in Himachal independently....generally parking myself at spots i liked .....
Thi'll be my 1st trip to the Eastern Himalayas, hence a lil apprehensive
Any suggestions

indiaguide

I also suggest you Rabangla. You can try west sikkim also.In west Bengal you can try
Easterm Himalaya

somnath

Hi Abhi,
U r absolutely right. During packaged tours it is a problem. But in Yumthang rout regular bus / jeep service is unavailable, so reserved vehicle is the only solution. If some how you can manage that go ahead, it’s an exotic place. What I find, this eastern part of Himalaya is moist and very high treeline (compared with Garwal / Kumayun). Else there is hardly any difference, just one thing – in Dzongri - Goecha la rout (west Sikkim), all the porters are not as friendly and helpful as they are in Garwal.
Don’t waste your time just goooooooooooooooooo……….

abhi182

Thanks everyone, am looking fwd to the trip...and guess I'll use ur advice + my common sense and arrive witout any fixed plans....
Then go wherever the road takes me.....

One unanswered question I have in my mind is how safe is Sikkim in terms of the attitude of people towards women and couples (esp unmarried)

somnath

It is even better than any other part of India. I can’t remember that any of our friends or any traveler has faced such problem. Yes, there are tourists from different parts with different attitude. But there is no doubt about the law and order in Gantok.