TRAVEL ZONE

New Jaipaiguri to Nimachen (Foothill of Zuluk)

Distance coverded: 120km

We reached NJP railway station (New Jaipaiguri) early in the morning. Our driver Suren was present outside the station since our vehicle for this entire trip was booked in advance. We took several breaks for food and photography on the way to Zuluk. Since it was raining the last few days, the roads were not so good, we had to stop at a few places because of landslides and traffic. We took a long break at Rongli for lunch and there we made our permit to enter the Zuluk silk route. Finally we reached our homestay around 5pm. It was a small homestay but very cozy, most of the homestays in Sikkim are run by a family. The homestay owner or the caretaker usually stay in the property itself. The Orchid Tenzing Homestay owner at Nimachen is a nice, welcoming person. Getting ingredients at that high altitude specially because of the extreme climate is not so easy, there are limited food options, but they served fresh and delicious food to us. The zig-zag view of the silk route from our balcony was awesome.

Night stay at Orchid Tenzing Homestay, Nimachen

Elevation approx: 8,000ft

Nimachen to Zuluk top - Back to Gangtok

Distance coverded: 130km

It was raining the entire night. In the morning we found the region was covered by dense fog. Our driver Suren said that the weather would be the same throughout the day, the chances of seeing the zig-zag silk route view from Zuluk top was very less. But the mountain weather is not predictable at all, it changes every minute. We still had hoped to see a magnificent silk route view from Zuluk top, so after breakfast we continued our journey to Zuluk top. It was quite an adventurous route, because for the fog the visibility was almost zero. But Suren was an expert driver, he took us on top of the Zuluk by 11am.
It was disappointing for us, the person sending two meters far to me was not visible. First time I had experienced such a dense fog in Zuluk. The actual plan was to continue our journey on the same route further towards Nathang Valley > Kupup > Chengdu lake and enter Gangtok. But local people suggested not to travel in that route because of bad weather and land slides. As a result, we came back from Zuluk on the same way and took the usual NH10 for Gangtok. It was a long route, because of heavy rain it took almost 6-7 hours to reach Gangtok.

Night stay at Treebo Trend Orchid, Gangtok

Elevation approx: 5,400ft

Gangtok to Lachen

Distance coverded: 125km

Post breakfast we started our journey towards North Sikkim, the most thrilling and beautiful part of Sikkim according to me. Gangtok to Lachen is around 125km, passing through forested hills, river valleys, and small mountain towns. Expect lots of narrow roads, sharp curves, and waterfalls along the way! Please note, you need a permit to enter North Sikkim, we made the permit a day in advance to save travel time. We took multiple stops for photography on the way, by the time we reached our homestay at Lachen, it was almost 5pm. Lachen is a small village — accommodation is basic (homestays, budget hotels, simple lodges). After checkout, we walked to the hilltop to visit a monastery and to view the sunset behind snow peak mountains surrounded by Lachen valley.

Night stay at Hotel Makhim Residency, Lachen

Elevation approx: 8,700ft

Lachen to Gurudongmar lake - Back Lachung

Distance coverded: 170km

It was the most awaited date for us, we got up early in the morning. Gurudongmar region is very windy, winds pick up by noon at Gurudongmar, making it risky; also, permits only allow visits during the morning. For this reason, it was told by localities to visit Gurudongmar as early as possible and come back to Lachen by afternoon. The Lachen to Gurudongmar is around 70 km, where we ascend altitudes of 9000 ft within a few hours, headache, dizziness, breathlessness are common in this journey. World’s second highest lake Gurudongmar, partially frozen even in summer; sacred to Buddhists and Sikhs, surrounded by barren, otherworldly landscapes. Because of the very high altitude at Gurudongmar, oxygen level is less than usual. I was travelling with two portable oxygen cans for emergency purposes.

First we had to cross the Thangu valley, here instead of dense forest, its wide open meadows, icy streams, and scattered yak herds. In summer, the valley is covered in wildflowers. After 13000 ft above Thangu, we entered into stark, high-altitude desert terrain — no trees, just rocky hills, patches of snow, and brown and white mountains stretching as far as the eye can see. It feels like you’ve left Earth and entered another planet. Around 10am we reached the Gurudongmar foothill, the road for public ends here. The China border is very close to this part of land, the entire area is highly protected by BFS and Indian army. The last 500mts drive to Gurudongmar was really challenging because of loose soil and sand. Gurudongmar is a natural wonder, I must say, it's an unforgettable experience to visit Gurudongmar lake.

Because of the lack of oxygen we didn’t stay there for a long time, we started the return journey within 30 mins and came down to Lachen by 3pm. We took our luggages from the homestay and started for our next destination immediately. After two hours of driving we reached Lachung by evening.

Night stay at Beechu Homestay, Lachung

Highest elevation crossed: 17,800 ft (Gurudongmar lake)

Zero point at Yumthang Valley - Return to Gangtok

Distance coverded: 220km

Travelling through Yumthang Valley (Sikkim’s Valley of Flowers) , that's another stunning, high-altitude Himalayan journey I will never forget! Zero point comes at the end of Yumthang Valley. The Zero Point is literally the end of the road — beyond this, it’s the India-China border, no civilian access. This area is around 15,300 ft above sea level, always covered by snow. It took around 2:30 hours for us to reach Zero Point from Lachung. Because of heavy traffic and bad weather, we didn’t stay long at Zero point. Moreover the plan was to come back to Gangtok by the same night.

While returning back, we took multiple stops at Yumthang Valley. This stunning high-altitude valley is known for its rolling meadows, river views, Himalayan peaks, and seasonal bursts of wildflowers — especially rhododendrons. It’s a paradise for photographers and nature lovers. Since we were in a hurry to travel back to Gangtok, we couldn’t spend much time in this fantasy land, still it's a regret for me, I could have stayed at least one night in Yumthang Valley. Anyway, after a long journey we reached Gangtok by 8pm.

Night stay at Hotel Sonam Delek, Gangtok

Highest elevation crossed: 15,300 ft (Zero point at Yumthang Valley)

Changu lake - Gangtok side seeing

Distance coverded: 130km

It was a bit of a relaxing day for us after a long trip. This day we visited the famous Changu lake, Baba Harbhajan Singh Temple which is around 60 km from Gangtok. We also saw some monasteries surrounding Gangtok city. By evening we had explored the Gangtok mall road, market and enjoyed local food.

Night stay at Hotel Sonam Delek, Gangtok

Rumtek Monastery - Return to New Jaipaiguri Station

Distance coverded: 135km

It’s time to say BYE to Sikkim. We checked out from our hotel by 9am. Our train was from NJP station by 8pm the same day. While returning back to Siliguri, we visited the famous Rumtek monastery, one of the largest and popular monasteries in India. The plan was to come back to Siliguri by 6pm, but because for heavy traffic and land slides, we got stuck in many places on the way back. Finally we reached NJP station by around 7:30pm, lucky… Thanks to our driver Suren. It was a memorable experience all together.