Blissful Family Getaway to Gangtok & Darjeeling

Day 1- Trivandrum- Banglore- Kolkatta-Bagdogra Airport to Gangtok

We took the flight from Trivandrum to Bagdogra via Banglore and Kolkata. Our flight was at 6 am from Trivandrum to Banglore. We reached airport by 5 am. Checked in . Flight reached Banglore at 8 am. I bought Poori Masala as parcel from the Banglore airport food court as I know there will not be any good food option inside the flight. Our next flight to Bagdogra Via Kolkatta was at 11 am only. We chit chatted and slept for sometime inside the flight. The flight travel costs around INR 12,000/- per head to and fro. We reached Bagdogra airport at 2pm. Since we have booked for the guide and package, representative came at the airport to pick us.

Distance from Bagdogra Airport to Gangtok is around 126 km and will take around 4 hours. We finally got inside the taxi and started enjoying the sights in Bagdogra. I could see that Bagdogra is not much developed area. Most of the locals were selling pots , Bamboo plates and all. I could see the original rickshaw too. Since my parents had lunch from the flight (Not so tasty noodles & Poha) and it was almost evening time, we all were super hungry. On the way to Sikkim, we get down at Chaasu Restaurant and had yummy and delicious Momos and Chai. From there we again started our journey to Gangtok. The view on both side of the road were amazing. It was little bit cold at that time. I could see many small food stores selling Momos and Maggi on both sides of the road. I love to have Maggi and Momos whenever I visit a cold place, I feel like it tastes the best when we are in High altitude places. Do not forget to tickle your taste buds with delectable Tibetan delicacies like Dimsums, Thukpa, Gundruk and Sinki on your Sikkim family tour.

Since we went there at the peak time, there were little traffic at the border area. We checked in the hotel by around 7.00 pm..It was too cold outside. I could see many newly married couples who came for their honeymoon as Sikkim-Gangtok-Darjeeling is the top rated honeymoon destination in India. Gangtok is the capital city of Sikkim known for its natural beauty, exotic flora & fauna, magnificent vistas, indo-tibetan food, mystic rituals at an height of 1670 meters / 5480 feet.

We checked into The Regal Hotel. It look good from the outside. But when we entered inside, it was not at all clean. We felt like someone has just check out and they have not cleaned the room properly. Washrooms were smelly and bedsheets were not changed. We complained and got transferred to another room. Me and my mom stayed in one room and my father and brother in our opposite room.

We were disappointed that the beginning itself was a flop. We freshen up and went to the hotel for having dinner. One thing I noticed there was people used to wake up early by around 5.30 am and they all sleep before 10 pm. Early to rise and early to sleep. Hence be sure to have dinner before 8 pm, since restaurants might be closed before 10 pm. Breakfast was complimentary for us. I have ordered Dal Makhani, Paneer Matar and Tandoori Roti. The food was yummy but we waited for long after ordering the food since I guess it was late and they were trying to close for the day.

We all talked and then got freshen up and went to our own rooms and went to sleep. It was tiring because of the long travel from airport to Gangtok. I was excited for the next day to explore Gangtok. I wish my husband could have joined me, unfortunately he don't get annual leaves anytime in the year except in December.

Day 2: Excursion to Tsomgo Lake & Baba Mandir

After having the buffet breakfast at hotel, we started our Excursion to Tsomgo Lake nearly 40km from Gangtok. The journey was quite cold and the scenery on the road side was soo refreshing and amazing. We could see multi coloured flowers that bloomed on both sides and I could see the multicoloured Tibetian Prayer Flags.

As detailed in the Wikipedia and after chatting with some of the local people there, they told that a Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes.

There are two kinds of prayer flags: horizontal ones, called Lung ta(meaning "Wind Horse") in Tibetan, and vertical ones, called Darchog (meaning "flagstaff").

Lung ta (horizontal) prayer flags are of square or rectangular shape, and are connected along their top edges to a long string or thread. They are commonly hung on a diagonal line from high to low between two objects (e.g., a rock and the top of a pole) in high places such as the tops of temples, monasteries, stupas, and mountain passes.

Darchog (vertical) prayer flags are usually large single rectangles attached to poles along their vertical edge. Darchog are commonly planted in the ground, mountains, cairns, and on rooftops, and are iconographically and symbolically related to the Dhvaja.

Traditionally, prayer flags come in sets of five: one in each of the five colours that correspond with the 5 Elements of Chinese theory.

The five colors are arranged from left to right in a specific order: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. The five colors represent the five elements and the Five Pure Lights. Different elements are associated with different colors for specific traditions, purposes and sadhana.

Blue symbolizes the sky and space, white symbolizes the air and wind, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth.

According to Traditional Tibetan medicine, health and harmony are produced through the balance of the five elements. Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into all pervading space. Therefore, prayer flags are thought to bring benefit to all. By hanging flags in high places the Lung ta will carry the blessings depicted on the flags to all beings. As wind passes over the surface of the flags, which are sensitive to the slightest movement of the wind, the air is purified and sanctified by the mantras.

It was really interesting to know about these and there was a positive vibe through out Gangtok.

We reached the Checkpost and took tickets for visiting the Tsomgo Lake. After crossing the check post, we continued our journey. Since the altitude was increasing, it was getting more colder and colder. We passed through a bridge that is made of wood. The roads were soo adventurous and the view was stunning.

We were also planning to visit Nathula Pass if its open and if its possible. Nathula Pass is nearly 8.5Km from Baba Mandir & visit would be subject to road condition & availability of permit which is issued by the Indian Army before 48 hrs of tour commencement. Nathula Pass open only on Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun. As only limited permit are issued by the army, so sometimes it will be very difficult to obtain the permit. We couldn't visit Nathula Pass on that day since the snow was too high and the road was all covered with snow. Our guide told in advance that in that case if we didn't get a chance to visit Nathula pass, trip will be only upto Baba Mandir. In case if we get a chance to see Nathula Pass, they will charge additional of Rs.4000/- for two person for Nathula Pass visit. Also, we must carry photo ID proof such as Voter ID card/Passport/Driving License & Passport size photograph if you would like to visit Nathula Pass.

We continued our journey and slowly we started seeing snow on both sides. We stopped the car seeing one small waterfall and we washed our face and hands using the freshly falling waterfall. We saw snow capped mountains and felt soo happy. It was the first real time snow experience for my parents and my brother and I felt happy and thankful to visit Gangtok. On the way, our guide stopped in one of the small hotel. In all small hotels, they have a separate store which rent Boots, gloves, jackets etc. We rented boots from there and purchased gloves. We saw one lady preparing the dough for making Momos. We had Chai and we left from there directly to Baba Mandir.

On the way, we saw the snow filled Tsomgo Lake. our guide told we will stop at Tsomgo Lake on our way back and first explore Baba Mandir. On the way to Tsomgo Lake we took a halt at Kyongnosla waterfalls at Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary - the home to the red panda & Tibetan wolf with scenic beauty of alpine trees. 

Baba Mandir is around 17 km from Tsomgo Lake- a sacred site for all pilgrims - named after an army man Baba Harbhajan Singh who sacrificed his life for the nation, situated at a height of 13,123 ft. We went inside the Shrine and spend some time there. It was completely covered with snow and also fog was there. It was the first time I'm experiencing such dense snow. When I visited Rohtang pass in Manali, there was not much snow. We clicked soo many pictures and our nose was turning pinkish. We saw one statue of lord Shiva also in the same location. We clicked many pictures and reels by throwing snow balls and spend a good time there. Fog was covering all around and it was getting cold more. I guess maybe because I was kind of running and playing with the snow, I felt little suffocated and I wanted to drink something hot. There was a small restaurant nearby the shrine and we went there. We had Momos and hot tea. After having the Momos and Tea, I felt good. The Fog has almost covered the entire area and we felt lucky that we came at the right time, else we could have missed the view because of Fog. We then started our journey to Tsomgo Lake. Tsomgo lake is oval shaped glacial lake, Surrounded by rugged mountains on all sides, this scenic lake is located at an altitude of 12,313 ft, generally snow covered almost all year around, nearly about 50 feet deep & more than 1km long & home to many migratory birds. I really felt like taking a dip in that lake just to feel how it would be to dip your feet in a glacial lake. But it was not allowed. We clicked some pictures in front of the lake. We saw the Tsomgo passenger Ropeway Counter at the top, this is the highest altitude passenger ropeway of Asia. We thought if we can take tickets and took the enter the Ropeway just to enjoy the View. But we could see that fog was covering all around and we saw some people who are in Ropeway completely covered with Fog. So we thought its not good idea because we will take risk of the shortness of breath due to high altitude and also since its all foggy we will not be able to see anything. Also, we really felt breathing difficulties and we returned back to the car. We then proceed to the restaurant where we rented the boots. It was almost afternoon and we returned  back the Boots. We were super hungry and we ordered Paratha, White rice, fried egg curry, moong dal soup and fried potatoes. It was super hot and super yummy. They haven't added much masalas, but still it was soo filling and simple and yummy. Then we asked our guide to drop us straight to the MG Road. This is the most happening place in Gangtok. There are many stores selling Hand Carved Wooden Products, Tea, hand-woven jackets, kashmiri shawls, silver jewellery, Prayer Flags etc. I bought one jacket for my Mom since she didn't had one. Also, I bought one thick Tshirt for my husband and 2 shawls for in laws and husband. We saw one Patanjali store there and my parents buy some of the Patanjali products, I bought some chocolates and Prayer Flags. We walked around a little bit and after such a pleasant day, we took a taxi and returned back to the hotel, had dinner and had a goodnight’s sleep.

Day 3: Gangtok to Darjeeling and City Tour

After breakfast, we packed everything and it was time to say Goodbye to Gangtok and its memories. This city of Paradise is soo beautiful and colourful. the way they have constructed their houses was amazing. Multicoloured settlements on the mountains were really amazing. Our tour guide came to pick us and we started our journey to Darjeeling. The road trip was amazing, we pass by many mountains, rivers, lakes, twist and turns, curvy roads...it was fun. On the way, we stopped at Shree Shyam restaurant at RangPo(East Sikkim) to have our 11 am tea. We saw the Teesta River which is flowing along the sides of the road. We could see that the colour of the river was changing at different areas. It was almost noon and we stopped at Hebongay restaurant to have lunch. It was drizzling at that time and we clicked few pictures. I could see one person selling many plants on the road side. I really wanted to buy some, but since we are going back in flight, we cannot take it with us. I have ordered Roti-Sabji and Omlette. It was all freshly prepared and was yummy. They gave black chana curry and cauliflower sabji. My brother ordered egg noodles and parents have ordered Poori Sabji. 

After having the delicious lunch, we continued our journey to Darjeeling. We reached darjeeling city in the afternoon the first thing I had noticed is the Toy Train that runs on the side of road. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the DHR or the Toy Train, is a 2 ft gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. Built between 1879 and 1881, it is about 88 km  long. It climbs from about 100 m  above sea level at New Jalpaiguri to about 2,200 m  at Darjeeling, using six zig zags and five loops to gain altitude. Six diesel locomotives handle most of the scheduled service, with daily tourist trains from Darjeeling to Ghum – India's highest railway station – and the steam-hauled Red Panda service from Darjeeling to Kurseong. When the train is coming, once they hear the sound, people will give way and once the train has left, they resume their activities. I was seeing the steam engine train for the first time in my life and I told my parents that lets enter this train later. We went straight to our hotel Norling Retreat to check in and keep our luggage's. This was a nice and clean hotel and the view was amazing. After keeping our luggages inside, we locked and left for sight seeing. First we went to Buddha temple and Peace pagoda. A Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa; a monument to inspire peace, designed to provide a focus for people of all races and creeds, and to help unite them in their search for world peace. We sat there for some time and took a round around the stupa and clicked few pictures. I told my father to check the timings of Toy Train and he booked tickets for 5 pm. I was super excited to enter the Toy Train. Then our guide took us to Padmaja Naidu Himalaya Zoological Park & it was closed on that day. Hence we went directly to Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Ropeway. Price for 4 people to enter the ropeway was around INR 800/-. My eyes again fall to one store which sells Momos. I bought Momos and ate there while waiting for our turn to enter the ropeway. This was the amazing ropeway I had ever experienced in my life. My brother took a timelapse video also. Tea cultivation below, some bit of fog, tall trees, chirping of birds, cool climate, leaves with rain drops...This was really beautiful. After returning back to the Ropeway entrance point, we got out and started our journey to Tea Garden. 

For all the Tea lovers, this is the best place to buy variety of Tea. There were stores selling Darjeeling strong tea, green tea, normal tea, cardamom tea, masala tea etc and they will give you sample to test and if we like it, we can buy packets from there. I bought 1 Greentea packet and 1 Strong Tea packet from there. It was yummy. We saw one  store where they will rent our traditional darjeeling dress for INR 30/- and we can dress up traditionally and take pictures inside the tea plantation. It was fun and we all dressed up in traditional Darjeeling style and clicked many pictures. After having fun, we started our journey to Tenzing Rock. This rock is situated just next to the road where you can climb the rock with help of only a rope around your waist. There are thick ropes dangling from the top of the rock, which are to be taken hold of by a person while climbing the rock surface while using the various footholds situated on the rock surface. Professional guides are there to help us. This gigantic rock is named after the mountaineer Tenzing Norgay who climbed the Mount Everest in 1953. Here you can feel the thrill and adventure of rock climbing . They were charging around 50 Rs per person. There were many chaat shops at that Area just behind the Rock. After clicking some pictures, we bought one Bhel Puri Chaat and left our journey to Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center. It is a rehabilitation centre for the refugees in the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region. It was established on 2nd October 1959, after they followed Dalai Lama and escaped from Tibet. The production of Tibetan handicraft is the centre's main activity. There is a photo exhibition hall where they are selling handicrafts, shawls etc. I bought one white shawl from there. The money they got by purchasing items from there will be used for the Refugees food and accomodation. After spending some time there, we went back to the Darjeeling City and went to The Park Restaurant. The Ambience and interiors of this restaurant was very nice. Food was also yummy. We ordered fried rice, Naan, chicken butter masala, green salad, pappad, dal makhani, veg korma and plain rice. After having the heavy lunch, we took a taxi and went straight to Ghoom station. We were just on time. I was soo happy to see the steam engine Toy train. We entered the train and the train started moving. We were infact enjoying the Darjeeling from a different View. We saw how the people are doing their day to day works, managing their jobs to live a peaceful life. I really liked the restaurants and small stores on Gangtok and Darjeeling. Those are really cute and everyone is doing some kind of job and they are independent. The train stopped at Batasia Loop for 10 minutes. We went outside and clicked pictures infront of the Train. After 10 minutes, the bell rang and everryone entered the train and continued our journey. We then retirned back to the station and took a taxi to our Hotel. The day was very fruitful and happiness filled. We then ordered dinner to our room. The view at night was also amazing and romantic with dim lights, cold climate and fog. No wonder why newly married couples visit Darjeeling for their honeymoon.

Day 4: Tiger hill and Airport Drop

So today is the last daybin Darjeeling. Our plan was to go to Tiger Hills in the early morning by around 4am and will come back by 8am. Our guide told that since this is the tourist peak time, it will take more time as we will be stuck in traffic. Since we have to take the afternoon flight from Bagdogra, we must reach Bagdogra by noon. So guide told that in case of we get stuck in traffic on the way to Tiger hills, we will miss our flights and might have to book new ones. And when we searched for flights, there were no tickets available for next day. So we thought its logical to skip the Tiger hills sunrise trip. If you want to visit Tiger Hills, you have to reach the peak by around at 4 am, to see morning view sunrise over Kanchenjunga Peak, and again this is subject to clear weather. Guide told that due to the fog, there is no guarentee that we can see the sunrise. So we packed our bags and checked out from the hotel. Since it was early check out, breakfast was not prepared yet, they packed us bread and butter and fresh fruits and water. We said goodbye and started our journey to the airport. Guide told that there is an amazing restaurant on the way and we can have lunch from there. Till then we were talking and having fun and enjoying the mountain views and greenery. Finally we reached the restaurant. First thing i noticed there was a small cage and inside i saw cute rabbits with pink eyes. I really felt like holding it. We ordered Chana Poori, Cauliflower Sabji, Omlette, Aloo Paratha and Maggi. I could still remember the taste of Pickle that they gave along with Aloo Paratha. We then continued our journey and while approaching the airport, we saw one vast tea cultivation. We stopped there, clicked some pictures and resume. Our flight was on time and we checked in our luggages. Our flight was from Bagdogra- Banglore- Trivandrum..My brother has taken ticket till banglore since he is studying there and was having exams. We then came back to Trivandrum in the evening, thinking about when will be the next trip. Since my father also got retired in May 2019, I told him lets go somewhere after retirement party. I came back to Kerala to attend his retirement party and went back. Luckily by Gods grace, I got a chance to go to Europe in June 2019. All Thanks to my father who is the best Trip Planner. He arranged everything and I joined them and the group in Oman.

Travelling in the Company of those we love is Home in Motion.