I read somewhere in Sikkim that"Sikkim is where nature smiles," and it is so true. I went to Sikkim for ten days in the first week of April and covered all the regions of it. In this post, I will be talking about West Sikkim only.
How to Reach Gangtok
Gangtok is the Capital city of Sikkim and the central city for west Sikkim. You can reach Gangtok from Bagdogra airport or Jalpaiguri railway station, taking a shared cab.
From Bagdogra airport, I took a private cab to Siliguri (cost- 500 RS), and from Siliguri, I took a shared taxi(cost - 300 RS per head). It takes around 5 hours to reach Gangtok. Shared taxis are ten seaters mostly. Road to Gangtok is very scenic, with the beautiful Teesta river accompanying you throughout.
Pro tips:
* You can take auto or bus to reach Siliguri, which is the much cheaper option. Also always come out of the airport and ask locals around the best way to reach somewhere, instead of just hiring something from the airport.
*Shared taxis can be a little inconvenient; you can always take one extra seat and enjoy the ride comfortably.
After reaching Gangtok, we booked the taxi for Nathula pass (India China border), Baba Mandir, and Changu lake for the next day (Cost- 1000 RS per head). Carry your multiple passport size photos and photo id, which is required for a permit. In evening, we had dinner and purchases jackets for the next day.
Pro tips:
* Ask for front seats because you do not want to miss the scenic route to Nathula pass
*Nathula pass is closed on Monday and Tuesday, so plan your visit accordingly
*Take hotels around MG road, because transportation is costly in Sikkim
*Carry or purchase a waterproof jacket, gloves, caps, muffler, etc.
* Always carry lots of cash, because there would be cash payment for everything.
Nathula pass
We reached Chandbali taxi station around 9 AM, and our prebooked taxi left around 10:30 AM. The route to Nathula is beautifully calm. All around, you can see mountains covered in snow following you.
We rented the snow boots (100 Rs)before reaching Nathula, but we idiots did not have hand gloves. Nevertheless, it was my first time seeing snow, and I was ecstatic seeing snow all around.
We played with snow and clicked pictures. After this, we started climbing, where we can actually see the border (barbed wire). That was a fun climb, but you have to be very careful as ice becomes slippery. But the climb was worth it because the top is mesmerizing. We are not allowed to stay there for long; we thanked and shown our gratitude to the Army personnel there and came back.
Baba Mandir
We spent around 10 minutes in Baba Mandir. There is a Shiva statue around 500 meters, clearly visible from the Mandir, which people do not visit usually. It is not difficult to reach there, and it is a must not miss the point. The white Shiva statue and a waterfall just beside it feels like Ganga flowing Shiva's hair. I felt a different level of peace at that point.
Changu lake
Enjoy the Changgu lake, sit there calmly, and try to capture the beauty of the lake in your eyes.
Do take the ropeway ride (350 Rs); it is an amazing ride going 16000 feet high and enjoying the view from there. Do enjoy the view with the hot coffee. Try and reach a bit early there because it becomes foggy very early.
There is a Yak ride available (850 Rs) which we could not take as we were getting late. You can take that, and it was looking exciting. People were actually going to a point where they could touch the lake, missed doing that (maybe next time). We reached Gangtok back around 6:30 PM/
Enjoy hot tea/ coffee, momos, and maggie on the lake.
Food places
* Chopstick : Amazing food, amazing ambience, average price
*Taste of Tibet : Good for local food, below average ambiance, low price
*The coffee shop: Amazing food, average ambiance, high price
*The Baker's cafe: Average food, Amazing amabiance, high price
*Greendale hotel restaurant: Amazing food and view, low price
Stays
Greendale (1700 per night): Spacious and comfortable room, good amenities, good view
Asian Heights (1200 per night): Spacious,less hygenic, below average amenties