Back to India I was craving for Himalayas. I was looking for places where I can cherish the mountains without people jumping over my head for an Selfie.
I had been able to "corrupt"(as my wife describes it aptly) my wife with enough dose of nature such that she also likes to hike and camp along with me.
After a rather enjoyable and substantial research I was genuinely attracted to this route. Old silk route is nothing new but it seemed genuinely different from the well trodden tourist destinations with too many interesting aspects. The most interesting aspect for me the was the region itself as we will be touching China and Bhutan borders for most of the time. See here
I planned it for a week at the end of April. I was unsure whether how costly it will be to book a car and drive as i couldn't find any partners in crime("crazy for mountains and silence") . One of my friend suggested an agency. I was apprehensive as i have never travelled with any agency . Saying that it made the journey real smooth. Let's cut to chase here and travel the roads.
Our trip was as following with the night stay as mentioned.
Kolkata-> NJP->IchheGaon(2 nights)->Phademchen(1 night) -> Lungthum(1 night) ->Gangtok(1night) ->Bagdogra -> Kolkata
IccheGaon:
IchceGaon was suggested by Arijit(SikkimSilkroutes.com) and it was masterstroke.
It's a tourist spot being build. Very few homestays are there compared to a crowded and more popular SilleryGaon. It's situated just opposite side of SilleryGaon and provides a nice jungle trek opportunity. The owner himself picked us from NJP . His family cooked the excellent home made supper for us in the wood fire. Staying in the small wooden cottage and interacting with the lovely people was satisfying in itself. if you simple want to relax you can spend few days at Icchhe Gaon.
We reached there around 2 PM. After we freshened up we have lunch. Post lunch we had a walk to nearby pine forest. a cloud was approaching which shortened our trip. Still it was amazing fun as we had a bunch of kids as our Guide. all them them have come come over weekend and they were sharing stories of ghost, tigers and what not over the journey. It was fun.
We met an great couple who has vast travel experience in the nook and corners of Himalayas. We had long conversations in the evening. Next day early morning we planned for Hike to Sillery Gaon. We again had a little kid as our companion.
The forest was lush and Ramitey view point at Sillery was excellent. Sillery has belessed with a valley in front and more luxurious homestays. It is also a great choice of stay.
Phadamchen:
Next day morning we started our journey to Phademchen . The road to Phadamchen was green and we crossed to Sikkim from WB. On the way we visited Pedong Monastery, Aritar(Lamaphokri) lake and monastery, Rishikhola river bed. The homestay had hot water and we had a bath after 3 days.
By this time Army was everywhere. Different regiments and their camps as these are border areas. In the afternoon I went for a long walk over the winding roads and got few lovely sunset shots.
Next day we hiked to Premlakha. You can read more details here.
Lungthung:
Next day morning the journey was only for 1 hour. we simply climbed the famous zig zags of Zuluk and reached Lunghum/ Longthu. We decided to stay here again because it was less crowded and i was hoping for nice sunrise shots. Our homestay was actually little bit earlier than Longthu and just beside Thambi View point. The accommodation was most basic and no where to go except the road. By this time we were at 13000 ft and it was cold at night. the place was heaven for birdwatching. it was hoarded by birdwatchers and it seemed we were being watched. It was irritating but the beauty and serenity of the place was worth it. the hospitality of the senior Tamang couple was heart warming. We were lucky to to himalayan Monal and many other birds during our walks in the area.
Gnathang:
Next day was again a short ride to Gnathang. I opted for Gnathang with the hope of getting some snow as it was even higher altitude. Unfortunately there was none. Global warming had it's effect. We walked around but there is not much to do unless you are in a group. we climbed the mountain top near the monastery and then close it for the day. Gnathang residency was more of a hotel and it seemed distant after the previous homestay experiences.
Next day we had a long reverse sightseeing tour to Gangtok. Nathula was out as the permit is available only from Gangtok.
We started early and visited Old Baba Mandir, New Baba Mandir, Menmecho Lake (you have to trek to reach Menmecho), Tukla Valley, Jelepla Pass, Yak Golf Course, Ice Hockey Field, Four Lake Point, Tsomgo (Changu) Lake.
Baba mandir was amazing. The belief Indian Army have is amazing. We skipped the menmecho lake hike as my wife had a stiff muscle after Premlakha. Post Zuluk the landscape becomes barren like ladakh due to the altitude. One can see Chinese bunker with bare eye itself. There was an eerie feeling of being watched. Since we started from other side and the Gangtok side is not allowed to enter before 10AM we had the gratifying opportunity of capturing the lake with heads and mobiles popping up.
We spend the evening walking around MG marg. If you enjoy local/traditional/heritage cafe's visit Baker's cafe . It pretty much wrapped our trip.
Finally My two cents:
If you like to sit on mountain top with a cup of tea and watch nature evolve around you it's a trip for you. If you want a lot to do everyday(10 point tours) you might die of boredom.
Happy wandering.