Weekend Getaways near Rongo

Drive to Khecheopalri. The enchanting lake is cradled by pine forests and shrouded in local myths. You could head to Yuksom next and in the evening, visit the Pemayangtse monastery.

It was a very misty morning at Pelling making a man standing 10 meters far invisible. The hope of seeing Kanchenjunga faded away but not the mist. It just kept coming. But I was not ready to give up, thus Darjeeling came in to picture. But before that just a quick sightseeing of Pelling.

Pelling, a beautiful town in the West district of Sikkim, is becoming the second biggest tourist destination in Sikkim after Gangtok. The main attraction of the place is the breath-taking sight of the Khangchendzonga and the neighbouring peaks. The famous Pemayangste monastery is less than a kilometre from here and is a major tourist hotspot. It also provides sites for mountain biking, rock climbing, village tours, meditations, educational studies and several other activities. The scenic town of Pelling is a perfect holiday destination for all nature lovers. How to Reach Pelling Air: The nearest Airport to Pelling is Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri, which is a four hour drive from Pelling. You can take a taxi or bus from here to reach Pelling. Rail: The nearest Railway Station from Pelling is Jalpaiguri Railway Station, which is at a distance of 170 Kms from Pelling. It is well connected to major cities like Chennai, New Delhi, Howrah, Alipur and Darjeeling through Guwahati Express, Ndls Bgp Express, Mas Njp Express and Dbrt Rajdhani. Road: Pelling is well connected with the other cities of Sikkim via Sikkim State Road Transport Corporation (SSRTC) and some private travel services. Buses are available to get to Pelling and thus taking a bus or a rented/private vehicle is a good idea. However, owing to high elevation it’s better visited in Sumo or similar vehicle. rom Gangtok– 115 kms – 5 hours From Bagdogra– 135 Kms – 5.5 hours From New Jalpaiguri– 130 Kms – 5.5 hours From Darjeeling town – 109 kms – 4.5 Hours. There is an alternative short route through which the distance comes down to about 70 kms. But this route is quite steep and may not remain operational throughout the year. From Kalimpong – 85 kms – 4 hours From Jorethang – 42 kms – 2.5 hours From Ravangla – 45 kms – 2.5 hours Pelling Weather As is true for the entire state of Sikkim, weather here is unpredictable in nature. Weather in Pelling may change from Bright and sunny to clouded and gloomy in a matter of minutes. The cloud and sun plays a contineous game of hide and seek creating a mesmerizing environment for the traveller. April, May and June are the summer months in the plains and high season at Pelling as people try to avoid the excessive heat of the plains and find comfort in the mountains. Weather during this time is pleasant with average temperature around 15 to 20 centigrade. July to September is the rainy season, and it rains quite heavily here. Landslide is common and occasionally Pelling may not be accessible by the main road. This is the low season and hotel and tour costs come down sharply. So if you are looking for a budget friendly tour and don’t mind carrying an extra umbrella, you may consider Pelling most suitable for you during this season. October – November is the festival season in India and again a high tourist season in the hills. Pelling weather around this time is similar to the Summer months. But visibility is better with great views of the mountain range available during most of the days. December – March are the cooler months with temperature going below 10 degree. Most international tourists visit here around this season. Indian visitors not afraid of a little chill, may enjoy Pelling during the winter months. The best part of this time is post monsoon visibility remains excellent and since it is not a very high season, you can enjoy travel without having to hustle with other toursts. Sightseeing in Pelling Pemayangtse Monastery Sanga Choeling Monastery Khecheopalri Lake Sangay Waterfall Sewaro Rock Garden Singshore Bridge Rimbi Waterfall Kanchenjunga Fall &More....For more Please Visit ....https://www.facebook.com/TravelographybyPlabanBhattacharya

DAY- 2A Proper Start to the DayIn the Morning it was just awesome to watch the view along our balcony. It was a typical weather with clouds as it was slightly raining but the absolutely blew our mind...

After spending scenic tour of pelling including Kanchenjunga Falls and Singshore Bridge we will move to Darjeeling on our 4th Day of Sikkim.

We immediately changed our plan and decided to go to Pelling. We hired a car, the driver demanded Rs100 per person extra as the condition of the road was terrible. We had no other choice. We reached Jorethang at 2 pm and another bad news was waiting for us! There was only one share jeep for Geyjing, but for an unknown reason the driver refused to take us to Geyjing. After 1 hour of pleading and pleasing him, he agreed to go but demanded Rs.500 extra! At 4.30 we reached geyjing.Its a small hamet. From there we had to trek 10 kms to reach pelling. When we reached , there were no sign of any human, no electricity,as if the city was abandoned. We were exhausted, hungry, worried and at the same time a bit scared too! we walked down the road and saw only one hotel was still open . Fortunately we booked a room for five of us and after having a heavenly Roti Egg curry we slept off. The Kangchendzonga Next morning we went to visit Pemayangtse Monastery and Rabdantse Ruins - as Pema suggested. Oh, she is a good friend of mine and she is from Yuksom, presently studing at Scottish church college.By 8 am we reached Pemayangtse. Pemayangtse Monastery is one of the six major monasteries of the Nyingma school in Sikkim, and the main holder of Lhatsun's tradition in the world. It was founded by Lhatsun Namkha Jigmed in 1647 A.D. It was originally started with a small shrine called Tsangkhang on the spot of present monastery probably in the year 1647 A.D. Later the third Dharma King Chogyal Chagdor Namgyal (1686-1716 A.D.) and Khenchen Rolpai Dorjee (Vajra Master of Pemayangtse) expanded this Lakhang and re-established it in the year 1705 A.D. and was named it as Sangchen Pedmayangtse monastery in Tibetan which means "most sacred lotus summit monastery" which was started with an enrolment of 108 monks.We entered the main shrine. The first floor of the monastery has a notable collection of ancient Buddhist antique idols, sculptures and decorated paintings. In the second floor Padmasambahva's eight incarnations in fierce form and the Tripitaka texts are also seen there. On the third floor particular note is a seven-tiered painted wooden structure, portraying Guru Rimpoche 's Heavenly Palace known as "PEDMA DRAWAI SHING KOD", which was originally built by Lhatsun Namkha Jigmed himself and later renovated by Khenchen Tsundre Rinpoche.The room was dark, uncannily quiet, those scary paintings and those tibbetan masks and that low hymn created a surreal world.

This morning after breakfast, proceed to Pelling.On arrival, check- in to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight in Pelling. (B, D)

While thousands of travelers and photographers explore India's vibrant beauty, there are certain places in India which are not being traveled yet. Pelling is one of such places. Nested at an altitude of 7,200 ft and blessed with the blessings of world's third highest mountain range i.e. Kanchenjunga range, this place renders some unpredictable experience for adventurers and photographers. You will find fewer tourists so this place is quiet and serene, not much commercialized as compared to Gangtok. It was about 115km long road trip from Gangtok and as I was there in autumn season so the whole Pelling was almost converted into the carpet of alpine vegetation and numerous waterfalls. In winter season, Pelling is in the blanket of snow. It is the best place for trekkers to undertake the treks of Sikkim. My best part of the journey was living with locals at their home to know about their culture. Through the series of photos i will show you some of the spectacular view of Pelling.

Pelling is considered as Nature's Paradise. The greenery you find here is breathtaking and the landscapes are just unbelievable. Pelling is nearest to Kanchenjunga and the famous Sunrise can be seen from any hotel you stay in here. We woke up early in the morning to witness the sunrise, but the weather was cloudy. Though we got some breath taking view of the valley from our balcony.

Pelling, West Sikkim-Pelling is a town in the West Sikkim District which lies at an altitude of 7,200 feet above sea level.Places to visit in and around Pelling include the local monasteries namely Pemayangtse Monastery and Sangachoeling Monastery, the rock garden and waterfall at nearby Rimbi River, the imposing double-pronged Kanchenjungha Falls, the archaic quaint Singshore Bridge, the Chhange Waterfalls, the Khechuperi Lake and Pemayangtse Monastery.After all the travelling people can even have a sight of Mount Kanchenjunga and The Himalayas from a close range.Pelling is one of the most beautiful places human eye will ever witness and this definitely makes it one of the places you cannot afford to miss out in Sikkim.