India Travel

Jeeps tend to go when full, except for the Gangtok-Ghezing and Pelling services, which depart once daily. There are no train or plane services available and the helicopter service from Gangtok only operates to meet flights at Bagdogra. Buses cost a few rupees less than the Jeeps but they are much slower and tend to be a lot more uncomfortable.

Jeeps

Gangtok to: Darjeeling (5-6hr); Ghezing (4-5hr); Kalimpong (3-4hr): Pelling (5-6hr); Mangan (2-3hr); Siliguri (5-6hr).

Ghezing to: Gangtok (5-6hr); Jorethang (2hr 30min -3hr); Pelling (30min); Yoksum (2hr 30min-3hr).

Jorethang to: Darjeeling (2hr); Gangtok (4-5hr); Ghezing (2hr); Legship (1hr).

Most of spectacular north Sikkim is closed to visitors. Until 1993 no one was allowed to venture past Phodong, but now groups armed with special permits, arranged through travel and tour operators in Gangtok, are allowed as far as Yume Samdang and Thanggu, at the edge of the Tibetan plateau. Every year throughout the monsoon, landslides take out stretches of road, severely disrupting transport, and areas get cut off from Gangtok and the rest of the country. Teams of local villagers are drafted in to clear boulders, rebuild and shore up the cliffs.

The road north of Gangtok follows the deep Teesta gorge past Phodong across what is said to be the highest bridge in Asia (no photography allowed), before reaching the quiet little town of MANGAN, administrative centre for north Sikkim. There is little of interest here but a few basic hotels and cafes on the main road providing “food and lodging". The Himalayan has the biggest rooms in town and its own restaurant while the Laclien I alley, Ganga and North Point Lodge offer much the same on a smaller scale. The drive down to Namprikdang, a popular angling spot at the confluence of the Rangit and Teesta, is both spectacular and hair-raising. A small gompa 5km north of Mangan - the northernmost point for those tourists not travelling in a group - Singhik provides incredible views, especially early in the morning, of the huge east face of Kanchenjunga. The new Tourist Lodge at Singhik takes advantage of the location widely considered to be the best viewpoint in all Sikkim. Although a magnificent valley branches northwest from Mangan towards Kanchenjunga, this area is reserved as the Lepcha heartland where non-Lepchas are not allowed.

A further 40km north lies CHUNGTHANG, a dark and grubby town, set in a deep valley at the confluence of the Lachen and Lachung rivers, with a large military presence. There is a large Public Works Department bungalow here; although it’s generally used for PWD employees tourists can stay if there’s room. There are also a couple of basic hotels including the Neetam on the main road, with a decent but simple restaurant.

Beyond Chumthang the valleys fork, hese are border areas and the military, who maintain the rough roads, are very sensitive - photography, even of harmless monasteries, is not tolerated. The road to the right climbs rapidly to the small settlement of LACHUNG, the “big pass", a mere 15km west of Tibet. Across the river, Lachung Monastery is a two-storey Tibetan-style gompa belonging to the Nyingmapa sect. Most of the accommodation here, inclusive of meals, will be booked through your tour operator in Gangtok, such as Lecoxy, a large comfortable timber lodge booked through Blue Sky Tours &c Travels. Alternatives include the Apple Valley Inn and the more basic Alpine Resort.

Twenty-four kilometres further north, the valley becomes even more spectacular. Craggy snow-bound peaks rise as high as 6000m to either side above YUMTHANG, which has hot sulphur springs but no accommodation. Yaksey Lodge, halfway between Lachung and Yumthang, provides a base from which to discover the valley.

Several interesting high-altitude treks are now open to group tours in this isolated region, including the popular Lachen-Green Lake trek which takes approximately five days (one-way) and offers great views of Mount Siniokhu (6687m) across the Zemu glacier. Green Lake is the base for climbing expeditions attempting the many 6000-7000m peaks in the region. One such route from Green Lake crosses the Zemu and Tailing glaciers, and reaches Goecha La (4940m) and Dzongri La before it finally descends into Western Sikkim, but this is only for experienced mountaineers. Another extremely challenging route to Green Lake begins at Thanggu, 28km beyond Lachen. Trekking permits for the north must be sought through Sikkim Tourism in Delhi and mountaineering permits through the Indian Mountaineering Foundation also in Delhi.

The beautiful gompa of TASHIDING occupies the point of a conical hill 19km southeast of Yoksum, high above the confluence of the Rangit and the Rathong. “The Devoted Central Glory” was built in 1717, alter a rainbow was seen to connect the site to Kanchenjunga. A wide path leaves the main road near an impressive mani wall (painted green and inscribed in silver paint with the mantra Om mani padme hum: “Hail the jewel in the lotus") and leads steeply past rustic houses and fields up to the monastery compound. The large complex consists of a motley collection of buildings, ckortens, several chapels and the unassuming main temple, which was recently rebuilt using some of the features and wooden beams of the original. At the far end of the temple complex is an impressive array of chortens containing relics of Sikkim’s chogyals and lamas. On the fifteenth day of the first month of the Tibetan New Year, devotees from all over Sikkim gather in Tashiding for the Nyingmapa Bhumchu festival where they are blessed with the holy water from an ancient bowl said by legend never to dry up- Oracles consult the water’s level to determine the future.

Around 2km below the gompa. Tashiding’s tiny bazaar is situated near a saddle that separates the mountainside from the monastery hill. Basic accommodation in the bazaar includes the friendly and cosy Blue Bird, complete with restaurant serving simple wholesome food, and the more spacious, slightly more expensive Mount Siniokhu Guesthouse further up the hill. A daily bus from Yoksum passes through Tashiding at around 8.30am and continues via Legship to Ghezing. In the other direction the bus leaves Ghezing at 2pm, passing through Tashiding (at approximately 3.30pm) on its way up to Yoksum or Gerathang, 5km short of Yoksum, if the road, as it usually is. is down. One or two timetabled Jeeps and a handful of unscheduled Jeeps and trucks also connect Yoksum to Tashiding and Legship. Trails through the forests and along stretches of the main road make trekking an alternative option to public transport; the route to Legship takes around two and a half hours.

The road to Yuksom is in shocking condition, which means that the daily bus. which usually leaves from outside the Dzongrila (see below), for Ghezing via Tashiding (90min) and Legship (2hr) doesn’t alwayas quite make it to Yuksom.

When this is the case, the bus usually leaves from Gerathang, 5km down the road, at 7am. A couple of seriously overcrowded Jeeps depart at around 6.30am to Tashiding and Legship and occasionally on to Jorethang on demand.

Accommodation in Yuksom is improving, with several budget options around the small market area including: Demazotig, where some rooms come with attached baths; Wild Orchid an attractive traditional house; and the plain Dzotigriia, which also has a cheap dorm (Rs40). The Arpan, on the outskirts of Yoksum, has three rooms and a small restaurant serving noodles and dhal. A little closer to Yuksoms tiny market, Pematkang is a pleasant place with attached baths and a small picturesque garden; neighbouring Yangri Gang is not nearly as attractive but is traveller-friendly with a restaurant and basic but acceptable rooms. The Tashi Gang a large, pink and somewhat incongruous building, is the plushest of Yoksum’s hotels and the only place with running hot water; it also has a restaurant and the only telephone in town. At the other end of the scale, the abysmally maintained Trekker’s Hut has plain wooden rooms, outhouse toilets and allows camping.

Besides hotel restaurants, the only other places to eat are the cafes along the main drag which serve basic meals such as rice and dhal; the Yak is the friendliest and is a good place to meet the locals.

The sleepy, spread-out hamlet of YOKSUM, which occupies a large shelf at the entrance to the Rathong Chu gorge, 40km north of Pemayangtse at the end of the road, holds a special place in Sikkimese history. This was the spot where three lamas converged to enthrone the first religious king of Sikkim, Chogyal Phuntsog Namgyal, in 1642. Named the “Great Religious King” he established Tibetan Buddhism in Sikkim.This meeting of three lamas coming from different directions across the Himalayas was predicted by Guru Rinpoche nine centuries earlier. Lhatsun Chenpo is supposed to have buried offerings inYoksum’s large white Norbugang Chorten built with stones and earth from different parts of Sikkim. From here a path branches left through the village to a small grove and the simple stone throne of the first chogyal. In front of the throne an impressive footprint embedded in a rock by one of the lamas no doubt impressed the king too. High above the town, prayer flags announce the site of the Nyingma Dubdi Monastery, built in 1701. From the end of the road at the hospital, a path threads past water wheels and a small river and rises through the forest to arrive at the dramatically situated gihnpa, looking out over Yoksum. Unless you’ve made prior arrangements, however, there’s unlikely to be anyone around to let you have a look inside. Kathok Lake, a small scummy pond at the top end of town has nothing of the pristine beauty of sister-lake Khecheopalri, but has views of the snowcapped peaks in the distance.

Yoksum’s main role these days is as the start of the Dzongri Trail, Visitors with West Sikkim permits are welcome in Yoksum, but unless you have a Dzongri Trek permit you’re not supposed to venture any further. The police are quite vigilant, so there’s not much chance of a surreptitious high-mountain trek, but so long as you’re not carrying a backpack they may allow a day-trip along the main trail to the Parekh Chu and its confluence with the Rathong Chu - a 28-kilometre round trip. You won’t see the high Himalaya, but you do pass through some beautiful forest scenery (visibly being eroded to feed the increasing demands of the trekking industry) .Yaks - or rather dzo, a more manageable cross between yak and domestic cattle - travel this route, with supplies for trekking parties and isolated communities.

Surrounded by dense forests and hidden in a mountain bowl (2000m) 33km to the northwest of Pelling, Khecheopalri Lake, known as the “Wishing Lake", is sacred to the Lepchas. Legend has it that if a leaf drops onto the lake’s surface a guardian bird swoops down and picks it up, thereby maintaining the purity of the water. Another tale tells that Khecheopalri Lake and Kathok Lake in Yoksum are female and male counterparts and were once neighbours. However, villagers gave more importance to Kathok and neglected Khecheopalri, dumping rubbish there and destroying her sanctity, causing her to relocate in a huff to a more salubrious and less inhabited area. Public transport runs along the Pellmg-Yuksom road (only when conditions allow) to the Khecheopalri turn-off known as zero point, from where it’s an eleven-kilo metre hike up a rough but motorable road with only occasional Jeeps travelling the route (landslides permitting) to the lake. The Pelling bus, if it is running, leaves Felling at 3pm. stays overnight and returns at 7am. If you want to trek to Khecheopalri, a shortcut leads down to the river valley, steeply up to the Pelling Yuksoni road and then up to the lake (allow 5hr); you can continue the circuit to Yuksom.

Khecheopaln village and the gompa 2km from the lake on top of the ridge provide excellent views of Mount Pandim, and several sacred caves are scattered through the hills. Guides to these caves and to Yoksum, Tashiding and Pelling can be arranged through Trekker’s Hut, one of the few accommodation places at Khecheopalri, a friendly but very basic option which serves simple meals such as rice and dhal, noodles and Tibetan bread. It also has some very useful information on the local area and a definitive list for bird-watchers. Another option is the tiny Pilgrim’s Rest Home nearer the lake, which has a shrine room and chapel sometimes used by visiting monks. A small tea stall next to the Pilgrim’s Rest House serves chai and simple meals. The trail to Yoksum is 18km long and takes around four hours. Stock up on snacks from Ghezing market or some of the small stalls in Pelling. The Garuda hotel in Pelling can also provide food and information on the trail.

The laid-back, scenic, but rapidly swelling hamlet of PELLING. situated 2085m above sea level only 2km beyond Pemayangtse, looks north cowards the glaciers and peaks of Kanchenjunga. High above forest-covered hills, in an amphitheatre of cloud, snow and rock, the entire route from Yoksum over Dzongri La to the Rathong Glacier can be seen. Pelling itself consists of little more than a road junction, helicopter pad and numerous hotels - most of which have been built in the last few years, creating the so-called “Bengali Boulevard", a strip of highly unimaginative identikit concrete blocks. Luckily, this is not enough to detract from the charm of Pelling: numerous attractive walks and hotel terraces allow you to gaze in awe at the world’s third-highest peak. A four-kilometre trail rises from me playing fields just above Pelling to reach the small but highly venerated monastery of Sanga Choling, one of the oldest gompas in Sikkim.This gotnpa is another of Lhatsun Chenpo’s creations, and is held in high esteem among the Nyingmapa. Gutted by fire, it has been rebuilt and houses some of the original clay statues.

For those with permit endorsements to visit Khecheopalri Lake, Yoksum and Tashiding, a scenic low-altitude trek along trails and toads starts from Pelling (see below). Public transport runs from both Yoksum and Tashiding back to Legship from where you can continue to Ghezing, and eventually back to Pelling.

Shared Jeeps travel regularly (6am-4pm) between Pelling and Ghezing; twice daily for Gangtok via Ravangla (6am & noon); and once a day for Siliguri (6am).There is no direct service to Yoksum from Pelling but a daily bus leaves Ghezing and travels via Legship and Tashiding. One bus leaves Ghezing daily for Khecheopaln Lake and passes through Pelling (3.30pm) but the service is erratic, and two leave Pelling for Ghezing (Ham & 9am).The road from Pelling via Rimbi to Yuksom is too poor for buses but is being slowly repaired and upgraded. There is a small post office in Upper Pelling next to the Sikkim Tourist Centre and email facilities for Rs1.50 per minute at Cyberia in Hotel Phamrong. Although there are no official facilities for changing money in Pelling, the Sikkim Tourist Centre will change small amounts of cash in US dollars only. The Sikkim Tourist Centre also houses Help Tourism, an unofficial information centre and travel and tour operator with an emphasis on ecotourism. For trekking information consult the books at Hotel Gantda.

The unattractive market town of GHEZING (which sometimes appears as GYALSHING). 110km west of Gangtok, is the administration centre and transport hub of western Sikkim. It’s a good place to stock up on provisions, and has a handful of basic hotels around the main square, including the Kanchanzonga, which has a restaurant; the Mayalu; and the Chopstick, with lighter and brighter rooms and views

across the valley to Ravangla.The most comfortable place in the centre of town is the Ami at the top end of Ghezing with a/c double rooms. But for a bit of luxury head for the dramatically situated Tashigang Resort at Deecheling where doubles come with balconies and sweeping views, and the landscaped garden harbours traditional Sikkim cottages. A small monastery. Hin Shan gompa, home to a handful of Bhutanese monks, is thirty minutes’ walk up out of town and offers excellent views of Kanchenjunga.

Shared Jeeps leave for Gangtok, Siliguri (tickets in advance from the counter near the playground) and Pelling (just turn up) and other local destinations from the main square. A reserved Jeep to Yoksum will cost Rs800-1200 depending on the season.The SNT office (6.30am-3.30pm) is at the bottom of town next to a small Tibetan gompa. A bus to Siliguri (via Jorethang) leaves at 7am daily, and other buses to Jorethang leave at 9.30am, lpm and 3.30pm - change there for Darjeeling and Siliguri. A daily bus for Gangtok departs at 7am and a daily service to Khecheopaln Lake at 2.30pm, passing through Pelling. At 2pm there’s a service for Yoksum, via Legship and Tashiding.

The most important town in western Sikkim, JORETHANG, lies in the very south of the state, just across the River Rangit from Singla Bazaar in West Bengal and a mere 30km north of Darjeeling, just visible across the tea plantations. Set on an extensive shelf, which makes it feel oddly flat despite the huge hills that rise in every direction, it’s a surprisingly pleasant and well-ordered place, with a good market and a couple of decent budget hotels. The Namgyal next to the Darjeeling taxi stand has good-value doubles with running hot water, some with river views; it also has the best restaurant in town and an a/c bar. Hotel Walk-In, in the middle of the market around the corner from the bus stand, has more basic doubles but a reasonable restaurant.

Jorethang is well connected by bus with the rest of Sikkim, and there are direct buses to Siliguri (7am, Sam & 9am), but no buses cross the border due south into West Bengal, although Jeeps make the extraordinarily steep 25-kilomctre journey to Darjeeling. Buses for Gangtok leave at 7am and lpm, for Petting at lpm, and for Ghezing at 8.30am and 12.30pm, connecting with the 2pm departure for Tashiding and Yoksum. Shared jeeps ply regularly to Legship (change here for Felling,Yuksom and Tashiding) and to Namche for those travelling to Ravangla. The territory around Singla Bazaar south of the river from Naya Bazaar, Jorethangs twin town, is not particularly safe, and vehicles are occasionally forced to pay an unofficial road tax by militant tea-pickers. Few Jeeps leave Jorethang after 1pm.

LEGSHIP, in the deep Rangit Valley 26km north of Jorethang, is the first town you come to if you approach western Sikkim from Gangtok, just under 100km west. It’s an important regional road junction and one where you could find yourself with an hour or so to spare, but not an interesting destination. Trishrta at the crossroads, has a few rooms and a restaurant. Jeeps and buses connect Legship with Gangtok, Jorethang, Ravangla, Ghezing and Pelling as well as Yoksum via Tashiding.

This beautiful land, characterized by great tracts of virgin forest and deep river valleys, offers ancient monasteries such as Pemayangtse and Tashiding and the attractive but rapidly developing hamlet of Pelling. The old capital. Yoksum, lies at the start of the trail towards Dzongri and Kanchenjunga. On the far west, along the border with Nepal, the watershed of the Singalila Range rises along a single ridge, with giants such as Rathong and Kabru culminating in Kanchenjunga itself. Although only two high-altitude trails are currently available, and these are subject to restrictions and high charges, several low-altitude treks provide opportunities to enjoy the terraced landscapes, waterfalls and forests at your leisure.

Permit restrictions mean that trekkers can only follow well-beaten trails and within a limited period of time. If you are coming from Darjeeling and arrange permits and itineraries in advance you could enter Sikkim at Jorethang and go directly to Felling or Yoksum, saving precious permit time.