Travel to us is all about breaking away from routine and indulging in something peaceful for our soul. It is therapeutic and an entry into a time where we are just exploring and doing what we love – travel. It is about collecting moments and getting up close to nature. It is about the offbeat treks and going where our heart desires and fortunately, our trip to northeast India was all about this.
We already knew about TravelTriangle since we had previously booked a Mcleodganj trip with them and it was a super good experience. So this time, when we raised a request again, the response and quotes were pretty decent and value for money.
Day 1: Gangtok – Enchanted by the beauty of the hills
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We touched down at Bagdogra airport at 1:15 pm and upon exiting the airport, saw a guy with a placard of our name waiting for us. He took us in his KUV100 and we all proceeded for Gangtok. Our drive tillGangtokk was beautiful and as we were going along the bank of Tista river, we indulged in some local food on the way. At around 8 pm, we reached our hotel, Cardamom Residency. After freshening up, we had our dinner at the hotel itself.
Sikkim-Gangtok-Darjeeling Holiday Packages On TravelTriangle
Visit Sikkim and explore Yumthang valley, Tsomgo Lake, Gangtok, Nathula Pass, and Pelling. Experience peace and tranquility while exploring Buddhist monasteries, snow-capped mountains, and wildlife sanctuaries. Book packages inclusive of airport transfers, cab, resort, sightseeing, and meals.
Day 2: Gangtok – Tsomgo Lake, Nathula Pass, and all the beauty in between
Today, we woke up at 6 am to a beautiful view consisting of majestic mountains that stretched till infinity. It was truly breathtaking! Later, after having breakfast at the hotel, we proceeded to visit the Tsomgo Lake. We passed through many military camps on our way and even though it was a bright and sunny day, it got colder as got close to the lake.
The lake was mesmerising and we clicked many pictures here and also did a yak ride.
Next up in our itinerary was Nathula pass, a visit to which required special government permission from military since it was the border area between India and China.
Upon reaching this place, which was 14000 feet above sea level, it got bitter cold but the mood soon got elevated since everyone started chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”. We also visited the Baba Mandir (shrine of soldier named Harbhajan Singh) post which we returned to our hotel.
Day 3: Lachung – A road journey worth remembering
We woke up early today since we wanted to visit the Tashi Point, a place that offered breathtaking views of the Kanchenjunga mountain peak.
This point was at a walking distance of 15 minutes from our hotel and upon reaching, as expected, the views were truly spectacular.
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Next, we returned to our hotel and proceeded towards Lachung. On our way, we saw many waterfalls and sparkling streams falling down from every corner and even stopped at a few (Seven Sisters, Naga, Bewma). We also named one unnamed waterfall on the way and it truly felt great.
Later, we finally reached Lachung and the temperature here was a biting 3 degrees. After checking into our hotel, it was time to snooze off.
Day 4: Gangtok – Yumthang Valley of flowers and Zero Point
Today, after breakfast, we departed for the Yumthang Valley and Zero Point. Our first stop was Yumthang Valley which is a valley of flowers and is lined with trees that end into the cold desert. There glacier river flowing in its middle and the whole scene was truly majestic.
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Post this, we headed for the Zero Point which just like its name, had zero degree Celsius temperature. It lay at a height of 15000 feet and just to tell you how cold it was, the river there was completely frozen and we could even walk on it.
Surrounded by snow-covered mountains, sipping hot coffee and eating spicy maggie and chanas here was simply an experience of a lifetime. Post our lunch, we departed for Gangtok and checked into our hotel, Cardamom Residency.
Day 5: Pelling – Sightseeing in Gangtok and stay at Pelling
We were to visit Pelling today but before our departure, we did a lot of sightseeing in Gangtok and it included a zoological park and Banjhakri falls. The zoo gave us a nice jungle safari feel and was well maintained. The Banjhakri falls was also one of the prettiest waterfalls we had ever seen. Post our sightseeing, we departed for Pelling and arrived there late in the evening.
Day 6: Pelling – Witnessing best of nature in Pelling
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Today, we once again woke up to a mesmerizing view of the Himalayas right out of our room window. Later, after breakfast, we proceeded for some sightseeing in Pelling which included Rimbi Waterfall, Kanchenjunga Waterfall, Pemayangtse Monastery, Khecheopalri Lake, Orange Garden, Dentam Waterfalls, and Singshore Bridge.
Visiting Orange garden was a delight to the eyes as well as our taste buds, the Khecheopalri lake was very beautiful and peaceful and we even fed fishes here in this sacred lake, which remains hidden in a thick forest cover. The Singshore bridge is Asia’s second-highest suspension bridge and is situated over 100m in height. The downward view from this bridge was overwhelming and gave us a sight of the beautiful waterfalls. Later, we returned to our hotel.
Day 7: Darjeeling – The hill station we all love!
After having breakfast we moved towards Darjeeling, which is a beautiful hilly town in West Bengal. And as we were entering this hill station, we were greeted by a beautiful view of teak and pine tree plantations. Later, after checking into our hotel, we freshened up and went on to roam around the mall road and chowrasta. We even had Darjeeling’s special tea at chowrasta and also indulged in some shopping.
Day 8: Darjeeling – Tiger Hill sunrise and sightseeing in Darjeeling
We woke up at 3:30 am today since we were to reach the Tiger Hill at 4:30 am, which is famous for panoramic views of Mount Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga. We saw the famous sunrise from here and frankly, no words can ever justify its beauty.
On our way back, we visited the famous Ghoom Monastery and the Batasia Loop. Later post breakfast at the hotel, we again set out for some sightseeing in Darjeeling and it included Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Happy Valley Tea estate, Tibetan refugee self-help center, Japanese temple, and peace pagoda.
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Inside the zoo, we got to see red pandas, black panther, snow leopard, and beautiful pheasantry.
Day 9: Departure – Northeast, you shall be deeply missed!
This was our last day and after one final breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and headed towards the airport. Since we had reached way before our flight time, we passed time by watching India vs Srilanka test match in the waiting lounge, and that is how our trip ended.
Our trip to North East India was one of a kind. We felt so welcomed in the lap of nature and it was truly a mesmerizing experience. Overall, it was a peaceful trip with a bit of an adventure and an overdose of nature. Needless to say, we loved it!
High Points:
- Watching umpteen number of waterfalls, each one so beautiful that it is difficult to decide which one was the best.
- Wandering in Gangtok zoo alone since we were the first visitors of the day
- Chanting the Japanese mantra ‘na mu myo ho ren ge kyo’ which means
- ‘ahinsa parmo dharma’ in Hindi for the world peace.
- Walking over the frozen river at Zero Point
- Visiting our Indian soldiers at Nathula Pass (Indo Chinese border)
Low Point:
- There was as such no negative experience during the trip. We enjoyed our trip a lot & had great fun.
Tip For Future Travelers:
- Although the peak season for traveling Sikkim is March-May, I would suggest November at this time since it is neither overcrowded nor overpriced. Also, always book through TravelTriangle as they have verified agents that deliver the best service.
Northeast adventure on your mind? Book a personalized holiday like they did. Simply choose a northeast package and let TravelTriangle do the planning for you.
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To make people travel and see a way of life through it is what Pranav strives to achieve with his content. He firmly believes that the more places anybody visits, the better are the chances for them to truly evolve and become their best version. If he is able to make even one person get off the couch and go explore, then in the words of mighty Thor himself, he is “worthy”.
