Ever wonder where to settle in after retirement? Or where to go for a trip with your partner for some spicy honeymoon-like vacation. If you tight on budget or if you have silly reasons like scared of flying or no passport, then Sikkim is one of the best suitable option for you. Situated in the Himalayan foothills, it is a tiny and beautiful state with snowy mountains , lush green valleys, huge waterfalls and clean rivers. It is a perfect destination for every kind of group ,be it wild college weirdos looking for adventure or married couples looking for romantic place to connect their hearts or family wanting a perfect place in summer vacation. 

How to reach

Well sorry to say but there is no direct link to anywhere in Gangtok from your area except if you are staying in North Bengal. So if you are opting for plane book tickets till Bagdogra, It is the nearest airport to Sikkim. Its situated in North Bengal. By trains, the nearest would be upto Siliguri or New Jalpaiguri.

Keep in mind

There are some crazy rules in Sikkim that you need to keep in mind while boarding a taxi to Gangtok. Taxis from West Bengal cannot enter into Sikkim. You have to change taxi at the border- some 2 kms from city. People will tell you that you won't have to change car but don't believe a shit. You will have to. Don't worry. It will cost you Rs 400 per taxi minimum and it will accommodate only four people in one taxi. Moreover, if someone says he will take you to Gangtok in only Rs 1200 from NJP, don't listen to him. He is not a driver, he is just attracting your attention. Once you follow him , he will show you some sugarcoated deals and packages for your travels and accommodation in Sikkim. They are just full of crap, you will agree and then regret your whole journey.

Trip planning

Please do some booking beforehand through online. You will be an easy target there for those greedy rascals looking for money. If you want some custom plans in your journey then opt for travel companies in Sikkim directly. Those in Siliguri and NJP are just cheaters and will charge heavy fees, but, yeah,  sure you won't be able to notice anything until you have paid them and completed half your journey.

Gangtok

Situated in the foothills, this city is the main base of Sikkim tourism. This place is the perfect combination of western hospitality and traditional cultures. Trekking, river rafting, mountaineering or anything else you need to satisfy your craziness, name it. 

Ecotourism being the main economic activity in this region, you

won't believe the number of nature-oriented activities you will have before you. Don't worry, you will be assisted by professionals.So just pack your bags and book tickets soon.

There are many major sightseeing places in and around Gangtok. There are many viewpoints in Gantok from where you can watch the Kanchenjunga. Make sure you reach there before evening. Ofcourse, there are no lights on the third highest mountain in the world.

Rumtek Monastery

Sorry, i didn't collect much info on its history. But as much as i know its the seat of Karmapa Lama, a high monk in Tibetian Buddhism. My knowledge in this section is less and if i am wrong then sorry. But one thing that i can tell you is that its a wonderful place and a must-go your list. It will be a part of your package and if not take a cab. it is situated nearly 25 km from from Gangtok and will take you 1 hr max. 

It was really a splendid evening that day. The structure, the art, the colour, the design, all were in right mixture.Not only the surrounding green landscape, but also this beautiful monastery is a treat to your eyes and solace to your peace hungry souls. Fog is common in Sikkim, so don't get alerted to sudden fogs.The monastery remains open from 8 am - 5 pm. So plan accordingly. 

This monastery enshrines the golden stupa. Silly me, i forgot to take off my shoes while entering the room. But the monks didn't lash out on me, instead just reminded me that it is a sacred room. No camera is allowed into that room. As i remember, it was a wooden room with thick red carpets. The polished wooden finishing of the room reflects light as if they were made of gold. The Stupa contains many statues and paintings to belonged to 16th Karmapa. I am not sure of the number though. There is also Nalanda institute near this monastery. Make sure to take your selfie here. :-D

MG Marg

Its the main market area in this region. Local food, clothing, bamboo hotels, spices,etc are all main attraction for tourists here. Make sure you try momos here and also soupy noodles(perhaps called Gyathuk). Non-veg eaters, don't believe in shitty misconceptions that people here eat dogs and will give you dog meat and pork instead of chicken. You will get what you order for. Simply eat what you like.

LACHEN

 Of course your tour of Sikkim hasn't started yet. From Gangtok, take a car ride to Lachen. It will be a part of your package. It is a bumpy ride of around 6 hrs minimum. You will be moving up in altitude by few hundred meters in every hour. Little nausea is not a big issue. Along the whole journey, we encountered many waterfalls. Some had names and some not even considered as tourist sites.I lost our count while posing before so many waterfalls. Make sure you take photos. You will surely miss them a lot.

Lachen is situated at an elevation of some 2700 mt. I didn't take out my socks and also slept in my jeans. 

As instructed by the driver, we woke up at 2 am. We hoped into our car and started our journey for Gurudongmar lake- the main attraction in Lachen.

 It has some mythology story related with it and that's the reason of its one portion being always frozen. It is at a height of 13000 ft. After 10 minutes, your brain starts getting begging you for sit down and relax a bit. You might experience breathing problem. But neither me nor any of my friends had any problem there. We stayed there for 25 mins. The supply for my facebook profile pic will never end for another year. Jokes apart, it is seriously the heaven on earth. Standing there, you will feel like you have seen that location in some Bollywood movie. Maybe. I don't know. If you recall, then let me know.

While returning, You can have some tea at the Indian Army camp nearby. It will cost you only Rs5 per cup of tea. Pay the price and don't be a jerk.

LACHUNG

From lachen, it will take you around 5 hours to Lachung. 

I don't recall the name but there is a junction in between where roads from Gangtok, Lachen and Lachung meet. There is always some little traffic there.

During my journey, the road was blocked due to a landslide. Well, don't worry, landslides are common during rainy seasons. Haha!! So since the road was blocked, we had to cross that portion by foot. That was the most tiring part of my trip. Two hours of climbing with my baggage. But even in that condition, we posed for photos. That's the spirit, right!

So after reaching top, There we boarded another car arranged by our tavelling agency. On our way, there was another huge waterfall. By the time we reached Lachung, it was already dark. The place was somewhat little less freezing then Lachen.

Next morning, our driver took us for Yumthang valley and Zero Point. One main thing about zero point, no travelling agency is going to book you for Zero Point. Its upto your driver. If he agrees to take you there then its good. But he will charge you extra Rs 2400-3500. So its good if your group has more members. My group had only 6 members. And the driver charged us 2500 bucks. The journey would be around 3 hours max.

The journey is really mesmerizing. The bright sun will be glowing in its complete beauty above the white peaks with dark green forest at the valleys. The sharp edges will make sure to scare you off, But the confidence of your driver and the hypnotic effect of the nature's beauty will win at the end.

Some locations will seem similar to Kashmir but believe me its better than any other place on earth.

Before going for Zero point, you will have to take some accessories from Yumthang valley like thick jackets, gloves, caps, high shoes ,etc. 

Zero Point

As the song goes:

          The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
          Not a footprint to be seen
          A kingdom of isolation
          And it looks like I'm the queen.

Well i am not a queen, for sure, but also not a king. But i have a queen. ;-) 

This place is no less than what has been described in the song. Kingdom of isolation, sure, But kingdom of Gods. I am atheist so i know for sure even God must be planning for vacation here. Hahah...joking.

Yumthang Valley

The valley got its name from some flower which grows only in one season. I wasn't lucky. But the valley is no less of natural beauty. River and greenery are like two elements of nature mixed together to make your perfect romantic evening. Nothing romantic for me though, as i was hanging out with my crazy college friends. We spent all our time to take our good pics and send to our special persons. Hahaha!

SOUTH SIKKIM

The Char Dham temple is a replication of the four Dhams of Hindu culture and that too in exact scale. There is a huge statue of Lord Shiva at the center.

Sai Mandir is also a good place to visit.

Darjeeling is near from this part of Sikkim.

Checking is very common in Sikkim. Have your IDs near you all the time. Don't worry, its not strict checking. Just to check that you are Indian or not. :-D