Indian Samurai इंडियन सामुराई

To reach Sikkim:

-          Foreigners need a permit. From my experience, the easiest way is to get it at the border post in Rangpo. It is free and it takes 10 minutes : you just need a copy of your passport and visa, and 2 identity pictures.

-          By air: Bagdogra airport (and 4h by jeep till Gangtok OR 30 min by helicopter for 2 200 Rs (around. 40€) – be aware that you have to carry less than 10 kg to be admitted)

-          By train: New Jailpaguri ou Siliguri (then 3h30 by jeep till Gangtok)

-          By route from Darjeeling : 4h on a beautiful road!

 

To see in Sikkim :

 

-          Gangtok, not well rated in guides, I kinda liked it : the huge pedestrian place where I drank an excellent hot chocolate, the surrounding mountains, the cleanliness (5 000 Rs and 6 months emprisonment if you are caugth throwing your garbage on the street – they will be inspired starting it in some other places (and parallely to start a waste management system), urbanism (they had fly overs for pedestrians in order not to block the main street !) and the very fashionable style (hair and clothes) of people there. And to finish people leave you move around in peace. In such a peace!

 

-          I also loved the night at the Sungay Guesthouse in Rumtek, inside the monastery premises. A night of quiet and nature!!

 

-          In Rumtek we were lucky enough to attend the lunch prayer!!

 

-          And then helicopter above Sikkim, simply impressive…

To reach Sikkim:

-          Foreigners need a permit. From my experience, the easiest way is to get it at the border post in Rangpo. It is free and it takes 10 minutes : you just need a copy of your passport and visa, and 2 identity pictures.

-          By air: Bagdogra airport (and 4h by jeep till Gangtok OR 30 min by helicopter for 2 200 Rs (around. 40€) – be aware that you have to carry less than 10 kg to be admitted)

-          By train: New Jailpaguri ou Siliguri (then 3h30 by jeep till Gangtok)

-          By route from Darjeeling : 4h on a beautiful road!

 

To see in Sikkim :

 

-          Gangtok, not well rated in guides, I kinda liked it : the huge pedestrian place where I drank an excellent hot chocolate, the surrounding mountains, the cleanliness (5 000 Rs and 6 months emprisonment if you are caugth throwing your garbage on the street – they will be inspired starting it in some other places (and parallely to start a waste management system), urbanism (they had fly overs for pedestrians in order not to block the main street !) and the very fashionable style (hair and clothes) of people there. And to finish people leave you move around in peace. In such a peace!

 

-          I also loved the night at the Sungay Guesthouse in Rumtek, inside the monastery premises. A night of quiet and nature!!

 

-          In Rumtek we were lucky enough to attend the lunch prayer!!

 

-          And then helicopter above Sikkim, simply impressive…

To reach Darjeeling :

-          By air: Bagdogra airport (and 3h by jeep till Darjeeling)

-          By train: New Jailpaguri or Siliguri (and 2h30 by jeep till Darjeeling)

-          By toy train :

Departure from Siliguri: option Diesel only

Departure from Kurseong (mid-way between Siliguri and Darjeetling): otpion Diesel or steam (train 9D) but be aware that there are landslides every year and sometimes (like since June this year), the train tracks are damaged – thankfully the train was working between Kurseong and Darjeeling (3 hours): http://203.176.113.182/DHR/

 

To see in Darjeeling :

 

-          Of course, the tea plantations – but you have to chose the time properly. For instance, the tea pickers were only picking dead branches when we went !

 

-          I really liked the zoo which had only local animals (and healthy ones !)

 

-          I was bemused by the museum of High Mountain trekking. You had to be mad to climb the Everest with an electroshock machine to revive your iced feet!

 

-          And splendid: the sunrise in Tiger Hill on the Himalayan chain of the majestuous Kanchenjunga (8.598 m), considered for a long time as the highest peak of the world, before the British measured the Everest and K2. This sunrise was so gorgeous I almost forgot it was the wee hour of the morning, it was freezing cold and there were about 200 noisy Indians. The funny part is they all looked at the sunrise itself and not once at the mountains (in the opposite direction) which was the thing to watch!!