Sikkim has been on my bucket list for quite a long time. Infact last year we had planned a trip to Sikkim and booked everything, but had to cancel due to some political issues in nearby area and went to Dooars instead!
So this time I was adamant that we finally take the much awaited trip to Sikkim.
Itinerary 1
Day 1: Reach Gangtok. Explore MG Marg or do a 5-Point Local Sightseeing during sunset.
Day 2: Full Day Local Sightseeing
Day 3: Changu Lake, Nathula Pass & Baba Mandir Tour
Day 4: Eat & Shop at MG Marg. Leave Gangtok in the afternoon to catch train/flight back.
Itinerary 2
Day 1: Reach Gangtok. Explore MG Marg.
Day 2: Changu Lake, Nathula Pass & Baba Mandir Tour
Day 3-5: North Sikkim Road Trip
Day 6: Eat & Shop at MG Marg. Leave Gangtok in the afternoon to catch train/flight back.
Itinerary 2 is the one we followed and is highly recommended if you are doing the epic North Sikkim road trip and also have a time crunch.
We reached Gangtok on Diwali afternoon after a long drive from New Jalpaiguri Station. The entire stretch of the drive was beautiful with Teesta River running parallely with us for the most part.
Gangtok is the capital city of Sikkim and is the most popular tourist destination in this state. The town was bustling with people. What I particularly loved was how clean and litter-free this place is. Infact according to the Swacchta survey conducted by NSSO, Sikkim has been declared as the cleanest state in India!
Our hotel was very close to MG Marg, which happens to be the coolest place to hang out in Gangtok. We decided to laze a bit, take a stroll down MG Marg, try out local food for lunch and also shop for gifts and souvenirs.
The next day was a big one for us. I was really sceptic about the permits for Nathula Pass. We had booked it from a tourist agency outside NJP station, since we wanted to visit Nathula the following day and go for North Sikkim the day after, and forms for the permits are to be submitted by 12 p.m the day prior to your plan. Since we wouldn’t reach Gangtok by 12, we decided to get it done from NJP itself.
Changu Lake, Nathula Pass & Baba Mandir Tour
We woke up to a beautiful view of the mountains and started the journey quite early.
Very soon we were out of the town and entered a world of breathtaking landscape!
Changu Lake is a glacial lake in the East Sikkim district, around 40 kilometres from Gangtok. The lake remains frozen during the winter season.
Nathu La is a mountain pass in the Himalayas in the East Sikkim district, 54kms from Gangtok. It connects the Indian state of Sikkim with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
The sharp cold wind hit us as soon as we got down from the car in Nathula. It was a little below 0 °C .
A lot of people were feeling breathless here due to the high altitude (14,140 ft above sea level), lack of oxygen and the freezing cold. If you do happen to visit and face breathlessness, take deep breaths and make slower movements.
There was snow all around here and a group of tourists were making a snowman. Unfortunately photography isn’t permitted beyond a certain point since this is a military area, so we couldn’t capture it!
Baba Mandir or Baba Harbhajan Singh Temple is a memorial and temple honoring Indian soldier Baba Harbhajan Singh.
There is a very interesting story associated with this temple!
Harbhajan Singh was a Sentry of Punjab Regiment and was posted here as part of border patrol force. In October 1968, he disappeared. It is said that while escorting mules carrying provisions, he fell into a stream and drowned. After a few days he reappeared in the dreams of one of his sentry colleagues and asked him to make a memorial here on his name. The sentries then made a samadhi and later this temple was built.
Although Harbhajan Singh is no more, the sentries and guards here believe that his spirit is still alive and he is therefore treated as a living being. He was accorded the status of saint by believers who refer to him as ”Baba” (saintly father). They all believe that he will guard and protect them in this very difficult terrain.
In fact there has been reports that Chinese soldiers across the border having seen a turbaned sentry doing his rounds at night. Many sentries here believe that he comes here every night, as his camp bed sheet gets crumpled every morning and his polished shoes turn muddy by the evening.
Out of sheer belief that his spirit is still around, he has been promoted to the rank of honorary Captain.
Every year during his annual leave, Harbhajan Singh is known to visit his hometown in Punjab even today, although he is well past his retirement age. Two soldiers actually accompany his uniform in a jeep up to Siliguri and then in a train to his hometown. In fact his salary is still sent to his home!
Baba Mandir was the last spot in this day’s itinerary. We passed by many half frozen lakes, waterfalls and chocolate coloured mountains on our way back to the hotel.
We left for North Sikkim the next day (in another blog). We didn’t do the local sightseeing in Gangtok this time but we crossed some of the points like Bakthang Falls, Tashi View Point, etc on our way to North Sikkim.
The entire Sikkim trip has been an incredible experience. There are so many beautiful places to see here and it isn’t possible to cover everything in a single trip. I’ll definitely visit Sikkim countless times more!
PLANNING GUIDE
How To Reach
- New Jalpaiguri is the nearest major railway station. The nearest airport is the newly opened Pakyong airport. Bagdogra Airport is the other alternative. You can also avail bus service from Kolkata or other nearby cities to Siliguri.
- You can hire a cab from there to reach Gangtok. Car fare from NJP to Gangtok is Rs. 2500 (for Sumo/Scorpio etc). You can also take a shared cab which costs Rs. 200 per head and is perfect if you are travelling solo or in a small group. Larger cars are not allowed near MG Marg, so it will drop you at the car parking. You have to take a local cab from there to your hotel, which will cost Rs. 150.
- If you book any sightseeing package from a tourist agency outside NJP station, like we did, they will offer you a lower cab fare to Gangtok. We were charged Rs. 1500 instead of 2500. But make sure they are charging valid rates for the sightseeing packages.
- Alternatively, you can take a bus/car from Siliguri to Gangtok.
Accomodation
- There are plenty of mid to high range hotels all around Gangtok. We stayed at Zero To One Stay Hotel Khandroling near MG Marg. If you want a nice budget hotel at a prime location, you can opt for this one.
- Try to book a hotel near MG Marg since it will be really convenient.
- There are also nice homestays available.
Necessary Information For Visiting Changu Lake, Nathula Pass & Baba Mandir
Car Fare for Changu Lake, Nathula Pass & Baba Mandir varies according to season. We were charged Rs. 6500 for a reserved car, including permits. Shared cabs cost between Rs. 700-1000 including permits.
Since Nathula and a greater part of the drive falls under military zone, permits are mandatory. You will need photo ID proof like Passport / Voter Card/ Aadhaar Card (PAN card is not accepted) and two passport size photos each. The tourist agency from where you hire your car will take care of the permits as well. Foreign tourists are not allowed in Nathula.
Note: Often the route to Nathula remains closed during winter when it snows heavily. So plan accordingly.
I really hope you enjoyed reading this article and you’ll find the information useful whenever you plan to visit Sikkim. 🙂
Also, don’t forget to check out the YouTube videos I made on this trip!
I was mesmerized by the scenic beauty of Sikkim. The photography is highly appreciated.
Thanks a lot Mom! 😊
Hey,i didn’t know how to contact you. So don’t get me wrong.I’m also a travel enthusiastic like you and have started a travel company. I need some more travel freaks. So if you’re interested. We have something for you.
Plz ping me on 8210514524
or our Instagram handle: @theunexplored.in.
Thank you!