Gangtok Off The Beaten Path

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This is one of the places I would strongly recommend to visit, while in Gangtok. Though, the palace is now is private property,entry is restricted for the common people, but it is visible from Ganesh Tok ( 6100 Feet), the highest point of Gangtok. This place is not visible from the gate but I decided to take photo at any cost. Our driver suggested that we go to Ganesh Tok the highest point of Gangtok at 4 kms away, I was not sure with my small Nikon S50c ( with digital zoom of 16X only) I will be able to see anything at all, but then again Godhelped me by making the weather clear. I was able to take pictures!!!

Chogyal Thondup Palden Namgyal was the last ruler of Sikkim and played a pivotal role of merging Sikkim into India in 1975. He was the most modern and most able ruler of Sikkim's Palden Dynasty , which ruled Sikkim for more than 300 years.

I am writing more about him in my other tip on Chogyal.

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Its' an wonderful experience to travel over and under the cloud. It ca not be described but experienced only! No it's not mist or fog but cloud travelling at 10400 feet or above! I have tried to capture some videos, please have a look at the video.

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After starting from New Jalpaiguri Railway Station at 4.00 AM, we were near Gangtok at around 5.50AM, then we were shocked to see the devastating fire and smoke on entire hills. Nothing was visible, the fire was almost everywhere. I asked the jeep driver about the fire he could not put any focus on it. But there was fire and smoke, polluting thehills and atmosphere. I thought, I should report the matter to Pollution Control Board, the camera was inside the bag, it was almost dawn. So I took out my cell phone and took the picture from speeding jeep.

Later in Gangtok, I learned, that it was age old tradition by the villagers to burn the small bushes and dry trees, so that they can cultivate some vegetables, maize, millet, corn and even Hash( It is not a banned item for the hill people, who smoke it regularly). The villagers normally fires the hills just after winter at the begining of the Fall.
The fire is controlled and supervised by the forest department, in case it spoils the vegetation, they will come with help(?), which may include praying to rain god!!

Whatever, may be the reason, it spoiled the atmosphere and pollute too much. We just could not see the Kanchenzonga even for a while in all four dayes we were there!

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The complex is huge and quite elaborate. It also houses the merchandise from Tibetan Refugee camps and accomodates the local villagers as well, who mostly come on Saturday and Wednesday will village merchandise.

I visited the market as I wanted to buy the bamboo glass with brass band which is used for drinking Chang or Thumba! ut it was my bad luck, I did not get any.

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When I visit hills, I always try to look into how locals live there! How is their market, why things are so expensive over there etc! This market was non existence in 2006, when we last visited Gangtok. The merchandise used to be sold on the roads itself, making it filthy and unaccessible but Gangtok Govt has taken a call and have built a 5 tire huge market complex at the place called Lal Bazar and now it houses hundreds to shops for daily needs.

The market is mostly run by the village women, who sell right from vegetables, fish, butter to shoes and even merchandise from China! If you are looking for something in M.G.Road, it may be very expensive, please try Lal Market. It's not far but take down road and you are there, situated next to Dangzong Hotel and Cinema, the market you will love to see. It's clean too!

We are a well established travel agency based at Gangtok, Sikkim. Our organization is registered with the Government of Sikkim, under the Tourism Department. We are also the members of Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS).

This organization has been regularly handling both domestic and international tourists and trekkers since 1996 to the entire satisfaction of our guests. We not only provide personalised service to them, we make every effort to satisfy them even to the extent of accommodating their desire to visit other places of interests not included in their itinerary already finalized.

For further details please do log on to www.toursikkim.com or feel free to write to me.

We are a well established travel agency based at Gangtok, Sikkim. Our organization is registered with the Government of Sikkim, under the Tourism Department. We are also the members of Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS).

This organization has been regularly handling both domestic and international tourists and trekkers since 1996 to the entire satisfaction of our guests. We not only provide personalised service to them, we make every effort to satisfy them even to the extent of accommodating their desire to visit other places of interests not included in their itinerary already finalized.

For trekking in Sikkim, Khangdzonga Trek, Goechalla Trek and the Singalila Trek are most popular.

For further details please do log on to www.toursikkim.com or feel free to write to me.