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Geography and Climate:
The state has 28 mountain peaks, more than 80 glaciers, 227 high-altitude lakes, 5 hot springs and more than 100 rivers and streams. The state connects with Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal through eight mountain passes. The state has five seasons: winter, summer, spring, autumn and monsoons between June and September. The average annual temperature for most of Sikkim is around 18° C. The temperature drops below 0° C every night in the north. The peaks of north-western Sikkim are perpetually frozen. The inhabited regions of Sikkim, however, witness a temperate climate, with temperatures rarely crossing 28° C in summer or dropping below 0° C in winter. The mean monthly temperature in summer is 15° C.
Demography and Culture:
The primary religion in the state is Hinduism, followed by Buddhism. Sikkim has 75 monasteries, some over 300 years old. The Christians are mostly Lepchas. Among other minorities are Muslims ex Bihar and Jains. Nepali is the basic language of Sikkim. English and Hindi are also spoken and understood in most of Sikkim. The Sikkimese celebrate all major Hindu, Nepali, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim festivals such as Diwali, Dussera, Tihar, Bhimsen Puja, Losar, Loosong, Saga Dawa, Lhabab Duechen, Drupka Teshi, Bhumchu, Christmas, Easter, the Ids and Muharram. |
How to Get There:
Sikkim is well connected by air, rail and road.
• By air: The airport nearest to Sikkim is the busy Bagdogra in West Bengal, only 124 Kms away from Gangtok. Bagdogra also connects with Gangtok by a daily helicopter service, a 20 minute ride to Gangtok, subject to weather.
• By rail: New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri in West Bengal are the two active rail heads nearest to Sikkim at 125 and 114 km from Gangtok respectively. Ticketing facilities exist in Gangtok, for local convenience. A new Sikkim Railway Project is on the cards.
• By Road: A National Highway connects Gangtok with Siliguri and this picturesque highway runs through the lush green forests along the bank of river Teesta on one side and the steepling Eastern Himalaya on the other. This unique two hour ride gives you the opportunity to enjoy entry into Sikkim as you take in the flower bedecked valley.
Where to Stay: There are over a hundred hotels, guest houses, resorts and lodges all around the state. Most of them have online advance booking facilities and rentals are nominal. Hotels Norkhill, Tashi Delek, Tibet, Trishna, Zamden and Mount Pandim are popular.
What to See:
Sikkim defies imagination. The number of pure tourist sites is phenomenal. Aritar Lake (Ghati-Tso), Bakthang Waterfalls, Ban Jhakri Falls, Borong, Chakung, Chogyal Park,
Darap Cherny Village, Dubdi Monastery, Rumtek, Nathula, Soreng, Varsey, Dentam, Sombaria,
Lachen, Phodong, Kabi..... You’ve got to be there to enjoy them all. There are two cinemas and nightclubs in Gangtok.
Where and What to Eat:
There are over 25 bar-cum-restaurants in Sikkim, mainly in and just around Gangtok. The most commonly available food in Sikkim is the Momo, hot steamed flour dumplings filled with minced meat, cheese or vegetables, accompanied by home made chilli sauce and piping hot soup. Another popular item is the Thukpa or Gya-thuk, typical Tibetan style noodles in soup, based on vegetables or meat. Fermented food is an important element of many Sikkimese dishes. The Saelroti, Chhurpi, Kinema, Gundruk, Sinki, Bamboo shoot, etc. must be tried out, along with Chaang, a fermented cereal-based alcoholic beverage sipped from a bamboo receptacle using a thin bamboo pipe.
Official Formalities:
Foreigners must obtain an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to visit Sikkim, easily obtainable from all Indian Missions, Sikkim Tourism Offices at New Delhi, Kolkatta, District Magistrates Office of Darjeeling, Siliguri, and Rangpo on the strength of an Indian Visa. The 15-day Permit is issued on the spot without any delay provided photocopies of the passport and visa along with two pass port photos of the applicants are made available. The permissible duration of the stay for foreign tourists is 15 days initially. The State Government is authorized to extend the same twice by a further period of 30 days (15 days each). The extension of the permit can be obtained from FRO at Gangtok and office of Superintendent of Police of the North, West and South Districts.
For those interested in trekking in the interior region of the state, the Department of Tourism issues Protected Area Permit (PAP) at Gangtok which is available for certain specified areas for groups of two or more foreigners, subject to the condition that the trekking programme is arranged through a registered travel agency.
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