Trek to Sandakphu. Review on Sandakphu

I and my four friends have started for Sandakphu on 17th of April, it was Saturday. We catch Paharia Exp from

Uluberia at 8:15 pm and reached NJP at around 9am next day. Have a rest there in a friend’s relative house

at Siliguri and had a splendid lunch there.

We take a Sumo and started from Siliguri for Manebhanjan at 12 and reached there at 5pm. It was heavily raining there at Manebhanjan when we reach and we got to know that this rain is in its full for last few days. The weather was pathetic.

Monday:** The next day when we wake-up early in the morning and it was unexpectedly sunny and bright day, there was no sign of cloud anywhere.

We had our breakfast in the hotel and start trekking at 7am. In the way there is a tea shop at Chitre(2530m), we had tea couple of cup and resume our trekking. After a steep walk of 8 km we reached Meghma at around 12 in the noon. There is good restaurant in Meghma, we had our lunch there and start walking for Tumling, **Tumling in Nepal and situated in an altitude of 3070m. We reached there at 3:30 pm. We stayed there in Sikhar Lodge, which is known as Niludi’s hotel; it is one of the most popular hotel in Tumling and perhaps the best one. This hotel is furnished with a numerous type of winter flower. We spent the evening roaming nearby and had an

early dinner and slept at 8.

Tuesday:** Next day we wake-up much earlier than our plan because it’s very difficult to sleep for such a long time, the scenic beauty from Tumling was spectacular. This hill top is surrounded by a range of hills and one can see the Kanchenjungha if the weather is clear. We started walking at 7:30. After a stroll of 30 min we entered the Singalila National Park, the entry fee was Rs.40 per head and Rs.50 for still camera. The road is quiet parallel means less steep. We reach Gairibans at 9:30am(9 km. 2621 m) through Joubari(in Nepal).

After a break we start for Kalapokhri(4 km. 3170m), we reach there at 1:30 in afternoon, the weather was very foggy with strong wind, we couldn’t see anything that day; even it was getting difficult to see the road properly. We had our lunch there in a Hut and stayed there at night. Instead of a stayed here at Kalapokhri, many travelers head to Sandakfu directly.

Wedday: **Next day weather was very clear. We roam around Kalapokhri, its a little lake with black water. The local people believe this a sacred lake.

We started trekking at 8, had our tea at Bikhey and resume walking through Rhododendron rich road. The weather was foggy and little windy. We reach Sandakfu at 12 noon, the road was very steep, it took us 4 hrs to cross only 5 km. We stayed there at the Govt. Trekkers Hut.

We roam around Sandakfu till evening; but couldn’t find any mobile network there. In the evening the weather was very clear, we enjoyed the beauty of chilling sunset.

Thursday:** The next morning we got our destiny, I mean sunrise from Sandakfu, it was so beautiful that one cannot explain it. The temperature was likely around 0° and wind in its full blow. Kanchenzonga, Everest and many peaks can be seen from here.

After having breakfast we start our return journey to Gurdum at 7. The road is very gradual, muddy kind, covered with thousand of Rhododendrons. One can’t keep walking without capturing the beauty. We reach Gurduam at 10 am and give our legs some breath. After a full day toddle finally we reach Rimbik through Srikhola in the

afternoon. It was a prolonged journey that makes us fully exhausted. At Sandakfu we met a bangali Trekker’s hut

owner who have hotel at Rimbik, we stayed in his hotel in Rimbik, it’s a small town with nothing.

Friday:** Next day we took a shuttle Safary for Darjeeling, spend an hour for Shopping in Gorkhaland and down back to Siliguri by the evening. Again we had a good dinner in our friend’s relative’s house and catch Paharia Exp at 9pm and reach home at 9am next morning.