A perfect romantic destination. Review on Sikkim, General

Sikkim: A beautiful place on earth indeed yet people look for foreign destinations to go out. well I was born in capital town of Sikkim that is Gangtok. Capital of Sikkim is Gangtok, which connects Siliguri through National Highway 31A. Siliguri, a major town on the northern fringe of West Bengal being the main gateway of Sikkim. Nearest Airport: Bagdogra.(Near Siliguri, 117 kms from Gangtok) This is connected with regular flights from Kolkata(Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport). Daily flights are available to Kolkata from New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and all other major cities of India.

Nearest Railway Station: New Jalpaigur, i near Siliguri Town, 117 kms from Gangtok. Overnight trains are available from Kolkata which reaches New Jalpaiguri Station in the morning. Well let me tell you all some history about sikkim and places to visit when you next plan to go there.

Sikkim, a mountainous region in the eastern Himalayas, has 600 species of birds, or about half of the over 1200 species to be found in India.Perched between Nepal in the west, Bhutan in the east, and Tibet( China) in the north, Sikkim is 7300 square miles in area and contains Mount Khangchendzonga, the third-highest peak in the world. Formerly a kingdom, since 1975 it has been a tiny land -locked province to India.Sikkim, with its rich biodiversity, has 150 lakes ranging in altitude from 200 meters to almost 8000 meters.

Besides birds, Sikkim has 4000 species of flowering plants, making it a botanist's paradise. It has 600 species of orchids, and 40 species of rhododendrons.

*Places of Interest to see:

* 1. Enchey Monastery: An important seat of the Nyingma order, the Enchey Monastery meaning the Solitary temple, was originally built with the solace that no other construction would be allowed near it is built on the site blessed by Lama Druptob Karpo, a tantric master known for his flying powers. This 200-year-old Monastery has in its premises images of god, goddesses and other religious objects. Every year around January'Chaam' or religious masked dance is performed with great fanfare for two days. it is situated adjoining the Sinolchu Tourist Lodge, 3 kms from Gangtok Town. 2. Tsomgo Lake: Tsomgo lake is only 40 kms. from Gangtok town and is situated at an altitude of 12, 210 ft. The drive from Gangtok takes about 2½ hours by bus. The lake is bout 1 km. long and oval in shape, 50ft. deep and is regarded extremely Holy. It is also a home of Brahmini ducks besides stopover for various migratory ducks.Between May and August, it is possible to see variety of flowers in bloom, including the rhododendrons, various species of primulas, blue and yellow poppies, iris and many other species of floras. It is also an ideal habitat of the Red Panda and various species of birds. Open for both the Foreign and Indian nationals. Foreign visitors have to be in a group of two or more and have to apply for the visitors permit through a registered Travel agency.

3.Nathula: 56 kms from Gangtok is a'Nathula' Pass at an altitude of 14, 200 ft. bordering between India and China in the Tibetan Plateau. It is one of the highest motorable roads and richly covered by many varities of alpine flora and fauna. A tranquil place to visit. Nathula is open only for Indian nationals on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The visitors have to get the permit to visit the place by applying to the Tourism Department through a registered Travel Agency.

4. Khecheopalri Lake: Khecheopalri Lake is considered to be one of the sacred lakes of Sikkim both by the Buddhist and the Hindus. The lake remains hidden in the rich forest cover. It is believed that birds do not permit even a single leaf to float on the lake surface. There is a motorable road from Pemayangtse right up to the lake area.For those interested in spending a night or two in the peaceful environment a trekker's hut has been provided by the Tourism Department. The hut is presently managed by a local person and provides comfortable stay providing a taste of local Sikkimese -Nepalese cuisines. There is also a pilgrim's hut, managed by Tourism Department, which is meant to provide accommodation to the people who come on pilgrimage tours. 5.Chungthang: Chungthang, on the confluence of Lachen and Lachung Chu and the starting point of River Teesta, has emerged as a major sub-division settlement in North Sikkim. It is the nodal junction for the two passes, Lachen and Lachung. The valley is believed to have been blessed by Guru Rimpoche and one can visit the Holy Guru Lhedo to see the foot and palm prints left behind by the Patron Saint. The place is rich in bio diversity with a large variety of orchids, plants and wildlife, is 95 kms from Gangtok, 23 kms from Lachung, 29 kms from Lachen and is predominantly a Lepcha region

6.Guru-Dongmar Lake: Guru-dongmar lake is considered as one of the sacred lakes of this State both by the Buddhist and the Hindus. The lake remains milky in color throughout and it is believed the Guru Padmasambhava had touched the lake whilst he visited Tibet from this area

 7. Namchi: Namchi, meaning'Sky High', nestled among the hills at an elevation of 5, 500 ft commands panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains and vast stretches of valley. Atop Samdruptse hilltop near Namchi, recently erected is the worlds tallest statue of Guru Padmasambhava, the patron saint of both Hindus and the Buddhist. Can gooooooooooooo on and on about my home town. well if anyone wants to know more i'll be more than glad to give them the information. Thank you for reading my review.