Sikkim: a trip to remember | traditional food, chilly weather and warm people

Our last trip in December 2019 turned out to be a great vacation.

It was a last-minute pick after our planned Meghalaya trip had to be cancelled amidst the violence in Assam. Trust me it was painful cancelling those round-trip tickets for a journey that we had been planning for a long time.

Call it bad luck, but this wasn’t a new occurrence. So, this time, we decided not to expect much and just go with the flow.

My husband and I wanted to experience snowfall and adorn the view of Kanchenjunga.

After a few Google searches and reviews, we zeroed in on Sikkim.

Having experienced a couple of painful times on our previous trips- carrying around heavy luggage, my husband and I wanted to travel light this time. Although we ensured that we pack a few right quality garments to keep ourselves warm.

Our itinerary looked something like this:

Bagdogra> Darjeeling> Pelling> Ravangla> Gangtok> Namchi> Gangtok> Bagdogra

My husband and I were freezing in the cold the minute we landed in Darjeeling. The temperature drop from 30 degree Celsius in Bengaluru to a 5 was quite a lot for us to handle. We took two to three days to acclimatize with the weather.

The trip was truly magical. Right from the serene view of Kanchenjunga to the mind-blowing local cuisines, to the warmth of the locals, it was an unforgettable holiday.

We booked an Airbnb in Gangtok called Yeshey’s Ark (https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/40766331),  which is located in MG Marg, a prime location in the capital city. This was going to be our first Airbnb so were a little sceptical initially. But the hosts ensured our experience was worthwhile. It is

run by a young couple, who define what genuine hospitality should be like. Yeshey's Ark was a home away from home. We had travelled to quite a few places but never experienced this level of hospitality. They went out of their way every time. Right from cleanliness, amenities, food everything or even our lively conversations were more than we could have asked for. Rooms were spacious and warm, cleanliness is maintained throughout the property. Food is simple, homemade and incredibly delicious, Yeshey, the host cooks for every guest. We were treated with the utmost care and timely help and sort of became like extended families during our stay at the property. They always ensured

that we get everything and more than we asked for, round the clock. 

A glimpse of what we ate in Gangtok:

Local thali prepared by our host in Gangtok

Local thali prepared by our host in Gangtok 2

Local thali prepared by our host in Gangtok- day 2

Sel roti served by our host at Airbnb stay- picture from Wikipedia

Potato momo served by our host at Airbnb stay- picture from Wikipedia

Thukpa prepared by Roshan Daju- picture from Wikipedia

Tasted Himalayan churpi made from yak milk- picture from Wikipedia

  

The views of Kanchenjunga are breath-taking. Trust me nothing in this world can compare to the sight of rising sun peeking through the Himalayan Range. The views will awaken your inner soul that you never knew existed. We were lucky to see the Kanchenjunga even from our Airbnb. The rich flora and fauna, the coniferous trees, the beautiful tea gardens, Teesta River, the monasteries, etc.- are all so beautiful. Having grown up in Shillong, I was literally living my childhood days. December made us witness a little of Losoong Festival too.

(View of Kanchenjunga: copyright reserved)

(View of Kanchenjunga: copyright reserved)

(Do-dul Chorten, Gangtok- copyright reserved)

Monstery in Gangtok: copyrights reserved

Painting of Lord Buddha at a local shop: copyrights reserved

Prayer wheels at a monstery: copyrights reserved

That's me!

Teesta River, copyrights reserved

At Sikkim Himalayan Zoological Park, we saw Red panda, the state animal of Sikkim. Banjhakri Falls was good too.

Monks walking at a monastery: copyrights reserved

Us at Banjhakri Falls

That view <3 : copyrights reserved

Other attractions near Gangtok we visited were Buddha park in Ravangla and Chardham in Namchi.

Buddha Park at Ravangla: copyrights reserved

Buddha park at Ravangla: copyrights reserved

 

Chardham at Namchi, Sikkim: copyrights reseved

This blog will be incomplete without the mention of Roshan Daju, who made our great trip even better. We had hired him for two days for showing us in and around a few destinations in Sikkim. He was warm and friendly, and we instantly bonded.

 His electrifying energy and pleasant personality helped us learn and explore Sikkim much better than we expected. He had friends almost everywhere we went - small tea shops to food joints, monasteries, everywhere.

We had to explore a lot in a short period, and he ensured that we experience the best.

Us with Roshan Daju

Roshan Daju

We had hired him only for driving and eventually he had also become 
2) Our guide ( he was passionately narrating each and every legend he could probably remember).

Here is an example below:

3) He helped us source local nuts, pickles, local snacks and things we cannot even pronounce.

4) Singer (kept us awake with his sweet vocals during the long travel) 

5) a photographer (oh! the number of times my husband and I were clicked by him in thousands of poses- it was embarrassing 😆😆) 

6) cook (every halt we made he ensured we never left without tasting the local special- e.g. thukpa- he prepared just for the two of us).

 7) Zookeeper (had special skills to tame animals so that the animals would pose for us- this was at Sikkim Himalayan Zoological Park)

  

Daju took us to a few lesser-known non-touristy spots as well including Paljor Stadium in the central city.

At Paljor Stadium, Gangtok

Sikkim was indeed a magical experience, and half of the good times is because of Roshan Daju. 

It was soon time to bid farewell and pack our bags. We said goodbye to everyone with a heavy heart but a promise to come back soon again.

This may easily be the best trip so far, and it is because of the warmth and hospitality we experienced. Thank you to all the beautiful people of Sikkim.