Sikkim - The Destination to Eastern Himalayas
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
One day I was sitting along with my wife and was just planning a small trip for our summer vacation. We both came across the decision that we gonna visit Sikkim. Sikkim, a mountainous region situated in the eastern Himalayas. Sikkim is 7300 square miles in area and contains Mount Kanchenjunga, the third-highest peak in the world. Sikkim offers the Magical feel of Himalayan fairy tale land. It's an awesome Place of Hidden valley, Mystical Monasteries, Snow-fed lakes and mountain setting covered with flowers & forests. Bhutias, Lepchas and Nepalese- which provides a colourful campsite of cultural. Sikkim has 4000 species of flowering plants, making it a botanist's paradise. It has around 600 species of orchids, and 40 species of rhododendrons. With the introduction of eco-tourism, including serious birding, Sikkim has begun to focus on enterprise-based conservation.
The Teesta river is the main river in the Sikkim. The main stream Teesta originates from the glacier lake Chhu Lhamo located at the northeastern corner of the State. The Chola range in the east the Singalila range in the west determine the boundary of the Teesta. Other major rivers are Rangit, Zemu rivers. For the adventure lovers trekking in Sikkim is an experience of many in the high Himalayas. For sheer exhilaration nothing can match the view of the mountains, which seem to reach the heaven. Sikkim is a 22nd state of India tucked in the Himalaya areas. Nepal's eastern Frontier. It is Bounded by Tibet to the north, Bhutan to the east and Darjeeling to the South respectively. You can reach Sikkim by Air, Train/Rail and Road.
EAST SIKKIM
The capital of East Sikkim district is Gangtok which is also the state capital. It is the hub of all administrative activity in the state.The district is a very sensitive area with the Indian army having control over most areas east of Gangtok and near its borders with People's Republic of China and Bhutan. This region is restricted and just a few areas are open to tourists in the areas east of Gangtok. Popular tourist places to visit are the Tsongmo Lake, Baba Mandir and the Nathula Pass. The Nathula Pass formed the offshoot of the ancient Silk Road which connected Lhasa to India. The pass and the famous Baba Mandir are open to Indian nationals only. To enter this region a special pass — The Inner Line Permit has to be obtained one day prior to departure. This pass is made through local tourist offices.
WEST SIKKIM
West Sikkim is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its capital is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite for trekkers due to the high elevations. Other important towns include Pelling and Jorethang.You can witness the protected forests of silver fir, hemlocks, magnolia and many more. Some important species like the Maroon-Backed Accentor, Red-faced Liocichla and so on are found around these forests. The Khecheopheri Lake hosts migrant ducks and occasionally some rare species such as Black-necked Crane, Black-tailed Crane and many others can be seen here.
SOUTH SIKKIM
South Sikkim is the district in Sikkim. Its capita is Namchi. Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary is the main attraction. The sanctuary starts from 2000m, with a sub-tropical forest, gradually taken over by moist temperate forest at around 2500-3000m and then sub-alpine conifer forests at altitude higher than 3000m. Rabongla/Ravangla to Maenam top is about 12km and a further 1km trek will take one to Bhaledhunga, a cockscomb shaped stone. Important birds in this trek include Satyr Tragopan, Kalij pheasant, rusty-bellied Shortwing, Minivet, Yuhina, flycatchers and many more...
NORTH SIKKIM
The capital of north sikkim district is Mangan. It is the largest of the four districts of Sikkim. The people are mainly of Nepali descent. It also has one of the lowest populated regions of the state. Tholung Valley, in North Sikkim is also a treasure house of birds.Over 67 species were recorded in this region from Little Cormorant, Crested Serpent Eagle, Black Eagle, Common Kestrel, Himalayan Monal, Kalij Pheasant, Spotted Dove and many more. Most of North Sikkim is restricted to travelers and permits are needed to visit these areas. The area, which shares a sensitive border with the People's Republic of China is heavily patrolled by the Indian army.
Climate of Sikkim
The climate ranges from sub-tropical in the south to tundra in the northern parts. The tundra-type region in the north is clad by snow for four months a year though the temperature drops below 0 °C (32 °F) almost every night. The peaks of north-western Sikkim are perpetually frozen. Most of the inhabited regions of Sikkim, however, witness a temperate climate, with the temperatures seldom exceeding 28 °C (82 °F) in summer or dropping below 0 °C (32 °F) in winter. The mean monthly temperature in summer is 15 °C.[29] The state has five seasons: winter, summer, spring, and autumn, and a monsoon season between June and September. The average annual temperature for most of Sikkim is around 18 °C (64 °F)
Best Time to Visit
The beautiful state observes the five seasons, winter, summer, spring, autumn and monsoon respectively. Summer season prevails from April to June and provides a fine time to enjoy the blooming rhododendrons and orchids that grow in the region. Summers are the ideal time to grab the opportunity for trekking too. Sikkim is one of those rare states in India that receive regular snowfall. During monsoons, the rivers and roads becomes surmounted. Sikkim is prone to land-slides, thus it is recommended not to visit the state during the monsoons. The best time to visit Sikkim is between mid-March to Mid June.
How to reach Sikkim?
The nearest airport is Bagdogra which is near to Siliguri, West Bengal, India. The airport is about 124 km away from Gangtok nearly 5 hours drive. Bagdogra has regular flights from Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati. The Bagdogra airport is connected to Gangtok by a helicopter service which takes approx. 30 minutes to reach Gangtok. Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation operates the service at a fare of Rs1500/- per person. It is a five-seater chopper and mountain flights and other such tours to North Sikkim are also conducted. The two closest railway stations are Siliguri (114 km) and New Jalpaiguri (125 km) connecting to Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Lucknow and other important cities in India. National Highway 31A and National Highway 31 together link Siliguri to Gangtok. The Sikkim National Transport runs bus and truck services. Privately run bus, tourist taxi and jeep services ply throughout Sikkim and also connect it to Siliguri.
