About Sikkim

Over 150 years ago, Darjeeling was established as "Health station," after it was gifted to the British by the Sikkim ruler. It grew into one of the most famous hill stations in India, regularly drawing people for its cool climate, the fantastic backdrop of some the highest snow –clad peaks of the Himalayas, and a very gracious life –style. Not only did the people flock to Darjeeling to escape the heat of the plains during the summer month, but also to celebrate the winter. Darjeeling has a great deal to offer round the year for tourist and the people with special interest Including Nature, photography, trekking, tea, botany, ornithology and the arts.

Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Darjeeling, but you’ll have to get up early to enjoy it at its best! The hill, about 11 km from Darjeeling is at an altitude of 8,515 feet and is famous for its spectacular views at sunrise. The top of Mount Everest is visible, between the peaks of Kanchenjunga and Makalu. The trip to the summit of the hill is through Ghoom, the second highest railway station in the world. Ghoom is also home to the famous Yiga Choeling Monastery and a 4.5 metre tall image of Maitreya Buddha.

Batasia loop
Batasia loop just outside Ghoom is 5km from Darjeeling. It was built to enable the train to descend the 1000ft drop in altitude between Darjeeling and Ghoom, and is a real feat of engineering . In the middle of the loop is a war memorial to Gorkha soldiers. The spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga range offer plenty of photo opportunities and you can soak up the atmosphere over a cup of tea at one of the many tea stalls. For more information on the Toy Train go to www.dhrs.org

Darjeeling zoo
Darjeeling zoo is internationally famous for its conservation breeding of red pandas and snow leopards, and is the only one of its kind in India. You can also see many other types of animals including Siberian Tigers, bears and wolves and Himalayan birds. It’s well worth a visit for its scenic location and peaceful atmosphere, as well as the rare species of animals.

This small museum has exhibits showing the varied flora and fauna of the Eastern Himalayan region, including butterflies, birds, reptiles and amphibia.

Himalayam Mountaineering Institute
The HMI was started in 1954, as a result of the success of Tenzin Norgay’s ascent of Everest with Edmund Hilary in 1953. It has two museums – mountaineering and Everest - as well as a training department that runs courses in mountaineering.

Nightingale Park
The Nightingale Park is a pleasant place for a stroll and being at the top of a hill it has stunning views of the Kanchenjunga and the Singla Valley.

The Darjeeling ropeway is not for the faint hearted! The Ropeway has cable cars which carry up to 6 passengers from Darjeeling’s North Point to Bijanbari with aerial views over the lush green tea gardens of the Rangeet valley. The ropeway is a pleasant 40 minutes walk from Chowrastha along Jawahar Road. (The Ropeway is presently closed for upgrading work and will open shortly)

Lloyd's Botanical Garden
This 40 acre garden is filled with a variety of Himalayan trees, plants and flowers. Situated below the Market Motor Stand, the gardens are laid out on the steep slopes of the hillside. There are hothouses with a range of orchids and exotic flowers.

Tibetan Refugees Self-Help Centre
The centre was set up in 1959 to provide a place for the displaced Tibetans who followed the Dalai Lama into India. There are a wide range of Tibetan arts and crafts on display, including carpets, knitted sweaters and jackets, shawls and wooden furniture.

Tukvar Tea estate is about 7km from Darjeeling town. Here you will see the colourful tea –workers who still pluck the leaves by hand in the traditional way against the spectacular backdrop of the tea plantations & the mountains. You will also be able to see the manufacturing process (subject to opening hours) and sample some of the garden’s produce. For more information on Darjeeling tea go to www.darjeelingtea.com

Mirik
Mirik is a picturesque tourist spot nestled in the serene hills of the district of Darjeeling, and the drive in itself is breathtaking. As you wind your way down from Darjeeling you are surrounded by lush green tea gardens with the majestic backdrop of the Kanchunga range.

Mirik provides the perfect soothing balm to tired minds and bodies and a day spent here is said to invigorate one with spiritual and natural energy.

The centre of attraction is the Sumendu lake surrounded by a beautiful garden on one side and pine forests on the other, linked together by an arching footbridge. A 3.5-km-long road encircles the lake and is ideal for pleasant walks with the magnificent view of Kanchenjunga on the far horizon. Boating on the quaint shikaras and pony riding are enjoyable.

Pashupati is a market town on the Nepal border, on the way from Darjeeling to Mirik. It is a great place to pick up a bargain from the wide selection of imported goods such as electronics and cameras, and many other items.

The AVA art gallery is about 2km from the town enroute to Ghoom. It houses the unique art and embroidery works of Mrs. Ava Devi

Built on the ambitious lines of the great Pashupatinath Temple of Nepal, in 1939, the Dhirdham temple is situated below the railway station.

Lal Kothi was the summer palace of the Maharaja of Kuch Bihar. It is an interesting buliding with a panoramic view of the surrounding Himalayas.

Sandakphu
A quiet Himalayan village at an altitude of 3636 Mts, the peak of the Singalila range - Sandakphu probably offers the best views of Mt. Kanchendzonga and Mt Everest - simultaneously. It is reached in two ways.

1. By a challenging but rewarding 31km trek from Maneybhanjan. We can transport you to Maneybhanjan and collect you a few days later.

2. We can transport you by car to Maneybhanjan then transfer you to a Landrover which will take you right up to Sandakphu. To get the most from your trip we suggest you take an overnight halt in one of Sandakphu’s many lodges returning to Maneybhanjan the next day for the journey back to Darjeeling.

"Please Note this journey is along an untarmac-ed rough track and therefore would not be suitable for people with back problems or physical disabilities"

Unpretentiously, the Lebong Race Course boasts of being the smallest and the highest racetrack in the world. The race course is currently closed although there are plans to reopen it.

Peace Pagoda and Japanese Temple
The building of the Peace Pagoda was intiated by Fuji Guru, the founder of the Nipponzan Myhoji Buddhist Order and a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi, as a symbol for world peace. The sparkling white pagoda rises 28.5 metres from the ground level and has a diameter of 23mts. Embedded in the wall of the pagoda are four statues of Buddha in gold polish and eight carvings on sandstone depicting different stages of Gautam Buddha’s life.

The Buddhist temple is located near the peace pagoda and is designed in traditional Japanese style. Photography is allowed inside the temple but the Japanese monks will ask you not to enter during prayers.

KALIMPONG
Unlike Darjeeling, Kalimpong was never a centre for the tea industry nor was it adopted as a hillside holiday resort. Instead this town has its history rooted in the days of cross-Himalayan trade with Tibet. Echoes of its history as a meeting point of traders and travellers from both sides of the great mountains can still be felt today.
A strategic point in both military and economic terms, it was seized by British India from Bhutan in 1865. From the earliest days of its imperial administration it was decided to reserve almost all of the forest land surrounding the small town and to this day the wooded slopes are a carefully conserved environment sheltering countless varieties of flora and fauna.
At a lower altitude than Darjeeling and with much less rainfall, Kalimpong has a different climate, one which has proved particularly suited to flower-growing. Indeed, the Kalimpong plant nurseries are famous throughout the world, while the hillsides in springtime are a vibrant testament to the rich natural environment of orchids and rhododendrons.
Beyond the perimeter of the bazaar lie several idyllic villages and settlements set in tranquil environs of hills and valleys that slumber in timeless beauty bestowed by the wonders of nature. Here there are pleasant spots for day hikes, or even much longer ones for bird watchers and nature buffs.

It has been but three decades that Sikkim joined the Indian Union but for over three centuries before that, Sikkim was a Buddhist kingdom. The ritual chanting's by monks at prayer and devotion still resonate boldly from the cloistered halls of monasteries where on special occasions each year, their courtyards come to life with spectacular ceremonial dances - brightly costumed monks in bizarre masks cavort to the tune of ancient horns and drums. Just as Khangchendzonga the mighty protector deity reigns supreme above, Buddhism prevails on solid ground .

Sikkim has a multi-ethnic society comprising of three major groups, Bhutia, Lepcha, and Nepali. Recent migrations into the state include a sizeable number of Tibetans who fled their land in the mid-fifties, and business entrepreneurs from India predominantly of the Marwari and Bihari communities.

The majority of the Sikkimese Nepalese are descendents from the Rai and Limbu tribes of Eastern Nepal with similar cultural traits as that of the Lepcha, while Brahmins, Chettris and Newars who arrived from Central Nepal are true spirited Hindus.
The Lepcha of Sikkim and Darjeeling have mostly adapted to either Buddhism or Christianity. Very few adhere to the indigenous culture that has its roots in animism. Their animistic rituals consist of appeasing benign spirits and keeping malignant spirits at bay, which is done by a ‘bongthing’ who is priest, exorcist and physician all in one. Similarly, the Limbu has the ‘yeba’ (priest) and the ‘yema’ (priestess) who exorcise evil spirits, perform sacrifices, and supervise rituals.
The Bhutia with their ancestral ties to Tibet have remained true to their tradition and belief from the time they settled in Sikkim three centuries ago. Culturally, socially and linguistically, there is much in common between the Sikkimese Bhutia and the Tibetan.