Sikkim In Depth - 10 Days

It shares a border with only 1 state – West Bengal in the south. It also shares an international boundary with 3 countries i.e. Bhutan in the east, Nepal in the west, and China in the north which also happens to be the maximum number of international borders shared by any Indian State

Nathu La pass is the key geographical feature of this state. Nathu La pass is a part of the ancient Silk Route which once was an important trade route connecting India with the far reaches of Tibet
There are many hot springs in Sikkim which are known for their medicinal & therapeutic reasons
Sikkim is known for its rich biodiversity and is the land known for more than 500 different species of Orchids, 11 Oak species, 23 different varieties of Bamboo trees, and over 400 different medicinal plants.
Khan-gchendzonga National park is one of the highest national parks in the world and includes World’s third highest mountain Kangchenjunga. Yak and musk deer are the main animals found in Sikkim
Sikkim has the largest area for Cardamom production and also it is the highest producer of large cardamom in India.
Rumtek and Phodong monasteries are the most famous religious spots depicting the Buddhist culture of Sikkim.
Gurudongmar lake & Tsomgo lake which are situated at a height of 5180 meters and 3700 meters respectively are sacred lakes as per Buddhist beliefs

The Statue of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) in the south district is considered as the patron of Sikkim as per Buddhist beliefs.

Summer:
March to mid-June. Temperatures –minimum 13 to maximum 28 degrees. Pleasant in summer.
Monsoon:
Monsoon prevails from late June to early September. During Monsoons, a landslide is a common sight all the way through Sikkim. Annual rainfall is 325 mm average.
Autumn:
Autumn stays from September to October providing a nice time for tourists to visit the state.
Winter:
Winters are heavy in Sikkim. The temperature ranges from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 12 degrees. The northern portion receives heavy snowfalls during winters.

By air – Bagdogra Airport which is the nearest to the capital city of Sikkim. A number of airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, Jet Airways, AirAsia India, GoAir, and Spice Jet operate regular flights from prime Indian cities including Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Guwahati, and Kolkata for Gangtok
By rail – New Jalpaiguri is the nearest railhead to Sikkim. Major trains from all over India ply to New Jalpaiguri. From the train station, you can take a bus or shared jeeps & cars to reach Sikkim.
By road, – Sikkim is easily accessible by bus. The Sikkim government has fixed-rate buses; Sikkim Nationalized Transport (SNT) from its bus terminal at Siliguri plying between Siliguri and Gangtok. There are buses from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) to Gangtok. You can take a shared cab to reach Sikkim from Siliguri city.
Helicopter Service: A daily helicopter service run by the Sikkim Helicopter Service connects Bagdogra to Gangtok. The helicopter can carry eight people at a time on thirty-five minutes long flight from Bagdogra to Gangtok. It departs around 0230 PM from Bagdogra to Gangtok
For local sightseeing & transportation, you must rent a vehicle for traveling.

Moving around: Bus is the cheapest mode of transport, though hired taxis are the best way of exploring this area. For visiting the newly opened areas it is advisable to engage the services of a registered travel agency for making all required arrangements.

Sikkim shares international boundaries with three countries, China (Tibet) in North and North East, Bhutan in the East, and Nepal in the West. In the South, it shares a boundary with West Bengal. The state is surrounded by the high mountains from three sides, and there lies another country on the other side of the mountains. This makes its position very vulnerable in case of conflicts and this is why the state has much strategic importance. The visitors can not roam in all the parts of the state freely without a valid permit.

There are two types of permit:
1. For Foreign Citizens: Foreign citizens (except the citizens of Bhutan) cannot enter any part of Sikkim without having a valid Restricted Area Permit (RAP) in addition to the valid Indian visa. This permit is issued free of cost at many government offices in India and abroad like All Foreigners Registration Offices, All Indian Mission Abroad, MHA in New Delhi, Immigration Offices at the airports in Delhi/Mumbai/Kolkata/Chennai, Sikkim Tourist Department offices in Siliguri/ Kolkata/ Delhi/ Melli/ Rangpo, Resident Commissioner Sikkim House Delhi, Deputy Commissioner Office in Darjeeling, etc.
The 30-days duration permit is issued on the spot. The required documents are a copy of my passport, visa, and two passport size photos. It is possible to extend the stay for 30 more days from the Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) at Gangtok (East District) or from the office of the Superintendent of Police of the North, West, and South Districts. The citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, and Nigeria will not be issued a Permit without the prior approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, and New Delhi.
Note: Foreign citizens are not allowed to travel individually in certain parts of the state, like North Sikkim beyond Mangan, East Sikkim beyond Changu Lake, and West Sikkim beyond Yuksom. They are allowed to travel individually to the main tourist places like Gangtok, Ravangla, Namchi, Pelling, Yuksom, etc.
2-For Indian Citizens: Indian citizens are allowed to travel in Sikkim without a permit, but they also need a Protected Area Permit (PAP) to visit many places in the state.
How To Get A Permit
The protected area permit to travel in North Sikkim and East Sikkim is available from the Sikkim Tourism Permit Office located near MG Marg (Mall Road) at the Sikkim Public Service Commission Building. You can NOT get this permit ONLINE. It is possible to get a permit by yourself or through a tour operator. A permit is normally valid for a week in the case of North Sikkim.
There are basically two permits (Tourism/Police Department and Army Permit) in the case of East Sikkim and one permit (Tourism/Police Department) in the case of North Sikkim. Both permits are available at the same building in Gangtok. Since Nathu La is a border area protected by the Indian Army, you need an Army permit for that. If you don’t have an army permit for Nathu La, but received a permit from the Tourism/Police Department, then still you can visit Changu La and Baba Harbhajan Singh Temple. That is why Changu Lake and Baba Temple is open for visitors throughout the week, while Nathu La is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Required Documents:
a) Copy of Photo ID Proof ( Preferably Passport or Voter ID, May also accept Driving License or Aadhar Card; PAN card is strictly NOT acceptable).
b) Two passport-sized photographs
Note: 1. If you want to apply for both East Sikkim and North Sikkim, then you have to submit a separate set of documents for each permit.
2. No separate permit is required for children below 4 years of age. The official version says that children below 4 years of age should not go to high-altitude areas for the purpose of tourism. However, many people accompany their children with them.
Similarly, there is no restriction on the upper age limit. But due to the paucity of oxygen, people with respiratory problems or over 60 years of age should avoid traveling to Gurudongmar Lake or Yumthang Valley. At last, it depends on your fitness level.
Timings: Application should be submitted between 1000 AM to 0200 PM. You will get a permit the next day from 0500 AM to 0800 AM. Travel agents are capable to submit applications in the evening also. Issuing of permit is subjected to the weather and road conditions.

Permit Fee: Ideally, the permit is free of cost for North Sikkim. Form cost is Rs. 10. But you may have to pay Rs. 20 for the permit, if you apply by yourself. For East Sikkim, the permit cost is Rs. 200.
Once you get a permit you can hire jeeps as these vehicles are approved by Government, you can hire these vehicles in sharing.
If Traveling by Private vehicle: From the same permit office, you can obtain a permit for your vehicle. The vehicle permit means you are automatically securing the permit for yourself. Therefore, the charges are the same (North Sikkim, Rs 20 and East Sikkim, Rs. 200). You need the following documents to get a permit:
1. Copy of Photo ID Card
2. Copy of Driving License
3. Two passport-sized photos
4. Copy of Registration Certificate
5. Copy of Insurance
6. Copy of Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate.

Important Point: While planning a trip to Sikkim using public transport, and using Google maps for the idea of distance and time between the two destinations, always consider the average speed of the shared jeep as 20 km per hour. It provides you an exact idea of the time required to travel between two places. Moreover, at some places, you are supposed to wait for extra 1-2 hours, because the shared jeeps don’t move unless they get the booking for all 10 seats. The system of public transportation is a bit complicated in this hilly state, but with proper planning, you can travel all around Sikkim at a lower cost

Since Sikkim is situated at a significant height, breathing issues are a common problem. Keep the necessary medicines handy. It is also advisable to visit a doctor before you embark on your journey. Owing to the zigzagging hilly roads, motion sickness is another challenge. Keep the necessary medication along with you. Keep yourself hydrated. If visiting Gurudongmar lake, yumthang vally take care of your health. Due to fewer oxygen levels, you may get nausea, headache, etc. if you are a senior citizen & some ailment think before you travel to high altitude.

Sikkim is certainly expensive. The price per day may vary considerably between Rs 2000 to RS 4000 depending on your hotels, vehicles; sightseeing, etc. meal depends entirely on where you eat and what you order. A nice quaint restaurant will cost you between Rs.300 to Rs.500 per person depending on what is ordered. Eating at the smaller eateries in the market will be much cheaper and you will find a number of small eateries run by locals that work out easy on the pocket. Most of the places are high altitude so if a landslide occurs you require to incur extra expenses for an extended stay, vehicle, etc.

ATM services are available in major places like Gangtok, Pelling, and bigger towns. However, carry cash for remote places & border sightseeing areas.
Credit cards are accepted by very few hotels and tour operators but there will be a 2% service charge.

All major service provides offer a 3G – 4h network in Sikkim. However, you may have connectivity issues in northern remote areas and border sightseeing areas. You can also use What sApp calls and Skype calls to stay connected with friends and family as soon as you get Internet access during your trip. Even when the connection is very slow, What’s App messages will always work. Most of the hotels offer WIFI networks free of cost for their guests.