It was last of November when we started our journey in the year of 2021 . Though we booked our ticket for train 2 months before. Because ticket of train from Kolkata to New Jalpaiguri(NJP) has always much demand. We cut ticket of Sleeper class of Darjeeling mail. Ticket price is about 300-350 rupees in sleeper class,900-950 for 3A , 1300-1350 for 2A , 2200-2250 for 1A.
I am giving the list of trains from Kolkata to NJP .
- Vande Bharat ( howrah 5.55 am – Njp 1.25pm )
- Kanchanjunga Express ( SDAH 6.35 am – NJP 6.15 pm)
- Howrah – New Jalpaiguri Shatabdi Express ( HWH 2.15 pm – NJP 10.35 pm)
- Uttar Banga Express ( SDAH 7.40 pm – NJP 6.35 am)
- Darjeeling Mail ( SDAH 10.05pm – NJP 8.15 am )
- Padatik Express (SDAH 11.20 pm – NJP 9.15 am)
- Kanchan Kanya Express (SDAH 8.35 pm – NMZ 9.10 am)
Other trains are :
- SEALDAH – HALDIBARI Darjeeling SF Mail
- SEALDAH – NEW ALIPURDUAR Padatik SF Express
- SEALDAH – NEW ALIPURDUAR Teesta Torsa Exp
- HOWRAH – DIBRUGARH Kamrup Express
- KOLKATA SEALDAH – BAMANHAT Uttar Banga Express
- SEALDAH – AGARTALA Kanchanjungha Exp
- HOWRAH – GUWAHATI Saraighat SF Express
- PURI – KAMAKHYA Weekly Express
- KOLKATA – GUWAHATI Summer SF Special
You can book your ticket from IRCTC site or any rail station or cafe.
We reached NJP almost right time. After coming out from NJP station , we took tea and snacks just outside the station. Now our journey is starting from NJP.
Now its time to book your tour package. There are different ways.
We booked our journey for North Sikkim. That is gangtok, lachen [ includes Gurudongmar lake] , lachung [ includes Yumthang valley] ,then back to Gangtok. Totally it was 4 night 5 days tour. First night in Gangtok, 2nd night in Lachen , 3rd night in Lachung , 4 th night in Gangtok. First night you must stay in Gangtok for all the permission for going to North Sikkim. You can yourself do the permission from the office or you can tell your car driver for it. Normally they do the permission.
Now coming to the point which documents do you need.
- Voter id card ( adhaar card is not acceptable in Sikkim) with photocopy.
- You can keep 2-3 copy of passport size photographs.
- Covid vaccinations certificate.
We reached NJP st. Then picked up a car after some bargaining. We went through Rongpo.
Done our lunch in Rongpo. Did some sightseeing in the road. When you will enter Sikkim , after crossing the magnificent bridge, you will need same permission as told before. There will be many falls and streams in road and the journey will be just magnificent and very much romantic and enjoyable. That evening we reached Gangtok. We stayed in ‘Tagalong Bagpackers Hotel’. It was basically a hostel like . Very well decorated and clean. Its allowed only for teenagers. We took one room with 2 bunk bed, one bathroom. It was around 15 min walking distance from MG Marg. No fooding arrangement was there.
That night we went MG Marg and enjoyed the evening in MG Marg. In MG Marg, you can get mainly veg foods. You can get nonveg like chicken , pork but small in number. MG Marg is a road with shops, malls, restaurants in both side. From evening there is no parking. Only you can walk. And the area is really so beautiful that when the evening will finish, you will not understand. Next we came back to hotel.
M.G.Marg , Gangtok
Next day we wake up early. Today’s tour brief is, we went to Lachen only. Its so time taking that we reached Lachen in the evening. Some sightseeing were there in the road. Mainly falls. In the evening we stopped in one cafe roadside. Its very popular. And the beauty from its window is worth describing. Im attaching photo of it.
In a roadside cafe cum shop while going to Lachen
The cafe was very ordinary type. I exactly dont remember the name also. But the view from the cafe was so stunning.
We took tea, ate egg maggie, and momo there.
I told you before also that you will get a lot of falls and streams in Sikkim. The hotel of Lachen was booked by the travel agency. It was very good. Well decorated and clean, hot water facility was there. But one thing will be there, that is so much power cut off. It was about 5-6 ° centigrade when we reached Lachen. The cold was pricking us like stings. That night we done our dinner in the hotel . You should tell them beforehand that you will eat veg or nonveg. You will get rice, roti, egg, chicken, vegetables. That night the made fried rice and chicken. They gave hot drinking water in the room. But it was too much cold there . After one hour everywhere became so foggy. Next day destination was Gurudongmar lake. We slept early.
We wake up around 4 am as we had to start our journey at around 4.30 – 5 am. But it was totally power cut off. So we didn’t get hot water and doing everything after turning on mobile flash light. It was a very bad experience. I think they should have some power back up. Anyway we started our journey . We did our breakfast in some roadside small set up hotel but it was too much crowded. We ate maggie, took tea there. That point was also so beautiful.
All mountain landscapes hold stories : the ones we read, the ones we dream , and the ones we create
MICHAEL KENNEDY
Slowly slowly we were going up and higher altitude. You should keep yourself hydrated and keep your stomach full. Because so much nausea, headache occurs in the road. The road condition was very bad and dangerous. It will feel like you are going to heaven. There was a cafe maintained by Indian Army ,one of the world’s highest cafes..’Cafes 15000′. We ate aloo pakora and coffee and collected oxygen can because the next path is more dangerous and there occurs some shortness of breath …mainly in Gurudongmar lake. The roadsides were awesome , it was like frozen salt just beside the road. When we reached Gurudongmar lake ( 16,910 ft) . It was around 0-1°c there.
GURUDONGMAR LAKE
When you will reach the lake, you will feel like you have reached the heaven. The beauty is worth describing. I cant explain that beauty in my words. But I had so much shortness of breath there.
Then we started coming down …the same road situation. At last we reached Lachen hotel again and done our lunch.
We didn’t have much time in hand , so started our journey to Lachung. The path was totally different. The Lachen road and roadsides were bare, rocky , and filled with ice. But the road to Lachung was full of valley. Various colorful flowers were in the roadside. So beautiful it was. At last we reached the hotel of Lachung in the evening. No power cut off priblem was there. It was 1°c more temp than Lachen and the weather was good , not so cold but enjoyable weather. That night we did our dinner in the hotel . It was rice/ roti, veg, dal, chicken. Now its time to go to bed.
This day we also we started our journey early. Todays journey in brief is , going to Yumthang valley and then come back to Gangtok. Yumthang valley (12,140 ft )is basically a valley of flowers and pine forests .
YUMTHANG VALLEY
In another name, you can call it Heaven. The beauty is breathtaking.
The river Teesta goes through it. The valley is so beautiful that you can spend your whole day here. But time was not much. Yak riding was there. Then came back to Gangtok.
That night we stayed in a hotel of Gangtok, exact name is not in remembrance. It was just beside MG Marg. Also did some shopping and eating outside. That night we did our dinner in the same hotel. We ate mixed fried rice and chicken manchurian.
We booked a cab for returning to New Jalpaiguri. And after a few sightseeing, we reached NJP. Then we caught the Darjeeling Mail and came back Kolkata next day morning.
Travel with Dr. Arnab
Travel with Dr. Arnab 
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