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About Gangtok
The capital of Sikkim, Gangtok, lies at an altitude 1600
meters. It occupies the West side of a long ridge
flanking the Ranipool River. Gangtok has a very
spectacular setting and offers excellent views of the
entire Kanchenjunga range from various points in it's
vicinity.
Accommodation in Gangtok
Gangtok has very few hotels to stay. But whatever hotels
are here provide you comfortable stay. The largest and
most elegant hotel is the Tashi Daleake. The government
of Sikkim has two good hotels- Mayur and Sinialchu.
Apart from these there are hotels like Orchid Green,
Tibet, Nork Hill, Kanchan View, Shere-e-Punjab, Hungary
Jack etc. There are youth hostels and various lodges,
which give tourists a comfortable stay in Gangtok.
Hotels & Restaurants of Gangtok City
Climate of Gangtok
As Gangtok is situated on the lap of Himalayas it never
experiences the hot weather as in the plains. The
winters are cold and there is rain through the year.
Usually the upper reaches are blocked by snow during
winters and are accessible only during the mild summer
months.
How to reach Gangtok
Gangtok does not have an AirField of its own. The
Bagdogra Airfield serves the needs of not only Gangtok
but of whole Sikkim. From Bagdogra it takes five hours
by road to reach Gangtok. The nearest railway stations
are those of Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri. But Gangtok is
well connected by roads and one can reach here from
anywhere in India. But during the rainy seasons
travelling by roads can be a bit problem oriented as
landslides are very common and frequent in the region.
Trekking in Gangtok
Trekking is allowed up to Dzongri for 10 days so long as
you are accompanied by a travel agent recognised by the
Indian tourist Development Corporation and a liason
officer or guide provided by the Government of Sikkim.
Trekking gears can be hired at Gangtok. The well-known
trekking routes are Nayan Bazar-
Pemayangtse-Yaksum-Dzongri or
Rangpo-Gangtok-Yaksum-Dzongri.
Sight-Seeing of Gangtok
Tusk-la-khang
A beautiful and impressive building which is the
principal place of worship and assembly for Buddhists.
Institute of Tibetology Orchid Sanctuary & Chorten
This institute is the only one of its kind in the world
and was established to promote research on the language
and traditions of Tibet as well as into Mahayana
Buddhism. Adjoining the institute is the orchid
sanctuary where most of the 454 species of orchid found
in Sikkim could be seen, depending on the season.
Institute of Cottage Industries
Located high up on the main road above the town, this
multicraft institute specialises in producing hand-woven
carpets, blankets, shawls, Lepcha weaves, patterned
decorative paper and 'Choktse' tables exquisitely carved
in relief. In addition to the shop here, there is a
smaller display of craftwork on the ground floor of the
tourist office, which is worth a visit.
Deer Park Gangtok
Next to the secretariat building is one of the popular
viewpoints. Here you will find deers and an image of
Buddha, which is a replica of that in Sarnath.
Enchey Monastery Gangtok
This 200 old monastery stands three kms from the city
centre. One should visit this monastery during December
when the annual religious dances are performed.
Excursions from Gangtok
Rumtek Monastery
About on the same height, 24 Kms away from Gangtok, on
the other side of the Ranipool valley is the seat of
head Kagyu-pa sect-Gyalwa Karmapa. The sect, which was
founded in 11th century, has its teachings transmitted
orally. The main structure which was built by Gyalwa
Karmapa strictly according to architectural designs from
the monastery in Tibet, from where he came.
The whole structure is covered with murals and if you
are interested in Tibetan paintings then Rumtek is a
must for you. The old monastery can still be seen just
beyond the new structure though it's not obvious as it
is hidden by trees. Pemayangtse- It is the second oldest
monastery in Sikkim. Located at a height of 2085 meters,
it belongs to the tantric sect Nyingma-pa. It was
established in the 8th century. There are two more
monasteries- Tashidingand, Phodang worth visiting.
Tourist Information Centres in Gangtok
Sikkim Tourist Information Centre - Department of
Tourism, Gangtok, Sikkim, India .
Tel. - 91-03592-22064 / 23425.
Sikkim Tourist Information Centre -New Sikkim House, 14
Panchsheel Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi -110021 India.
Tel. - 91-011-3015346.
Sikkim Tourist Information Centre -4C, Poonam Building,
5/2, Ruseel Street, Calcutta-700017, India. Tel. -
91-033-297416 / 296717 / 298983.
Sikkim Tourist Information Centre
SNT Colony, Siliguri, West Bengal, India. Tel. -
91-0353-432646.
Sikkim Tourist Information CounterBagdogra Airport,
Bagdogra, India.
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