Buddha Park, Rabong Monastery in Ravangla

DAY 7 –  GANGTOK – RAVANGLA – PELLING

After seeing Gurudongmar Lake, Zero Point and Rumtek Monastery, today’s plan was to reach Pelling. You can take the direct route to Pelling from Gangtok or take a detour via Ravangla or Namchi and then reach Pelling. In Ravangla you can see the Buddha Park and the Rabong Monastery whereas in Namchi you can see the replicas of Char Dham. We chose to go via Ravangla.

Rabong Monastery

We had already booked an Innova through our hotel (for Rs 4,000) from Gangtok to Pelling. We were supposed to leave at 8:30 am but left at 10:00 am. The driver was late as he had returned from North Sikkim today morning itself. It made sense to let me sleep and start late from Gangtok and as Pramod said, “We can’t put our family at risk”.

Can you see the small statues of Buddha?

Pelling is in west Sikkim and is around 140 kms from Gangtok making it approx 5 hours drive. As we had decided to take a longer route and see Ravangla on our way to Pelling we took around 8 hours to reach Pelling. The driver charged us Rs 1500 extra for the detour to Ravangla.

The Buddha Park, Ravangla

The Buddha Park also known as the Tathagata Tsal houses a 130 ft high statue of Buddha and is located near the Rabong monastery. You need to buy an entry ticket of Rs 50 per person to this beautiful park. Everything about the park is grand. The red coloured gate of the park is adorned with intricate Sikkimese design. Numerous stairs takes you down to the main park.  

Buddha Park, Ravangla

Buddha Park Entrance

In the park, there are speakers playing the soothing chant of Om Mani Padme Hum, the chant immediately relaxes you and takes you in a trance. Again a no of stairs will take you up to the main prayer hall.

Buddha Park, Ravangla

Under the giant statute of Buddha there is a prayer hall. In the middle of the prayer room a statue of Buddha is kept. All around this room there are numerous colourful statues of Buddha of the same size. There is a spiral pathway which take you up so that you can have a view of the Buddha from above. All around the spiral pathway you can see the entire life of Buddha depicted through paintings. All around this pathway white colour silk cloth was tied up.

Huge Cup of water at Buddha Park, Ravangla

Next, we walked around the main building. Prayer flags were put up around the walkaways which were fluterring with the wind. Around the giant Buddha on the walkway, seven huge golden colour cups of water are kept. How can there be no prayer wheels? Just behind the prayer room you will find prayer wheels in golden colour.

Golden Prayer Wheels at Buddha Park, Ravangla

Buddha Park, Ravangla

The Buddha Park is beautifully maintained. Manicured gardens, flowers, and fountains - everything is perfect. The Park has a shop where you can have maggi and aloo chiwda. There are two shops from where you can buy souvenirs for your loved ones.

Rabong Monastery

Rabong Monastery is located just behind the Buddha Park. When we went to the monastery it was closed. So we could see it only from outside. Since the monastery was closed, there was hardly any tourist. We had the entire place to ourselves. The monastery is simple but beautiful.

Prayer Wheels at Rabong Monastery

Rabong Monastery, Ravangla

There are a line of red coloured prayer wheels when you enter the monastery premises. On your left you will find the monastery. Few steps up and you are at the beautiful monastery.

Line of prayer wheels at Rabong Monastery

View from Rabong Monastery, Ravangla

We took around two hours to see the Rabong monastery and the Buddha Park. After the Buddha Park, we went to another monastery located in Ravangla – Bon Monastery. It is a very small and simple monastery.

Beautiful Rabong Monastery, Ravangla

Rabong Monastery, Ravangla

Continuing our journey, we reached Pelling around 6:00 pm. Our Hotel was located at upper Pelling - two mins walk from the new helipad. We had pre booked two rooms in this hotel on the top floor so that we can enjoy the majestic Himalayan range from our rooms.

Since we were hungry we ordered for tea and pakodas. Around 8:00 pm we went downstairs for dinner. Post dinner, we arranged for a car through the hotel reception for tomorrow’s sightseeing in Pelling.

Points to remember:

• As the sun sets early here start your day early.
• Book an Innova, bolero or a Xylo for a comfortable travel. As the roads are bad and travel in Sumo or Maxx can be cumbersome.
• Although the distance between places is not far because of the rough terrain it takes a considerable time to go from one place to another. So plan accordingly.
• Please carry warm clothes including sweater, jacket, cap, mufflers, socks and gloves. Wear shoes and not sandals or chappals.
• While going to Pelling from Gangtok take a diversion to Ravangla and see the Buddha Park and Rolong Monastery.
• Sikkim is plastic free zone. Please don’t litter and maintain the beauty of nature.
• Please remain quiet, maintain the discipline and follow the rules at Monasteries and other religious places. 

Back to Gangtok - After Zero Point it's Rumtek Monastery!!

DAY 6 – LACHUNG MONASTERY, RUMTEK MONASTERY, HANUMAN TOK AND GANESH TOK

Rumtek Monastery was our mission today. If we wanted to see Gangtok, today was the only day. After having our breakfast at the hotel, we started our way back to Gangtok at 7:00 am sharp. We had already spoken to Sher Khan (our driver) to show us three points in Gangtok – Rumtek Monastery, Hanuman Tok and Ganesh Tok. Though we wanted to see Enchey Monastery, Banjhakari waterfall, Lingdum Monastery and Dro Dul Chorten also but due to time constraints we had to be satisfied with three points.

Rumtek Monastery

Lachung Monastery

It has been 5 days that we have been in Sikkim but we had not been to a single monastery till now. So the first thing we did was to drive to Lachung Monastery. When we entered the monastery we were in for a delight. Today was a special day as per Buddhist calendar and we were lucky to see a group of monks praying, reading from their spiritual books in perfect harmony. It sounds as if they are reading shloks together.

Monks praying at Lachung Monastery

Lachung Monastery

Lachung monastery was small but beautiful. Just when you enter the main building of the monastery you will find two huge prayer wheels on either side. The Prayer wheels are huge and beautifully painted in red and golden.  We were not allowed to take pictures inside the monastery.

Prayer Wheel at Lachung Monastery

Being a special day today we got an opportunity to light few wax lamps in the monastery. 

Lightning of wax lamps

On our way from Lachung to Gangtok we stopped en route to see Beema waterfall.

Bhima Waterfall

While heading back to Gangtok you will see numerous waterfalls, cross beautiful prayer flags decorated bridges, drive through the curvy roads; drive through water streams and on rough terrains.

Enroute Gangtok

We again stopped over at the same place for lunch at 11:00 where we had lunch enroute our way from Gangtok to Lachen.

HIT - Sikkim Local Beer

The drive from Mangan to Rumtek was charming and peaceful.

Rumtek Monastery

Around 4:00 pm we reached Rumtek Monastery which is around an hour drive from Gangtok. Rumtek monastery is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Gangtok. The monastery is a 1 km steep walk from the parking lot. Inside the monastery you will find numerous books and manuscripts, few drums, big and small statues of Buddha, beautifully decorated interior and a huge red coloured door.

Rumtek Monastery - Entrance

Rumtek Monastery

In the courtyard, you will find the dormitories for the monks and various monks in their red clothes doing their usual work. 

Monk at Rumtek Monastery

Prayer wheels at Rumtek Monastery

Hanuman Tok & Ganesh Tok

After the Rumtek Monastery we were on our way to Hanuman Tok. It is on the same route which we take for Nathula Pass. Located on the top of a mountain, is a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The place is very simple and extremely neat and tidy. Inside the temple there is a separate temple of Lord Hanuman depicted very elaborately. Another temple here has Lord Krishna, Lord Ram, Lord Laxman, Godess Sita, Lord Ganesh, Lord Shiva and Sai Baba.

Fog has set in by the time we reached here and the temperature has dropped suddenly. The view from here would have been magnificent if there was no fog.

Shadows

Our last stop of the day was Ganesh Tok, which is not very far from Hanuman Tok. As the name suggests it is a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh. Nothing fancy, this is again a temple which is very neat and tidy. You can find few stalls at the base of the temple selling pretty looking crafts at reasonable rates. There are also shops where you can wear traditional sikkimese dress and get yourself clicked. By now the sun had set bringing along with it a wave of chilliness.

Post this we headed to our hotel Nettle & Fern located at the Development Area of Gangtok. We had booked two deluxe rooms here, but the hotel was kind enough to upgrade us to a family suite. The family suite was on the 5^th floor (top floor) with a million dollar view. The room was warm and cozy, with beautiful polished wooden interiors.

Souvenir Shop

The whole mountain landscape of Gangtok is filled with lights during the night. After resting in the room for an hour and sipping in tea we headed to M.G. Road. The walk to M.G. Road was of 15 mins. Shopping at M.G. Road is fun and you can easily buy warm clothes at throw away prices.

After strolling for some time we took a cab and headed to our hotel for dinner. The dinner at the hotel was delicious and the restaurant was very warm.

Points to remember:

• As the sun sets early here start your day early.
• You can take a Gangtok sightseeing trip which includes Rumtek Monastery, Enchey Monastry, Ganesh Tok, Hanuman Tok etc. depending on the time you have at your disposal.
• For sightseeing in Gangtok, SUVs are not compulsory.
• Although the distance between places is not far because of the rough terrain it takes a considerable time to go from one place to another. So plan accordingly.
• Gangtok is not very cold but still carry warm clothes including sweater, jacket, cap, mufflers, socks and gloves. It gets windy at Hanuman Tok and Ganesh Tok as they are located at the top of a mountain. Wear shoes and not sandals or chappals.
• Be easy on steps and avoid brisk walk or running at high altitudes.
• Sikkim is plastic free zone. Please don’t litter and maintain the beauty of nature.
• Please remain quiet, maintain the discipline and follow the rules at Monasteries and other religious places.

Yumthang Valley, Zero Point – Its snow time!!

DAY 5 – YUMTHANG VALLEY, ZERO POINT

Today was another beautiful day. The first thing that I do these days when I get up in the morning is to peep out of the window. The view is spectacular.  I could see the snow capped mountains and River Teesta flowing nearby.

Zero Point

Today the plan is to see Yumthang Valley and Zero Point. We all were very excited to play in the snow at Zero Point. When you book a North Sikkim Package, Zero Point is normally not included and you have to pay extra to the driver for covering Zero Point.

Teesta River from our room

First view of Snowcapped Mountains

Zero Point

We first drove to Zero Point – Yumesamdong which is around 15,500 ft above sea level. The drive to Zero Point is through the Yumthang Valley also known as the Valley of flowers.  In April, this whole valley is supposed to be carpeted with flowers especially rhododendrons. In November, the valley was bare but it had its own beauty.

En route Zero Point

Zero point is covered with snow throughout the year. Our car cuts through the chilling winds, climbing higher and higher through the curvy roads where snow was scattered here and there. The road to Yumthang Valley and Zero Point is good and therefore preferred over Gurudongmar Lake by people who are running short on time.

The road took a sharp turn and then all of a sudden there is a change in panorama – high mountains covered with pristine white snow under the ivory blue sky. The view from here is simply breathtaking. If there is heaven on Earth, then this is very close to it.

View - Drive to Zero Point

En route Zero Point

On reaching this point, we felt that this was the last outpost of civilization. This is where the road ends. There was no road beyond this point. Sher Khan (Our driver) told us that the government is planning to make a road from here connecting Gurudongmar Lake.

There was snow everywhere and cold wind was breezing past our ears. Calm and quiet, time seems to stand still here, like nothing ever changes. Absorbed by the aura of its sheer beauty we walked, slipped and threw snow balls at each other. We played and took loads of pictures in the snow. These are the pictures that will be remembered forever.  

Playing in the snow

We crossed the tributary of the River Teesta to reach the snow covered mountains. We climbed the mountain, could feel our hands freezing, our weight making the snow sink beneath our feet. It was an out of the world experience.

You can rent out gum boots at nominal rates at Zero Point. We wished to spend more time here but soon realized that everyone was feeling very cold in the snow and the chilly winds has started causing headaches to few.

At Zero Point

Once back from the mountains, we were hungry and had a bowl of hot maggi each. What a joy it is to have hot maggi in freezing cold weather.

With Locals at Zero Point

Zero Point is a must visit – it is more beautiful than the valley. We spend a little more than two hours here and then we drove back to Yumthang Valley. While heading back we gave a lift to a lady who had a stall at Zero Point till Lachung. She told us that by afternoon it becomes unbearably cold at Zero Point and thus everyone comes back to the village.

Yumthang Valley

We could see the Teesta River flowing down. This was the Yumthang Valley. We have to climb down to see the river from close by. Here you can walk by the river bed, talk to the river that has been running with you everywhere, whether it is in Gantok or Lachen or Lachung. It is your constant companion.  

Shades of colour

At Yumthang Valley

But except me, no one was in the spirit to trek down to the valley. Preeti was shivering with cold and Nikhil was having a severe headache. Both told me (very sternly) that they are not stepping out of the car. Pramod was also not high in health and spirit but looking at my enthusiasm, he stepped out of the car. We started walking a little but then he said that he was feeling short of breath.

Yumthang Valley

Teesta at Yumthang Valley

So instead of going to the river I walked towards a gompa nearby, which was at a picturesque location. There were thick pine trees on either side, surrounded by snow capped mountains.  Really amazing sight. Post that, taking in the beauty of Sikkim, I headed back to the car.

Gompa near Yumthang Valley

There are hot springs at Yumthang Valley. None of us were interested in that and therefore, did not stop for it.

Our drive back to the car was silent. Nikhil, Pramod and Preeti were not feeling well. They were looking forward to a short nap. I was busy looking out of the window and admiring the natural beauty here.

We reached our hotel and had our lunch. We had an option of going to Mt. Katao but no one was up for it. After a while I noticed that the weather was becoming bad. There was fog everywhere and nothing was visible outside our window. We decided to rest as tomorrow again we will be spending hours in the car heading back to Gangtok.

Points to remember:

• As the sun sets early here start your day early.
• There is no accommodation at Yumthang Valley or Zero Point. The nearest village where you can find accommodation is Lachung.
• Only SUVs are allowed for excursion to Zero Point, Yumthang Valley.
• Book an Innova, bolero or a Xylo for a comfortable travel. 
• To visit Zero Point you have to pay extra to the driver. Zero Point is a must visit – it is more beautiful than the valley.
• You can also see Mt. Katao for which you have to pay extra to the driver.
• Please carry warm clothes including sweater, jacket, cap, mufflers, socks and gloves. Wear shoes and not sandals or chappals. It is very windy so don’t forget a warm cap for covering your head and ears.
• There is snow at Zero point so dress accordingly. You can rent gum boots at Zero Point at very nominal rates.
• Be easy on steps and avoid brisk walk or running at high altitudes as the oxygen level is low.
• If you are feeling mountain sickness have chocolate of popcorn. It helps.
• Sikkim is plastic free zone. Please don’t litter and maintain the beauty of nature.
• Trivia: One maggi at Zero Point cost Rs 50 and 30 ml Old Monk cost Rs 30.
• Expense of the day:

	For 4 ppl	Per Person
Excursion to Zero Point	1,500	375
TOTAL	1,500	375

Gurudongmar Lake at 17000+ ft above sea level

DAY 4 – GURUDONGMAR LAKE, CHOPTA VALLEY

We had put an alarm of 3:00 am but could gather courage to get out of the warm bed at 3:30 am. Just at that time there was a knock at our door. The hotel boy had come to give us hot tea to start our day. By 4:00 am we were ready and in our car. It was freezing cold. I was wearing two thermals under my jeans, two thermals under a pink colour very warm sweater, three woolen socks, a cap and a pair of gloves. Beside this I was carrying one more pair of gloves, two jackets and a shawl (Just in case I need it).

The Snow Capped mountains

Lachen - Thangu - Gurudongmar Lake - Lachen - Chungthang - Lachung

It was dark and the road was very bumpy. After a while we could make out the outline of the mountains, could hear the Teesta River flowing down, and could hear the crumbling sound of the stones under our tires. It is rightly said that when one sense doesn’t work other senses work at twice the efficiency. Since we were not able to see much were able to hear more intently.

On the way to Gurudongmar Lake

To say that there is a road to Gurudongmar Lake will be an understatement. The road from Lachen to Thanggu is treacherous. It is so bad, that by the time you reach Thanggu your back might be hurting. But it is worth it as with every passing minute you will notice that the scenery is getting more and more beautiful.  

The Tough Ride

The Dusty Roads

Breakfast At Thangu Village

We stopped at a small village called Thangu for breakfast which is at the foothills of Gurudongmar Lake. It is the last habitable village on your way to the lake. Thangu is the village located at a picturesque location with mighty snow covered Himalayas on all sides. It has its own moment of glory when most of the tourist heading to the sacred lake stops at this village to have breakfast and acclimatize for onward drive.

View from Thanggu Village

For breakfast Sherpa took us inside a shop which was selling stuff like warm clothes (Jackets, gloves caps etc), popcorn, chips, sweets and candies. Inside the shop was a dimly lit kitchen. In the middle of the kitchen a fire was lit. On this fire there was a pot of water for boiling. Surrounding the fire was a metal sheet which works like a table. Since it is made of metal it becomes warm because of the fire burning nearby and the tourist touch the table to keep their hands warm. The boiling water is used to make tea, maggi, boiled egg etc.  

Another view from Thanggu

The hut quickly warmed us up and what followed was a conversation with the old man serving us breakfast. He spoke about life here in winters and how they keep themselves warm. There are no schools here and therefore the kids go to hostels located at lower altitude. The kids here start their education late as they should be old enough to be sent to the hostel. Also the kids normally study till Std 8^th and then do miscellaneous jobs to earn money. Most of the boys in this area become drivers. In winters majority of the people of this village recede to lower altitude as it becomes unbearably cold here and the entire village is covered with snow.

We had a simple breakfast consisting of bread, butter, jam, maggi, boiled egg and tea. After a warm breakfast and appreciating the natural beauty around, we started our ascent towards the sacred lake.

At Thangu

Change in Landscape

Post Thanggu, one can notice the change in the landscape as the ascent begins. The lush green mountain gave way to rough brown mountains which are mostly seen in Ladakh region. Trees give way to bushes. After driving for a while the topography changes and the plateau starts. The cold wind of the morning was accompanied with bright sunshine. As far as you can see, you will find barren mountains with shades of several colors. A long, bumpy ride to the lake with nothing but barren mountains with snow scattered over them at some place and a dusty road is a sight to remember and an experience to be felt.

The Army checkpoint after Thanggu is the last point for you to decide whether you want to continue or not. This check point has medical facility that can treat you for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). There is also a cafeteria where you can have piping hot tea or coffee and warm yourself up.

Views en route Gurundongmar Lake

Finally, It's Gurundongmar Lake

After a post card perfect pictures of the region, we finally reached Gurudongmar Lake which was sheer beauty. At 17,300 ft above sea level with snow capped mountain in the background, it was a sight to behold. With its blue and mirror like water the lake is splendid.  The colour of the water is a different shade of blue which cannot be described. We looked at the lake spell bound for a few minutes to register the sheer beauty of this place. We were under the spell of Mother Nature; it is a place which you would never want to leave. It was silence all around; complete peace prevails at 17,300 ft.

Paradise on Earth

Want to know about the Lake?

At 17,100 ft above sea level

Sherpa was quick to advise us not to stroll down to the lake (some 50 ft below us) as ascending back might take a toll. The oxygen level is only 4% here as compared to normal oxygen level of 21%. You can make a visit to the Gurudwara located near the place where the vehicles are parked. The location of the lake is sensitive, China being some 10 km away.

Gurudwara at the Sacred Lake

The lake is considered sacred by the Sikkemese people. Legend says that hundreds of years ago the lake used to be frozen throughout the year. Once when a renowned priest was passing through the area, the local people requested him to help them in this matter. The guru is said to have touched a part of the lake and blessed the locals. It is said that since then that part of the lake does not freeze even in extreme cold conditions.

Teesta flowing in full swing

Back to Lachen

After spending some 20 mins with one of the most beautiful thing I have seen, we started our return journey to Lachen. On our way back we came across several groups of Yaks. We again stopped at Thanggu for tea. The drive on these mountains is very tough. Therefore it is advisable to let the driver relax and rejuvenate with a cup of tea as often as he wants.

It's breakfast time for Yaks

On our way back, we saw Chopta Valley which was nothing exciting.

Chopta Valley

The return journey was uneventful. All of us were quiet in our own world. Reached our hotel at 1:00 pm; just in time for lunch. At 3:00 pm we headed to Lachung which is another small town where we will rest for the night. For going to Lachung we again have to go to Chungthang and then proceed to Lachung.

Taashi with local kids

Lachen Village

Lachen to Chungthang to Lachung

Our room was booked on the top floor of Hotel Fortuna. It was dark by the time we reached Lachung and the entire town was already in their respective homes.

Drivers washing their SUVs

Burning waste to keep ourself warm

Lachung is a simple village with no four/five star hotels, posh restaurants, resorts or flea market. This place was making me feel close to nature. And trust me, it’s a good feeling.

Filling fuel bought in black

Car being washed near a waterfall on the roads

It was not as cold here as Lachen or probably we have become used to the cold by now. Our room was on the third floor and the dining area was on the second floor. Since it was evening and we were hungry, we called for pakoras and tea.

At 8:00 pm sharp we went to the dining area to enjoy the delicious soup. We were the only people in the hotel and thus there was no buffet but we were served al-a-carte. After the soup we had vegetable, dal, chapatti, rice, papad and salad. After a fulfilling meal, we called it a day and headed to sleep.

Read about our journey from Gangtok to North Sikkim.

Points to remember:

1. As the sun sets early here start your day early.

2. Only SUVs are allowed for excursion to North Sikkim.

3. To visit Gurudongmar Lake you need to be an Indian citizen and should have valid permits. The permits can be arranged by the travel agent through whom you are taking the North Sikkim Trip.

4. Book an Innova, Bolero or a Xylo for a comfortable travel. As the roads are bad travel in Sumo or Maxx can be cumbersome.

5. You start very early (ard 3:30 am or 4:00 am) in the morning from Lachen for Gurudongmar Lake. As the day proceeds, the conditions at the lake are in hospitable and wind blows at high velocity.

6. Gurudongmar Lake is at an altitude of 17,000 + ft above sea level. People having breathing or heart problem should avoid visiting this place. Children too are generally not allowed.

7. If you feel the symptoms of AMS, don’t proceed to Gurudongmar Lake. There is no medical facility at the lake and AMS can be life threatening.

8. Although the distance between places is not far because of the rough terrain it takes a considerable time to go from one place to another. So plan accordingly.

9. Please carry warm clothes including sweater, jacket, cap, mufflers, socks and gloves. 10. Wear shoes and not sandals or chappals. It is very windy so plan accordingly.

11. Be easy on steps and while walking. Avoid brisk walk or running at high altitudes as the oxygen level is low.

12. If you are feeling mountain sickness have chocolate of popcorn. It helps.

13. Sikkim is plastic free zone. Please don’t litter and maintain the beauty of nature.
14.Expense of the day:

We had booked the North Sikkim Tour with Tibet Tours & Travels for Rs. 9,450 per person. This covers the cost of travel in Bolero (Zero Point and Mt. Katao in Lachen is not covered in this package), 1 night stay in Lachung, 2 night stay in Lachen and food.

Therefore, today there was no expense other than already paid to the travel agent.