Itineraries:
Darjeeling & Sikkim

Leaving behind the sweltering plains of the Ganges, you will travel up through orchid laced subtropical forests of the Himalayan foothills, steep gorges verdant hillsides dotted with terraced rice paddies that turn from a brilliant emerald green to a soft golden hue with the passing of the seasons. Amidst the high peaks nestle fabulous natural lakes worshipped by the people of Sikkim and about which legends abound. Crowning hilltops are fabled centers of Buddhist worship and learning, such as the monasteries at Rumtek, Enchey and Pemayangtse, to mention only a few. Awe inspiring Stupas and Chortens are set amidst fluttering prayer flags and numerous prayer wheels spun by clear mountain streams tinkle melodically to remind you that you are in the abode of the Gods. Come; explore the wonder that is Sikkim.

Sikkim or "New house" until 1975 was an independent kingdom, following political crisis after the albeit treaty with India, was annexed to and become the 22nd Indian State. For many years, Sikkim was regarded as one of the last Himalayan Shangri-La, because of its remoteness, Spectacular Mountain terrain, varied flora and fauna and ancient Buddhist monasteries. It was originally home to the Lepchas, a tribal people, thought to have migrated from the hills of Assam around 13th century. They were pacifist forest foragers and small crop cultivators who worshiped nature spirits. Today they constitute 18 percent of total population. Later on, their traditional lifestyle has been severely limited by the immigration from Nepal and Tibet. The semi-isolated Hill State of was never easy to visit and still requires an inner line permit for all outsiders.
Area of Sikkim: 7,096 sq. kms. Population of Sikkim: 500,000 (approx.). Commonly Spoken Languages: Sikkimese, Nepali, Hindi and English.

Darjeeling - the place of the Thunderbolt - is a popular hill-resort in Eastern India. Also know as The Queen of the Hills. Darjeeling lies perched at a height of 2,134 meters with a panoramic view of the mighty Himalayan peaks of the Mt. Kanchunjungha Cluster. It has attracted many generations of visitors to enjoy the joys of the cool and healthy climes of the mountains. Darjeeling was the very first "hill sanitarium" developed by the British to escape from the hot Indian summers of Gangetic Bengal. Toy Train: By the late 1800s, Darjeeling had gained in importance as a hill station but the only means of transportation of goods to and from the town was by bullock, carts using the Hill Cart Road beginning in the plains at Silguri. An agent of the East Bengal Railway, Franklyn Prestage, came up with the plain for a narrow guage rail link between Silguri and Darjeeling. Construction started in 1879 and the first train pulled by the 'gusty' little steam-engine and three coaches puffed into Darjeeling on 4th July, 1881. Nickenamed 'Toy Trains' they have been making daily journeys for over a century. Not quite the fastest means of reaching Darjeeling from the plains - the journey takes around 8 hours - the trip is more of an experience. A joy ride on the train is included in your sightseeing tours. Famous Tea Gardens 'Darjeeling' and 'excellent tea' have become synonymous. Tea-drinkers the world over must constantly bless the memory of the person who decided around 1840 that the climate of the Darjeeling region was very conducive to the growth of tea. Huge forest areas were cleared and tea was planted. Chinese experts were called in to teach the art of tea making and thousands of Nepalese were hired to work in the tea gardens. Darjeeling Tea becomes so famous for its aroma and delicacy of taste that it was soon named the Champagne of the East.

Kalimpong - The Governor's Fort - as the Lepchas, the aboriginal people of the region called it, Kalimpong nestles in Himalayan West Bengal at a modest altitude of 1,250m. enjoying moderate climate. Forming a triangle with its more illustrious 'neighbors', Darjeeling and Gantok, Kalimpong is an excellent spot for a restful and quiet holiday. Kalimpong has a number of houses which speak of the town's heritage and gracious living in earlier decades of this century when it was the main trading post between Tibet and British India. Today it is a flourishing floriculture center as the climate has proved to be extremely conducive to this activity.. Silguri- Serves as a gate-way because of its location as it connects 3 international borders (Bangladesh, Bhutan & Nepal). Silguri is the only road and rail link to North Eastern India, Sikkim, and the hills of Darjeeling. The train station is known as NJP (New Jalpaiguri) and the airstrip of Bagdora is only 13 kms away. However the town by itself has not much charm other then being a convenient stopover.

SIGHTSEEING TOUR I

Day 01 : Flight to Bhadrapur, arrival Bhadrapur around 12:05 and drive to Darjeeling by private van. Enroute, you will have view of Tea Gardens. Overnight in Darjeeling.
Day 02 : Sightseeing in Darjeeling
Day 03 : Drive to Gantok (Sikkim)
Day 04 : Sightseeing in Gantok (Sikkim)
Day 05 : Early morning drive to Kakarbhitta, then to Bhadrapur. Fly to Kathmandu around 14:25 hrs.

Excursion Grading: easy

SIGHTSEEING TOUR II

Day 01 : Take Night bus to Kakarbhitta
Day 02 : Arrival Kakarbhitta around 09:30 - 10:00 hrs.. Transfer to immigration offices of Nepal and India. After having finished immigration formalities, proceed to Darjeeling by Private Van/Jeep. Overnight in Darjeeling.
Day 03 : Sightseeing in Darjeeling
Day 04 : Drive to Kakarbhitta, take night bus to Kathmandu
Day 05 : Arrival in Kathmandu

Excursion Grading: easy

GENERAL INFORMATIONS: Entry formalities (Permits):- Along with the Indian visa, foreigners are required to obtain inner line permits for Sikkim, which are valid for 15 days at a time and can be extended for a further 15 days once in Sikkim. However no special permits are required for travelling to Darjeeling & Kalimpong. The permits are available at all Indian Missions/Consulates abroad and Sikkim Tourism Offices at Delhi, Calcutta, Silguri and Gantok. Recently, Sikkim has introduced issuing permits at its' border (in Rangpo) valid for 3 days. While applying locally you must provide 2 passport size photographs and photo copies of the passport pages with the copy of valid visa. We advise you to obtain this before departing for India to avoid wasting valuable holiday time here.

Access (Getting there): Air: Bagdora airport. There are regular flights to and from Delhi, Calcutta & Guwahati etc. There is also nearby airport of Bhadrapur and Biratnagar in Nepal from where there is regular flight to Kathmandu. Rail: New Jalpaiguri (NJP)- 4 Kms away from the main city of Silguri (NJP) station) has regular trains from many parts of the country (Delhi, Calcutta, Varanasi etc.). Trains to Calcutta take about 8-10 hrs. to Delhi between 17-26 hours depending on the train. By Road:- The road in the region is fairly good, passing through very picturesque tea gardens, forests and hamlets. With flowers lending added charm. Jeeps or small coaches are provided on your tours. Distance chart is provided for your reference. See the distance chart for details on distance.

CLIMATE: Temperatures in Gantok: Summer - Max. 28 C Min: 13.1o C. Winter - Max: 14.9 C Min: 7.7o C.

CLOTHING: April to September - Light woolen clothes for evenings & mornings October to March - Warm woolen clothes. Whichever season you do come carry some woolens, an umbrella for sun or rain and some light and warm clothing as the weather is very changeable at anytime of the day.

If you would like more detailed information , please email us.