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Hi Raj,
My name is Chiranjeeb. I am from Kolkata. I had contacted you once almost 2 years ago regarding planning a trip to Darjeeling, where you had helped me immensely.
I had also purchased your ebook and it has really been handy over the past 2 years in planning various trips to Darjeeling/Kurseong/Kalimpong areas.
The ebook along with your website is such an invaluable resource for people like me who plan everything on their own without travel agencies.
I am planning a trip to Sikkim in early January 2025 (I plan to start around 2nd or 3rd Jan just after the New Years rush). I will be traveling with my aged parents. I plan to cover South Sikkim and West Sikkim this time around.
I mainly want to visit Namchi, Pelling and Ravangla, while also stopping by Darjeeling on the way back.
My first question is, during early January are the skies usually clear? As in, am I likely to get views of Kanchenjunga from Pelling?
My second problem is that I am a little confused regarding our itinerary. I would be really grateful if you could look over the itinerary I have planned below and let me know your thoughts.
I should mention that I want to avoid a very long car journey while going from or coming back to NJP. I think NJP to Pelling is almost a 7-8 hours journey.
So I have the following itinerary planned:
Day 0: Train from Sealdah to NJP
Day 1: Arrival at NJP and Transfer to Namchi (visit Samdruptse, Char Dham, other local spots/monasteries if time permits)
Day 2: Namchi sightseeing - Temi Tea garden, Tarey Bhir (will it be possible to cover both in same day?)
Day 3: Namchi to Pelling
(Visit some local spots like Namchi Central Park/Helipad etc. before going to Pelling, stop by Legship, Rabdentse and Pemayangtse. Will there be enough time for all this?)
Day 4: Pelling sightseeing (towards Darap, Rimbi, Khecheopalri, Kanchenjunga falls)
Day 5: Pelling sightseeing (Skywalk, Sanga Choeling, (Rabdentse and Pemyangtse in case they are leftover), any other local spots)
Day 6: Pelling sightseeing (towards Dentam, Singshore Bridge, Uttarey)
Day 7: Pelling to Ravangla (visit Buddha Park, Chodzo Lake and other local sights)
Day 8: Ravangla Sightseeing (Day trip to Borong and Ralang Monasteries (new and old) en route, Titanic view point)
Day 9: Ravangla to Darjeeling (Are there any other local sightseeing before moving out? Anything to see en route from Ravangla to Darjeeling?)
Day 10: Rest at Darjeeling
Day 11: Rest at Darjeeling
Day 12: Darjeeling to NJP via Mirik, Train to Sealdah
Day 13: Arrive at Kolkata
Also, instead of staying at both Namchi and Ravangla, should I just stay at either one of the places (during the up journey from NJP) and do day trips to the various places?
Sorry for the extremely long and detailed message. I will be extremely grateful if you can give me some suggestions or point out mistakes and share your thoughts regarding my itinerary. Eagerly awaiting your response.
Thanks,
Chiranjeeb Roy Chowdhury (July 2024)
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Hello,
January is usually a good time for the views if you can tolerate the chill. It can get foggy at times, particularly in the early mornings. But, daytime is usually clear.
Day-2: You can cover both points although they are in opposite directions and you will need to come back to Namchi for the second point. It is better to cover Tarey Bhir on the way to Namchi on day-1... it's quite near Melli.
Plan for Day-3 and the rest of the days are okay. You have covered most of the places. On your way back to Darjeeling, take the route via Jamuni instead of Melli. You can plan a stopover at Jamuni Tourist Complex (which is about 15kms below Darjeeling)... you can get a scenic view of the Rangeet River, the lake and a large statue of Shiva.
Jamuni route is an alternative and the shortest route to reach Darjeeling from Jorethang (Sikkim)... you will cross over a narrow suspension bridge over Rangbhang River that flows between Sikkim and Darjeeling Hills (there is a check post here, known as Ramman Check Post)... the same route leads to Jamuni and Tukvar Tea Estate before entering Darjeeling Town near North Point School (Lebong Cart Road).
Just a heads-up... you might know that while cabs registered in West Bengal are now allowed to drop tourists in Sikkim, but local sightseeing in Sikkim on such cabs are sometimes stalled by the local taxi associations.
So, when you cover Tarey Bhir or any other sightseeing spots in Sikkim on your way to Namchi, try to ensure that the cab service operator can take care of this. I don't however, expect any issues for Tarey Bhir because it's on the way to your destination and you can always reason it out.
Raj (darjeeling-tourism.com) July 2024
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