Beauty of Sikkim and Darjeeling

Gangtok 

Gangtok, city, capital of Sikkim state, northeastern India. It lies on a tributary of the Tista River in the southeast-central part of the state at an elevation of about 5,600 feet (1,700 metres). The city's name means “Top of the Hill.” Gangtok rises over slopes extensively terraced in corn (maize).

MG Marg

MG Marg is also the main market area of Gangtok. There are all sorts of shops here including souvenir & gift stores, clothing stores (for men & women), handicraft items, shoe shops, and even Pharmacies and convenience stores. Shops in MG Marg are open from 8am to 7pm. The market here is closed on Tuesdays.

Tsongmo Lake (Changu Lake)

Tsomgo Lake, also known as Tsongmo Lake or Changu Lake, is a glacial lake in the East Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim, some 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the capital Gangtok. Located at an elevation of 3,753 m (12,313 ft), the lake remains frozen during the winter season.

Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir

Sepoy/Honorary Captain Baba Harbhajan Singh (1946-1968) was an Indian Army soldier who served from 30 June 1965 to 4 October 1968. He was posthumously awarded Maha Vir Chakra, India's second highest gallantry award. He is said to serve the Indian Army even after his death by coming in the dreams of soldiers and telling them the plans of their enemies. There is a temple dedicated to him in East Sikkim.

Nathula Pass (Indo - China Border)

Nathu la is a high altitude pass situated on the old silk route at the Indo-China border, and is the favourite hotspot for the tourists in Sikkim. Several visitors come here every year to enjoy the scenic trek to the valley while listening to the lyrical waterfalls astriding the road from Gangtok to Nathu la. It also offers the breathtaking view of the snow covered mountains under the light blue sky and the long winding roads. Nathu la offers the mesmerizing view of Chumbi valley of Tibet, guarded by mountains.

‘Nathu’ and ‘la’ are two Tibetan terms which means ‘Listening ears’ and ‘pass’. It is situated at an altitude 4302 m, and is one of the highest motorable roads in the world, blessed with picturesque beauty and fresh mountain breeze. The place mainly receives cold weather for most of the parts of the year and gets flocked with visitors during summers. One another fascinating fact about this mountainous pass is that it is one of the three trading border posts between China and India, the other two are in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR):

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the "Toy Train", is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal is about 86 kilometres (53 mi) long. The century old train has been declared as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1999. The construction of DHR was started in 1879 & was fully functional in 1981. Its elevation level varies from 100 metres (328 ft) at New Jalpaiguri to about 2,200 metres (7,218 ft) at Darjeeling. A journey from Siliguri to Darjeeling (approx 7hrs) or a joy ride in Darjeeling will be lifetime experience for any tourist.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute:

The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was set up by the local hero Tenzing Norgay Sherpa following their successful ascent on Mount Everest on 28 May 1953 during 1954, this unique institution trains mountaineers. Apart from Tenzing, legendary mountaineers like Nawang Gombu ( First man to climb Everest twice ) and Lattoo Dorjee Sherpa have helped build the reputation of this pioneering institute. The institute is presently under the purview of the Ministry of Defense, Government of India. It is situated on Jawahar Parbat about 2 Km from Chowrasta.

The oldest mountaineering institute in the country carries out various mountaineering courses every year as well as has the very good collection of mountaineering equipments which have been used in various mountaineering expeditions and other wise. The traces of attempts made to conquer Mt. Everest have been kept in the Mt. Everest Museum. The institute also screens short films on mountaineering. You can also view the Himalayan peaks through the Zeiss Telescope given to the Nepalese Maharaja by Hitler. Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was the Director of this institute for many years and he was cremated near the institute after his death in 1986.

Tiger Hill

Situated 13 kilometers from the town at an altitude of 2590 meters (8482 ft.), has earned international fame for its magnificent view of the sunrise over the "Kanchanjunga" and the great eastern Himalayan peaks. On a clear sky even Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, is visible from here along with other Himalayan giant Lhotse,Makalu,Janu,Rathong,Kabru, Pandim,Simvo and Siniolchu.