A Weekend Long Trip To Sikkim

[350Z]

Fantastic travelogue and breathtaking pictures too. I was planning up to visit Sikkim earlier this month but couldn’t make it. Now I think it’s too late because of the rainfall as well as the landslides? Could you anyway brief us about some of the must-visit tourist spots there?

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[rahul4640]

I was planning up to visit Sikkim earlier this month but couldn’t make it. Now I think it’s too late because of the rainfalls as well as the landslides?

True. IMHO with the arrival of the monsoon this year, it is not a very wise decision to travel to Sikkim any more. Not only the roads turn bad, you may not even come out of your room to view the natural wonders.

Could you anyway brief us about some of the must-visit tourist spots there?

There are several must see places in Sikkim, among which Gangtok, Pelling and Ravangla are the more popular places, where you are free to take your own car. However, for sightseeing of the outskirts of Gangtok and the places beyond it with your own car, permission may has to be taken in advance.

 

[rahul4640]

Gentlemen,
After three days in Pelling it was time for us to return home. Unfortunately the return journey was not very smooth, entirely due to bad road condition. I remember that eight years ago I returned from Peliing to Calcutta, in my friend's car, driving non-stop. Both the Pelling-Siliguri Road and NH-34 were in such a decent shape then that I reached my home at around 01-00 AM, in early morning, starting at about 08-00 AM in the morning. Even last year I managed to cover Pelling to Siliguri in about four hours (about 125 KM). But this time it took me almost six hours, thanks to very bad road condition. The road turned bad some twenty KM north of Legship town and only improved about ten KM ahead of Namchi town. In case anyone of you is planning to visit these areas, please take the Namchi-Ravangla-Legship road instead, as it is in much better shape.
Checked in to hotel "Himalayan Regency" in Siliguri, where I was charged Rs 1500/- for an AC room. It is situated on the main road, close to the central bus terminus. It also had a secured parking at the back, although I chose to keep my car parked in front of the hotel. But this hotel did not have any kitchen or restaurant, although tea or coffee was served into the rooms and the staffs were helpful.

Next morning left the hotel at around eight in the morning. The main road (NH 31), which goes straight to Barhi (in Jharkhand) was excellent.




Last year I took this road from Barhi (where it ends in NH-2, Calcutta-Delhi Road) to Nawada and I saw how beautiful the roads in Bihar were.

Reached Dalkhola very soon and had breakfast here, in a roadside dhaba named Real Paradise.

Then I made the terrible mistake of taking a left turn for taking the usual road to Calcutta (NH-34). The entire road was blocked by trucks, in a huge traffic jam and the road being narrow, there was no way that I could maneuver my car out of it. In three hours I could barely move two and half KM, till the railway level crossing.

It took over four hours for me to come out of the mess. Reached a town named Raiganj at about half past two and had lunch there. Crossed Maldah and Farakka and arrived at Moregram, took the Panagarh bound road and reached Panagarh at about 11-00 PM, from where Calcutta is about three hours away.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment, in case you have any doubt or query.
Rahul,
Calcutta

 

[srbh]

Thanks a lot Rahul .
Excellent travelogue!!!
Nice details,You have ignited a fire inside me to visit Sikkim.Do you think my Ford Figo will be able to handle these roads you mentioned.

 

[rahul4640]

Do you think my Ford Figo will be able to handle these roads you mentioned.

Yes Sir! It is s Ford, after all. Although some places do require four wheel drive vehicles, you may reach all the way up to Gangtok with your own car. Best time is either during September-October or just before the monsoon starts. Please let me know if you have any query and I shall try my best to help you.

 

[autosafari]

Rahul,

Nice pictures and very good narration.

Keep them coming.

Also tell us about the performance of Indigo during your trip.

 

[rahul4640]

Rahul, Nice pictures and very good narration.

Thanks a lot Sir.

Also tell us about the performance of Indigo during your trip.

Sir, I think that you will admit that any well maintained vehicle usually will not get you stranded on the road. Apart from that I like to mention that my seven year old car really performed well. The only problem with my car is that the body has rusted a bit, in spite of my best efforts to keep it rust free. And it is definitely more expensive to run (9.5 to 10 KMPL in city, with AC on) than a diesel car. Yet I am happy with the performance of my car. It helped me reach the top of one small hill in a place called Yaksum with so much ease, which I was initially reluctant (please read afraid) to climb because of the sheer gradient, that I was deeply moved.
Warm regards,
Rahul

 

[Chandranath]

Thanks. I was also interested to spend one or two days in this Temi Tea Garden. But unfortunately a travel agent quoted me a very high charge, which was beyond my capacity. I also had no way of knowing whether the rate mentioned (about Rs 5000/- a day, inclusive of meals) was genuine or they simply quoted an enhanced amount.

Cherry Resort website states it is Rs 3,500/- room only. I had been thr a year back while passing by, they were coming down to Rs 2500/-. Rs 5000 will be a stretch on my pocket as well.

Chandranathda, I have already read your trip reports in this forum and heard much about you from my friends, who always held you in very high esteem. It is really unfortunate of me that I have never met you yet. And as a travel enthusiast I think that a brief mention of the route will be sufficient for you. But in case you have any doubt, please contact me for further clarification and details and I shall be delighted to help.

Thanks for reading my reports. Let us meet up next month to exchange our trip details. Don't know whether I am a veteren or not but have been driving and trekking extensively in East and North India, The first time I visited Pelling was in 1992 when I trekked to Dzongri and beyond with money given by parents. That was early college days and first time drove my M800 to Pelling was Oct 1996 with my parents and sister.

Your trip review rekindled those memories.

Planning a trip in Dec. Do you think the 4 laning on NH 34 will be comlete by then?

 

[rahul4640]

Let us meet up next month to exchange our trip details.

I shall be delighted. What may be more interesting than meeting the like minded people, who share the same common interest?

Planning a trip in Dec. Do you think the 4 laning on NH 34 will be comlete by then?

No way. The way work is progressing, it will take much longer. And you are surely aware of the land acquisition problems in West Bengal, which will slow the pace of the work of the road widening project in a big way.

 

[swiftkolkata]

Yes Sir! It is s Ford, after all. Although some places do require four wheel drive vehicles, you may reach all the way up to Gangtok with your own car. Best time is either during September-October or just before the monsoon starts. Please let me know if you have any query and I shall try my best to help you.

i have swift petrol,is it possible to go to sikkim with swift?

 

[rahul4640]

i have swift petrol,is it possible to go to sikkim with swift?

Why not, Sir? Just give your car a good routine service and let your own motor mechanic have the car properly inspected. Although I am sure that you keep your car properly maintained, this is just to ensure that everything is all right. And this is just in case, because motor garages and mechanics are rare in Sikkim. I remember that last year my headlight fuse blew up there and I could not rectify the fault. I myself suspected of a blown fuse but could not attend to it myself, as it was the fuse inside the headlight relay which was burnt and I did not think about it. I did not drive the car after dark for two days and it was only after I returned to Siliguri that my problem was solved.

 

[Chandranath]

i have swift petrol,is it possible to go to sikkim with swift?

Returned from Gangtok yesterday. Was on work. Drove down a swift diesel while coming down from Gangtok to Siliguri.

It sped beautifully.

Any car will take on the "normal" routes of sikkim. don't worry. just drive it up.

 

[nozzlering]

Excellent travelogue Rahul. Well complemented with photographs. India indeed is beautiful.

By the way, I noted in your photgraphs, you have always kept the ORVMs folded!! Not supposed to be like that.

 

[sarkar9057]

wonderful travelogue.

I am also planning for a Sikkim trip in Oct/Nov and trust me,I was desperately looking for an alternative route to reach NJP. I want to avoid NH34 because of the heavy traffic and the road condition. Thankx, I got it from your trip report. It will help me a lot.

 

[rahul4640]

I am also planning for a Sikkim trip in Oct/Nov and trust me, I was desperately looking for an alternative route to reach NJP. I want to avoid NH34 because of the heavy traffic and the road condition.

Sarkar Sahab,
Please rest assured that you will enjoy this route. At present the only pain in this route is the stretch of the road lying in the state of Jharkhand. But traffic is much less than NH 34 and nothing you can not manage with little patience and careful driving. And once you are in Bihar the roads are great. I am also told that there is even a bypass road being built in Bhagalpur, which will possibly be ready by the Puja. But please drive in this road only during the day.
Please send me a PM if you want any further information regarding this route and I shall be more than happy to help.
Regards,
Rahul