This small town of Gangtok, however, is beyond just good—it seems to pack an incredibly vast experience!
While it sits at the slope of a mountain range, Gangtok seems to behold the entire Khangchendzonga range in its view. And if that’s not enough, you will realize the nature is at its grandest here when you reach Tsomgo lake. Traveling from Gangtok to this place, you'll find the altitude steeping to about 10,000 ft in a mere 15 km! At places like M.G. Marg, the main street of Gangtok, the town feels young and energetic. At the ridges of its mountainous terrain, however, it becomes a city of monasteries and Stupas.
In 1894, it was during the time of Sikkim king Chogyal Thutob Namgyal that this small town became the capital of Sikkim. Traders traveling from the then Calcutta to Lhasa in Tibet preferred this place as an important halt. As a result, Gangtok became a home to many communities. Today, it is a mélange of commercial activities, concrete structures and modern amenities, ancient Shaman culture, breathtaking natural scenery and the meditating wisdom of the Buddhist religion.
A mountainous zone, Gangtok should be avoided during monsoon season as most of the popular sites remain inaccessible due to a wet and clouded covered climate.
December is a great time to stroll around M.G. Marg, the famous main street of Gangtok. It is a place of annual Gangtok Food and Culture festival. And if you’ve just finished shopping of those traditional Sikkimese dresses, you can simply park yourself in one of the benches along the Marg and take in its carnival-like environment.
A ropeway ride over Gangtok, offering a majestic view of the Khangchendzonga range, will take you from Deorali to Tashiling Secretariat. Walk from Tashiling Secretariat to the famous Ridge Park. The beautiful gardens and a flower exhibition center here will certainly bring out the shutterbug in you.
Places like Ganesh Tok, Hanuman Tok and Tashi Point compete for a view of the valley, each one making it harder for you to select the best viewing spot for sunrise over Gangtok.
To understand why this region is so heavily entrenched in Buddhism, nothing could be better than a trip to the Namgyal Research Institute of Tibetology. More than a museum, it is a vast learning center on Lepcha, Tibetan and Buddhist culture.
Hiring a taxi is the best way to move around Gangtok. For sightseeing some of the main areas, you can either hire an entire taxi or opt for a considerably cheaper shared taxi. Some hilly areas can be best viewed by a cable car or ropeway ride. The hill town of Gangtok is not connected with train routes. New Jalpaiguri (NJP) in Siliguri is the nearest train station.
On a daily basis there are approximately 33 flights that operate at Bagdogra Airport.IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet are the most popular airline brands that fly frequently to this airport.
By road Gangtok is surrounded by Darjeeling, Kurseong, Siliguri which are 29.63 km, 37.87 km, 44.52 km away respectively. These places are ideal spots for people to plan their short weekend break.
Gangtok has a total of 143 hotels.There are 143 hotels in Gangtok with the popular ones being Mayfair Spa Resort & Casino, Summit Ttakshang Spa Residency Hotel, Hotel Suhim Portico, The Nettle and Fern Hotel, Hotel Sonam Delek, Club Mahindra Gangtok etc.
'Every traveler to Gangtok makes it a point to visit this breathtaking glacial lake. One of the rare high altitude lakes of the country, Tsomgo can be reached after a scenic journey through mountai...
Know More →'The site, also called as Lingdum Monastery, is present at about 20 km from the town of Gangtok and is believed to be one of the best monasteries of east Sikkim. While it is relatively new as compa...
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