Sikkim was one splendid holiday we will cherish forever. It’s an entire nation by itself. I have not experienced anything so beautiful till now. The mighty Himalayas, the scenery, the huge umpteen number of waterfalls, the people, and their simplicity simply make it a place to visit again and again.

Though our Sikkim holiday was suddenly planned it was one of the best holidays we ever had. After visiting Uttarakhand, the previous year, I was a little accustomed to the weather. But still, I insisted on traveling in the month of April to avoid the drastic weather and to utilize the summer holidays of my son.

Travelling from Bangalore to Sikkim was an adventure by itself. From Bangalore, we took a flight to Bagdogra which is the nearest airport to Sikkim. From Bagdogra, it took us 4.5 hrs to reach the capital Gangtok. The journey was a scenic pleasure, we enjoyed the view of Teesta River throughout our journey. On the way, our cab driver stopped for breakfast near a famous local restaurant. We had the best momos, I still have not tasted such good momos anywhere else.

By lunchtime we reached our hotel, this time due to the unavailability of Club Mahindra Gangtok resort, we booked the Fern Hotel which is the partner hotel of Club Mahindra. This hotel is within walking distance from the mall street, the city center. We had a yummy lunch at Fern and rested for a couple of hours. By evening we walked down the street to explore the city.

Though it was summer, the evening was foggy and freezing. We explored a few viewpoints and MG road. M G road is the busiest street there, name any brand you can find there. On a clear morning, one can also view the mighty Kanchenjunga peak during sunrise. We were lucky to get a glimpse on it from the terrace of this hotel. The next day we had already booked our visit to Nathula. You must book in advance by producing your photographs and ID proof, luckily the travel agent in Fern had taken care of all these for us. Nathula is the border between India and China, it’s a beautiful place to visit, the journey is simply beautiful. We experienced snow fall in Nathula (in the month of May, can you believe it), it was a dream come true for my son who always wanted to witness snowfall. Nathula visit itself can be a full day itinerary.

Next day we visited the flower show, Botanical Garden, Hanuman temple, Tashi point, and a couple of Monasteries. We had to check out next morning to Lachung. We started early morning after breakfast and reached Lachung only by 7 in the evening. Though google said it’s just 4 hrs, the roads are challenging, and surprisingly there was lot of stagnant traffic due to some road construction. Throughout the way we stopped at many waterfalls, later even if driver asked us whether we need to visit other waterfalls, we said No please carry on. You will find waterfall every 10 min. The mountains are so huge makes you realize we are so small in front of nature. Lachung is at a very high altitude and is beautiful.

Travelling was very tiring in the high altitudes. Next day we were up by 5 am took bath in the freezing weather and started off to Zero point and Yumthang valley. Yumthang valley is a scenic beauty, what is more interesting is the whole journey to zero point is breathtaking. The entire path is covered by Rhododendrons on both sides of the road and seems as though they are welcoming you. Rhododendrons flower only during April -May, and they are available in many colors, we could spot red, pink, white, yellow, and purple.

They escort you all the way till Zero Point. After reaching zero point you will wonder if you are in India or Switzerland, it is so marvelous. We were welcomed by snowfall again as soon as we got out from our cab. As the name suggests, the temperature is freezing, and it was difficult to stay outside for a long time. We again started our journey back to Gangtok.

Club Mahindra Gangtok is one of its kind. It’s not a big property but one beautiful property amidst the mountains and forest. It is completely cut off from the city and provides you ample serenity and peace. The food is awesome as usual, the play area for kid is well organized. We slept for a night and started our journey to Club Mahindra Baiguney. On our way we covered Namchi, and Rose Garden. Namchi gives a darshan of all the jyotirlingas in India and many other prominent temples. It is worth visiting for the effort they put into attracting the tourists.

At first, we were hesitant to visit Rose Garden which is just a stone throw from Namchi, but the driver insisted, and we went in. It was worth it; the garden had all colors of roses, and the place was mesmerizing. The vibes of the place were so good with the flowers spreading entire area, we clicked many photos and then visited Padshambahva monastery. It is the tallest statue of Padmashambava you can find in India. It was magnificent and one can view a 360-degree view of the terrain from here. We reached Club Mahindra Baiguney by evening.