Mesmerising beauty of Sikkim

Sikkim, the second smallest State in the country, boasts of serene beauty and tranquil vistas

With high temperatures soaring in the city, I felt like my energy levels were being slurped by the sun. And my monotonous schedule was dragging me to go on a holiday, in order to escape the hustle-bustle of city and soak myself in the beauty of nature. It was then I decided to visit Sikkim.

“Small things come in big packages” is the perfect phrase that I can use for this place. Sikkim is the second smallest state in the country with an area of 7,096 square kilometres and it borders Bhutan, China, Tibet and Nepal.

And this is the reason that it has a milieu of beautiful traditions and customs. We landed in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. The entire city of Gangtok was covered with Buddhist flags, with shlokas written on them, making it a pilgrimage of some sort.

The place boasts of thousands of varieties of wildflowers, alpine meadows, breathtaking landscapes, waterfalls and that keeps you company throughout your journey and provides a visual feast to your eyes.

The weather here is unpredictable. I got to feel almost all the seasons of the year in my three days of stay. Mornings are welcomed by thick mist that made us feel that we are living in the clouds.

And suddenly the sun peeks out to remind us of its existence, and in another moment heaven opens up and rain pours like there is no tomorrow. Finally, comes the breeze that blankets the entire city with its chillness.

Apart from its scenic beauty the place also boasts of delicious cuisine. If you are a meat lover then this place is heaven for you. The street food has various lip smacking dishes like bread-omelet, Maggie, etc, and of them, momos are hot favourites. They have over 15 varieties of momos, which takes you on a tasty cruise.

In order to beat the chill people generally take tea in huge cups very often and as Gangtok has tea plantations, we get to taste some best tea here.

Gangtok is the perfect example for a neat and clean city with people having better civic sense. The roads are always clean and people here stick to the rules no matter what. This was one of the best things I saw and thought we must also learn this etiquette to keep our cities clean.

Before my trip, I read a few blogs and found out that this place is safe for women to travel alone. And to my surprise what I read and what I observed was absolutely true. People can wander even at the oddest hours of the day and still feel safe.

I went on streets almost at 2 am to check how safe it is, but of course keeping my father in the loop, who allowed me to do this experiment. He was standing in one corner and was observing the happenings. People were approaching me and asked if I need any help and their genuine concern was reflecting in their eyes.

We were indeed floored with their hospitality. I knew Sikkim is one of the popular destinations that grabs many tourists every year, but I realised it is not just because of its beauty but also because of the people, who are always ready to help with a smile on their face.

The best places to visit in Sikkim are Kanchenjunga Mountain, which has a magical view for tourists and the best time to visit is during sunrise around 4 am. When the sun rays kiss the mountains, the view is absolutely exhilarating.

MG Marg is a hub for tourists, where one can spend hours forgetting the rest of the world. It is a pedestrian’s only zone free from smoke and noise of vehicles. Himalayan Zoological Park, which occupies the entire hill, gives an opportunity to check out Pandas lazing around the lush green vistas.

The other must visit places are Tree Garden, Hanuman Tok, Ganesh Tok, Bakthang Falls, Tashi Viewpoint, Flower Garden, Nathu La Pass among others.

One can explore various adventure activities here for an adrenaline rush. Apart from trekking and mountain biking, one can indulge in kayaking and white river rafting in the frigid waters is a unique experience altogether.

The exciting adventure, which one should not miss, is paragliding it makes you feel like a happy bird in the sky at the height of 12,000 feet above sea level.