[quickdraw]

Amazing stuff! What a dream ride. Your meticulous planning definitely helped make this a smooth journey. Felt sad that you guys had to go all the way just to be told the permit would be in Gangtok.

Can you tell us a bit more about how difficult it is to get a permit, and can one do it in advance?

[Swapnil_Alto]

Originally Posted by //M

It had been a couple of years since I met Swapnil so it was good to meet him as well.

I wish I could have joined you both for this lovely trip to East Sikkim, somehow the circumstances never allowed me to join you both on a roadtrip. But I hope it happens soon !

It was great to meet you too after so long. And I've always wanted to join you in a road trip since I bought my bike, I guess you know that. But soon, we'll have a ride together. I hope the plan works out this time

Originally Posted by quickdraw

Can you tell us a bit more about how difficult it is to get a permit, and can one do it in advance?

I don't know whether it's possible to obtain the permits in advance. But we didn't have any problem in getting the permits. We went to the Gangtok Home Department in the morning around 9:30am, Saket Bhaiya went inside and submitted the photocopies of bike documents and our identity proof. We were told to collect the letters from the same place in the afternoon. And we were provided with the letters in the afternoon when we came back. We were provided with 4 letters in total. We were supposed to submit one of the letters in the Tourist facilitation centre(Not sure about the name, but it's in M G Marg, Gangtok). We were given a permit for the Silk route from there in exchange of the letter. We kept few photocopies of the permit with ourselves(Thanks to bhpian //M for this, called him up a night before visiting Zuluk and he advised us to get few photocopies of the permit). The next day when we left for Zuluk, we were stopped at the first check post and we had to provide the Permit that we obtained from the Tourist facilitation centre. The army officials took the original permit and put stamps on one of the photocopy of the permit. The stamped photocopy was given back to us and we had to show the photocopy at the next check-posts wherever we stopped. Everything went smooth and we didn't face any problem in the whole Silk Route. And I must say, the Indian Army is very helpful out there in case you face any issue. I hope I was able to help you with the details.

Regards,
Swapnil

[Cool_leo_guy]

Dear Saket and Swapnil,

Many thanks for sharing this epic journey with us. The photos and the narration were awesome. Read the entire TL in one sitting. Your writing kind of carries oneself to your side and makes one experience the thrill and sense of adventure which you have so brilliantly captured in your words and photographs. It is write-ups like these which inspire desk bound people like me and reignite the wanderlust which was lying dormant all these years. What amazes me also is the performance of your steeds.

Hats off to you both.

Keep traveling and keep inspiring.

Regards
Cool leo guy

[alphadog]

Well done! guys for doing the trip and thank you for the amazing travelogue with great photos. Your trip bears witness to the fact that one does not need large adventure-tourer bikes to visit the most extreme places in India.
BTW, did you have any back up plans for your bikes, if something were to go wrong with the bikes during your journey?.

[jayeshdamle]

An excellent travelogue, very well written and the pictures do a total justice to the trip and the place. This surely inspires riders like me to take such a trip once in a life time.

One question I would like to ask being a guy with back problem, how bad or how good the ride is considering the mile crunching on 2 wheels. All the very best to both of you for many such travels.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Cool_leo_guy

Read the entire TL in one sitting. Your writing kind of carries oneself to your side and makes one experience the thrill and sense of adventure which you have so brilliantly captured in your words and photographs. It is write-ups like these which inspire desk bound people like me and reignite the wanderlust which was lying dormant all these years. What amazes me also is the performance of your steeds.

Thank you for the admiration. I hope you too make the journey soon. In fact, when I am not travelling, I am a desk bound person at job as well!

Originally Posted by alphadog

BTW, did you have any back up plans for your bikes, if something were to go wrong with the bikes during your journey?.

Thank you. For the question of bikes breaking down, we carried a set of tools, spark plugs, some wires, bulbs, fluids and a small can of extra engine oil; so that we can attend to basic emergency repairs. At the back of our mind, we knew that if one of the bikes break down, we always have the other one to go get some help.

Originally Posted by jayeshdamle

One question I would like to ask being a guy with back problem, how bad or how good the ride is considering the mile crunching on 2 wheels. All the very best to both of you for many such travels.

Thanks a lot. The roads from here were mostly good except for in and around Bhagalpur. Also, roads in Sikkim are mostly good, though narrow and full of gradients; except for small patches where roads might be non-existent. Add the possibility of landslides at some places which may result in damage to the roads.
However, touring long distances, especially on a motorcycle takes its toll on the back - roads or no roads. So, plan accordingly.

Regards,
Saket.

[Samba]

Amazing feat achieved by you and Swapnil.
I can very well relate to every line of this travelogue. Did this circuit last March and i know how it feels. I did it by car and you guys did it on bikes, that will definitely take you more closer to nature. There is a saying 'Four wheels moves the body but two wheels moves the soul', i strongly believe in this. Beautiful travelogue with great narration and superb pics. Duly rated 5*.

Sharing few pics from our trip on the very same route about a year back!

[saket77]

Went through the travelogue Samba da! Amazing photography I must say! Thanks for your nice comments and for the rating.

And I must add that the wonderful places of WB that you have enveloped in a single thread is a treasure for people like us who keep looking for such destinations. Thanks a lot.

Regards,
Saket.

[Uprasenjit]

Hats off to you for completing this route on bike. Wonderfully written. We have done this route in EcoSport but I am sure bike is more fun.

[Road_Tripper]

Hi Saket,

Amazing stuff bro. Eastern Himalaya is beautiful, and Sikkim in particular is both touristy and mystic at the same time. Traveling from Ranchi to Old Silk route is a serious achievement and the way you've narrated, is a treat to read on! Read your complete TL at one go!

So, where's next? :-)

[gearhead_mait]

Wonderful journey, Saket and Swapnil! I saw pictures of East Sikkim in Swapnil's FB page but never thought that Saket was accompanying him.

The landslide prone region from Pedong to Reshikhola was also in the same state in Nov 2015 when I made my journey. Don't know if it is a fresh landslide, or not repaired at all. I heard Sikkim government is focusing on the route from Rongli-Rangpo, and as a result this stretch is being ignored.

Kudos to both of you for achieving this feat in two wheels.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Road_Tripper

Amazing stuff bro. Eastern Himalaya is beautiful, and Sikkim in particular is both touristy and mystic at the same time. Traveling from Ranchi to Old Silk route is a serious achievement and the way you've narrated, is a treat to read on! Read your complete TL at one go!

Thank you! The Himalayas are truly majestic. I am still to get over the hangover.

Originally Posted by Road_Tripper

So, where's next? :-)

Haha...just had another road trip with family to Tajpur and Mandarmani by car. Me & Swapnil did the same route on our motorcycles a couple of years ago which is documented on TBHP.

I hope to visit Kaluk and the western parts of Sikkim, if time and circumstances permit; this time by car and with my family.

Originally Posted by gearhead_mait

Wonderful journey, Saket and Swapnil! I saw pictures of East Sikkim in Swapnil's FB page but never thought that Saket was accompanying him.

Thanks Soumyajit! Mostly, me & Swapnil ride together. We also rode to Bishnupur prior to our Sikkim trip but couldn't write about the journey due to professional engagements. But, still, we enjoyed the Bishnupur ride as much as our other journeys. However, Sikkim ride was altogether on a different level.

Originally Posted by gearhead_mait

The landslide prone region from Pedong to Reshikhola was also in the same state in Nov 2015 when I made my journey. Don't know if it is a fresh landslide, or not repaired at all. I heard Sikkim government is focusing on the route from Rongli-Rangpo, and as a result this stretch is being ignored.
Kudos to both of you for achieving this feat in two wheels.

We did not travel to Rangpo, as stated in the write up; hence cannot comment on the progress of the section, but the road that we took from Rongli to Gangtok was a mixed bag. Some parts were not to be undertaken in hatchbacks.

I went through your log too. Great set of pictures and a beautiful story of East Sikkim. I wonder why didn't you go further up? Permit issues?

Regards,
Saket

[gearhead_mait]

Yes, in our case permit was issued till Kupup. But with permission from Kupup PS, we were allowed to go till Memencho Lake.