[H0RSEPOWER]

Sikkim is a state which is closest to both my state & my heart as I came here for my honeymoon 7 years back apart from multiple other trips as well! The state is having so many small & large waterfalls, Himalayan passes, high altitude lakes, forests, snow covered small mountain villages & serpentine roads. In a word it’s simply splendid! Though I have been to North Sikkim itself thrice before this trip, none of them were self driven! So when I could finalise the days of leave I made a sudden plan to go there in the last week of December 2022. It was finalised only couple of days before the trip, so the preparation was really quick.

A few starting snaps from the trip:

[H0RSEPOWER]

25th December: We started from our hometown in Krishnanagar on the Xmas day morning. Currently the road condition from Krishnanagar till Siliguri is quite good after the opening of the Dalkhola bypass. Though some repair work on the Farakka barrage was going on, it did not gave much of a problem. We hardly had to wait for 10 minutes or so. Currently the only thing pending in the entire stretch is the Raiganj railway over bridge. We took the only break at Ghar Dhaba for having lunch just after crossing Dalkhola. We reached Siliguri by the evening. After taking some rest went for a sumptuous dinner for some typical bengali food in Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor, which is a renowned Bengali restaurant chain. The food was as usual mouth watering.

The delicious dinner at Bhooter raja dilo bor Siliguri outlet


26th December: We woke up in the morning, had a call to an agent regarding the permits for North Sikkim. We have already sent our documents a day earlier. And he confirmed that he would send the permits by whatsapp. Then after having breakfast we started our journey to Dzongu, a small hamlet in North Sikkim. We skipped going to Gangtok. Just before Rangpo, there is a place called Melli. We suddenly stopped there after seeing the signboard of river rafting! It was a shock to my wife who was really not in any mood to do rafting. But after pursuing for half an hour she finally agreed! It was a superb experience to do the white water rafting there! After completing it & changing our wet dresses, we started our journey after a few hours! At Rangpo we took the new bridge which is made for the private and goods vehicles. Then we proceeded towards Mangan. Road condition was bad at places. After reaching Singtam we received the permits over whatsapp & made few printouts of the same, as it would have been not possible to find places to have the printouts of the permits. We reached The Mandarin Retreat in Dzongu for our stay by afternoon. It was very close to the Teesta river & was newly built. The entire area was surrounded with orange orchards. And those trees were full of oranges! It was a very calm place without any other tourists. We have spent a really nice evening over there. The owner & his cousin were chitchatting with us for quite some time. The owner’s cousin was pursuing B.Tech & was in the final year, and was asking me about my project that I did during my college days more than a decade back! I was feeling embarrassed as I forgot most of the technical details about the same . Then we were talking about the local culture & development plan for the local people as well. After that we had dinner & went to bed.

White water rafting in Teesta!







One of the barrages on Teesta, look at the water flow before & after it!



Turquoise Teesta!

[H0RSEPOWER]

27th December: After waking up, we went for a walk in the orange orchard & to the nearby river. After coming back washed the car & then swam for some time in the swimming pool. But it was really cold with the temperatures hovering in single digits only. So could not stay in the beautiful pool for long. The breakfast was with some local cuisine, which was like spinach wrapped in bread or pan cake. It was simple but tasty. After breakfast we checked out and started towards Lachung. Again at places the road was broken with some small waterfalls crossing the roads at few places. After Chungthang we showed our permits & proceeded.
By afternoon we reached our resort in Lachung. It was Yashshree resort Lachung. The location is just beside the Lachung monastery on the Lachung to Katao road. It was situated quite higher as compared to most of the other hotels in Lachung & hence the view of the valley & the mountains was really nice. And it has ample parking place as well. In spite of being a comparatively remote place, the facilities including the food was also quite good here. And they had good wifi connectivity(which is not very common in Lachung) as well which helped me to wrap up some some office work without any issues while I was there.

The orange & mandarin orchards of Mandarin resort.





The local breakfast



Swimming in the freezing cold water of the pool





One of those numerous beautiful roadside waterfalls of North Sikkim



The last petrol pump en route towards North Sikkim, situated at Mangan.





Near Chungthang



On one of those bridges one frequently comes across in Sikkim



Living on the edge!



Taking a photo break in front of a random waterfalls.



The broken roads with small water streams on the same.



Lachung river just after Chungthang





Driving by the cliffs!

[H0RSEPOWER]

28th December: Next day we woke up early in the morning. After taking a quick shower we got ready & even though the temperature was sub zero, the Ecosport started with the first crank itself! Then we left for Yumthang amidst very dense fog. After showing the permits we proceeded. After a while the roads & the surrounding trees started to get snow covered. I was hoping that it should not snow too heavily to stop the journey towards the end of the destination till Zero point.
At places the road was broken, in some places covered with small streams and in some places it was having different sized boulders also on the road. And the road was steep as well. But the marvellous surroundings would make one forget all the issues! It was simply breathtaking. And after 7 years we were again cherishing the moments of our honeymoon spent in the exact same place! We were going slowly relishing the vista around. Near Yumthang the roadside tall coniferous trees such as Sikkim larch, hemlock, fir trees were all covered with thick layer of snow. And the roads were also snow covered with just two lines of wheels made by the moving vehicles on the road. The clouds & layers of fog were everywhere. It was spectacular!
After Yumthang, we proceeded towards Yumesamdong, also called as Zero point (the highest point here in Sikkim till where the civilian vehicles are allowed) . After a while the tall conifers started to get replaced by alpine meadows & shrubs. And after some tome those also vanished with only barren land with stone & snow on them. This is where my wife started to get little uncomfortable due to AMS. During the honeymoon trip also similar incident occurred with her in Zero point, but in a trip couple of years after it did not happen to her there, so this time we were not carrying any medicines as well for the same. But as it was not severe we continued. But after reaching Zero point, when I just got down to take a few snaps there, the breathing problem of her increased. And may be due to the exhaust fume of several diesel vehicles parked over there it increased. Hence I quickly started to go back. After the height was reduced & I started those snow clad forests, gradually she started feeling better. We stopped on the way for a few photo breaks. We had hot water in flask & instant coffee powder and some instant noodles cups as well, which we made & had beside the road itself. And then slowly came back to Lachung. Flurries already has started in Lachung also & by looking at the dense cloud & the weather updates, we thought it would be better to go to lower altitude or else we might be stuck next day in case of heavy snowfall in the night, which was highly probable.
But when we started from Lachung, it was quite late. And before crossing Mangan itself, it became dark. We started towards Munlom resort in Dzongu. The google map stopped giving proper directions saying we have arrived in the middle of the road after some time! It was completely dark outside on a unknown roads with almost no vehicles or human beings on those winding roads. And on top of that the mobile network was also seldom working! There was no lights or reflective markings on the steep bends on the way as well. So I had to be very careful. Somehow at last we reached in the destination as per the instructions from the hotel manager.
This place was tucked in complete solitude far from any tourists.But as it was little late in the evening & we were tired too, we went to bed early after completing the dinner.

Driving through the dense fog in the morning


Taking some photo breaks on the way towards Yumthang









Near Yumthang valley







The barren lands on the way to Yumesamdong(Zero point)



At Zero point, the civilian vehicles are allowed till this point only.





Near Zero point







The serpentine roads



The alpine shrubs!



The snow covered roads near Yumthang



Again back to the lower altitudes having the coniferous trees.

[H0RSEPOWER]

29th December: Next morning we took a small walk in & around the place. It was really nice. Among some dense vegetation including some tree ferns as well, wrapped up in morning mist & cloud the resort was splendid! After having the breakfast we started from there. And even though initially we started to start early, the beauty made us stay a bit longer.
After a while we were stopped for quite some time due to some road repair work. After crossing the bridge in Rongpo, we took the left hand side road that goes through Algarah, Icchegaon & Lava as it was more scenic. After Algarah it started getting dark. Near Lave we stopped to have some delicious momos. After that we started to head towards our uncle’s home in Malbazar. At places, mostly near the pine forests, we were encountering very very heavy fog that to in the night! It was really challenging to drive in those hilly roads in such situation. At last we reached safety in our uncle’s home safely in the evening.

In the wonderful Munlom resort in Dzongu







The roads of North Sikkim near Dzongu & Mangan






At places roads are in such shape!





Driving through really heavy fog near Lava

[H0RSEPOWER]

30th December: Next day we did couple of jungle safaris in Gorumara & Chaptamari wildlife sanctuaries in Dooars.
31st December: And then on the next day we started by 11 am & with a lunch break near Malda we reached our home in Krishnanagar by 9 pm. The Ecosport performed superbly throughout the trip. In the serpentine mountain roads, the handling & the steering feel was putting a wide grin on my face & I could touch some unmentionable speeds during the spirited highway runs! And last but not the least, before concluding, I would like to thank Bhpians Samba & ABHI_1412 for their inputs & helps regarding the permits & the places to stay in the trip.
And thus we concluded a 1500 km journey that would stay as some precious pearls in our memories forever.

Jungle safari in an open top Gypsy







The mighty WDG4 hauling a goods train through the infamous elephant corridor



Couple of parting snaps! Adios!

[Vipin Kumar]

Wonderful travelogue and great pictures!

I wanted to know if the permit required for traversing beyond Gangtok is difficult to get, whether we get it only in person or online too. I know that permit is usually not given for driving own vehicle to Nathula.

[Samba]

What a lovely travelogue.
Your Ecosport looks hot amidst the snow clad mountains.

Wish both of you many more such lovely trips to the mountains.
Rated a well deserved 5*.

You took me back to 2014! In that year we did a similar trip to Gangtok, Dzongu, Yumthang/Zeropoint and Temi Tea garden. Back then, the roads were in shambles, and majority of us were driving sedans and hatchbacks. We had a tough time driving over the boulders and through the slush. Completing that trip without breaking our cars felt like and achievement!

Back then, the roads were like this, & this circuit was 100% dominated by high GC cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YcCd9PI9Wo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT7udUa5HVA

You can read the full story here-
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...backs-suv.html (Sailed through North Sikkim in Sedans, Hatchbacks and an SUV)

[NewUser123]

Just a question.. the photo the signpost at Zero point only says “Bikers and TOURIST VEHICLES not allowed be young this point.”

I would have assumed this meant commercial tourist vehicles, as opposed to private vehicles.

Maybe your interpretation is the right one, but I would have carried on, maybe mistakenly, beyond that point.

[Mile_Breaker]

Excellent read and wonderful photographs! The impromptu water rafting suits your energetic nature. As usual the well proven ecosport handled the terrain with ease. You are making good use of the sunroof.

[H0RSEPOWER]

Originally Posted by Vipin Kumar

Wonderful travelogue and great pictures!

I wanted to know if the permit required for traversing beyond Gangtok is difficult to get, whether we get it only in person or online too. I know that permit is usually not given for driving own vehicle to Nathula.

Thanks for your comment! The permit cannot be procured online. But if you know any agent in Gangtok/Mangan, they can get it done for you upon sending the soft copies of the required documents.

Originally Posted by Samba

What a lovely travelogue.
Your Ecosport looks hot amidst the snow clad mountains.

Wish both of you many more such lovely trips to the mountains.
Rated a well deserved 5*.

You took me back to 2014! In that year we did a similar trip to Gangtok, Dzongu, Yumthang/Zeropoint and Temi Tea garden. Back then, the roads were in shambles, and majority of us were driving sedans and hatchbacks. We had a tough time driving over the boulders and through the slush. Completing that trip without breaking our cars felt like and achievement!

Really glad to know that you liked the trip report Samba da! It was your 2021 North Sikkim trip report that made me really encouraged to plan for this trip. Even though then I was in Canada, I decided that I have to go for this drive once I am back to India!
And regarding your drive in those terrains with your Etios, I can only say two words: hats off! At present most of those horrible road conditions are in much better shape, but I have been to North Sikkim earlier(though not by self drive then), and I have experienced those roads in person. During those days tackling them with a sedan is definitely commendable!

Originally Posted by NewUser123

Just a question.. the photo the signpost at Zero point only says “Bikers and TOURIST VEHICLES not allowed be young this point.”

I would have assumed this meant commercial tourist vehicles, as opposed to private vehicles.

Maybe your interpretation is the right one, but I would have carried on, maybe mistakenly, beyond that point.

Actually most of North Sikkim is partially restricted area. Outside people do get the visiting permits for the tourism purpose only if not for any other specific reason. There are no permanent civilian settlements also beyond that place. Hence the board was for both commercial & private vehicles. And with multiple military camps as well in those areas, I thought, it would not have been a good idea to proceed after that point.

Originally Posted by Mile_Breaker

Excellent read and wonderful photographs! The impromptu water rafting suits your energetic nature. As usual the well proven ecosport handled the terrain with ease. You are making good use of the sunroof.

Thanks for your comments Niladri da, the water rafting was in my wish list for a long time, at last could make it happen!
And the mountains are the only places where the sunroof can be used at least for a few photographs! Or else it’s mostly useless(apart from the only use while cleaning the roof of the car! )

[NewUser123]

Thanks for the clarification.

Might hit you up one day while planning a similar trip. Definitely seems worth doing.

Thanks for the share.

[mohan41]

Great thread with wonderful pictures.

I am planning a trip to Sikkim during 1st week of April. During that time in which places can we get to see some snow? Going with family and kids, so want to avoid very remote places in which there is risk of getting stuck.

[haisaikat]

Beautiful pictures especially the drive to zero point and you were lucky to have found a perfect snow drive opportunity in a very capable machine. Thanks for sharing this beautiful travelogue. North Sikkim is on my list too but of course would only venture during a more easier to drive season . The Munlom resort in Dzongu looks beautiful, noted for future. Your rafting photos at Melli reminded me of my own trip all the way back in 2006, sharing 2 photos from that, it was a huge group of office colleagues and a very memorable one. Rated 5 stars, keep travelling and sharing more, eagerly waiting for the next episode.

[Need_for_Slow]

@H0RSEPOWER I am sure you guys had a great time in this trip. The images of snow with your machine looks great.
I am planning a Sikkim trip this in the last 2 weeks of May. I'll be doing the Siliguri> Pelling > Gangtok > Lachung > Yamthang > Zero point > Lachung>Gangtok>Siliguri. As mentioned by you that the roads to Lachung is managable by own vehicle, I intent to take our own vehicle to Lachung. Can you please share the agent details who helped you procure the permits for North Sikkim, if it's okay with you?