Itinerary -
Day 1: Arrive in Yuksom for dinner (drive/6-7 hrs, distance/150km)
Board the vehicle and drive to the wee town of Sikkim. It takes 6 odd hours before you reach the local homestay. Gather for an orientation with team Namoh and the family. Later have a scrumptious meal and spend the day at leisure. One can visit the market or go for a walk towards the heli pad. Overnight in homestay.
Day 2: Local sightseeing and village tour.
Take a break from conventional breakfast, go pick some fresh veggies from the kitchen garden; we get it cooked for you. A delightful organic meal and you are all set to visit the still town of Yuksom. Starting from a small holy lake which is overflowing with fishes, as no fishing is allowed here! You further visit the Coronation Throne, where the first king of Sikkim, then a separate country, was crowned following a holy ceremony. As you proceed towards the upper village, you reach a few gigantic boulders. You can climb up and sit at the rock to get the panoramic views of the transcendent valleys that dissolve into the horizon. Evening spent in leisure. An option of abseiling and climbing these rocks is also available, if you like to make it adventurous.
Day 3: Eco- Tour of Tsong Village via Dubdi monastery/ Waterfall
Post a healthy breakfast get excited for an adventurous journey. You start walking uphill from the hotel crossing of the Yuksom village, to find yourself on a beaten road that will lead to an ancient monastery sitting atop a small hill, surrounded by endless forest of pine trees. Meditate for a while before getting back on the same trail that will further lead you to a beautiful waterfall which rushes into a pool of clear waters. Capturing some rare moments at the falls, you move towards a traditional Lepcha Village called Tsong. Here you will visit a local house, and enjoy your afternoon with the locals along with an organic meal, cooked in the local style. Meal generally includes some locally made chatni, local rice, pulses and couple of veggies with a few final condiments. Making friends with these mountain people will definitely leave you with some rare memories. Later, drive back to Yuksom and spend the evening at leisure.
Day 4: Trek/ Drive to Khechuperi Lake (Drive/2 hrs or hike/4-5 hrs)
This fine day you will go for a day hike to the holy lake of Khechuperi. Starting from your hotel in Yuksom, you climb down to the Rathong River, crossing a small Lepcha village. Here you cross the river and hike upto Leythang, a spot where you will experience wonder of nature, a singing stone, which rings like a bell if struck by another stone. Moving further, you come across a few more villages, a hanging bridge and a few more streams before arriving at the magnificent Lake. Filled with mysterious fishes and water animals, Khechuperi marks as an important feature for the local communities. Spend some time at the holy lake before heading towards a beautiful homestay, where you will spend the night. One can try the local wine made out of millet, in a traditional tumbler, called Tumba. A mild brew, fine enough to take away fatigue of the day.
Day 5: Hike to ancient meditation cave, drive back to Yuksom via Pelling (hike/4hrs, drive/2-3hrs)
Post breakfast, you hike to an ancient cave where many saints used to meditate. The spot gives a perfect view of the lake; it is from here that you notice the shape of a giant foot step, which also gives the lake its name. After meditating for a while in the peaceful cave, you climb down to the home-stay and go back to the road for boarding your vehicles. Enroute, visit the ruins of the second palace of ancient Sikkim, which was destroyed in an invasion, and a beautiful monastery atop a hill nearby. Towards the evening you reach back to Yuksom where you celebrate the experience you had in this mysterious green country. Stay for the night in homestay.
Day 6: Depart to NJP
Trip Ends With Sweet Memories !!!
ESSENTIALS
Below is a list of essentials you would require at the camp:
Small day pack/back pack
T-shirts/Shirts
Shorts
Comfortable fit Jeans/Track Pants/trekking pants
Jacket/Sweater (please see the section on weather)
Windproof jacket ideally with a hood
Floaters
Comfortable trekking shoes
Sneakers or any other low ankle shoes for riding(cycling)
Poncho (rain coat)
Water bottle
Riding gloves
Sunscreen Lotion
Cap
Flashlight
Sunglasses with holding strings
Medicines, if requiring any specific medication
Camera (optional)
LOADS OF ENTHUSIASM!!
Carry rain cover for your bags
Carry your stuff in a duffel bag, soft shoulder bag or a rucksack. Avoid suitcases, trolleys or any other hard luggage
For Departure Dates just call 7350530009 / 7350540009 / 7350550009
Transport Options (Delhi – NJP/Bagdobra – Delhi)
For travel to Sikkim and back one can choose between air, rail & road. Bagdobra airport is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country by Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines & Spice Jet. Train travel is highly recommended with enough options being there. For train details, you could log on to www.indianrail.gov.in and for online railway ticket bookings you could log on to www.irctc.co.in.
Weather Details
The climate in Yuksom, which is located at a moderate altitude, is pleasant from March to June and September to November, while in the winter season, the coldest months are December and February. The climate of Sikkim can be termed as temperate in broad terms. Sikkim enjoys the five seasons of summer, winter, monsoon, autumn and spring. Sprawled in an area of 7,096 km², Sikkim lengthens from an altitude of 280 m (920 ft) to 8,585 m (28,000 ft). With such varied altitudes, the state observes tropical, temperate and frigid climate in different regions. In the southern part, the weather is usually sub-tropical, whereas in the north, it is generally tundra.
However, the colonized regions are dominated by temperate climate, where temperature rarely goes 28 °C maximum in summers and drops below 0°C in winters. The average annual temperature for the major part of Sikkim is recorded 18°C (64 °F) approx. During the months of March - May, the sun shines at its best in the state of Sikkim. The weather remains wintry and humid; with a frequent drizzling, makes it misty and cloudy.
Monsoon prevails from late-June to early-September. Autumn stays from September to October providing a nice time for tourists to visit the state. In India, Sikkim is one amongst the few states that receive regular snowfall. The snowline of Sikkim is approx. 6,000 meters. The high altitude in the northern region permits the temperature to drop below -40°C in winters. The proper winter season starts from late December till February.
Duration: 6 Days
Season: Jan--Dec
Grade: Moderate
Description
We all have that fantasy to have a small wooden house on top of a misty hill, with snow peaks in the background, a kitchen garden in front, some farming land and a few farm animals. Where you wake up in the morning by cock-a-doodle-doo and cook a nice healthy meal using the veggies that you picked from the garden. Well in this Eco Tour to west Sikkim, all your fantasies will come true as you spend a week living in beautiful household of a Himalayan village; hosted by family of the most humble mountain people, who take care of you like a baby! This 5 day trip moves around a small hill town called Yuksom, which marks as the entrance to Kangchendzonga National Park (KNP), one of the greenest zones on the planet and a world heritage site, as reviewed by UNESCO. Walking, eating, sleeping and spending all the time in a fully organic; contamination free environs of west Sikkim, proves to be the perfect break from the hollow lifestyle of the cities. Recognized as one of the 100 green destinations in the world, this place provides nice retreat for mind, body and soul.