View Larger Map
 | Route:
Bagdogra -> Rumtek -> Pastenga -> Khedi -> Gangtok -> Bagdogra Activities
Herbal Gardens, Nature Trekking, Handicraft centre, Tibetology, Homestay, Culture and Heritage programs, Cardamom trail
About the itinerary
This holiday takes you through a Sikkim of old traditions, religion, local culture, and striking natural treasures.
Sikkim has a lot to offer, from the charming village of Rumtek in East Sikkim which houses the largest Buddhist monastery of Sikkim to the idyllic village of Pastanga. An area surrounded by hills, dense forests and cascading rivulets, this is adobe of folklore and cultural richness.
Hospitality of the lively local communities and their authentic rural lifestyle makes this holiday all the more special. You will see traditional Bhutia and Rai houses that have remained virtually unchanged for the last 150 years, visit a sacred waterfall and enjoy a walk through the herbal gardens and cardamom plantations.
Trekking through Magnolia and Rhododendron forests carpeted with medicinal plants and flowers, you will also be exploring the ancient Tibetan trader's trail to Khedi, which is renowned for its two sacred lakes, the Bhale Pokhari and the Pothi Pokhari.
This trip also takes you to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim where different cultures and religions blend harmoniously with old traditions and modern developments.
Itinerary:
Day 1 Bagdogra - Rumtek:
Arrive into Bagdogra and drive to Teen Taley Resort in Rumtek [4 hrs 30 min drive].
Overnight ~ Teen Taley Resort or Similar stays
Day 2 Pastenga:
In the morning go for Rumtek sightseeing. Have lunch at Teen Taley and drive to Pastangan (2.5 hrs). Visit KEEP community based organization. KEEP (Khedi Ecotourism and Eco Development Promotion) is a community based organization focused on developing sustainable tourism in the village. This organization manages all the homestays and also takes active participation in generating health & environment awareness in the village. Besides they also conduct vocational trainings.
Overnight ~ Homestay
Day 3 Trek:
Trek to Khedi. The trek is a 5 hr hike through thick rain forests. There are lush green forests and thick bamboo vegetation. As you ascend up higher, the vegetation changes from thick conifers to Rhododendron Forests. Huge rock cliffs and caves are seen all along the way and birds are found in every creek.
Overnight ~ Camping
All camping is in tented accommodation, A dining and toilet tent is also provided. No campfires are allowed in the camp but a kerosene heater can be provided and at night hot water bottles are provided for drinking and heating. The trek does not ascend to a very high altitude so during them months of March, April, May, Sept, October and November the nights are pleasant.
Day 4 Trek:
Explore Khedi alpine pastures. From these pastures, the views of white mountain ranges are simply spectacular. There are 2 alpine lakes where during the winter months, migrating birds can be seen, especially ducks. The pastures are scenic and can be explored all day.
Overnight ~ Camping
Day 5 Trek:
Return trek to Pastanga. As you tread back to the village, you come across other villages where you can stop for tea and immerse in the daily activities of the village. We take a different route and arrive late in the afternoon.
In the evening cultural program, cultural program is arranged by the villagers/homestay operators. The visitors are welcomed by flower garlands and folk dance is performed by the youths. The older people sing songs and play traditional instruments to entertain.
Overnight ~ Homestay
Day 6 Gangtok:
In the morning drive to Gangtok. Visit Handicraft Center and Flower Show. [Best Season: March & April]. Check into hotel.
Evening gives ample opportunity to interact with our people and find more details about life-style and culture. This is also a good oppurtunity for you to share your experiences from you r culture.
Overnight ~ Hotel/Guest House
Day 7 Departure:
Gangtok to Bagdogra/NJP [4 hrs 30 min drive]
How this particular trip makes a difference to the local community / environment :
We ensure that the benefits of your holidays reach the local people, starting with the the activities which are mostly owned, operated and managed by the local communities in locations that you visit. In Pastanga all activities are part of social development programs where tourism is used as a tool for providing sustainable sources of income. Our local partners consists of local community members, both female and male, who work with us through their home stays and cultural performances.
The cultural activities in this holiday are promoted to ensure that it helps preserve the unique cultural tradition lively. In Pastanga for instance, the Nepali and Bhutia dancers perform their traditional folk songs which provides supplementary source of income for their family.
Traveler's interest in these performances is an incentive for the young kids to also learn the traditional music and dance arts, ensuring that these cultural treasures are being kept lively.
The Sikkimese people especially Lepchas and Bhutias are famous for their weaving and wood carving. Buying these souvenirs will not only give your family back home a special and exclusive presents but you also support the local craftsmen and their traditional handicraft technology.
For instance the visit to the Handicraft centre at Gangtok provides crafts(wo)men a source of income. They are mostly school drop outs who were rehabilitated through sustainable development programs.
The Namgyal Institute of Tibetology we visit is promoting research on the religion, history, language, art and culture of the people of the Tibetan cultural area which includes Sikkim. The NIT's library holds one of the largest collections of Tibetan works in the world outside Tibet as well as a museum of Tibetan iconography and religious art. The library has published the Bulletin of Tibetology since 1964 and numerous books over the years. We ensure contributions towards funds that are used for renovation and maintenance of works and artifacts.
During this impressive trip we often stay in home stays. This promotes village tourism and helps the local communities benefit fully from the economic opportunities of tourism. The concept of Home stays was introduced in the rural areas of Sikkim with an aim to facilitate alternative source of income directly for the rural people in a sustainable way. The system of Home stay brought in a very efficient way of sharing the income from tourism among several families. Depending on the number of visitors, the hosts have agreed upon a system where they circulate the guests amongst themselves so that everyone benefits out of tourism. A productive way of complementing rather than competing with each other!
In Pastanga, the home stay providers are donating part of their income to a fund that supports the local children's educational infrastructure. This fund also supports capacity building programs like training in language, documentation and conservation for the community members are arranged. |
 TOP
TOP
TOP
TOP
|
