This is a series of discussions over emails with our trekkers deciding on which trek to is right for them.

Camping treks vs. Homestay and Tea House treks: A comparison, advantages, and drawbacks

camping-vs-homestay-tea-house-trek-major-difference-comparison

Is it better to go on a camping trek rather than a homestay trek? Would you rather choose a path with homestay or lodge accommodations, or would you prefer to camp?

First of all, as these two are distinguished by their unique characteristics. Ideally, you should try both to get separate, distinct flavours instead of sticking to one forever!

Also understand that the following points are general or gross in nature with overlapping areas or sets. Unfortunately Indian Himalayas have a limited choice of already established homestay or tea house based treks. However, we constantly try to find or create meaningful new homestay trails in the Himalayas.

Now let us understand the basics, pros, and cons so that one may fit better for you in a given set of condition(s).

Camping treks:

In  this type, the main characteristics are:

  • Camping Setup: Here we stay in tents that are set up at designated campsites or areas along the trekking route.
  • Self-Sufficiency: As you carry your own camping equipment and food supplies, so making the trek a more self-sufficient and immersive experience.
  • Remote Locations: Usually more remote and less developed areas, providing a wilderness experience far away from civilisation.
  • Flexibility: The trek itinerary can be flexible as there is no dependency on available accommodations en route.

Advantages:

  • Isolation and Freedom: Camping treks offer a more secluded and immersive experience in nature, away from more frequented or crowded tourist areas.
  • Customisation: One can customise itineraries to explore specific areas, and trekkers have more control over the pace of the trek.
  • Wildlife and Nature: The chance to observe wildlife and experience nature in its raw form is often higher.
  • Wide range of routes: You can select from popular or lesser known many trails stretching the Himalayas.

Drawbacks:

  • Demanding logistics and planning: Participants need to carry more gear and supplies, requires logistic knowledge or using the help of a professional tour operator.
  • Lack of Comfort: Camping may not be as comfortable as staying in lodges, especially in challenging weather conditions.
  • Environmental Impact: If not managed responsibly, camping can have a higher environmental impact compared to using established accommodations.
  • More resources for small groups: Heavy initial logistics and thus may not be budget-friendly when your group size is small.

Homestay and Tea House Treks:

Main characteristics are:

  1. Local Accommodations: You stay in local homes or tea houses along the trek, using established lodging facilities.
  2. Community Interaction: Provides opportunities to interact with local communities, learn about their culture and food, experience the hospitality of the region.
  3. Proximity to the civilisation: Trails don’t go far or interior in the mountains and remains attached to the villages and settlements.

Advantages:

  1. Comfort: Tea houses and homestays provide more comfort compared to camping. Trekkers can enjoy a bed, warm meals, and socializing in common areas.
  2. Cultural Experience: Interacting with local communities enhances the cultural experience, allowing trekkers to learn about the traditions and lifestyles of the region.
  3. Logistical Ease: Trekkers don’t need to carry heavy camping equipment, making the trek more accessible for a wider range of people.
  4. Physically less demanding:

Drawbacks:

  1. Crowds: Popular trekking routes with tea houses may attract more trekkers, resulting in crowded accommodations.
  2. Proximity to civilisation: The experience may be less secluded and less immersed in nature due to the proximity to established communities.
  3. Less Flexibility: Itineraries may be more fixed, with limited options to deviate from the established path.
  4. Limited choice of routes:

Key takeaway:

  • Camping treks require carrying all your own gear and setting up camp each night, while homestays and tea houses provide basic lodging and meals.
  • Camping is more immersive in nature and requires more self-sufficiency, whereas homestays or tea houses offer more comfort and convenience.
  • As camping treks are often logistically demanding, so small group size results in more overhead cost. Whereas homestay treks are more suitable for small group of friends or families.

So in summary, camping treks appeal more to the adventurous seeking solitude and connection to nature, while homestay or tea house treks offer convenience and cultural immersion with less gear or logistics burden. Choosing between them depends on budgets, outdoor experience level, and preferences in your travel style.

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An all-season, week-long Himalayan trek with a combination of homestays and camps

lohajung-circuit-trek-a-spectacular-trail-with-homestays-and-camping-options

The tour would be for two people, starting around mid November. Both of us are mountain guides and endurance athletes in the USA Rocky Mountains and feel very comfortable at altitude and doing long hikes. Our original plan has been to camp, bringing gear with us and trekking without a guide. With that in mind we are certainly interested in more challenging days if we pivot to a guided tour.

Typically, late autumn, i.e., November, is not conducive to high altitudes (camping at or above ~ 4000 m/13000 ft) in the Western Himalayas. It is mainly due to the chances of snowfall, cold conditions, or a scarcity of water. Additionally, permits for these treks are getting more difficult to get during this time.

However, your time to visit the Himalayas is perfect to get clear autumn weather; climate change is very clear in the Himalayas. As a result, things are more complicated at higher altitudes.

We had a friend recommend you all due to your flexibility in creating tours and tailored recommendations. We are interested in an itinerary that has both a homestay and a camping style. Also curious if it might be possible to do a combination?

Taking into account your experience and expectations, we may propose an interesting hiking option to you. That trail is on the far eastern side of Garhwal, bordering the Kumaon region. We can focus on the Ali Bedni Bugyal trek while extending it from the Bagji Bugyal side. Then possibly making a summit attempt to Roopkund (~ 4800 m) as well. Camping above Ali Bugyal is banned (that is, the trek is closed at present), but attempting Roopkund and returning in a day is not restricted. The entire trail offers magnificent high mountain views as well as splendid alpine meadows, locally called “Bugyal”. You get panoramic views as well as fairly closeups of the high peaks. In between, you will get the opportunity to stay in really interior Himaayan villages and eat as the locals do. We will combine both camping and homestays to do the same.

Moreover, there will be hardly any other hikers on the below trail, apart from a few in the Ali Bedni stretch, if at all there are any! You can enjoy nature at its best while hiking with your local guide.

A probable circuit is: Ghes village – Bagji Bugyal – Himni village – Balan village – Ali – Bedni Bugyal – Roopkund attempt and back – to Ali Bugyal – Didna village – Wan village – Brahmatal – Lohajung.

With your experience and ability to move fast, it is possible to complete the above trail in 7 hiking days. Add a couple of days for the to-and-from basecamp journey. So it is 9 days from Rishikesh to Rishikesh.

Thank you so much for the information. This is great! A map would certainly be helpful as we try to wrap our brains around what these options may look like.
One question regarding summiting Roopkund – would that require alpine kits? For example, while we are planning to bring warm weather gear, we will not have micro-spikes or crampons. That sounds like an amazing opportunity, but I want to make sure it is feasible based on the limitations of our packing list.
I will look into this more and try to get a sense of what is possible. We are certainly interested in a large trek, however, are limited in the amount we can pack. We will be traveling for over a month in India with limited space as I am sure you can understand.

You will only be required to carry your warm clothing (3 layers of clothing, including a waterproof), a backpacking boot, and some trail mix, clif/protein bars in your backpack. That’s it! We will provide you with a tent when required, along with other camping logistics as required. You may bring your sleeping bags for hygiene, or we may provide them from our stock as well (although ours don’t pack small!).

You will not require any alpine kit, rope, etc.; we will provide microspikes and gaiters if need be. You are expected to move fast on rock, fresh snow, and some icy mixed terrain, and it is still a hiking trail. Snow should not be much of a deterrent around your time, unless there is some heavy snowfall just before your arrival!

So here we propose a solid 7-day hiking programme connecting all the routes in this area. The itinerary is so designed that we have a homestay, lodge, and camping experience, and it is optimised considering logistics overhead. Also, we have considered walking distances and times such that you don’t have two rigorous days back to back.

Our trail connects Bagji Bugyal, Ali Bedni Bugyal, Roopkund, and finally via Brahmatal Top to Lohajung. Please see the attached trail map, which will give you a general understanding and direction of your trail. We may call it a circuit around Lohajung, which essentially connects all the trekking trails around.

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Lohajung Circuit Trek: A unique all season trek for all with homestays and camps (click on the image to check a large image)
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The trail lies in the far eastern Garhwal region, bordering the Kumaon region in Uttarakhand
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Reaching basecamp and return to Rishikesh Haridwar Dehradun

Itinerary for the Lohajung circuit trek:

Important notes:

  1. The itinerary covers all the possible points in 7 trekking days, which is recommended for people who are fairly fit and experienced hikers at some altitude. There are particularly three difficult or strenuous days: Days 2, 6, and 8. At the same time, there are relatively easy and relaxed walks in between.
  2. Camping above Abin Kharak (beside Ali Bugyal) is not allowed or a possibility at present. So you may attempt Roopkund and return the same day (as suggested on Day 5) if you have prior experience of fast ascent and descent at around 4000 m. Otherwise, you can always take it easy and explore Bedni Bugyal, its top, and the surrounding areas in a more relaxed manner.
  3. Google map location links for the places we cover. Distances and time are approximate, assuming a moderately fast pace with a few breaks in between.

Day 1: Drive from Rishikesh (6 a.m.) to Dewal by shared jeep or private taxi, 225 km, approximately 8 to 9 hours. Meet your tour guide here. Take another shared car or private taxi to reach Ghes village (~2550 m), 25 km, 1 hour 15 mins or so. Homestay. Note that the road to Ghes and Lohajung (trek endpoint) splits a few kilometer ahead of Deval.

Day 2: We hike up to Bagji Bugyal meadows (~3300 m), and following the ridge, we descend tob Himni village (~2600 m). 16-17 Km or so, 8–9 hours. Homestay.

Day 3: Himni to Balan village (~2500 m). 2 to 3 hours, a short day. Homestay. Explore the village in the afternoon.

Day 4: Trek to Abin Kharak beside Ali Bugyal (~3350 m), 4 to 5 hours. We set up camp.

Day 5: Summit Day/Difficult Day as we climb to Roopkund via Bedni Bugyal meadow, Ghora Lotani, Pathar Nachuni, Kalu Vinayak to the frozen Roopkund lake (~4800 m), and back to the same Abin Kharak camp. 13 to 14 Km one way, total time 10 to 12 hours. Pack a light daypack so that you can move fast. Alternatively, those who want to take it easy may climb to the adjacent Bedni top, explore the meadows, Bedni Kund, and Nanda Devi temple, and return to Abin Kharak camp.

Day 6: Trek to Didna village (~2450 m), 9–10 km, 4 hours or so. Lodge accommodation. Explore the village in the afternoon.

Day 7: Trek to Tilburi or a suitable campsite, 5 to 6 hours via Wan village. Camp.

Day 8: Trek to Brahmatal viewpoints and summit the top above called Khamila Top (~4000 m) and descend to Lohajung (~2300 m), 8 to 9 hours or so. Lodge accommodation.

Day 9: A shared vehicle from Lohajung to Rishikesh (250 Km) or Dehradun (300 Km) starts around 6 a.m. Or else you may hire a private taxi from Lohajung which takes 9–10 hours.

Day 10: A buffer day is recommended, although not a must.

Photos of the Lohajung Circuit trekking trail:

Here are some photos from the different sections of the trail shared by our trekkers and staff from time to time. The photos are organised as per the direction given in the above itinerary, i.e., starting at Ghes and ending at Lohajung.

This will give you a visual understanding of the entire trail, from which you may choose the full trail or section(s) as that suits you.

ghes-village-uttarakhand-chamoli-district
Sunset time at Ghes village
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From Bagji Bugyal
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One of the other sides
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Himni village
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Learning time
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Life is simple
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Villagers playing cricket @ Balan
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Walking from Balan
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Reaching Ali Bugyal from Balan
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Ali Bugyal meadow
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Ali Bugyal during the autumn
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Green Ali Bugyal in September
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Chaukhamba peaks (right) and Nandaghunti (left)
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From Bedni Bugyal: Central Garhwal peaks (R to L, Neelkanth, Chaukhamba, Mandani and Kedarnath)
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Bedni Bugyal just after monsoon (mid of September)
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Nanda Devi temle beside Bedni Kund
at-ghora-lotani
Ghora Lotani (late Dec)
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Pathar Nachuni (trail above is going to Kala Vinayak
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Clocking 4350 m + @ Kalu Vinayak Temple
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It is a formidable task to reach Kalu Vinayak during the winter (Photo early Jan)
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Towards Baguabasa
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Rocky terrain to Roopkund
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Roopkund, also known as Skeletal Lake (click on the image to read the blog about the origins of the skeletons).
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Returning to Bedni on our way back
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Bedni Kund as seen while returning (same area as in the above photo)
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Ali Bugyal as seen from Bedni Bugyal side
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Back to Abin Kharak camp
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Descending from Ali Bugyal to Didna village
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Entering treeline
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Didna village
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Afternoon exploration at Didna village
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Some more exploration at Didna
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A traditional kitchen
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You may spot many birds around
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Wan village on the way to Tilburi
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@Tilburi camp
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Looking back: From Tilburi to Brahmatal
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From Brahmatal ridge
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The tour wraps up with a sunset at Lohajung

Key point and summary of Lohajung Circuit trail:

Destination: Garhwal Himalayas, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India

Suitable for: All adventure and mountain lovers. Easy to hard hiking sections within the same circuit for beginners to highly experienced avid hikers. 10 to 70 years of age.

Salient features: Alpine meadows and lakes; close-up and panoramic views of high Himalayan peaks; rhododendron and oak forests; Himalayan viiiage stays; camping experience in the mountains.

Suggested tour duration: 5 to 10 days, Rishikesh to Rishikesh/Dehradun/Haridwar/Delhi.

 Recommended trekking duration: 3 to 7 or 8 days (with a buffer)

Tour type:
Customised private tours;
Group tours (fixed departures) may be available for any one section (like Ali Bedni Bugyal or Brahmatal).

Accommodation type: Combination of village homestays, lodges, and camps during the trek. You can skip the camping part and make it a tea-house style trek, if you wish so (in such case you trek from Balan to Didna village via Ali Bugyal or your way).

Trekking Grade: Easy, Moderate, and Hard, depending upon your itinerary

Trail length: 25 km to 90 km, depending on how much you would like to cover.

Altitude: 2300 to 4800 m

Seasons and months to visit:
Spring/Summer: mid-March to late June;
Post-monsoon/Autumn: mid-September to November;
Winter: December to mid-March;

Season and months to avoid: Monsoon/rainy (July and August)

How to reach:
The nearest airport is Dehradun (DED) at Jolly Grant (between Rishikesh and Dehradun city) or Delhi.
Trains from Delhi to Haridwar or Rishikesh.
Volvo and ordinary buses from Delhi Kashmeri Gate ISBT to Rishikesh (UTC online and onboard tickets). 5 hours.
Then a drive to basecamp Lohajung/Ghes, approx. 250 km from Rishikesh, takes around 10 hours with a few breaks.

To summarise, this is a very flexible trail, which you may choose based on its length, duration, your prior trekking experiences, and type of accommodation. On top of that, you can visit this area almost anytime during the year (an all-season trek), apart from the monsoon months of July and August, when road journeys to and from basecamp may not be favourable.

We hope you are now in a position to get in touch with us in one of the following ways:

+91 9836133166, 9831112469, 9163183000
WhatsApp: + 91 9477877559, 9831112469, 9163183000
info@dev.himalayatrekker.com
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How good or bad is it to trek in the Darjeeling-Sikkim region in late May and June?

Is it good to go on treks in the Darjeeling-Sikkim area during late May or early June? Certainly it is not the best of your choices, but you can’t shift your plan.

My family of four (my husband and me and our 2 sons, aged 8 and 10) will arrive in Darjeeling on May 28th.

As a part of our six months of travelling we are very interested in multiple day treks in the region, both in West Bengal and Sikkhim.

What comes to mind is the Singalila-ridge trek and Yuksom Dzongri trek.

We have a time-window of approx 17 days, leaving for New Delhi on June 14th.

Since we are trekking in the Andes mountains in Peru this month, acclimatisation to high altitude should not be a problem.

We are looking for an organized trek with a local guide for the both treks.

Is this something your organisation can help us with?

So here is our understanding and what you should be prepared for:

We would be more than happy to arrange a tour of West Bengal and Sikkim for your family. It will be a pleasure for us.

Although we don’t have any group tours scheduled during the time you plan to visit. Alternatively we can always customise a tailor made private tour for you as per your available dates and preferred services.

You may have done your research and found that the end of May to mid-June is towards the end of trekking season in the Darjeeling-Sikkim area. The monsoon arrives in the eastern Himalayan belt by early June. Prepare for some to moderate rain, which is normal in this area during your time of visit. The usual cloudy or misty weather occurs during the daytime, and rain occurs in the afternoon, evening, and at night. Also, prepare for a few days when it can rain in the morning as well. There are multiple days on the trail when you may get to see the grand mountain views. Best bet is the the time of sunrise till 8-9 am.

So we may conclude that this is not really a good time to get the big mountain views or the postcard photos.

However, take the above with a pinch of salt; climate change has already impacted the Himalayas, and you may get fairly “good” weather as well, without much rain. In general, we observe that the monsoon has a tendency to come at a later time in the Indian Himalayas in the recent years. It is better to be mentally and logistically prepared for the conditions so that you can complete the entire trek safely with your family.

Otherwise, if you like to witness the unique Eastern Himalayan flavour, its forest, and its biodiversity, this is indeed a very good time. With its misty and moist surroundings, moss and lichen shades, dark evergreen trees, gushing streams, and waterfalls create their own atmosphere to support an abundance of fauna during this time.

Warmer weather is conducive and helps the leeches grow as well, especially up to 3000 m/10000 ft. Watch out on the trail and check your shoes and shock once you finish the day’s trek.

We may arrange a trek on Singalila Ridge, either the shorter walk till Sandakphu (approximately 45 Km walk) or the longer loop that includes Phalut (approximately 70 Km). Note that due to the stay restriction on foreigners in Nepal side, you can only stay inside India, i.e., in West Bengal at Tonglu, Sandakphu, and Phalut in the basic Govt. operated GTA Trekkers Hut, in addition to these private lodges or homestays at Maneybhanjung, Timburey (for Sandakphu only), or Gorkhey (including Phalut).

While the Singalila Ridge offers you panoramic Himalayan views, the Dzongri Trek will take you very close to the Himalayas. This would require a full camping logistics setup to follow our suggested itinerary given on the website. Although you get Trekkers Hut at Tsokha and Dzongri, there is nothing in between. Also, the huts don’t provide a bed or bedding to sleep on. Availability of food depends upon the residing caretaker and what he has in his stock. In the event of heavy rain in the evening or at night, these huts come in handy.

It is great to know that you will come to India already after some hiking experience at altitude. However, we would like you to consider a few things before you plan:

1) How difficult can this be for the kids? Back-to-back two moderate treks (if you choose Phalut and Dzongri) when rain is likely during the walk? Your more inputs on this will help us to understand and suggest accordingly.

2) At Dzongri, you will be sleeping at 4000 m, although after sufficient acclimatisation as per the given itinerary.

You may also like to read this article for a general understanding of trekking in the Indian Himalayas.

Please feel free to get in touch in one of the following ways:

+91 9836133166, 9831112469, 9163183000
WhatsApp: + 91 9477877559, 9831112469, 9163183000
info@dev.himalayatrekker.com
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Valley of flowers in early June?

My husband and I would like to plan a trip to Uttarakhand June 1 – 15. We are interested in the Valley of Flowers Trek. We live in Phoenix, AZ in USA. There is a possibility of our friends joining us as well. If they decide to join us we may have 4-6 people group (1 to 3 couple). We are interested in the premium package from Haridwar. Appreciate if you can let us know the expected price per person (or per couple). Also, could you please let us know the COVID rules for international travelers.
Thanks.

Valley of Flowers trek usually opens every year along with the shrine of Hemkund Sahib during late May to early June. Early June is typically not a good time to visit the National Park, as there will be hardly any flowers. Although the earliest flowering of one or two species like Marsh Marigold starts in early June, these are common in other Uttarakhand treks as well. Neither you will get many types of flowers nor the abundance. So we don’t recommend this trek during early June.

Also note that this year snowfall is pretty good as of now and Hemkund Sahib may not open in May at all. Usually the decision is taken around April or so when the shrine will be open for tourists.

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Valley Of Flowers in early June
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Residual snow in early June at Hemkund

Regarding Valley of Flowers premium accommodations, i.e. the Swiss tent options: It’s difficult to get them ready by early June by the respective owners.

In my opinion, if you like to visit the Valley of Flowers, then better to postpone your tour at least for a month. Otherwise there are beautiful treks in Uttarakhand or Himachal Pradesh which are suitable in early June. We would be more than happy to arrange a customised private tour for your family and friends.

Feel free to share any inputs or any queries that you may have.

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Unfortunately, we can not delay our trip to July. We are open to your recommendations for other hikes in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh which might be suitable for us in June. However, we don’t mind taking a chance in June to trek Valley of Flowers.

As per our last discussion as you plan to finish your trek by the first half of June so we don’t recommend Valley Of Flowers. Instead we would like to go through the below treks which are just fine in early June. These are either Easy grade or entry level Moderate treks and with some preparation you can complete these comfortably.

Note that early June is not a season for Sikkim/Darjeeling (monsoon arrives) or Kashmir treks either (heavy snow remains above 3000 m). So we keep our options within Uttarakhand & Himachal Pradesh.

Here are the recommended trails for your first long duration hike during early June.

Har Ki Dun trek: This is one of the all time favourite hikes in Uttarakhand. Essentially a river valley trek which turns green in summer. The trail goes through interior villages inside Govind National Park. Although the trail is longer than usual Easy grade treks, it’s gentle and gradual.

Bhrigu Lake trek: This is a beautiful hike above in Himachal Pradesh and located above Manali. This green trail goes through lush meadows to a frozen lake in summer. It offers a lovely bird’s eye view of the Manali and Solang valley as well as a panoramic view of the peaks surrounded by.

Ali-Bedni Bugyal trek: This is a spin off from the famous Roopkund trek and has been very pristine in recent years. It offers on of the grandest walk on the alpine meadows with close view of high snowy mountains. Additionally it gives opportunity to camp as well as stay in homestay inside village. This is an entry level moderate trek and we can increase a day and camp so that it becomes easy.

Hope the above will help you to decide. Feel free for any suggestion or queries that you may have.

My Husband and I will be interested in Har Ki Dun Trek. My question is which one do you recommend – Camp or Homestay. Start Day June 2. I also have one more question. Can we start our tour from Haridwar? or we have to be in Dehradun?

We are glad that you liked Har Ki Dun trek.

Yes you may start from Haridwar as well but the car journey would be some 65/70 Km (approx 2 hours) more to the base camp Sankri than starting from Dehradun. There is an airport between Dehradun and Rishikesh cities (Code: DED) which is 25Km away from Dehradun.

Now there are advantages and disadvantages of both the camping or the homestay version.

1) Har Ki Dun camping style: This is our usual itinerary like many others, stays are in camps and we can’t stay at Har Ki Dun. We go for a day hike and get back to Simatra camp which is 5 Km before Har Ki Dun. Customisation is possible in this mode with although the overhead remains on the heavier side for small no of people. On the other hand, you will be accompanied by a guide, cook, helpers and horses with a horseman so it has more human assistance and hence safer. Also we have more flexibility in terms of services.

2) Har Ki Dun in Homestay style: This is a fantastic option for small team size up to 4/5 members. Same trail as of the previous variant. Customisation is possible with respect to itinerary with a chance of staying at Har Ki Dun at simple Forest rest House/Hut. This route is well suited for those who wish for their private tours and don’t mind staying in simple clean pahadi homestays while enjoying simple meals. Here only a guide and maybe one porter for carrying your bags will be required.

Thanks for sending us all the details regarding this trek. We are evaluating the two options – camping vs homestay. We will get back to you in a couple of days.
One more question. If it is possible for us to stay 1 extra day in Sankri to acclimatize before starting the trek. Also, which lodge will we be staying in Sankri?

It will be helpful for all, if you spend an additional day at Sankri before the trek. You can get adjusted to the environment and walk around to acclimatise.

There are many accommodation options at Sankri aiming for the trekkers. None are really in the “fully serviced” category. Some homestay/lodges look good from outside yet very simple inside.

Do you have anything specific in your mind? We plan your accommodation at “Wild Orchid Inn” or similar which has standard rooms with attached toilets and running hot water. There are options like “Meraki Cafe” but their rooms are for 3 to 4 persons or more and toilets are outside and common in nature.

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Solo Sikkim trek option in low altitude during summer

sikkim-solo-trek-option

Hello
I will be travelling solo in Sikkim in June, and would love to explore the nature by trekking. I have lots of experience to trek, read maps and have cycled through many countries. I am having two opt. in my mind. I will start from Gangtok early morning 20th of June and need to be in Bagdogra by lunch the 25th of June.

1. Trek without guide but get help to plan route and book homestays. (Have read about the Monastery trek on your website)

2. Trek with guide depending on what’s available and where it’s good to go thees dates. I am open to have private guide or travel in a group. I am very fit and easily trek 20 Km/day carrying my own backpack.

Look forward to hear from you.
Best Regards,

June mid or later half is not conducive for trekking in Sikkim due to regular monsoon. Already it started raining frequently by late May which is normal. Prepare for moderate to heavy rain during your walk, if you plan so. At the same time, lush and thick green forests with many shades are an experience itself.

You have very impressive experience and fitness. It would have been better to trek in Himachal or maybe Uttarakhand as well in late June. Here is our our response to your queries.

1) Yes you can certainly follow our West Sikkim Monastery trail. This is a low altitude trek. Prepare for leeches throughout the trail due to warmer climate and cattle in the households. This trail doesn’t require to get the additional Trekking permit and possible to go solo. However we are not sure whether any homestay will be willing to take  a guest without a local person accompanying as guide. (due to various reasons including security concerns).

green-forests-during-summer
Its all green in summer
monastery-visits-from-yuksom
Monastery visits
low-altitude-trek-in-sikkim
Beauty of low altitude trek

2) Presently other treks that we arrange in Sikkim will require an additional Trekking Permit (inducing Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary trek) for non Indian nationals. This permit is issued to a minimum of 2 non Indian nationals applying together.

Hope this helps in better understanding. Feel free to revert with any queries that you may have.

Hello,

Some rain is no problem for me, but reading up on the leeches they don’t seem so much fun. I will already be in Sikkim for a Vipassana that ends the 20th, that’s why I have the five days to explore after that. And since I love trekking, I’d like to do that, or discover nature (preferably beyond the normal tourist spots).  I am very open minded as I said where, to do day excursion or stay-over.

Maybe I have to come back to Sikkim at another time as well for a longer trip. Regarding the timing and the dates, do you have any suggestion of a good option for the interest I have?

Hi,

Namaste and greetings.

Leeches will be there and better to take some precautions like carrying salt or tobacco/snus. These may help to deal with the leeches!

We may suggest an alternate based upon our travelling in Sikkim.

Gangtok is indeed touristy and more or less a concrete jungle, at least the main downtown area. Also I feel the famous monasteries like Rumtek or Pemayangtse etc (read the Big guys) are pretty commercialised. Though your travelling time is not a tourist season, and is an advantage apart from the monsoon. On the other hand monasteries like Dubdi, Hongri or even Tashiding are more serene due to their off the road locations. Here I am outlining a plan that you can travel independently and free. Be sure to double check the information below and measure any risks associated with it. You are travelling in monsoon, landslides may be a spoiler for any planned journey on time.

Ravangla – Maenam top and Yuksom monasteries itinerary:

20th June: Depart from Gangtok and take a shared vehicle to Ravangla, South Sikkim. 70 Km, 3 hours. Road sections are pretty bumpy. There are lot of hotels/lodges on the main street, as well as some off around. Get into a suitable one. In the afternoon explore the area around. Check with lodge/hotel whether they can help you with, at the time of check-in or visit the forest check post on the trail to Maenam top.

ravangla-town-south-sikkim
Ravangla town
around-ravangla
Around Ravangla

21st June: Push for Maenam hill top and back. DON’T try without a local guide (You should not require Trekking Permit but at forest check post guard will not allow you to go alone).  The top called Bhaleydhunga is some 3200 m (check the area from Google map). The trail is pristine, covered with lush green forest, offers fantastic views of the Kanchendzongha and high mountains on a clear day. It will be a full day hike, around 10 hours (+/- 2 hours) from Ravangla (~ 2000 m) and descent. There is nothing on the way, once you cross the forest check post. Carry adequate water and food for you and your guide. Ravangla lodge/hotel.

buddha-park-at-ravangla
Buddha park on the way to Maenam
view-point-on-the-way-to-maenam-top
A resting place cum view point on the way to Maenam top

22nd June: Travel to Yuksom via Tashiding, en route take your time and visit Tashiding monastery. You get good homestay accommodation at Yuksom (like Limboo homestay).

23rd June: First half visit Dubdi monastery. Post lunch explore Yuksom, and around, lake, coronation site, and some wide walks etc. For this you may not need a guide.

24th June: Guide is a must for this. Early morning start for Hongri monastery via Tsung/Kalidara village. Around 3 hours. If you have time, you can push to the top, some 2 hours steady climb, Pa Hungri. Its a ruin and on a clear day good mountain views. Return to Yuksom. Depending upon plan pack food. If you have a day less then club Dubdi and Hongri on the same day.

25th June: In the morning (by 7 am) take shared vehicle to Jorethang and from there switch to Siliguri vehicle. Proceed to Bagdogra etc as per your plan. 8/10 hours.

Hope this helps to plan your trip within your schedule.
Happy planning.
Best regards,
Team HT

Dear HT,

Thank you so much for this great travel plan. I’ve read up and will most likely follow it with some smaller modifications. I really appreciate you taking the time to help.

I will reach back to you next time I come to India and then pick a good time for a longer trek. 

Best Regards,

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A week long homestay hiking option in Western Himalayas

homestay-trek-in-darhwal-western-himalayas-india

I would like to ask if you have any recommendations for a 5 to 7 day hike between 11 and 18 April for four persons in Uttarakhand or Himachal Pradesh.

We would come from Delhi on 10 April and return to Delhi on 19 April

Before suggesting trail(s) we would like to know the following:

1) Do you prefer to have a private tour or join any of our fixed departure? Prior will have more route choice, like adding or modifying an itinerary as per your need. Pricing depends primarily on the number of persons and the chosen route.

2) Are you experienced hikers? We would like to hear about your prior hiking experience(s), in case any.

3) Mid of April will probably have a lot of snow around ~ 4000 m/13000 ft. Himachal seems difficult for a multi-day camping trek, and Uttarakhand seems a better destination in our opinion.

Please feel free to revert for any queries or any inputs which you may like to share.

Thank you for your quick response. We have experience with multiple day hikes camping in the Alps, Pyrenees in Europe and in Ladakh. We are interested in a private tour wherever possible. Thank you very much.

It’s great to hear that you have considerable experience of hiking. It will certainly give you more options to explore the possibilities.

During mid April, you may consider all the winter/spring trek routes like Kedarkantha, Har Ki Dun, Winter Kuari Pass and few others. Note that these are popular routes and may have other groups visiting around the same time. Campsites are limited even if you are on a private tour.

Alternatively, you may consider Bedni Bugyal trek or Dodital trek (possible to add with Dayara Bugyal) which are less frequent during your travel time.

All of the above treks are of camping in nature and requires heavy logistics arrangements, when arranged for 2 persons.

You may also be interested in this budget friendly Eco tour to Osla and Har Ki Dun in homestay that we have designed.

Hope this gives you a fair idea about the possibilities. Please feel free to revert for any queries or suggestions which you may need.

Reading your email below, we found the Osla and Har Ki Dun homestay tour appealing for mid of April. However we would like to spend more time in the area and possibly hike some more before returning to Dehra Dun. Would it be possible to prolong this tour with a few extra days?
Hope to hear from you soon, regards.

Yes, we can certainly increase the itinerary for couple of days, hiking and staying in homestays, expanding to 8/9 days, Dehradun to Dehradun. Osla to Har Ki Dun and return will be your only strenuous day of the hike.

Note that the homestays are simple, serving local diets, daal, chawal, sabji, chapati meals or paratha in breakfast.

Guide for the trip will be a local person, having understanding of basic English sentences and words. He will definitely have a sound understanding and knowledge of the area. Note that we don’t send English speaking soft skilled trek leaders raised in cities!

How many people are there in your team?

Please feel free to revert for more queries on your plan.

Hi Namasté, thanks for your reply!
Could you make us an offer for the homestay trip Osla to Har Ki Dun? We are a group of 4 people but only 2 want to prolong to 9 days, 2 people want the original 5-6 day trip. Will you please include the drives from Dehradun up the mountains?
We could depart around April 8.
Looking forward to hearing from you, all the best

Namaste & good evening from India.

So following our earlier discussion 2 of you (say team A) will be following our usual Osla Har Ki Dun homestay trek.  Osla and Har Ki Dun HOmestay trek itinerary. Remaining two members (say team B) will split and spend additional 2 nights in the region. Team A will trace back their steps to Sankri whereas team B will approach Dhatmeer village via Dharkot.

The itinerary extended trip will be:

Day 1: Dehradun to Sankri – 200 Km by car or bus – 10/11 hours. Lodge or homestay accommodation.
Day 2: Sankri to Taluka village – 11 Km by car – 1 hour – Trek from Taluka to Gangar – 9 Km – 4/5 hours. Homestay. Explore the village in the afternoon.
Day 3: Trek to Osla – 5 Km – 2/3 via Powani village. Homestay. Explore Osla village and temple after lunch.
Day 4: Early morning trek to Har Ki Dun – 11 Km – 4 to 5 hours –Stay at Har Ki Dun forest rest house – Explore valley in the afternoon. Witness outstanding sunset view.
Day 5: After sunrise views trek down to Osla – Homestay at Osla,   3 to 4 hours. Either stay here or carry on to Gangar/Dhatmeer etc.
Day 6: Trek from Osla to Dhatmeer, 3-4 hours. Homestay at Dhatmeer.
Day 7: Post breakfast trek to Leka Top. Back for lunch. Homestay at Dhatmeer.
Day 8: Trek to Taluka, 5 hours, by car Sankri – 1 hour. Twin sharing lodge.
Day 9: Drive/bus to Dehradun – 200 Km – 10 hours.

On top of the opposite Ridge of Gangad village is Dharkot. The climb to Dharkot is quite steep but not very long thankfully. From Dharkot two to three hours of gradual ridge walk will reach you the point from where Dhatmeer is only half an hour of descent. From Dhatmeer you will attempt to summit Leka Top for a compelling 360-degree view of the majestic western Garhwal. Also below are few photos of this additional region including Dhatmeer. These snaps are from peak winters, and for indication purpose only. Remaining trails photos and cultural insights are already in our Osla Har Ki Dun homestay trek details page. Hope you’ll find it helpful.

gangad-village-on-the-other-side-of-the-valley
Steep climb to Dharkot
dharkot-village-upper-tons-valley-towards-har-ki-dun
Dharkot village
dhatmeer-village-in-winters-after-snowfall
Dhatmeer village during peak winter
temple-at-dhatmeer-village-tons-river-valley
At Dharmeet village
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Family trek in Sikkim Darjeeling during spring summer

rhododendron-trek-in-spring-summer

We are a family of 5 with kids having 7, 9 and 10 years old and:
Looking for a trek in Sikkim of almost 5 to 7 days by end of April.
We are all good trekkers and would like to see rhododendrons and big mountains.
We will reach Bagdogra airport with daily flight from Hyderabad.
Accordingly to your experience and planning, which treks will you suggest ?

We would be more than happy to arrange a family trek for you in Sikkim. It’s wonderful to know that you all are good hikers .

Late April is spring/summer time in Sikkim/Darjeeling area and known for its Rhododendron and Magnolia bloom. Expect cloudy and misty weather, especially in the afternoon, which is a speciality of this area. Morning are normally clear with fantastic mountain views.

Let us understand the following things from your end:

  1. Is you window i.e 25th April to 1st May includes Bagdogra to Bagdogra? Note that you will require a day each to reach trek base and return from trek end point to Bagdogra for any trek in Sikkim/Darjeeling area.
  2. Do you prefer Tea House style trek or like to go for a camping trek? Any preference on this?
  3. Can you please write your prior hiking experience(s) with respect to high altitude? We wish to double check for the kid of 7 years as well.

Please feel free to revert with all your queries and any input which you may wish to share.

We have kept days for travel as following:

– 24/04 for travel from Hyderabad to Bagdogra, plane reaching at 9:55 am
– 02/05 for return with plane at 10:25 am
We can eventually take a later plane and or extend to Sunday 03/05.
If the trek is shorter, we will consider 1 or 2 days in Darjeeling.
We have no preference for tea house or camping. We will mostly focus on the trek, then it will be decided accordingly.
Regarding experiences, I do not expect to walk a lot with children: probably not more than 600 m drop per day. And we don’t need to bring them in altitude: 4500 m is probably a maximum with prior acclimatisation.
Don’t worry: having personally being at 6000 m (Annapurna and South America) I will not take any risks for my children.

Thank you very much for your detailed response. This really helps in moving forward.

Here are my understanding and inputs for you to decide:

Duration: You have a total of 10 days stretching from 24th April to 3rd May (say an afternoon flight) at maximum. This will accommodate a trek plus couple of days of relaxation options in both Sikkim and Darjeeling.

1) In Darjeeling, the trail which fits your ambition is our all time favourite Singalila Ridge trek, a.k.a Sandakphu trek. Indeed this trek inside Singalila National Park delights trekkers of all age and form all corners of the world! We can modify or extend as suits you. E.g. you may stay an additional day at Sandakphu and explore the area more. Half day hike after breakfast from Sandakphu on the Phalut road is lovely opportunity to get the grand views of the “big mountains”. End of April should be good for blooming on higher altitude ~ 3000 to 3500 m. Staying in homestay gives an angle of looking into local culture and lifestyle in this trail. After the trek you can always visit Darjeeling, Queen of the hills. Relaxing here for a couple of days and strolling around is itself a good option. Also there are options of staying in Tea Estates bungalows.

2) In Sikkim one option to see mountains really close is to walk on famous Goecha La trail. We have one alternate option on this trail, upto Dzongri on a relaxing pace. You may consider our Dzongri trek itinerary, although it will be a bit tight. Being foreign national you need to spend an additional day inside Sikkim to process the PAP (Protected Area Permit)/Trekking Permit before you can start the trek. Do check more about different permits required to enter and trek inside Sikkim. You should get good flowering from Tsokha to Dzongri stretch during your visit. Darjeeling tour is not a possibility within this tour duration.

3) A more feasible option inside Sikkim is our very pristine and serene Phoktey Dara trek. Geographically this is close to Singalila ridge and offers the same view as that of Sandakphu or Phalut. Being north of Darjeeling, this trail is closer to Kanchenjunga and other Sikkim peaks and produces same ‘Sleeping Buddha”actually closer. If you like forest, then this must be in your bucket list. In my understanding Rhododendron full bloom occurs every alternate or in 2/3 years depending on various conditions. However Barsey and the sanctuary are wonderful opportunity to see Rhododendrons and some Magnolia. You can see some more idea and picture of Barsey here. Note that you need to stay an additional day at Okhrey village homestay as we need it to process your permits. It’s a nice village to explore a day around with a good homestay. After the trip there is a chance to relax a day in Darjeeling as well. It will take 6/7 hours from trek end point Uttarey to reach Darjeeling via Melli, as foreigners are not allowed to take the shorter route from Jorethang to Darjeeling.

I hope that now you are good to decide on your trek :-). Please feel free to revert for all queries or suggestions you may need

We would like to consider Sandakphu trek from 25 to 30/04. Will it be possible with probably one horse for 2 backpacks? Please make a proposal considering that we are 5 and will not let a kid alone in a room.

Please note that Family Room with 5 beds is not available at all the lodges. We will try for them at Tumling and Sandakphu. Elsewhere, 2 rooms. This area is damper than the western Himalayan routes and it can rain in spring so waterproofing is a must. Furthermore there is no electric heater or any kind of heating source in the rooms. Keep adequate warming layer(s) as per your comfort.

Regarding backpack offloading, we can arrange a porter who will take 2 medium size rucksack not weighing more than 18 Kg.  One horse is generally not available for rent.

Brief Itinerary:

25th Apr: Darjeeling to Manebhanjan by car – 40 Km – 2 hours. Reach by 9 AM. After permit procedure, trek to Tumling – 12 Km – 6/7 hours
26th Apr Trek to Kalapokhari – 12 Km – 6/7 hours
27th Apr: Trek to Sandakphu – 6 Km – 3/4 hours
28th Apr: Witness sunrise, after breakfast, hike on Phalut road for 5-6 Km to enjoy magnificent views of Sleeping Buddha and Everest group of mountains. Return by Lunch.
29th Apr: Witness Sunrise. Trek from Sandakphu to Timburey via Gurdum village– 15 Km – 7/8 hours
30th Apr: Walk 1 and a half hours to the Srikhola road head and drive to Darjeeling town ( 90 Km, 4 hours). You will reach Darjeeling by 2 pm. We recommend at least 2 days in Darjeeling to properly see the sights and enjoy it without making it too hectic. There are many points of interest in and around the town.

I confirm we will go for this trek. Anyway 2 rooms/cabins are OK when no other solution.

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2 weeks vacation with a trek in Sikkim plus Bhutan tour during spring

trekking-in-india-sikkim-bhutan-in-april

Planning a 2 weeks vacation which should include a trek in Sikkim or Darjeeling area and a later trip to Bhutan spanning 2 weeks.

Below is the email conversation which enabled the prospective trekkers to take right decision as per their choice and expectations. Read trekkers enquiries in GREY and our response in BLACK. Thank you for reading with patience!

My husband and I are planning a trekking tour in Sikkim in April and are seeking your guidance on our draft itinerary and are looking forward to your proposal.
We would like to trek from Yuksom to Dzongri La in 4 days.
The itinerary is the following:
Very early morning pick up in Darjeeling by car and drive to Yuksom. Start walking in Yuksom around noon to reach Tsokha in the evening.
2nd day – Tsokha to Dzongri / Dzongri La
3rd day – return from Dzongri La to Tsokha, start around noon to reach early evening.
4th day – walk Tsokha – Yuksom (5-6 hours) and drive by car to Gangtok where we spend the night.
5th day explore Gangtok and area by car/foot
6th day leave Gangtok to be in arrive in the evening in at border to Bhutan, stay there for night. Include monastery and other sightseeing in the 7-8 hours drive. Next morning cross border with Bhutan travel agency.

Thanks for your feedback, we have a good fitness level and like hiking. Fully aware that the 1st day of the trek is a tough day with more than 1000 m in altitude.
We don’t mind driving in the dark and getting up early if this is OK for the driver.

Greetings. Thank you for reaching out to us, HIMALAYA TREKKERS (HT). We would be more than happy to plan your trekking trip to Sikkim.

However at first glance, your schedule looks hectic, and can be pretty tiring. It’s always tempting to fit more places/things to see within a short schedule, but can be at risk as well.

Regarding permits for Non Indian nationals in Sikkim: We have broken down the Permit Requirements here in detail. In brief, to enter Sikkim you need one RAP ( Restricted Area permit) or previously known as ILP ( Inner Line Permit). It would be issued free of cost when you enter Sikkim or you can get it from Darjeeling. You can visit all the tourist places with this permit. To trek, however, you need  another permit called PAP (Protected Area Permit). You can not trek solo in Sikkim if you’re a foreigner. PAP is only issued for at least two foreigners. It can only be issued by a registered travel agency from the Tourism and Civil Aviation Dept of Gangtok(capital of Sikkim). We charge an additional ₹3000 as a Permit Processing Fee to the foreigners. We’ll include this in the package for you.

Note: You can get Sikkim entry permit from their office in Darjeeling also. However we need another day to process your Trekking Permit/PAP from Gangtok (meantime you complete Darjeeling and reach Yuksom).

Although it is not impossible to complete your itinerary (assuming you are fairly fit persons), although you have to be careful about the following:

1) In April, it is possible to start in the early morning, say around 5 am from Darjeeling. However the drive to Yuksom will take around 6 hours. Then there will be some permit procedures before you start your hike to Tsokha. It gets dark in Sikkim by 6 pm around mid April. (Sikkim is in eastern India and we have only one timezone).

2) You should be get acclimatised very well during the trek. In two days, literally you will be gaining an altitude of ~ 2000 m, to reach Dzongri. I hope you have not faced any acclimatisation issues in the past, while rapidly gaining altitude.

3) Dzongri La, i.e. Dzongri Pass is quite a distance from Dzongri. It takes ~ 5/6 hours for a round trip from Dzongri. You need to skip this on in the given itinerary but only Tsokha to Dzongri that day and camp.

4) Note that Yuksom to Gangtok is also around 6 hours of drive.

Please feel free to revert for any queries or any inputs which you may like to share with us.

Thanks for your feedback and advise, much appreciated. We trust your input as you have the knowledge and we only can assess our abilities from past experiences. 

Please see below our comments and questions. We would appreciate if you can provide us with an itinerary and cost for the trip. does your company also offer trips to Bhutan? We would love to have support from one travel agency for our whole trip. From Bagdogra to Paro, which we will leave on the 18th around noon.

  1. We are OK to start at 5 am and spend if necessary the last hour walking in the dark of safety is not compromised. We can bring headlamps.
  2. No, we haven’t.
  3. Oh, we weren’t aware. In other itineraries we read it felt more like 1 hour. Obviously, as this is the reason why we are going there, we would need to spend sufficient time exploring the area.
  4. We are aware and OK to do so if the driver is OK to drive in the dark.

As I read your email, following are my suggestions:

Regarding Bhutan travel: Recently last November we did a recce trip to Bhutan including Thimphu, Punakha and Haa valley (we skipped Paro due to shortage of time) with a self driven car. As of now travelling to Bhutan has permit relaxation for Indian tourists. We recommend that you book through a registered Tour Operator from Bhutan. HT can only take “bookings” from you, but has to arrange through only a local tour operator. We say many foreigners travelling to these places with good quality Bhutanese Tour operators.

If you are running short of time, you may consider getting a flight from Bagdogra (IXB) to Paro (PBH), though not operated daily. On the other hand if you travel by car then you go to Jaigoan border in India and Phuentsholing on the other side in Bhutan. During this drive you will cross some nice stretch of foothills forests (localled called Dooars) and tea gardens.

About Dzongri and Sikkim trip: In my opinion you may consider stripping the idea of travelling towards the capital region, i.e. Gangtok. It’s mostly a concrete city with hotels, as I have seen it.

On the contrary West Sikkim has also beautiful and pristine monasteries, around or on your way to Yuksom. Check our monastery circuit trail in West Sikkim to get an idea. Also it’s worth to stay a night and sleep at Yuksom before you have a fresh start to Tsokha.

I will be able to suggest an itinerary catering most, if you may share your arrival to Bagdogra and leaving out to Bhutan.

Also we can arrange all car transfers starting at your arrival at Bagdogra and till Bhutan border including Darjeeling and Sikkim.

Please feel free to add anything which comes in your mind.

This is good advice! Let’s try to strip out Gangtok and spend more time in West Sikkim and check option to fly from Bagdogra to Paro or by car. 

We will land in Bagdogra on the 5th around noon and would like to stay 2 nights in Darjeeling and surrounding just to overcome the jet lag and explore this beautiful area. 

We have already booked a flight from Paro to Delhi on the 18th around noon. Latest on the 14th we want to be in Bhutan because otherwise it’s too short. I like your proposal for Bhutan including Thimphu, Punakha and Haa valley and no Paro. Which tour operator do you recommend – really interested in knowledgeable guide who are able and willing to introduce us to culture and ways of living in Bhutan and design a peaceful and insightful journey other than taking us to the tourist places. Culture and nature are our key priorities.

We also looked at the monastery circuit trail you mention in your mail and find it very appealing. So I was considering that as an alternative to the Dzongri trek especially because it might be less visited.On your homepage I found a suggested itinerary. Does it make sense to combine day two and three in one so we can save one day? If we do that, porters and horses might be an interesting option.

What about the Singalila Trek? Would it be possible to hike only a part of it or is it a circuit itinerary you have to do completely?

Here I first summarise my understanding on your proposed trip(s)/tour(s) as of now :-). Please correct me if I am wrong.

  • You have approximately 2 weeks, 5th April noon landing at  Bagdogra and 18th April noon flying out from Paro.
  • It is a must to include both India & Bhutan within the travel.
  • Some hiking option(s) with a local cultural quotient in it within your travel.

Now certainly one would like to get the most out of an itinerary, based upon their particular preferences and liking. I would like to know more about your expectations from the tour.

A note: Sikkim/Darjeeling area in eastern Himalayas, is known for its dampness and prolonged monsoon. Afternoons are cloudy, prepare for pre monsoon rains, even in early April. Mornings are clear on high altitude and normally produce reasonable good views of the high mountains. Mid April will rarely produce clear mountain views like one may get in Late Oct/Nov (Autumn). On the contrary during mid April, i.e. spring time,  it is Rhododendron/Magnolia flowering season inside misty jungle and very charming in its own.

Below I will try to elaborate about various hiking options:

1) Dzongri trek: A moderate  hiking trail, however, reducing duration makes it strenuous in nature. Trail offers splendid Kanchenjunga views and other high mountains above 6500 m, from a very close distance. Once you start walking there will be no village monastery etc. However there will be other hiking groups camping around. This you should consider if your focus is more on going to high altitude and somewhat serious hiking exercise. Here you will get required information about Dzongri trail which you will cover:

https://www.tourmyindia.com/treks/dzongri-trek.html

2) Monastery Circuit trail: This is more of a very relaxed low altitude hike, who are particularly keen on staying in simple homestay, 3/4 hours of leisurely hike, spending more time in villages around and last but not the least, visiting pristine and holy monasteries. If hiking is your main focus, you may still visit Dubdi and Hongri monastery and return to Yuksom in a day’s hike. Here is the details link:

https://dev.himalayatrekker.com/tours/sikkim-monastery-trail-homestay-trek/

We may suggest a part of the above with Dzongri trek within your itinerary. This covers two main essence of Sikkim, its high mountains and some off the route cultural essence as well.

Suggested itinerary:

5th April: Around noon arrival at Bagdogra. Around 3 to 3 and a half hours drive to Darjeeling.

6th and 7th April: Around Darjeeling, various sightseeing (HMI/Zoo, Tea gardens etc). On 7th April after lunch (by 1 pm) drive from Darjeeling to Yuksom. 5/6 hours. Your ILP for Sikkim will be processed at Melli check post (around 15/20 minutes time). Homestay accommodation e.g. Limboo Homestay (they serve organic vegetarian food only).
8th April: Explore Yuksom and around. After breakfast visit Coronation Throne site, Kathok Lake, local monastery. Later hike to the Sikkim’s oldest monastery Dubdi. This will be around 3 hours round trip. After lunch we may visit Gufa Dara village, around 30 mins hike. We can explore the small village and local community. Night stay at Yuksom. We process your Trekking Permit/PAP today from Gangtok. Alternatively after breakfast you may have a day hike to Dubdi and then further to Hongri monastery and return in the afternoon.

9th to 13th April: Trek to Dzongri and back. 5 days/4 nights , Additional night at Dzongri to explore the area and Dzongri La/Lampokhri lake side. If we start early from Tsokha on 13th then we will reach Yuksom in 5 hours. Then we can drive from Yuksom to Bhutan border at Jaigaon on Indian side. 250 Km drive, should take around 8 hours. (meet your Bhutan tour representative here). Night stay at Jaigaon, India.

14th to 17th April: Enter Bhutan Phuentsholing (permit/visa process at immigration office), Bhutan Thimphu, Punakha, and Paro. Essentially a sightseeing tour, though roads are better than Indian Himalayas!

18th April: Flight around noon from Paro to Delhi.

3) Singalila trek: This is probably a perfect blend of some fantastic high mountain views along with staying in homestay/lodge and getting some local cultural insights. You will already be in Darjeeling, it’s easy to reach the trek base and start hiking. This trail is inside Darjeeling, India and very often going inside Nepal. Most of the homestays are in Nepal side. Flavour wise this may resemble to Tea House treks in Nepal. Here is the route details link:

https://dev.himalayatrekker.com/tours/sandakphu-trek/

There are advantages and disadvantages of this tour! Main disadvantage is that literally you will be left with no time for Sikkim. On the other side, spending more time in Darjeeling area and Bhutan is the main advantage. Maybe you can keep Sikkim for your next visit (may ? (Ethnically and culturally Sikkim and Darjeeling area have many things in common)

Suggested itinerary:

5th April: Around noon arrival at Bagdogra. Around 3 to 3 and a half hours drive to Darjeeling.

6th and 7th April: Around Darjeeling, various sightseeing (HMI/Zoo/Natural History museum, Tea gardens, Toy train ride, etc) and certainly enjoying the old colonial remnants of the Chowrasta/mall area, nice walks around. You may skip day tour of “many sightseeing” by car and instead walk comfortably at your own pace and explore the town and around.

8th April: Have your breakfast early, start by 7/7:30 am and drive to Maneybhajung, ~ 30 Km, 1 hour or so. After processing entry permit we will hike to Tumling, 12 Km 6/7 hours. Initial steep climb to Chitrey (please check our usual itinerary, I am hence modifying and fine tuning it). Lodge/homestay.

9th April: We will club Day 3 and Day 4 of usual itinerary and directly reach Sandakphu skipping Kalapokhari. From many past experiences we have seen European hikers including kids were comfortable doing this. ~ 18 Km, 8/9 hours. Sunset views from Sandakphu. Hotel accommodation.

10th April: Explore Sandakphu. Witness sunrise views, after breakfast walk on the lovely Phalut road. On a clear day You will literally walking straight towards Kanchenjunga and Sleeping Buddha, on flat gentle track. Return for lunch, 4/5 hours round trip. Evening sunrise for Hotel rooftop.

11th April: After breakfast trek down to Timburey. A very friendly homestay in the village.

12th April: Start early morning and walk an hour or so to the Srkhola bridge, motor road head. From here we will drive to Jaigoan, around 240 Km, 8/9 hours. Meet your Bhutan tour representative here. You may even stay on the other side of the border, i.e. Phuentsholing (much cleaner and calm place than Jaigaon).

13th to 17th: 5 days Bhutan tour. In my opinion choose Paro (Taksang Monastery etc ) instead Haa. Thimphu and Punakha.

18th April: Flight around noon from Paro to Delhi.

Regarding your Bhutan travel part:

As I wrote earlier, its better to book directly through a local registered tour operator. As per their govt policy they maintain their motto of “high value and low impact” tourism. This has empowered local operators to provide high quality services to international tourists. You will get good quality accommodation (similar to 3 start) and transfers in SUVs (e.r. Toyota Landcruiser/Prado) in their suggested fees.

There are trails in Bhutan as well. However to get an essence of the high and interior Himalayas, one should probably take on the longer duration hikes, like one From Paro to Gasa/Laya, some 10 days of trek. To visit Tiger’s Nest monastery (Taktsang, Paro) you may have a short half day hike.

We have some reference of Bhutan Tour operator(s). We may try to check, if you think you may need some help on this.

Suggesting a right itinerary for the right person(s) is most important in my opinion. I will look forward for your further inputs. Also feel free to edit, remove, add any part of any itinerary, if you like so.

We looked at your option 3 and like it a lot. There are only a few questions- when reading more about the trek, I learnt that a street has been build to Sandakphu. We were wondering how this impacts the experience – what are your thoughts?

When reading this paragraph we were asking ourselves – how much it might rain in the afternoon and if this would be the same for Dzongri ( we assume so). Nevertheless we understood that you recommend doing the trek as it holds various beauties- correct? What kind of equipment do we need ? 

Regarding the night at the border. We are aware that Jaigaon is less favourable but want to avoid paying 250$ Fee only for staying the night across the border. Do you have any idea if we can circumvent this? My husband is living in Bangalore but not an Indian National. 

Please be so kind and recommend agencies in Bhutan. We really like the way how you develop the program for us and trust you.

I am glad that you liked the option 3, i.e. Darjeeling with Sandakphu trek (a.k.a Singalila Ridge trek) for your India trip part.

Below are some facts and my opinion for your enquiries:

Yes there is a motor road to Sandakphu , if you call so! Initial half is a narrow concrete road, rebuilt a couple of years back. Last half is gravel dirt road. Trekking trail till Sandakphu will have some common portion with the road almost half, but it is so for 15 years or more. There will be many shortcuts, detours and walks inside Nepal also. This should not be much of an issue, despite movement of noisy old Landrovers. Note that your descent from Sandakphu to Srikhola via Timburey is through pristine forest mostly and no motor road in the vicinity. 

You are correct, Dzongri and Sandakphu trail should behave very similar, weather wise. If it rains or snows on one, most likely the other will very likely get the same. 

Four things are a must for any Himalayan Trek and are your personal equipment.

  1. a) A Trekking shoe – mid/high ankle rubber sole, waterproof membrane
  2. b) A Rucksack (40-50 L)
  3. c) A Warm jacket – can be synthetic, fleece or down jacket
    d) Windproof & Waterproof jacket/clothing – outer layer.

As a general guide here is an article on what type of equipment you should get and a elaborative list of things to carry.

Indeed your time of visit i.e. spring is recommended for Singalila trek. There are fantastic mountain views, both from Tumling and Sandakphu. Also your tour has an additional day at Sandakphu. Hopefully you will get good sunrise or/and sunset views. Spring brings life to the forest. Be it flowers or birds or butterflies. I personally like to walk inside misty and foggy forest, which is a spring speciality.

I enquired with a Bhutanese Tour Operator today, whom I met at Phuentsholing last November. He helped us to book one night of hotel at Thimphu and the road permit of our Indian car, the minimum mandatory things we needed. Here is a summary of our conversation:

  • Tour Fee for foreigners is non negotiable and USD 250 per person per day. Surcharge is USD 30 per person per day on the top of minimum daily tariff, i.e total of USD 280 per person per day, as you are 2 persons. This will include all accommodations (3 star quality), breakfast and dinner (lunch during sightseeing on your own), all transfers/sightseeing inside Bhutan in SUV like Toyota Prado/Hyundai SantaFe. A standard tour guide/escort will be there apart from the usual driver.
  • Visa Fee for Bhutan i.e. USD 40 per person is to paid separately.
  • Once you confirm/pay a tour with them, they will send an invitation along with options/range of hotels. Once you choose, they will inform Bhutanese authority. Then you apply for a Visa with USD 40 as fee. Their representative and tour guide will meet you at Jaigaon and carry out the immigration process.
  • They can help in a workaround for an accommodation at Phuentsholing. The Immigration Office remains open till 9 pm, so they can get your visa upon your arrival. Then you can pay the usual hotel fee (maybe ~ INR 3000 to 4000 for a standard room) instead paying USD 280 * 2 persons for that night.

Did you check with any direct Bhutan agencies?  What information could you gather?

Good morning and thank you very much for the additional information. The Trek sounds great and exactly what we are looking for. 

May I ask you for the price and if you could supply porters too? I am not sure if I want to carry the big backpack all the time 😉

Concerning Bhutan we are in contact with 2 – 3 agencies. We are trying to get an impression about the opportunities there because we are looking for a mix out of a bit of trekking, some culture and some spiritual experiences like meditation.

To check these things before pricing:

Do you want us to add anything extra, car transfers airport etc or only TREK FEE? – I.e. Manebhanjan to Srikhola along with one porter (He can carry up 2 no of rucksacks/similar up to 17/18 kg)? I assume the trek high standard quality accommodation and upgrade meals with a decent English speaking local guide. Anything more you would like to specify here? e.g. car transfer by Toyota Innova etc.

Did any of the agencies in Bhutan shared something interesting apart from usual itineraries? I see a potential about an itinerary starting from Phuentsholing – Thimphu – Punakha Dzong – Gasa – Laya – Gasa – Paro, tight, but possible. Our recce plan was this, but only “foreigners” can go to these places (Gasa and further to Laya) not the Indians! This may give you something really untouched in the Kingdom of Bhutan :-). You will get very limited information through Googling. It’s worth a research from your end in my opinion.

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Trekking on Singalila Ridge: Sandakphu Phalut to Singalila top and Barsey

singalila-ridge-trek

Singalila ridge and different trek options:

Singalila ridge is a north to south mountain ridge and runs along Nepal/India border. Towards south it is the De facto border between Nepal and West Bengal in India passing through Sandakphu and Phalut. Then it continues north bordering Nepal and Sikkim up to the foot of Kanchenjunga.

singalila-ridge-along-india-nepal
Singalila ridge marking the border of India and Nepal

Quite naturally this long ridge has many trekking routes to offer. Most popular version of Singalila ridge trek is Sandakphu trek. If we continue from Sandakphu further to north, we will reach Phalut. From Phalut we we continue further north, eventually we will enter into Sikkim and reach Singalila Top. From here we can continue even to north following Dafeybhir trail or we may get down to Barsey.

Singalila ridge trek is probably the “Finest Ridge trek in India“. Throughout its span you will witness Kanchenjunga along with very high mountains of Sikkim and Nepal. You can also see Everest, Lhotse and Makalu peaks from different places on this ridge.

Best time to visit:

1) Autumn/Winter: October to December, for clear weather and mountain views.

2) Spring/Summer: Mid March to mid May for Rhododendron bloom. Expect cloudy conditions with some rains from April onward.

Following  is an offbeat yet outstanding trail to trek, which includes both Singalila National Park and Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary. Essentially its adding Sandakphu trek with our Phoktey Dara trek. Logistics is particularly demanding in this route due to its Tea House and camping dual mode. Sandakphu and till Phalut it is a Tea House/lodging trek, and then its a camping style. Entire logistics for last few days is to be brought up from somewhere else far away and send them back again to a different place. Though the end result is a spectacular ridge trek duration trek with prolific views of Kanchenjunga, and many more high mountains. Moreover it includes pristine forest around Barsey.

Suggested itinerary:

Trekking Grade: Moderate (prior trekking experience is recommended).

Day 1: Arrive Bagdogra/NJP by 10 am. Drive to Manebhanjan 85 Km and reach by 1:30 pm. From here our base camp is 3 Km uphill at a hamlet called Chitrey on Sandakphu road. The check post at Manebhanjan closes by 2 pm. After 2 pm cars will not be allowed to Chitrey. Night stay at homestay.

Day 2: After breakfast we will start our trek today. From Chitrey we trek to Tumling via Meghma (lunch)- 9 K, 5-6 hours.  Lodge accommodation at Tumling.

Day 3: Trek to Kalapokhri – 12 Km, 6-7 hours. After a Km or so the entry to Singalila National Park, with a check post. Lunch at Kaiyakata via Gairibas.  Lodge accommodation at Kalapokhri.

Day 4: Trek to Sandakphu- 6 Km, 3-4 hours. Last 3 Km or so hike from Bhikeybhanjan to Sandakphu is steep. Have your lunch at Sandakphu. In the afternoon walk on the Phalut Road to get magnificent views Sleeping Buddha. Lodge/hotel accommodation at Sandakphu.

Day 5: After sunrise views have your breakfast. Today is a long day of walking to Phalut.  Total around 21 Km, of which initial 14 Km up to Sabarkum/Sabargram is flat or very gradual down. From here last 7 Km to Phalut is gentle gradual up. Night stay at GTA Trekkers Hut .

Day 6: Early morning we climb to Phalut top for sunrise views. This time even closer view of mountains and Sleeping Buddha. After breakfast we will trek on rather flat train and eventually enter Sikkim. We will reach a place called Torifuley, around 8/9 Km to camp for the day. Our camping logistics team will meet you here. Camp.

Day 7: Today morning we hike 2 Km up to Singalila top, which is the highest point in this area. After spending some time on top/pass we will get down to Kalijhar and then to Achalley via Thulodhap. Around 12 Km, 6/7 hours. Camp at Achaley.

Day 8: Today we trek to Barsey via Joributey and Deolinga Dhap. Distance around 15 Km, 6/7 hours. Night accommodation at Barsey Trekkers Hut.

Day 9: After breakfast we trek 4.5 Km, 2 hours to road head Hilley. From here NJP/Bagdogra is around 150 Km and may take 7/8 hours. If you have an extra day, you may spend a night at Okhrey village, 10 Km below Hilley towards Bagdogra. You get nice homestay with geyser facilities.

If you are planning a trek in Sikkim or Darjeeling then do drop us an email to info@dev.himalayatrekker.com or call @ +91 9831112469/9836133166/916328300 for any queries that you may have.

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Family trekking tour in Sikkim Darjeeling during late October

family-trek-in-sikkim-darjeeling
  • We are a family of five (children ages 14-11) interested in doing a trek in Sikkim, the Singalila trek during Oct 26 – Nov 1. The dates are fixed, but we could consider also the Barsey Sanctuary or another one.
  • We have teenage kids who can do a medium trek. Last Christmas we did the Poonhill trek in Nepal to give you a reference.
  • Our preference is staying in lodges or tea houses but no tents. But we would like to see Sikkim, not only Darjeeling.
  • We would like a good guide and porters for the proposed trek.

Darjeeling and Sikkim are adjacent, though it takes time to travel from one to another. Say for an example Darjeeling city to Gangtok is about 6/7 hours of drive. Also for Non Indian’s/foreigners, entry to Sikkim is either via Melli (for West Sikkim) or via Rangpo (for Gangtok and North/East Sikkim).

You have total 7 days assuming an afternoon/evening flight on 1st Nov from Bagdogra. Touching Sikkim and Darjeeling both can be tedious and tiring with a significant portion travelling in car.

We would like to understand more here about your trip preferences. Is including both Sikkim and Darjeeling your priority? If only one, then which one? How much important is the hiking part to you?

E.g if you decide only to stay inside Darjeeling district (West Bengal) then a Singalila Ridge i.e. Sandakphu trek along with Darjeeling city will be a suitable option. This will give a feel of complete hiking experience with a night or two relaxing in Darjeeling city or around.

In case of only Sikkim option, we would suggest couple of days in Gangtok area first (we process your Trekking Permit/PAP meantime inside Sikkim) then moving to West Sikkim and try Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary trek. This is a short and fairly easy trek in contrary to Sandakphu.

  • Our main interest is to do a good hike and see as close as possible the Himalayas. Staying in lodges is preferred to tents, but not a must. Getting some glimpse of the Sikkim culture is also something that we would like to achieve.
  • We have some additional days to accommodate the trek and visits. We could arrive to Bagdogra on Oct 25. We could stay as long a Sunday Nov 3 for the return flight. We are interested in perhaps staying the last two nights Nov 1-3 in a place like the Glenburn Tea Estate.
  • One option could be to do the Sandakphu trail Oct 25-31. Then perhaps dedicate Oct 31-Nov 1-2 to do a short Sikkim visit (around Pelling?) and then drive back to Glenburn Tea estate and then airport for late flight on Nov 3. Is that feasible?

It’s really nice to see the details of your planning, much appreciated. It helps in our understanding too.

As now you have more days, your proposed itinerary looks more complete. As I understand it, here are my thoughts:

1) Day 1 Chitrey: This is a small hamlet with few houses, one homestay/lodge and a monastery. Set up is very basic rooms, triple quad sharing type, more like 2+1+ 1/2+1 type of bedding. 3 Km below Chitrey is a small town on India/Nepal border called Maneybhanjung. Here we have arrangements with a local homestay, which is clean with attached toilet and running hot water. They serve home food which I felt tasty. Also the Sandakphu road from Maneybhanjung via Chitrey is closed by 2 pm (you have to reach Maneybhanjung by 1 pm, as there are foreigner permit formalities here). It takes around ~ 4 hours from Bagdogra to Maneybhanjung with a lunch break at Mirik town. Next day you can start trekking from Maneybhanjung in the morning to Chitrey and then to Tumling as per itinerary. Many Europeans travellers stay first night at Darjeeling, then next day morning drive an hour ~ 30 Km to Maneybhanjung and trek to Tumling with us. Here the climb from Maneybhanjung to Tumling becomes moderate as there is a steep uphill till Chitrey, which is 3 Km additional than our standard itinerary.

2) Pelling is a nice tourist town, with great views of Kanchenjunga. I am hopeful that you will get ample views of the mountains already in your trek. You may consider your Sikkim base at Yuksom, 40 Km further from Pelling. You can still visit Pemayangtse monastery, Rabdantse ruins, Khechepalri lake, Kanchenjunga falls etc, on your way, or short detours. At Yuksom you will get good hotels as well as nice homestay accommodations. There are places in and around Yuksom, the first capital of Sikkim. A lake, monasteries, Coronation site. On top of that, a nice 3/4 hours hiking to Dubdi monastery, Sikkim’s oldest. Holiest of these monasteries the one at Tashiding is 25 Km away one a different road than Pelling. To summarise Yuksom should give you more “Sikkim flavour” than touristy Pelling. Here you will get some idea about Yuksom and around:

https://dev.himalayatrekker.com/tours/sikkim-monastery-trail-homestay-trek/

Note: It will take 6/7 hours to reach Pelling from Srikhola by car and another 1 hour and half (max) to Yuksom. Glenburn Tea Estate is somewhere in between Srikhola to Pelling/Yuksom.

We look forward for your thoughts.

  • Thanks so much for all the information and sorry that we are taking a long time to design our trip. We would like to make sure we do the right thing. We have decided to skip Pelling and the Glenburn Tea Estate. We can concentrate on doing a Sikkim trek. Even though the drive to Yuksom is long my family is keen on seeing real Sikkim so I guess it is worth. Perhaps we could do the drive in two section: Airport to Chamong and then Chamong to Yuksom?
  • From Yuksom we would like to do a trek. I have seen the Dzongri trek that looks great, but not sure if too demanding for my kids. More ambitious than the monastery trek, which we also like. Our priority is to do a strong trek, but if possible staying in homestays. For me getting as close to the Kanchenjunja to get a close view would be important. Along the way, experiencing the Sikkim culture and monasteries is also important. Is the Dzongri trek the right one? If not, can we do some hybrid between Dzongri and the monastery trek.

Apart from logistical support our activities include suggestions and travel consulting that you take a well informed decision.

If you look at our Dzongri trek itinerary, it is of 9 days, Bagdogra to Bagdogra. We designed it in a relaxed manner that it is not strenuous like our Goecha La itinerary. Your kids should complete Dzongri trek without much difficulties  following our itinerary. Please share their prior hiking experiences if any than Poon Hills trek. However that leaves you with no other option to explore around apart from the trail and Kanchenjunga within your vacation plan. Also there is no homestay on the trail, but very basic Govt. Trekkers Hut without bed or bedding at Tsokha and Dzongri.

I would be more inclined towards an itinerary comprising Sandakphu trek, Chamong (just 10 Km from trek base Maneybhanjung) and Yuksom. Now you may decide the order of visiting after finalising the places that we cover. Ideally Day 1 seems good for Chamong or maybe 2 nights as well. Staying in a Tea Estate in Darjeeling adds value. Also think of taking a late afternoon/early evening flight in case you are returning directly from Yuksom to Bagdogra.

Sandakphu will be an ideal blend of trail, where you will hikes 5/6 hours a day (we can make it strenuous if you wish!) and stays are in homestay majorly. It does have cultural things to note along with revered view of Sleeping Buddha and Kanchenjunga.

3 nights at Yuksom and exploring monasteries and cultural aspects would certainly worth high for the Sikkim part.

What do you think?

Sounds good. Can you suggest the detailed itinerary for the Chamong, Sandakphu trek and Yuksom? The dates should be Oct 25-Nov 3 and please add the cost.

We will send you an itinerary and corresponding cost based on the following:

1) Your rooms preferences if any, like 2 rooms or a big family room/suite to stay ,where it is available (like Sandakphu)

2) Do you wish us to book Chamong Tea Estate by us, or you can do it online?

3) We will arrange the transportation required as per itinerary. Do you have any vehicle preference? Most common option is Tata Sumo/Mahindra Bolero type vehicle, and we can try Toyota Innova as well. Should we put this in invoice or there is an option of paying it directly to the driver too.

  • Family room is fine. If not possible we can do two rooms (adults + kids).
  • If you can arrange the Chamong tea Estate better. Car: whatever is more comfortable and safe. We need seat belts for everyone. If possible we prefer to pay you. Total days should be Oct 25-Nov 3. We can arrive early on Oct 25 and late on Nov 3.

We will be more than happy to arrange for your family to Sikkim and Darjeeling. This part of the Himalayas is damper than the rest. Sporadic rainfall may happen even in in late Oct. Electric heaters are not available inside the rooms. Keep adequate layers of warm clothing.

Also due to unavailability of rooms at Chamong, we propose a similar property, Tumsong Chaibari.

As per the conversation we have had in the last few days, here is the itinerary for your trip:

Suggested itinerary:

Oct 25 (Day 1): Arrive Bagdogra and transfer to Yuksom by Innova. () 160 Km. Arrive latest ~ 10 am. Inner Line Permit/RAP processing at Melli (after 70 Km) enroute, on Sikkim West Bengal border. Have your lunch on your own here or at Jorethang 30 Km further. 8 hours. Your guide for Yuksom will meet and greet you. Stay at Yuksom in Limboo Homestay/equivalent.

Oct 26: Explore Yuksom. After breakfast visit Coronation Throne site, Kathok Lake,monastery, colony area. After lunch in the afternoon visit Tashiding Monastery by car, 50 Km round trip. Night stay at Yuksom.

Oct 27: Today morning after breakfast we hike to the Sikkim’s oldest monastery Dubdi. This will be around 3/4 hours round trip. After lunch we will visit Gufa Dara village, around 30 mins hike. We will explore the small village and local community. Night stay at Yuksom

Oct 28: Start early after breakfast and drive from Yuksom to Maneybhanjang via Pelling. We will take a detour and visit Kanchenjunga Falls, Khecheopalri lake, Pemayangtse monastery and Rabdentse ruins around 180 Km, 10/12 hours with Sightseeing. Check here to get an understanding on the probable route. Have lunch on your own (maybe at Melli depending on time). Night Stay at Maneybhanjang. Homestay is at our Maneybhanjung base coordinators home.

Oct 29: Have your breakfast while we work the permit requirements. You may drive 3 Km uphill to Chitrey or start the walk from Maneybhanjung instead (Steep 3 Km climb, may take 1 to 1 and half hour). From Chitrey we follow our usual itinerary and trek to Tumling via Meghma (lunch)- 9 K, 5-6 hours.  Lodge accommodation at Tumling

Oct 30: Trek to Kalapokhari – 12 Km, 6-7 hours. After a Km or so the entry to Singalila National Park, with a check post. Lunch at Kaiyakata via Gairibas.  Lodge accommodation at Kalapokhari.

Oct 31: Trek to Sandakphu- 6 Km, 3-4 hours. Last 3 Km or so hike from Bikheybhanjung to Sandakphu is steep. Have your lunch at Sandakphu. In the afternoon walk on the Phalut Road to get magnificent views Sleeping Buddha. Lodge/hotel accommodation at Sandakphu.

Nov 01: Witness Sunrise. Early morning conditions may be windy and cold. After breakfast, trek down to Timburey- 15 Km, 7-8 hours. The downward trek is through beautiful jungle and glades in between. You may find bear claw marks or an elusive Red Panda if you are really lucky. Portions of this stretch are steep downhill.

Nov 02: After breakfast walk for 1/1.5 hours to the road head Srikhola, Drive to Tumsong Chaibari the Tea Retreat  – 75 Km, 3-4 hours. Last stretch of the track to Tumsong is not suitable for Innova and will need a high ground clearance vehicle (like Sumo/Bolero). Lunch at Tumsong.

Nov 03 (Day 10): After breakfast comfortably pack and depart for Bagdogra airport.  70 Km drive may take around 3 hours. Earliest flight you may take around 2 pm in the afternoon.

Thanks so much for the proposal, it follows what we discussed.

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