East Sikkim – The Old Silk Route

The famous hairpin bends of East Sikkim

Today, let us dive into the East Sikkim Travel Guide where I will share with you some comprehensive details about this lovely place in North East India. There are some fabulous places in this region which all walks of tourists or call them travelers, can enjoy in this part of Sikkim. It has a mix of tourist and offbeat places of Sikkim.

Rongli

Rongli Bazaar

A small yet important town in east Sikkim. This is the first and the last place in the route which can be called a town for that matter. Set amidst greenery all around and the river Rongpo flowing by it, Rongli can be your first stopover on the first day coming from Siliguri.

This place is also important keeping in view that the mandatory ILP (Inner Line Permit) must be obtained from the SDPO office here, to travel up on the old silk route. Many nature trails lead out of Rongli, through forest paths and by the serenely flowing river Rangpo. Rongli being a sub-divisional headquarter, boasts of facilities like police station, ATMs, provision stores, liquor shops, medical facilities, etc. North of here these facilities will gradually become hard to find, so anyone coming up from Rongli, stock up.

Aritrar, Lampokhari and Mankhim

Aritrar, at around 4000 ft. and 20 KMs from Rongli is another popular starting or ending point travelers opt for. This infact is a slight detour from the actual old silk route. What makes it worth a visit is an Artificial Lake with boating facilities (probably the only one in Sikkim), a British era Dak Bungalow inside a forest which tourists can stay in, and a hilltop view point offering a majestic sight of Mt Kanchenjunga on a clear morning.

The lake is called Lampokhari (Pokhari in Nepali means small lake or pond). Earlier a natural lake later artificially reconstructed to facilitate paddle-boating facility, there is also an upscale resort nearby to it called Lampokhari Village Resort.

Padamchen or Phadamchen

The Roadside Park, Padamchen

Around 15 KMs up from Rongli at around 8000 ft., Padamchen is all about greenery and solitude. The place offers sweeping views of the adjoining valleys with Himalayan evergreen forests, a pleasant climate all year, untouched walking trails inside the adjoining forests and if you are lucky enough, sightings of rare species of birds and animals such as the Himalayan Black Bear, Red Panda and Steppe Eagles.

There is a wooden Forest Rest House dating back to the colonial era where tourists can manage to stay at apart from several homestays that have sprung up recently.

Zuluk or Dzuluk

Zuluk is also known for its spring bloom of Rhododendrons which practically paint the treeless slopes in vivid hues of red and purple. The views specially in the mornings are breathtaking when the sun rises from the horizon and due to the elevation, the valleys below are engulfed in clouds, providing a sensational scene of a sunrise being witnessed standing above the white mist.

In the winter months, Zuluk experiences heavy snowfall which carpets the slopes and the roads in white. There is a big army base too in Zuluk. Apart from the hills of Sikkim, a portion of Bhutan in the east, can also be viewed from Zuluk.

Nathang or Gnathang Valley

Nathang or Gnathang Valley

Probably the ‘apple of the eye’ of the entire Silk Route, Nathang Valley at 13500 ft. is magnificent. Originally inhabited by Tibetan yak herders, Nathang Valley in modern times is gaining popularity due to its pristine landscapes. Sometimes also referred to as ‘Ladakh of the east’, it indeed has some similarities.

A flat grassy valley interspersed by winding streams of glacial melt surrounded by daunting barren mountains. It witnesses a riot of colors during the blooming season of Rhododendrons between June and September. Unlike any other place in the silk route, this small village of some 50 modest wooden houses are inhabited by people of Tibetan origin.

Kupup Lake

Kupup lake a.k.a. Elephant or Hati Lake

On a clear day, if a lake manifests emerald blue hues and appears in shape like an elephant, it will be Kupup Lake. At the centerstage of a glorious adjoining valley, a small village Kupup with a sparse population and a police check post is situated on the banks of it. Bitan Cho, as it is locally called is also referred to as Elephant Lake due to its resemblance of shape.

Tukla Valley

The Yak Golf Course, Tukla Valley

About 15 KMs from Kupup, an untouched valley remains lost in ignorance due to its geographic immediacy with the international borders. Exotic is the word that would probably come closest in describing Tukla Valley. An extension of the lower Tibetan Plateau, at 13000 ft., vast and flat in expanse, with the Trans-Himalayan massifs smiling over it, Tukla Valley has potential to become what Yumthang could manage.

Another fascinating landmark of Tukla Valley is an Eighteen-hole golf course which has its place in the Guinness book of world records for being the highest in the world at 13025 ft. Called Yak Golf Course, for the reason being, senior golfers are transported across the fields on yaks. The course spreads across natural streams. Tournaments like the Kalimpong Cup has been held here.