Holidaying in Sikkim on a
Student Budget

chillibreeze writer — Sandhya Krishnan

Need an editable PowerPoint map of India

It was 6am. I counted the groggy faces who had just boarded the train with me. Having just finished our fourth term at business school, we were on a perfect getaway - five days of uninterrupted fun at India’s most beautiful and untouched hill-state, Sikkim. The advantages of travelling as a student are many – the schedule is flexible, costs are kept low and best of all, the whole trip is one big party. So we got some help from previous visitors, made some calls, booked our tickets and packed our backpacks.

Sikkim is a small Himalayan State, barely 7,096 sq km in size with an elevation ranging from 300 m to 8585 m above sea level. Sikkim is flanked by the most majestic mountain chain in the world, the Himalayas. This also includes Kanchenjunga or Khangchendzonga, the world's third highest mountain, often worshipped as the guardian deity of the land. The beautiful mountain range, besides hosting pristine and scenic hill-stations, gives many options for the adventurous. Sikkim does not have a railway station or an airport, so to get here one must reach New Jalpaiguri or Siliguri in West Bengal where the closest air and rail links are located.

We took the train from Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) and in close to twelve hours we reached New Jalpaiguri where our travel agent met us. For Rs 600 per head per day, he took care of our accommodation, food and transport in and around Sikkim. The deal also included gear, guides and facilities for rafting and the three days of trekking that was planned. We had dinner in Siliguri and set off to Yuksom where we met our first roadblock, quite literally. The four hour uphill trip took close to ten hours and by the time we reached Yuksom, the sun was shining brightly over our heads.

Yuksom was the first capital of Sikkim. It was consecrated in 1642 after three Lamas who came from the north, west, and south crowned Phuntsog Namgyal as the first Chogyal (king) of Sikkim. The place was renamed Yuksom meaning ‘the meeting place of the three superior ones’. The stone throne on which the coronation took place can still be seen. A quaint little town in the hill, Yuksom is largely quiet except for a handful of little shops and tourists. Having missed the right time to set out on our trek, we tried to explore the town in the evening. An important attraction here is the Dubdi monastery built in 1701, often said to be the oldest monastery in the area. With rain, failing light and leeches, we took twice the time required to get there. Perched on a little hill, the temple is nothing but a couple of small quiet structures with idols of Buddha. Even though we were told that it would be open during that time we found it locked. There was no one in the misty vicinity to show us in and all we could do is peek in through its many windows before returning.

We stayed in a charming lodge called Demazhong. This family-run inn has 8 rooms and can lodge around 25 people. They home-cook meals for their boarders, many of whom are foreign backpackers. Our group pretty much occupied the whole place, congregating in one of the large rooms for long discussions into the night.

Early the next day we set out on our three day trek armed with a mat and a sleeping bag each. The first destination was Bokhim, 9000 feet above sea level and 14 km from starting point. On our way we walked through the backyards of local homes, scaring pet chicken and receiving amused looks from little children. Most locals earn their living by growing corn. Some others owned hotels and little stores that catered to the tourists. The people of Yuksom are very friendly and warm to visitors - the children often greet with a ‘Namaste’ while the elders let us play with their pets while talking about their lives in this little town.

Trekking trails in India are still primitive which make them both dangerous and thrilling especially with unannounced rains. There are no separate trails for beginners and the experienced. There is just one route and trekkers choose farther destinations depending on how much they are willing to rough it out. As we trekked through the town up the hills we encountered several breathtaking sights- rivers flowing down the hill from their point of origination and the clouds gently descending as dusk fell. Even the leeches that stubbornly stuck to us could not take away the beauty and splendor of the Himalayas.

We crossed several gurgling streams of clear water and three tricky bridges, each one reminding us how glad we are to be alive. Drinking water from a waterfall is an experience in itself and if not for the rains we wouldn’t have hesitated going under them. The sights on this trek route are simply mind-blowing - a great reason for you to go back.

The trek is a stretch for those without any exercise regimen and yet, the thought of steaming food and a warm bed keeps you going. We reached our wooden cottage at Bokhim a little after sunset, drenched, tired and very hungry. Considering our sore muscles and delayed schedule, we decided to abandon plans to trek to Zhongri and began our trek downhill, a much sunnier day helping us along.

The next day we bid goodbye to our hosts and guides and left to Kalimpong. Kalimpong is nestled in the Shivalik Hills in West Bengal. Originally a part of Bhutan, this town was ceded to British India in 1864 and remains of the colonial era remain till today. Kalimpong is famous for her educational institutions, orchids and Buddhist monasteries. Our hotel was another cozy inn with few guests besides us. It was a comfortable walk away from the town centre and we decided to do some souvenir shopping into the night. If you are fascinated by the image of Buddha as much as I am, this place is paradise. The souvenir and craft shops here stock different manifestations of the Buddha- standing, lying down and in penance. From masks and wall hangings to beautiful brass statuettes, they have it all. While some of them can be a little heavy on a student’s purse, there are less dearer things on sale like cloth paintings and Buddhist flags. Kalimpong is the perfect place for a weekend getaway. While it is not crowded with tourists, it has a lot of attractions to keep you busy. Or if you prefer, the best weather to stay in.

The next morning we visited the Zang Dhok Palri Phodong monastery which is situated atop the Durpin Hill. From here we caught sight of snow capped peaks in the distance amidst calming chants of Buddhist prayers. There is a two storied building a little distance from the monastery, the school which young Buddhist monks of the monastery went to. The temple was peaceful and the scriptures inside told various tales of war, love and living. It had two levels each with statues and bright colorful paintings all over its walls. Water bowls were neatly placed in front of the shiny gold idols, the silence intensely calming.

From here we proceeded to the river Teesta, the starting point for our rafting trip. In September the river is quite full and rafting in itself is simple with very little paddling. Safe and comfortable in our brightly colored life jackets we set out on two rafts, trying to outdo each other in a delightful race. The cool weather coupled with the rushing waters made for an exciting ride downstream, the only disappointment being how short it was. The estimated 2 hour joyride took less than forty minutes even though we made up by jumping into the water and splashing around when we reached our disembarkation point. Rafting is something you must add to you to-do list in Sikkim. It’s safe for most ages of enthusiasts and a lot of excitement.

Five days is never enough to fully experience a beautiful state like Sikkim. Many would suggest a trip to the capital of Gangtok and even the famous Darjeeling which we passed by. Yet, for someone trying to travel off the beaten path on a budget, this travel itinerary was ideal. We left back to New Jalpaiguri and on our way met with four landslides and an unending traffic jam. We were stranded for close to six hours on the winding roads close to India’s border and yet, caught our night train in the nick of time and slept peacefully on the journey back. Early next morning we took a break from our budget travelling and treated ourselves to a lavish breakfast at one of Calcutta’s best hotels, The Park. After all, there’s nothing like an English muffin and a tall glass of fresh orange juice to wrap up a memorable experience called Sikkim. Even Buddha would have approved!

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in December, 2009. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

More on Chillibreeze.com

Other popular articles on Chillibreeze

Microfinance: Giving Credit to the Entrepreneurial poor
How to work with an offshore team in India
Blogging – A perspective
Jambo Kenya!!
Legalization of Drugs: Pros & Cons

Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...

—About our writer:

Sandhya has an MBA in HR and has worked as a Business Consultant with premier consulting firms across the world. She has been writing for over 8 years and is proficient in creating corporate communications, essays, articles and web content. She is also a published fiction writer and runs her own theatre group called Blue Mango. Sandhya lives in Pittsburgh, USA.

>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers:

More resources for Writers on Chillibreeze.com

Chillibreeze offers Indian writers the opportunity to work on customer projects. We are also India’s biggest writer network and a one-stop shop for Indian writers and editors. The writers’ section on Chillibreeze offers freelance writers and editors a variety of tools to advance their careers. Resources for writers include:

Assessment of your writing, editing and proofreading skills

Writing courses

Expert Feedback on your article

An opportunity to promote yourself on our website

Top websites for Indian writers

Tips and resources for Indian freelancers

Book Publishing services

And more………………..

Explore our writers’ section using the links on our left-hand side menu. IMPORTANT! Don’t forget to

Holidaying in Sikkim on a Student Budget

More on Chillibreeze.com

>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers:

Holidaying in Sikkim on a
Student Budget