What to Know Before Traveling to Sikkim

Sikkim Travelling and getting Himalayan Experience

The state of Sikkim is divided into four parts - North, East, South, and West. In North Sikkim, you can visit Singik, Lachung, Yumthang, Lachen, and several other places of interest. In East Sikkim, you can visit Rishikhola, Arita, Zuluk, Nathang Valley, Kupap Lake, and many more places to enjoy the boundless beauty of nature. Several places in South Sikkim including Namchi, Tammy Tea Garden, Rabangla, Borang, and Kaluk are famous for tourism. On the other hand, some places in West Sikkim including Ochre, Gejing, Singsar Bridge, Kanchenjunga Falls, and Rinchenpong will take your mind away in no time.

Although Sikkim is open for travel, there are still some places you can't go to if you want. Some such places are Nathulapas, Gurudangmar, Baba Mandir, and Kalapathar. Apart from this a few more places near the border are still prohibited for tourists. You will only be allowed to visit Gangtok, but if you want to visit several more places, it is better to get permission from travel agencies.

There are many ways to go to Sikkim. Depending on your travel plan exactly how you want to go to Sikkim. If you want you can go to Pakiyang by plane from Kolkata. From there you can easily go to Gangtok by jeep. You can also go to the SNT stand in Siliguri from the Bangla-bound immigration at Phulbari. From there you can easily reach Gangtok by jeep. Travel from immigration to Siliguri can cost around Rs 300 and a jeep ride from Siliguri will cost Rs 2,300. Now divide the whole cost equally among the six members of the group. Only then will you understand exactly how much each one is feeling.

Places of interest in Sikkim

The entire province of Sikkim is a tourist destination. There are many tourist points here, all of which are beautiful. Here are some of them, I think it is enough to keep in your visit list in Sikkim:

-Gurudangmar Lake

-Buddha Park

-Nathula pass

-Zero-point

- Sangu Lake

-Jonathan Valley

-Siddheshwar Dham

-Ramtek Monastery

-M G Marg

-Hanuman Talk

-Ranka Monastery

- Sixth Valley

-Kanchenjungha National Park

- Sai Temple

-Zuluk Wildlife Area

-Seven Sister Waterfall

-Nathang Valley

-Kanchenjunga Water Fruit

-Baba Harbhajan Singh Memorial

-Yagnoshala Alpine Sanctuary and Falls

-Rabat's Ruins

-Ganesh Talk

-Narbuganga Park

-Many more places including Singshore Bridge. The beauty of nature here will undoubtedly catch your eye.

What is the best time to visit Sikkim?

However, Sikkim attracts a lot of tourists throughout the year and it is always worth a visit. Even then it is very useful to travel to Sikkim for some time. For example, in summer i.e. April to June, the weather in Sikkim is very pleasant and tolerable, for which it is considered to be the best time to visit Sikkim.

Again, in winter, i.e. from October to March, the entire state of Sikkim is covered with snow. Moreover, tourists rarely come to Sikkim during this time, for which you can book a hotel room very easily and at very low cost.

During the months of July to March, Sikkim receives heavy rainfall and occasional landslides. So it is better not to travel to Sikkim at this time.

Where will you stay in Sikkim?

Since Sikkim is a tourist area, there are numerous hotels here. You can arrange your stay wherever you want. Depending on your budget, you will get rooms with different facilities in different hotels. The bottom line is that you have to spend as much room as you want.

Below are the names of some of the popular hotels and resorts in Sikkim. In which you will get the maximum amount of benefits and usually most of the tourists choose these places for travel.

-Cumby Mountain Resort & Spa

- Mayfair Spa Resort and Casino

-Welcomheritage Denzong Regency

-Teres Valley Hotel

-Sharma Resort

-Iral Resort

-Elgin Mount Pondim Resort

Some useful tips for travelling to Sikkim

Since most of the tourist areas of Sikkim are located in restricted areas, some permits are required to travel to these areas. You can get permission from the tourism department, forest department and army authorities according to your travel plan. For hassle-free travel, I recommend that you take permission in advance and follow the instructions below.

-Respect the cultural heritage of Sikkim while visiting monasteries or temples.

-The weather is cool all year round, so don't forget to always keep winter clothes with you.

-For adventurous travel, always keep with a licensed tour operator who will provide you with all the necessary safety equipment.

- Adhere to hygiene policies when visiting parks, wildlife, sanctuaries and national parks.

- Always do things like riding a bike or car in the mountains with a group, never go alone.

Travel Sikkim from Bangladesh

Sikkim is a state in northeastern India. It is bordered by Tibet to the north, Bhutan to the east, Nepal to the west and West Bengal to the south. It is located just 120 km from Siliguri, a border area of ​​Bangladesh. Sikkim is the least populous state and the second smallest state in India. 

A part of the eastern Himalayas falls within the province of Sikkim. Kanchenjunga National Park covers 35% of the province. Kanchenjunga is the highest mountain peak in India and the third-highest in the world. Which has further enhanced the biodiversity here. 

The capital of Sikkim is Gangtok. Small and big hills and winding mountain roads, hilly forests, green nature, beautiful environment and winter snow have made Sikkim a paradise for tourists. This form of Sikkim is called "Happy Homeland" for its richness.

All document that you need to enter Sikkim

Sikkim is a very protected area. For which no one outside can enter here unhindered. You will need a national identity card to enter Sikkim. Moreover, since it is international travel, passport and Indian visa will be required in the case of Bangladesh. In addition to these, you will need a permit to enter Sikkim which you can also collect from Bangladesh and from Sikkim Gate you can get “Inner line permit / Respected area permit” from Foreigners Reporting Office.

If you want to get permission from Sikkim Gate, you have to submit 3 copies of passport size photo, 1 photocopy of passport and 1 photocopy of visa. In this case, your cost will be 100 to 200 rupees.

How to get Sikkim tour permission from Bangladesh

You need to download a three-page form from IVAC i.e. Indian visa application centre website (www.ivacbd.com) (you can also fill it online if you want) and fill the form as per the instructions below and submit it to the embassy. Within 7 days of submission, you will get permission to travel to Sikkim for 8-10 days and you will have to spend around Rs. 300 for this.

1. Submit a passport size photograph with the application form.

2. Mention your phone number in the application form.

3. Mention the specific place of travel in point 14 of the application form. For example: just write Gangtok instead of Sikkim.

4. If you have travelled with your family or a group, the names of all the members of the group/family should be mentioned in point 19 of the application form.

5. Mention the specific route and means of travel in point 15 of the application form. For example, Dhaka-Kolkata-Gangtok by air.

6. Photocopy of passport and valid Indian visa must be attached with the application form.

7. The date of departure and return should be specified in the application form.

You have to show the permission at Sikkim Gate while entering Sikkim. They will then put a seal on your passport, meaning you will be allowed to enter Sikkim.

How to get to Sikkim

You will not get any bus, train or plane to go directly to Sikkim from Bangladesh. You may have to stop at a few stops to reach Sikkim. Let's see how you can reach Sikkim through different channels.

How to get on the bus and train

First, you have to go to Benapole by bus or train. Some buses like Green Line, Souhardya, Shyamoli etc. provide direct service to Kolkata. You can also go to these if you want. So anyway after getting off Benapole you have to cross the border. After crossing the border, he will leave for Kolkata. You can reach Siliguri by train from Kolkata for Rs. 1100 and from there you can reach Sikkim by spending around Rs. 3,000 by jeep.

How to get to Sikkim by air

There is no direct flight service from Bangladesh to Sikkim. So in this case also you have to stop at a stop. First, you have to go from Kolkata to Kolkata and from Kolkata, you have to land at the nearest airport to Sikkim, Parking.

One more thing, you just need a passport and an Indian visa to travel by air. Because it’s not domestic air travel. And you all probably know that you have to have a passport and a visa to travel internationally. So let's not exaggerate, let's see how to fly from Dhaka to Kolkata.

How to get to Sikkim from Kolkata

After landing in Kolkata, you can land at Pikeyong Airport from Kolkata by spending only Rs 2,800 to Rs 12,000. Or if you want you can go to Siliguri by train from Kolkata and by jeep from Siliguri to Sikkim.

How to get a plane ticket

Looking at so many flight ticket details, you may be wondering how and where to book a flight ticket. When booking tickets from the websites of various travel agencies, it is seen that the agencies present to you a combination of the ticket prices of all the airlines.

It is important to know

Sikkim is a cold-prone state. To deal with the cold, you need to have the necessary equipment such as jackets, earcaps, gloves, etc.

If you want to protect your feet from the cold, take a pair of thick and good sneakers, because you will not forget to travel to Sikkim even after wearing ordinary shoes.

Sikkim is a very beautiful and wonderful state. It is forbidden to spit on the streets. Even here you can't smoke in public.

Hopefully, this travel guide will help you to have a very good experience in Sikkim travel. Above all, I am ending here today wishing everyone good health. Everyone will be fine, stay healthy, and have a nice trip.