Nature Of Sikkim

• Bagdogra Airport – Direct flight from CCU, DEL, GAU, HYD, BLR, MAA, BOM, AMD & BKK.
• Pakyong Airport (Sikkim) – Presently only spice jet flight are operating from CCU & DEL (Flight are very erratic and can be cancelled anytime).
• Nepal (Bhadrapur Airport which is 60 kms from Siliguri)
• Nepal (Birathnagar Airport which is 140 kms from Siliguri). 

• New Jalpaiguri Station (NJP) is the main station for the area, and has good train connectivity with rest of India. All trains starting from Trivandrum, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Jammu, Jaipur, New Delhi etc bound for Guwahati will have to pass through NJP Railway Station.

• Bhutan - Jaigaon (Indian side) / Phuentsholing (Bhutan side).
• Nepal – Panitanki (Indian side) / Kakarvitta – Jhapa (Nepal side). 
• Bangladesh - Chengrabanda (Indian side) / Burimari (Bangladesh side). 
• Well connected with all cities & towns of India. The Asian Highway Number AH2 passes through Siliguri which houses the Bagdogra Airport & New Jalpaiguri Railway Station for  Sikkim & Darjeeling. 

• The area can be visited throughout the year. However, during monsoon the roads connecting, Pelling, Lachung, Lachen & Namchi, get even more rough & challenging. We recommend, other than experiential tourist, to avoid visiting, these area during the months of July, August & till mid September.

• The below chart provides a fair idea about the area’s average maximum / minimum temperature,  rainfall and the probability of seeing a clear skies through the year:

Note : -

• Please note Higher the altitude, lower the temperature and rainfall. For current forecast on weather you may visit the link : Weather
• The figure mentioned above in the temperature column is in Celsius.
• The figure mentioned above in the average rainfall column is in millimeter (mm).
• The maximum chances of having clear skies will be in the month of Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov & Dec.
• It is advisable that one should be prepared with layer clothing also in summers and carry heavy woolen in winters.

• Itineraries for the area can be scheduled for a minimum of 04 Nights and maximum of 14 Nights. The ideal duration is around 10 Nights (Gangtok – 03Nights, Lachung – 01Nights, Lachen – 02Nights, Pelling – 02Nights & Darjeeling – 02Nights).

• Cultural – For cultural tourists, the area offers nature, landscapes, monasteries, flower nurseries, etc. 
• Adventure – The area offers activities like hiking, trekking, cycling, rafting and paragliding, etc.
• Special Interest Group-For such groups, the area offers Tea Tasting session, Interaction with Monks, Culinary classes on local cuisine, experience mountain livelihood etc.
• Other Activities - Special community services such as charity, support to orphanages etc.

Communication plays a very important role in staying connected, wherever one goes. Telecom operators like BSNL, Airtel & Vodafone-Idea have good connectivity in our area. 

• Sikkim & Darjeeling is completely safe when it comes to travel, especially when females are concerned. Women of the area are very active and play a major role in family’s decision-making & big contributor to livelihood to the family.

• The documents required for availing the services of Tshangu Lake, Baba Mandir, Nathula  & North Sikkim (Lachung, Yumthang Excursion, Yumesomdong (Zero Point), Katau, Lachen, Chopta Valley & Gurudongmar Excursion) are:
• 06 passport size photographs of each member travelling whether Adult or Child with their name, age & gender written behind each photograph.  
• Original along with photocopy of the photo ID of each member travelling, whether adult or child.
• Valid Passport, Election ID card, Driving License or any documents issued by Central or State Government having Photo, Name and the address will be considered as valid ID Proof only. Aadhar Card & Pan Card are not accepted as valid ID Proof for issuance of Sikkim Restricted Area Permit (RAP).
• Upon your arrival, our office representative will hand over a blank envelope, in which you will have to put all the above documents and leave it at the hotel reception in Gangtok, at the time of check in. 
• For Children below 18 Years and does not have Passport, in such case they will have to carry their School / College ID. In such a case, it is also advisable to carry photo copy along with the original Birth Certificate (in English / not regional language). 
• There has been cases of tourist, who have landed in entry points with their Passport but did not bring the original OCI / PIO cards (OCI / PIO cards, are not considered as Indian proof & is considered as an invalid document, without the Passport in original). Such tourists were not eligible to enter & entry was denied.

• The above sightseeing falls into Restricted Area. To visit these places a special permit is required, which is issued on the same day of travel by Sikkim Tourism. At times issuance of permit can be delayed due to rush or any uncalculated situations. We will request you to kindly bear with the same. FHEs (File Handling Executive) will guide you on such services. Person with a knee, heart & blood pressure issue and child under 05 years of age should avoid going to Tshangu Lake, Baba Mandir & Nathula as it may be of high risk due to altitude and poor medical facilities. 

Tshangu Lake & Baba Mandir

• In case of closure of Tshangu Lake & Baba Mandir due to landslides or any unforeseen reason, then an alternative sightseeing will be offered to you. The FHE (File Handling Executive) will guide you on the same.

Nathula Pass

• Nathula Pass being a border and restricted area, which at times gets closed, due to security reason without prior notice. In such a case, your tour will only be until Tshangu Lake and there will be no refund for unused services.
• You can opt for Nathula Excursion by paying an additional cost that varies from month to month. It is not possible to hold a permit at the last moment, and a clear window of 72 hrs with proper documents is required to process the permit. Nathula permit shall be confirmed the day before OR on the day of travel, which will be subjected to the permit availability. Nathula is closed to visitors on Monday & Tuesday. No refund is granted if the permit is confirmed by Sikkim tourism and you are unable to make it, for whatever reason (land slide, heavy rainfall, VIP movement, health problem, etc.).
• Nathula Excursion can be guaranteed if you have contacts with the Army. Please use your sources, so that the permit could be procured. The modus operandi is that one requires vehicle’s number and copy of the driver's license a day before the date of travel. Even after taking the required details in advance, and God forbid, for whatever reason, if driver or vehicle failed to report or there is a change in driver or vehicle, then the above exercise in obtaining the permit will be futile. While coordinating this with the army or some other source, please ask the source to take both the army and tourism permission, which saves a lot of time. In worst case, if all the above goes in vain, please don't get disheartened as you will only miss a 4 km drive as a visit to Baba Mandir takes you to the area where Nathula is located.

Guest travelling to North Sikkim must take a note on the following points :

A) Usage of plastic in Lachung & Lachen is banned. Single used plastic water bottles are strictly prohibited. However the guest must carry reusable water bottles or flask.  

B) Lachung & Lachen operates on package only. Tours starts & ends at Gangtok. These tours are on Half board (includes Breakfast & Dinner at the hotel only). 1st Day tour of North Sikkim, Meal starts with Dinner at the booked hotel & ends with Breakfast at the booked hotel on the last day. All the Lunches during Lachung & Lachen tour, will have to be borne directly by the guest, except for guest staying in Yarlam Resort (Lachung) & Apple Orchard (Lachen), which serves lunches to the guest during their stay & provide packet Lunch on the day of departure on request as a goodwill gesture.  

C) North Sikkim is blessed with Natural Beauty. The best season for travelling to North Sikkim is Mid March to Mid June & Mid September to Mid December. These areas are cold throughout the year. The guests travelling have to be equipped with proper woolen / warm clothes. The accommodation provided at Lachung / Lachen will be more like a Tourist Lodge / Guest House / 3*hotel having basis facilities like:

• The food prepared will be fresh, by the local trained Sherpa’s & not by Hotel chef.
• There are telephone lines but due to cable fault and weak signal, it is often out of order. Vodafone-Idea, Airtel & BSNL operates better in this area.
• Power failure is a common & regular happening in the area. 
• Geysers are available but do not work most of the times due to low voltage / power failure. In such cases, warm water are provided in buckets, by the hotels.
• The rooms are having Heaters but due to electricity problem many of times hotel provide Hot water pad in the bed.
• For all Grade of hotels at Lachung & Lachen, room heaters are available, on request, at an extra payment, except Yarlam Resort (Lachung) & Apple Orchard (Lachen), this hotel do not charge extra for heaters. Due to frequent power failure and ruling given by the Local Authority (Zumsa), most of the time, these heaters cannot be used. As an alternative the hotels provides hot water bags, on request.

A) Custom restrictions

There are few items, which are strictly forbidden by Sikkim, namely;

• Arms, ammunition and explosives.
• All narcotics and drugs except medically prescribed drugs.
• Wildlife products, especially those of endangered species.
• Antiques.

Please Note : Visitors are advised to be careful when purchasing old and used items, especially of religious or cultural significance, as such items may not be exported without a clearance certificate.

B) Dress code for visiting monasteries

• It is advisable to dress up in smart casual covering the full body (sleeveless & shorts to be avoided) while visiting Monasteries. Always walk in clockwise direction while visiting religious places and do not step on any clothes, books, heap or materials left open at religious sites.

C) Prohibitions on the use of tobacco & smoking in Sikkim & Darjeeling

• Smoking & chewing tobacco in public areas is banned. However, if one is caught smoking / spitting, then under the law, the offender can be booked for heavy penalty.
• As far as drinking is concerned, it is permissible in Sikkim & Darjeeling, with only Thursday being a dry day. 

• Sikkim & Darjeeling is one of the safest places to travel however; one should still exercise caution while travelling. Please ensure that your belongings especially your passports, cameras, wallets and purses are properly secured. Please refrain from leaving such items in locked vehicles while sightseeing, moreover its ones responsibility to take care of one’s belonging while travelling or staying in hotels self cautions are must for all travelers.
• Avoid drinking tap water, which has not been boiled, or ice cubes in drinks at all times, as most water sources in Sikkim & Darjeeling are untreated. One can easily get treated / boiled water at hotels. While on travel, advisable to use bottled drinking water, over water from open source.
• In the past, it has been observed that many visitors have arrived at the destination with a photocopy of the valid identification proof (election ID card or passport) rather than carrying the original. In case the guests are unable to produce original at entry when asked, then it could lead to negligence and the authority could fine the guest accordingly.
• Weather in the hills is unpredictable. We have kept the nature related sightseeing, like Tiger Hill in Darjeeling, flexible. This is done, so that the chance of good view of Sunrise becomes more likely. When the FHE (File Handling Executive) calls for such change, we will request you to take it sportingly & without any apprehension. The decision for Tiger hill visit  has to be done before 5 P.M. No changes will be allowed after the decision is made. In case of any changes, it will be treated as cancellation without any refund. Changes after 5 P.M. cannot be accommodated as the allotted drivers leave the operation premises by 5 P.M. & are not contactable. By Default the vehicle will report at 4 A.M. in the morning, whether the guest go for the sightseeing or not for any reason or eventuality (which could be because of the guest wanting to change after 5 P.M. or bad weather or heavy downpour). As per the local syndicate rule, the bills will be raised by the transport provider to us. For further clarification, please contact the FHE (File Handling Executive).
• With ever-increasing vehicle numbers & limitation of parking space, Darjeeling Traffic Police is come up with new traffic rules effective from 01st September 2019.