Gangtok

With the Himalayan range in the back drop, Sikkim offers breathtaking vistas, colorful lifestyles, Buddhist shrines, adventure, water sports, exquisite flora and fauna, including hundreds of varieties of butterflies, all close to the capital, Gangtok. Gangtok is rapidly expanding as a quality tourism spot. There has been a rapid increase in the availability of accommodation. Apart from government accommodation at various places, Gangtok is teeming with lodges and hotels. Sikkim can be visited by itself, or combined with visits to Darjeeling and/or Kalimpong. Surrounded by Tibet, Bhutan, West Bengal and Nepal, Sikkim was a monarchy and emerged as the 22nd Indian state in the 1970s. The capital is expanding, to the status of a city.

Sikkim is famous for ancient Buddhist monasteries, some of them are; Rumtek Monastery, Enchey Monastery, Phodong Monastery, etc.

By Air - The nearest airport is at Bagdogra, 120 km away from Gangtok. Bagdogra is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati and Kolkatta by air.

By Rail - New Jalpaiguri is the nearest mainline railhead for Gangtok.

By Road - 120 kms from Bagdogra, and a little over a 100 kms each from Darjeeling and Kalimpong, Gangtok is well connected to the other Eastern Hill-stations.

Gangtok has an endless list of attractions. The small town itself is a beautiful place to move around. It houses sites like the most important stupa of Sikkim, the Do Drul Chorten, the solitary temple or the Enchey Monastery, the marvelous collection of orchids in the Orchid Sanctuary and the picturesque Tashi Ling that provides an astounding view of the Kanchenjunga range. The Namgyal Institute of Research and the Tsuk la Khang, a depository of a large collection of scriptures and the principal place of worship for the local Buddhists, are some of the other places worth visiting.

The Rumtek Monastery, which is the largest monastery of its kind in Sikkim and the Phodong Monastery, one of the most beautiful monasteries in the region, are also well worth visiting.

Gangtok, a small city, with beautiful mountains, serene Buddhist monasteries, charming people and diverse flora and fauna, is still to be explored to the fullest.