Sikkim Travelogue-Part 2

 

The next day(Day-2), we started as early as we could with the little ones—around 9:30 am, which our tour guide considered quite late, with the sun already shining bright 🤷🏻‍♀️.

We headed towards Gangtok via Namchi and Ravangla. Our first stop was Char Dham, a beautifully built complex with a massive Shiva statue at the center, surrounded by the 12 Jyotirlingas and the Char Dhams. We spent a good amount of time exploring and reading about all four Dhams. I would suggest to avoid reaching there around 1pm as the Dhams are closed for few hours. From here, Samdruptse could be seen on the opposite mountain, which was on our itinerary too, but we decided to skip it.

Next, we visited Buddha Park in Ravangla—another expansive and serene place with a monastery and a museum. We took a break here for some Maggi, chai, and of course momos. In Sikkim, momos aren’t available everywhere, so our meal stops often depended on whether momos were on the menu.

Our last stop for the day was the Temi Tea Estate. We reached late in the evening; it was almost dark, windy, and quite chilly—especially at the top. Though the 360-degree view would be beautiful, I’d definitely recommend visiting during the day.

We headed to Gangtok after that with our driver entertaining us with his life stories. I also recommend Indrakeel Tours & Travels) for stay and local travel. As we entered Gangtok, we could see the narrow lanes were buzzing with traffic—completely opposite to the calm and quiet we had experienced in Pelling.