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Eastern Himalaya, Tea Gardens &
Toy Train
Itinerary:
Day 01: Fly Delhi or Calcutta
to
Bagdogra;
overland to Gangtok
123 kms / approx 5 hrs
You will be received
on arrival at Bagdogra Airport and driven to Gangtok,
the capital of Sikkim. It lies at an altitude 1600 meters with
the Ranipool River running to its west. Gangtok has a very
spectacular setting and offers excellent views of the entire
Kanchenjunga range from various points in its vicinity. On
arrival at Gangtok you will be assisted to check into your hotel
for overnight stay.
Day 02: Gangtok
to
Rumtek – by surface 24 kms / approx
1 hrs
Rise early for a
pre-breakfast drive to Tashi View point, which was built by the
late King of Sikkim Tashi Namgyal. It is situated about six
kilometers away from Gangtok on the North Sikkim Highway. This
place offers an astounding view of the Khangchendzonga range on
a clear day. On the opposite hill, the Phodong and the Labrang
monasteries can also be seen.
After breakfast at
the hotel you will check out and drive to Research Institute Of
Tibetology. This institute was established to promote research
in the language and traditions of Tibet as well as the Mahayana
sect of Buddhism. There are about 30,000 volumes, mostly
xylographs, (xylographs are documents that are printed using
wooden slabs that have the text embossed on them in the reverse) translations of the original teachings of
Lord Buddha, and treatises by distinguished Buddhist
scholars from different parts of the world. The museum at the
Institute consists of rare collection of antiques like statues,
coins and thangkas (scrol paintings.)
This institute is a premier institute in the world that conducts
research in the language and culture of Tibet. It has eminent
scholars on its faculty.
After your visit to
the Institute you drive to Rumtek in time for lunch and check
into your accommodation.
In the afternoon
visit Rumtek Monastery, which is perched on a hilltop facing the
city of Gangtok. The original Monastery was built in 1730 by the
ninth Karmapa but was destroyed due to a fire and His Holiness,
the sixteenth Karmapa in 1960, then constructed the present one.
The prayer hall in the main monastery is intricately decorated
with statues, wall paintings, thangkas and tubular silk banners.
A flight of stairs from just outside the Main Monastery complex
takes you to the Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist studies.
Overnight in Rumtek.
Optional
Instead of sightseeing, you also
have the option of taking a mountain flight of 20 minutes
covering Khangchenjunga Range, Rumtek Monastery & Gangtok
Ridge.
Day 03: Rumtek
to
Darjeeling
via
Temi Tea Estate – by surface 130 kms / approx 7 hrs
After breakfast you
will drive to Darjeeling. En-route stop at Temi Tea Estate. This
tea estate was established in the year 1969 with an
estimated area of 435 acres. Temi tea garden received the
All India Quality Award; from Tea Board of India for the two
consecutive years i.e. 1994 and 1995. During the visit to Tea
Estate you will see tea pluckers in action. Visit the factory
for first hand experience of the fascinating manufacture of the
world renowned Darjeeling Tea. A Tea Tasting Session will be
arranged exclusively for you at the factory's Tea Tasting Room.
After your visit to
the Temi Tea Estate you continue to drive to Darjeeling. On
arrival check in to your accommodation for overnight stay.
Day 04: Darjeeling
to Kalimpong – by surface / approx 90
kms / 3 hrs
Today will ride the Toy
Train. On this railway track one cannot help marvel at the
engineering feat, Batasia Loop. It was constructed with the
purpose of allowing the trains to take the sharp rise in
altitude between Darjeeling and Ghoom with ease. It is quite an
interesting experience to watch the toy train negotiate the loop
through the well-manicured garden of flowers with the
Kanchenjunga and the Darjeeling town in the background.
Depending on the time available,
besides the Toy Train ride you may also visit the Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute, which is one of the premier schools of
mountaineering in the world. The museum of the institute portrays a
range of mountaineering equipment that was used by various
expeditions as well as excellent photographic coverage of these
expeditions.
After lunch you will drive to
Kalimpong, another well-know small twon nestled in the foothills of the Himalaya. Kalimpong town itself is the headquarters of the sub-division.
It compares favorably with the other hill stations of India,
possesses mild climate and magnificent
panoramic views.
On arrival at
Kalimpong, instead of the usual hotel, check in at Holumba
Haven, which is located inside the premises of an expansive
orchid nursery - “Nurseryman’s Haven” (Estd. 1972), renowned
growers & worldwide exporters of Himalayan and Indo Burmese
orchids species, Himalayan flora & exotic floricultures.
Day 05: In Kalimpong
In the morning you will have a
guided tour of HOLUMBA - 2 acres natural landscaped botanical
extravaganza, water fed by a natural spring, inhabited by a
flora population over 1000 species of orchids, plants & trees.
This will be
followed by a visit to a flower nursery. The towns flower
nurseries have achieved international recognition owing to the
excellent qualities of rare flowers grown by the local flower
entrepreneurs of the area. Flower buds from Kalimpong are
exported to different parts of the world and command a good
price in the international market.
Also visit Gangjong
Paper Industry renowned for the craft of paper making, which is
an ancient tradition in the Himalayan region. The handmade paper
that is being manufactured here still uses traditional tools and
a special bamboo made screen is used to form the paper sheets.
In the evening
you're free
to stroll in the downtown. Overnight stay in a hotel.
Day 06: Kalimpong
to
Bagdogra
–
by surface / 80 kms / 3 hrs & flight to
Delhi / Calcutta
Today drive back to
Bagdogra in time to board your flight back to Delhi / Calcutta
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