KarmaQuest offers this special trip to Sikkim and Darjeeling
at the peak of rhododendron bloom, when brilliant floral bouquets
dot the forest. You'll first visit Darjeeling, a famous hill-station
for the British Raj. Then trek 9 days through Sikkim's pristine
forests and camp alongside glaciated lakes and beneath snow-covered
peaks, including Mt. Kangchendzonga (3rd highest peak in the
world). Visit Sikkim's premier monasteries, Pemayangtse and Rumtek,
and after the trek, rest your feet in a charming village resort, before
a final night in Gangtok. And taste the best tea in the world!
You'll learn about and contribute to community conservation activities
in Sikkim. In keeping with KarmaQuest's commitment to ecotourism,
proceeds from this trip will go toward promoting ecotourism in Sikkim
through the Kangchendzonga Conservation Committee, Yuksom.
Itinerary
Day
1-2 Travel from US to Delhi, overnight at hotel.
Day 3
Fly Delhi to Bagdogra, drive to Darjeeling The road winds up to
Darjeeling’s hilltop perch. Settle into this charming historic
town, well loved for its fresh air and sense of style. (7000’)
Day 4
Darjeeling: Spend the day visiting the
Himalayan Mountaineering Museum, the Zoo, and the Tibetan refuge center.
Relax over a cup of tasty highland tea in your room with a view.
Day 5
Drive Darjeeling to Pemayangtse: Visit a tea estate
en route to Sikkim. Drive to Pemayangtse/ Pelling, where you'll overnight
in a Sikkimese style hotel. (6800')
Day 6
Pemayangtse to Yuksom: Awake to a bird's eye view of Kangchendzonga
and surrounding peaks. Visit Pemayangtse Monastery and Khechepalri
(wish-fulfilling) Lake, and then drive to Yuksom to learn about conservation
and ecotourism activities. Camp at 5840'
Day 7
Trek Yuksom to Sachen: Begin with a morning
trek (about 4 hrs) through the rich and diverse forests of Kangchendzonga
National Park. Watch for an amazing variety of birds, trees and medicinal
plants. A gentle up and down, following the Prek Chu (river). Camp
at 7,000’.
Day 8
Trek Sachen to Tsokha: Ascend through a magical
forest of towering rhododendron and fir trees: "one of the most beautiful
forests in all the Himalaya." Rhododendrons in all colors -- red,
pink, white, yellow, lavender -- adorn the trail. Camp at 10,760’.
Day
9 Trek Tsokha to
Dzongri: Ascend through a magical forest of towering rhododendron and
fir trees: “one of the most beautiful forests in all the Himalaya.”
Rhododendrons in all colors -- red, pink, white, yellow, lavender -- adorn
the trail. Camp at 12,600'.
Day
10 Dzongri Rest Day Acclimatization day: early morning hike to a view point. Visit a yak
herders’ camp. Enjoy a “day off.” Camp at 12,600’.
Day 11 Trek Dzongri to
Thangsing: Descend into the upper Prek Chu valley, crossing alpine
meadows and fir and rhododendron forests. Camp in a wide glaciated valley,
framed by glacial moraine. Climb to a lookout point on Kangchendzonga.
Camp at 12,000’.
Day 12 Trek Thangsing to
Samiti: After lunch, continue up a long valley, amidst aromatic
rhododendron shrubs, once illegally collected for making incense, a
Buddhist offering. Mt. Kangchendzonga looms on the horizon. Camp near a
small lake at Samiti, the peaks overhead, camp at 13,500’.
Day 13 Trek Samiti to
Goechela to Thangsing: Rise before sunrise to catch the best views of
the peaks. Cross glacial till, alongside a massive glacial lake, and
beneath ice-capped Himalayan peaks. Climb slowly up the last rise to
Goechela (16,200’), for an exhilarating close-up view of Mt.
Kangchendzonga. Descend beyond Samiti, to overnight in camp at Thangsing
(12,000’).
Day 14 Trek Thangsing to
Tsokha: Take an alternate route from Thangsing to Phedang, hiking
through a magical forest of towering firs. Sikkim’s forests are a source
of much pride, and are protected inside this national park. Camp at
Tsokha.
Day 15 Trek Tsokha to
Yuksom: It’s all downhill from here. Descend to through temperate and
sub-tropical forests, alive with butterflies, birds, and lush greenery to
reach Yuksom by mid-afternoon. Overnight at hotel. Stroll through Yuksom’s
small bazaar or re-visit KCC to check with its naturalists on the flora
and fauna you’ve seen.
Day
16 Drive Yuksom to
Temi: (4 hrs), winding up and down through Sikkim’s vertical
landscape, passing scattered villages where cardamom grows. Building and
maintaining Sikkim’s roads are an engineering feat. Visit Temi Tea garden.
Overnight at Temi. Visit a family home.
Day 17 Martam: Drive
to Martam (3 hrs): Visit Rumtek Monastery, center of the Kagyu sect of
Tibetan Buddhism: a masterpiece of color and pageantry where the Karmapa
reigns. Overnight at Martam Village Resort. Watch for birds, or stroll the
quiet village.
Day
18 Drive to
Gangtok: Visit Do-Drul Chorten, one of the Sikkim’s most important
Buddhist sites, and the nearby Institute of Tibetology with historic
Buddhist scripts and ritual objects. A final shopping spree, and farewell
dinner. Overnight in Gangtok.
Day 19
Drive to Bagdogra, fly to Delhi. Overnight or connect to flight
onward.
Day
20 Arrive in US
Trip Cost:
4-6 persons US $2350/person
7-10 persons US $2150/person
11-15 persons US $2050/person
Single supplement US $400/person
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