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HIMALAYAN
INSIDERS TOUR
This tour is based around homestays, visiting places totally
away from the tourist track. You'll see: snow topped mountains,
forests and reserves, hillstations and villages, markets, train
journeys, tea gardens, walking, cooking, camping, drinking the
local millet beer 'chang' and spectacular sunrises (at 4am!).
More luxurious accommodation is available in Darjeeling
and Kalimpong if you are looking for extra comfort.
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Sample Sikkim and Darjeeling tour: 15 days/14 nights
Kurseong, Darjeeling, Western Sikkim (Richenpong) and Kalimpong.
Cost: £2,700 for a couple (not per person) for this
Himalayan insiders tour to Sikkim and Darjeeling, excluding international
flights. All our tours are private - you won't be part
of a group.
The price quoted is for full board (except at hotels), an English
speaking Indian driver, local hosts/guides, other travel costs.
This is a sample tour to Darjeeling and Sikkim. We can mix and
match according to the dates and places you would like to visit.
Note that we don't arrange air flights.
Day one to three
We'll start the tour in true insider fashion, with a journey from
New Jalpaiguri Rail Station to Kurseong by toy train. You will
travel through mountains, forests, paddy fields, tea plantations,
and villages.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) has UNESCO World Heritage
status for its ingenious approach to creating a rail link across
the steep mountainous terrain. The 88km long narrow gauge railway
was constructed between 1879 and 1888, and remains fully operational
with most of its original features. The railway line is laid alongside
the road which it crosses 177 times, taking travellers up the
Himalayas from an altitude of 150m to 2222m. The first (and most
scenic) part of the journey is up to Kurseong.
Kurseong is a peaceful hill town set amid forests. The town has
a lively market (the toy train actually goes through the market),
good local clothes shops and a monastery. There are good places
for walking. There is also an interesting organic demonstration
farm, where a Canadian missionary has taught locals to prevent
top soil erosion and grow vegetables under improvised hot houses.
The project, which uses organic manure and drip irrigation, is
said to have transformed the economy of the area.
Overnight: (3 nights) Cochrane Place, on the outskirts of the
town. Once home to Percy John Cochrane, MBE, the house has been
restored and recreated into a small hotel with 12 rooms.
Day four to five
Once again, we'll board the toy train and make our way to Darjeeling.
Darjeeling is a hill station set against the incredible panorama
of the Himalayan peaks. It combines a hectic bazaar with lofty
wisps of the Raj. Terraced construction gives way to tea estates
that plunge into deep subtropical valleys, Kanchenjunga (India's
highest peak) crowns the skyline.
The town has a population of 200 000, and an ethnic mix of Nepali,
Bhutia, Lepcha and some Bengalis. The common language is Nepali.
Until the nineteenth century, it was a part of the kingdom of
Sikkim but was overrun by the Nepalese. The British intervened
to broker peace and in return pressurized the Sikkim raja, to
gift Darjeeling to the British for an annual sum of Rs 3000, in
1835. In the early 1840's, tea plantations were developed and
Nepali labour imported. It still produces some of the world's
finest tea.
Once you've settled into your hotel, you can visit the town, exploring
interconnecting roads and steep steps that lead to bazaars, shops
and monastaries. We can take an early morning drive to Tiger Hill,
with a magnificent view of sunrise over Mt Kanchendzonga, visit
the zoo, monasteries and the Tibetan Self-help centre.
Overnight: (2 nights) Hawks Nest Mansion. The homestay, owned
by a local Tibetan family, has two room suites with fireplaces.
Day six to nine
We'll take the 5 hour journey through the Himalayas (through market
towns and up steep mountainsides) to the tiny village of Rinchenpong
in Sikkim.
Remote and peaceful, Sikkim is dominated by the spectacular mountain
terrain, including Mt Kangchendzonga. Its population is made up
primarily of Nepalis and Lepchas (the indigenous people of the
area). China does not recognize India's claim to the area - hence
the need for permits. Sikkim is governed by the Sikkim Democratic
Front, known as the most environmentally conscious government
in India.
Over the next few days, we'll be able to explore the area - monasteries,
the monastic school, nearby villages, and the surrounding countryside.
There is the chance to learn Sikkimese cooking and the option
of overnight camping (first traveling by jeep, then trekking).
Overnight: (4 nights) Yangsum Farm. The farm is 2km from the village
and home to Tashi Thendup and Pema Chuki, a brother and sister
team who manage the homestay. The family manages a 44 acre mountain
farm of open mixed forests, fruits and spices (cardamom, avocados,
oranges, banana, pears, apricots and mango), staples and vegetables.
Day ten to eleven
We will retrace our steps and drive to the hill station of Kalimpong,
market town set within the Himalaya.
Kalimpong is flatter, and the climate warmer than Darjeeling -
making it easier to explore.
The mix of cultures - Lepcha, Bhutia, Nepalese - brings with it
a rich religious mix of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.
The area produces 80% of India's gladioli and is also an important
orchid growing area. Several Buddhist monasteries hold a number
of rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures. The bazaar was once the wholesale
market for all raw wool coming from Tibet. On Wednesdays and Saturdays
the 'hat' market brings together a wealth of people, cultures
and goods.
Overnight: (2 nights) Gurudongma House, as personal guests of
General "Jimmy" Singh. The homestay is 3km from the
town and has four guest rooms. Food is a mixture of Indian, Nepali,
Chinese, Sikkimese, and western recipes. The garden is gorgeous.
Day twelve to fourteen
Driving along the old trade route to Tibet, we will enter the
vast stretch of virgin forests, which extend from the Bhutan border
to the plains of North Bengal.
We will pass through forests to Lava, a small village. Trade caravans
on their way to Bhutan, used to stop at Lava. We'll have a chance
to view the Rachela Pass, which opens into Bhutan, and visit the
nearby monastery. We can break our journey with a picnic lunch
and short walk to Tamang village (a 2-hour walk), crossing a mountain
stream to meet our jeep for the last 6kms to the Samthar Farm
House.
Scenic and remote, the Samthar Plateau is 1500m high, isolated
by river valleys and forests. The inhabitants are a blend of Lepchas,
Bhutias and Nepali. Getting up early morning at the farmhouse,
you can sit on a rock at the top of the terraced gardens, drinking
tea while you watch the sun rise. You can walk around the plateau,
met the locals in their homesteads, and visit the 100 year old
Lepcha temple. In the evening, the lamps will be lit and local
Millet beer - "chang" - served in traditional bamboo
containers, for song and dance with the locals. There will also
be the chance to learn Indian cooking.
Overnight: (3 nights) The Samthar Farmhouse is a mountain retreat
- a former Lepcha house built of stone and timber and converted
by General Singh. The views are spectacular - especially at sunset
and sunrise.
Day fifteen
After a farewell meal, we'll drive you down to the plains of North
Bengal, through forests, to board your departure train at NJP
for overnight journey to Kolkota or your flight from Bagdogra
to Delhi.
NOTE: Entry to Sikkim is restricted. You will need to apply for
permission to enter while applying for an Indian Visa. The permits
are free and easy to obtain.
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT DARJEELING AND SIKKIM
When to visit
Available year round, except for the monsoons in July-August.
The ideal period is January to May and September to December.
Special monsoon packages are available for the paddy season.
Languages spoken
Nepali is the main language of the people. Large sections speak
Lepcha and Tibetan. In the towns most people can communicate in
English.
Contact
us about the Himalaya Insider's tour to Darjeeling and Sikkim
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