Trip to Yumthang Valley (North Sikim)

Trip Time : 13th April 2010 to 18th April 2010 Group Size : 14 people including 2 children Visiting Place : Gangtok, Lachung,Katao,Zero point and Yumthung.

This is the trip which will be in my memory forever. I knew about the Yumthung valley, before starting the trip. I heard lots about this valley and seen some pictures also. But believe me, when I see the valley and the lots of lots of flower besides the road everywhere I was just spellbound. It was just like dream come true.

Day 1:  We started our tour from the sealdah station. We had reservation in Darjeelingmail train. Train start at 10 pm and reached NJP at 8 am.  We had our dinner at home, so We don’t have to arrange any food for the night in the train.

Day 2:  Train reached at the NJP at 8 am.  We need a cab for 14 people to reach Rumtek, Gangtok. After one hour bargaining we finally booked one Tata winger of 14 seated. It was just perfect for our group.  We started from NJP at 11 am, after having some breakfast and reached Rumtek at 3 pm. We had a booking in Sungay Guest House for one night. It’s a very good guest house at very nominal price ( 400 to 500 rs/room).

This guest house is inside the Rumtek monastery area. Monastery was just 2 min walking Distance from the guest house.  We enjoyed lots in the guest house. View from the room is very nice. If you visit Gangtok I would suggest staying in rumtek for one night atleast.

Food in the guest house was average.  In the evening we visited the Monastery and return back to guest house.

Day 3:  In the morning we visited the Monastery again. We had some breakfast in the restaurant just near the Monastery .
  From kolkata we booked one package tour from Rumtek to lachung to Gangtok. To visit yumthung you have to stay in lachung. Our trip to lachung start from the Rumtek. Two cab was booked for our group.  We start from the Rumtek at 9 am and Reached Lachung at around 6-30 pm.  It’s a very long journey. On the way to lachung We visited some waterfalls like Seven Sister water fall etc. Don’t ask me why the name is Seven Sister ? .

One bad incident also occurred on that day. At around 4 pm our driver told us that land sliding happened just few min ago and we can’t go further.  We stuck at that Point. The good/bad news is that our other cab didn’t face the landslide. The other cab was half an hour ahead of our cab.  One of group member got very nervous. We were thinking that some of our friend will see the Yumthung valley and we have to go back to Gangtok But Suddenly our driver assured us that there is another way to reach lachung, but that route is very dangerous. We all agreed. I won’t say that the alternative way is a road at all. There was no road at all, but some how our cab was moving and we all praying GOD. Well after 45mins we found a proper way and reached lachung at 6-30 pm.

At lachung we stayed at Travellers’ Inn hotel. I am not saying any detail about this hotel. Just remember one point don’t stay in this hotel. This is worst hotel I have ever seen in my life. Every thing was just horrible there including service, food, bathroom etc.

Day 4: Today our plan was to visit Katao, Zeropoint, Yumthung and back to Gangtok. We started our journey at 6 am. Well we were one hour late because one of our driver. We should start the journey at 5 am. The way to Katao is very good. Scenic beauty is Is very nice.  We expected lots of ice in Katao, but unfortunately there was very little Ice. We could see lots of ice, may be around 2 to 3 km from our current place. But army People didn’t allow us to go there. Still we enjoyed and took some snaps at Katao and stayed around one hour at katao and return back to hotel. After having some quick breakfast in hotel we started our journey to Yumthung and Zero point.

We reached Yumthung at around 11 am. I can’t describe the scenic beauty of yumthung in words. There were rhododendron trees every where of all possible color.  There were lots of flowers on the main road also.  When two cab cross each other there is high chance that one of them may destroy some flower beside the road.  I have never seen such a huge amount of flower. The complete valley is covered with flower and flower and the beauty is awesome, just awesome.  

From yumthung we visited the place Zero point. Its height is 4800 meter. Air pressure is Very very low and temperature is near about zero degreeJ. Now you can imagine how We were feeling at that time.  We enjoyed the freezing cold and take some snaps also. But we couldn’t stay there more than 15 mins. Few of us got headache and we return back to our hotel at around 4 pm.

After finishing the lunch in the hotel we started our journey to Gangtok from lachung at around 4-30 pm and reached Gangtok at around 10 pm.

Journey from lachung to Gangtok was also very memorable. They were heavy rain fall. We got few land slides also. Some times our visibility was just zero because of fog. I don’t know how managed to drive inside the foggy whether. When I feel that cab should go left then our drive moved the cab in right. Well some how we reached Gangtok at 10 pm. We had booking in the hotel Mintokling.

Day 5:  In the morning I personally took some snap of the hotel surrounding. It’s a very good hotel at very good location. Room service and food of the hotel is very good.

After finishing our breakfast we visit the Mall road of the Gangtok and did some unnecessary shopping. All the things we bought from gangtok we can have them in Calcutta in very easily and in less price also. We had our lunch in hotel around 1 pm and start our journey from Gangtok to NJP at 2 pm. We booked the same tata winger Cab and reached NJP around 6 pm. We had reservation in the same Darjeeling mail train. We reached Sealdah at 6 am next day.

I would suggest you to stay in lachung one more night. We didn’t have time, that’s why we had to stay there for one night.