👉 Gangtok weather is pleasant throughout the year.
👉 Nathu La pass, North Sikkim (Lachen, Lachung) – can be extremely cold.
👉 Carry sweaters, monkey caps, sweat shirts and thick socks to protect from chill winds at high altitude.
👉 It is advised to check weather forecast and carry a rain proof Jacket or a Poncho.
👉 Please refer “Things to Pack” section on our website for more details.
👉 Not really. Although we have couple of high altitude places, as we are slowly gaining altitude by road journey, there are no special conditions for Sikkim (unlike for example in Leh Ladakh tourists need 1 day mandatory acclimatization at the beginning of the trip).
👉 But we advise to drink good amount of water to keep yourself hydrated, which will inturn help with high altitude journey.
👉 Backpacks are recommended. They are easy to carry everywhere.
👉 You may get meduim size trolley if really needed. We usually have lugagge carrier on top of vehicle.
👉 But please remember you have to carry it from vehicle to your room everywhere. There is no Porter service for any of our trips.
👉 Distance wise, we will be covering 900+ kilometers in 6 days. That’s not too much. But since most of the journey is through the curvy roads of Himalayan mountains, the journeys can be tiring.
👉 Our vehicles are usually comfortable SUVs or Hatchbacks based on number of people. Bigger vehicles like Tempo Travellers are not allowed in Sikkim.
👉 Multiple vehicles for different routes in Sikkim are quite common. For example: Bagdogra Airport vehicle is different from Nathu La vehicle and North Sikkim vehicle is again different.
👉 Journeys in Sikkim are always long and unpredictable. We take ample breaks in between our journey for different reasons like taking photos, Lunches, etc.
👉 During tourist season, bad roads + huge number of vehicles may cause long delays. The journey can get tiring, especially towards North Sikkim (Days 2,3,4 as per itinerary at Lachen, Lachung).
👉 Like any other Backpacking trip, we always prefer cozy Homestays with friendly hosts who serve delicious home prepared food.
👉 Room combinations are usually 3 or 4 sharing with attached bathrooms. Sometimes we may give 2 sharing based on combinations.
👉 Rooms assignment is done based on group setup by our Operations Manager / Trip Leader. It’s not possible to take any special requests.
👉 No. We will provide everything needed at our stays.
👉 No. We do not provide room heaters.
👉 Based on availability of room heaters, the guests can take them for rent from the Homestay. They usually charge 350-400 per night.
👉 Breakfasts served at our stays are usually Poori, or Aloo Paratha and sometimes even Maggy or Bread Omlette (especially when we need to leave early for Gurudongmar & Yumthang on Days 3 & 4.
👉 Dinners can be ordered at our stays at nominal price of 200 to 250 per meal. At Gangtok, guests may have Dinner at MG Rd also. There is no problem in getting vegetarian food in Sikkim.
👉 Lunches are always on the way at remote areas. There might be limited options, so we need to be flexible and adjust. Our drivers know where to stop on each day as per the speed of the group.
👉 Important notes: Things are highly unpredictable and meals may get delayed in such trips. It’s always advised to carry ample snacks like chocolate, peanut chikki, protein bar, biscuits, dry fruits etc. to avoid inconvenience.
👉 For smaller group size (less than 6 people), a combination of Driver (real time) & Operations Manager (online) will run the itinerary.
👉 For bigger groups, the Trip Lead (real time) will be responsible to run the itinerary.
Following is the last point in Exclusions list of your Sikkim trip: ✖️ Any extra cost arising due to any change in the itinerary/stay on account of bad weather, traffic-congestion, landslides/roadblocks, natural calamities, political disturbances and/or any other factors beyond organizers’ control.
Let’s consider following random example (it never happened before for us):
Assume for some unexpected reason Lachen to Lachung route traffic movement is blocked. Since we cannot go to Lachung now, we need to return to Gangtok. Since we need to book fresh stay in Gangtok, guests have to bear this extra stay/food expense.
👉 There can be more such scenarios/examples. We cannot rule out such scenarios in Himalayas, especially with Global warming & Climate change. But the probability of occurance is very rare.
👉 This is a universal rule of tourism industry. Nothing special about our company.
👉 Please help each other and be kind to one another. On a budget backpacking group trip like this, it’s important to put personal priorities aside and go along with the group.
👉 Please do not argue with co-travelers or Driver or Locals in Sikkim. If you need anything then politely request but not demand. Give respect and take respect.
👉 Finally do read “Terms & Conditions” of your Sikkim trip. If anyone violates the Terms in a way that causes inconvenience to Co-travelers or hinders smooth running of the trip, the company won’t tolerate and an immediate action will be taken.