I am a frequent traveller and it was very hard for me to stay calm and be at home for one year and everyone knows how Covid has affected us. After the lockdown this year in November, we took a refreshing Silk Route Package Tour in Sikkim. I made a plan with my family and went by air up to Bagdogra [IXB] as all train tickets were in the waiting list. Before that I contacted NatureWings and they made a wonderful plan for our Silk Route Tour. As tourism industry was fully affected and I thought I should trust them and the reviews were also good. They helped me with the itinerary and bookings and gave us some options.Wwe choose 5N/6D itinerary and thought to stay at Sillerygoan, Zuluk and Rishikhola.
We were very excited about the trip as that was the first trip after lockdown, and we were little tensed about the sanitization process of the hotels. But NatureWings assured us that every property will be neat and clean. And then on the D day we started our journey from Kolkata airport and boarded the flight for Bagdogra. Once we reached, our driver was on time and picked us up and we started the journey. If you don’t have any idea about the Silk Route Tour, you can go through this blog and you will find every detail.
The Journey Begins
If you want to visit Silk Route from Siliguri, you can get the cabs from Siliguri Station or New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station and the Bagdogra airport as well, or you can pre book your car from travel agencies in advance like what we did.
In the Sikkim District along the China border, the road is popular as Old Silk Route and has got some breath-taking views of Mt Kanchenjunga and picturesque landscapes, especially during rough winters. A traveller like me who always loves to travel down to such places and couldn’t resist myself by seeing the beauty of the roads and nature. Our first stop was the beautiful SilleryGaon, which is a small hamlet nestled at a height of 6000 ft. this village lovingly called the New Darjeeling. The place offers magnificent views of Mt. Kanchenjunga.
Once we reached there, we saw every house in this village has a flower garden in its front, which I loved a lot. After reaching they welcomed us with a very kind gesture and homestay owner sanitized us and our luggage which we liked and then he told us that lunch was ready. We were very much hungry. We freshen up quickly and started having our lunch. The hot rice, dal, egg curry with some salad was amazing and delicious and we all loved it a lot. Then we went for a village walk and after coming back hot snacks and tea was waiting for us and it was really chilled at that moment. It was a leisure day, and we relaxed for the night and went early for sleep after having dinner. As in the morning we went to the Ramitey View Point by trekking. To get a spectacular view of the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas and the river below, you can visit Ramitey Viewpoint. The view was perfect and we are really very lucky to witness that view. After returning, we had our breakfast and started for Zuluk Tour.
Zuluk was my next destination in this tour. This place is at a height of around 10,000 ft. above in the state of Sikkim. One needs to get the inner line permit visiting this place. They took the permit at Rongli and thereafter few miles at a right turn is the beginning of the Old Silk Route which is a common motor able road now for the rest of the world. View of the snow-capped peak looks beautiful when they change colours in the valley during the sunset. The landscape views are amazingly beautiful, especially during the sunset. The sunrise in Zuluk is a must see to for any Silk Route Tour Package and the sunrise point is an hour;s drive which is Thambi View Point, so do not miss it.
Then we visited Nathang Valley. In most of the in a year, Nathang remains below zero temperature during our stay. One important thing is lack of oxygen levels in the air makes difficult for old people and small kids so we prepared and we already carried homeopathic medicine Coca with us, so one will have to take precautions as far as getting around this place concerned. It is a heavenly place where words will fall short describing its untouched landscapes. We stayed in Nathang for one night and had quick trips to the sunrise point, Kup-Kup Lake, and the famous Harbhajan Singh Bunker (The old Baba Mandir). At the time of sight seeing the valley’s beauty was un-forgettable, especially mountainous landscapes with a glimpse of snowcapped Mt. Kanchenjunga. The place reminds me of the pride in me because I am an Indian and lucky to be born in such a wonderful country with never ending treasures of beautiful landscapes.
During last days of our Silk Route Tour, we proceeded for Reshikhola Tour, which is at the border of West Bengal and Sikkim. Reshi is a village on the bank of river Reshi and is a popular tourist spot. This calm place is an ideal destination to stay away from the city's fast life and crowd. There are many activities in Rishikhola which you can availlike short forest trek, rock climbing, bird watching and many more while visiting Rishikhola and you can see Himalayan birds as well. Our Reshikhola night stay was the most relaxing part of the trip as we kept that night with camp fire and barbeque. It was one of the most amazing trip of our Silk Route Tour Package.
Important Tips for Silk Route Tour:
- Keep all the medicines in your bag as there are no medicine shops and hospitals in the nearby area.
- Carry cash in your wallet because you cannot find any bank or ATM in the surrounding places.
- Don’t expect any internet connectivity and Phone calls.
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