This blog aims to provide assistance to the tourists
for a hassle free but budget tour to visit Gangtok and
Darjeeling avoiding the clutches of tout operators and agents . we are
three in number with my wife and my adult daughter . It was a
7 day and 6 night tour starting from and ends up at new Jalpaigudi
The period of the tour from 8th June 2016 to 14th June 2016,
The Itinerary
Day1
- 8th June
|
Check out hotel at NJP
. Start from New Jalpaigudi at 10 am and reached Gangtok at 2.30 pm.
Check in Hotel . visit crowded but friendly M.G. Road at night at
a distance of 15 minutes car drive from the hotel. This is heart
of the town with colourful shops and restaurant
|
Day 2 - 9th June
|
Visit
Nathula, Baba mandir and Chhangu lake, night stay at Gangtak. Start
from the hotel 8 am and back to hotel 6.30 pm . The whole day
programme
|
Day 3 - 10th June
|
Travel to Pelling
via Temitea garden,Namchi and Char Dham , night stay at Pelling. Start from
Gangtak at 9 am and reach Pelling at 5.30 pm
|
Day 4 - 11th June
|
Sight seeing at Pelling
, Night stay at Pelling
|
Day 5 - 12th June
|
Travel to Darjelling ,
start from the hotel at 9 am and reached Darjeeling at 4.30 pm, Check in
hotel Visit mall area in the evening time. Night stay at Darjeeling
|
Day 6 - 13th June
|
Sight seeing at
Darjeeling including Tiger hill. visit mall area in the evening, night stay
at Darjeeling. Also visited Bhutia market and Mahakal Temple
|
Day 7 - 14th June
|
Travel to new
Jalpaigudi via Mirik and Pashupati market. Visit Mirik lake and Pashupati
market for shopping Check out hotel at 12 noon and reached NJP at 8 pm. Check
in Hotel at NJP
|
Where to stay
Budgeted hotels are available Gangtok, Pelling and Darjeeling. These are tourist spots and even budgeted hotels are not inexpensive compared to plain area and non touristic spots. In Gangtok and Pelling standard three bed rooms hotels are available @ Rs.1500 per night and in Darjeeling @Rs.2000 per night. Still you have to compromise with the locations. You might not get the hotels at your desired places with this price And also price varies depending on season. No need for AC rooms as weather is cool althrough the year
where I stayed :
In NJP( New jalpaigudi) :
This is only for transit. Located near the NJP railway station and in
walking distance. Hotel Hilton : 03532690756. Mobile : 9333095546. Rate :
Rs.860 to 1200 per night . Non AC three bed room.
In Gangtak : DA KINGS RESIDENCY, located at Siligudi taxi stand or main line taxi stand, Deorali. Contact no : 09933960725 /09476336677/08001930699. . Rate @Rs.1500 per night for three bed Non AC room
In Pelling :Hotel Kingstone . Mobile no : 08145029558/9733083702/9748732139. Rate @Rs.1500 per night for three bed Non AC room
In Darjeeling :Hotel Regent . Mobile no : 09733210966 /09932876515. Located H.D Lama Road Behind Chawk Bazar, Bata Darjeeling. It is located at 10 minute walk from mall area./ Rate Rs.2000 per night.
The hotels above having
basic facilities with timed supply of hot water and cold water.( except
hotel at NJP) . Please do not expect luxury . You might have also
compromise with the locations but the hotel rooms are good.
Transportation :
4 seater ( wagnor type) and 10 seater ( Mahindra max, Bolero) cars are available for your journey on reserved basis @ Rs.2500 to 3000 per day for Wagnor type cars and 4500 for bolero type cars..For Nathula visit it is advisable to go on shared basis @1000 per person . if you reserve a car it will cost Rs.8500/ excluding permit cost.
My journey :
From NJP to Gangtak : used Wagnor. cost : Rs.3000/- . Driver Prakash No: 09832079310
Nathula visit : On shared basis @ 1200 person ( including permit fee) . Tour operator : kaushik 09735993308
From Gangtok to Pelling via Timetea garden, Chardham and Namchi . Driver Milon . Mobile no : 07872884993 . Cost 4500/- used Bolero
Pelling sight seeing : Driver L. Bhutia : Mobile no : 09734186665 cost 3000/-. ( Santro zene type)
From Pelling to Darjeeling : Driver : Visen . Mobile no :09593375790. cost 3000/
Darjeeling sight seeing including Tiger hill . Driver Avinash : mobile no : 07583995222
Darjeeling to NJP via Mirik and Pashupati market . Driver : Emanuel . 07679865052. cost 3000/-
PLEASE DO NOT STICK ON THIS PRICE. IT MAY VARY +/- Rs.500/- depending on your bargaining capacity, season , waiting time and time management of driver etc.
Points to remember :
Ideal period of visit : March
to May and specifically March - April. But you can visit any time from
November to May. please before making plan contact tour operator ( here kaushik
. mobile no has been mentioned above) who will advice/guide you (,
availability of snow capping . road condition , which tourist spots are
open /closed etc)
Carry voter ID card for granting permission to visit Changu lake and Nathula and Pashupati market
carry
stamp size photos and copies of voter id card( 4 copy each).
in Monday and Tuesday , tourist are not allowed to visit Changu lake and Nathula. Please plan your visit accordingly
Before visiting Changu lake and Nathula please contact tour operator in at least 1or 2 days in advance so that he can book your seats and make necessary arrangement for granting permission. Otherwise you may loose one day for taking permission. Tour operator will do on your behalf
Please carry some cubes of camphor as you might experience some breathing trouble at the high altitude at Nathula .
Carry sufficient winter clothes ( including shoe) to protect yousrself from cold
Carry umbrella. It is specially useful in Darjeeling.
Food expenses :
You can get both veg and non veg food at a reasonable price ( please consider these are tourist place). You can try Momo and Thukpa . these are specially good in Sikkim. You can reserve Rs 1000 to 1200/- as food cost for a family of three including tea and coffee and mineral water,
Budget ( start point
NJP and end point NJP)
Lodging expenses : Two days at NJP, two days at
Gangtak, two days at Pelling and two days at Darjeeling . Total lodging
expenses for eight days : Rs. 12000/- ( including transit lodging
expenses at NJP)
Fooding expenses : Rs 1200 per day for 8 days . Rs. 9600- for a family of three ( including tea/coffee and mineral water). Also included fooding expenses while staying at NJP for transit.
transport expenses : Rs. 23000/- including granting permission for Nathula visit, journey from Gangtak to Pelling by Bolero , visit Nathula, Changu lake on shared basis and all other visit by wagnor type car.
Local transport cost ; 1000 ( lump sump). if you want to get food in good restaurant , visit to M. G Road at Gangtak etc.
Entry fee and car parking : Rs.500/-
Total : Rs.46100/- for a family of three. @15500/- per head. Add train fare for complete your budget.
Please click the following link for Photo gallery.
Acknowledgement
:
I am very much thankful to Mr.Arindam chakraborty for his necessary guidance and support who organised my tour programme. He is my well wisher and my facebook friend for last two years. He is not a tour operator. He owned hotels in Gangtak and Pelling and staying in Gangtak for last 10 years.Literally he picked me up from NJP and dropped me at NJP and arrange my entire trip including sight visit and arrangement of hotels. I am not comfortable to give his contact no. as I did not ask him to obtain necessary permission to make his mobile number public, if you want to contact him please contact me either to my email address( preferable) or mobile number so that I can discuss with you before giving his contact no.
However the description in the blog sufficient enough to organize this tour programme by yourself independently
My contact details :
Mobile no :
09831450217
email address :
ajoy_2@hotmail.com /bhattacharyya.ajoy@gmail.com
whatsapp : +917044108330
skype : ajoy641
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