With hill stations in Himachal and Uttarkhand being done to death by tourists, and Darjeeling becoming overcrowded, the pristine hill State of Sikkim is seeing a new dawn. SHAlINI SAKSENA recently took a trip
Not many may have heard about Gurudongmar and its untouched, pristine beauty, or for that matter, traversed those quaint bylanes of Gangtok where momos and thukpa waft through conversations and palates the same way as those snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance turn aglow in the mornings.
Yet, Sikkim, headquartered in Gangtok, has finally emerged from being the poorer sister package of Darjeeling for tourists to the North-East, especially and strangely those ones from the deep south of the country.
With 28 mountain peaks, more than 80 glaciers, beautiful high altitude lakes, hot springs and more than 100 rivers and streams, gurgling through the State, the State has turned into a fertile expanse for the hospitality industry at all levels.
From one five-star hotel to budget accommodation to lodges to boutique hotels, travellers these days are spoilt for choice. “There are now more than 400 hotels in Gangtok, making it the ‘new Darjeeling’ and resorts like The Royal Plaza for vacationers to enjoy an enchanting, tranquil and luxurious stay with a view of the landscape, are vying for hotspot status in healthy competition,” says Satish Bardewa, owner of Yak & Yeti Travels & Expeditions.
Indeed, in the last five or so years, the State and its Capital Gangtok, have started beeping on most travel portals as must-see destinations. “One of the biggest advantages that Sikkim has is that it is still not overly touristy and its people are simple, friendly folk. Due to its rich biodiversity, holiday themes are varied — paragliding, hiking, trekking or plain relaxation. To top this, it lies on the newly opened route to Kailash Mansovar making it a tourist’s paradise. There has been a healthy rise in the number of tourists from Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka and even Tamil Nadu,” Bardewa tells you.
Though there is yet no airport in Sikkim, the rise in the number of direct flights to Bagdogra, which is just a few hours downhill, has made it an upcoming destination.
“People come here because reaching Gangtok has become easier despite the five-and-a-half hour drive from the nearest airport. Hill stations in Himachal and Uttarakhand have become overcrowded and people want to discover new places. Sikkim comes in right there,” Bardewa says.
According to Sourav Sengupta, general manager of the beautiful but affordable property The Royal Plaza, people are thronging to Gangtok as Darjeeling has lost much of its charm. “Darjeeling has become overcrowded and commercial. So people look towards Sikkim for a unique travelling experience,” Sengupta says.