I would recommend the following 5 best rides (in no particular order):
1. Gangtok to Lachung : Its a 120 km ride of breathtaking scenic beauty and takes about 5-6 hours. The road, like most roads in North Sikkim, is constructed and maintained by the Border Roads Organisation - which does a great job given the rugged terrain and difficult weather conditions.
The route goes via Mangan (65 km) and Chungthang (95 km). From here the road bifurcates. The road to the left goes to Lachen and the road to the right reaches Lachung. On the way there are lots of waterfalls, lush green forests and beautiful views of the Teesta river. Notable among these are the 'Seven sister waterfalls' (32 km from Gangtok). Also visible are quaint houses (shown here) which look straight from toy models. The view of the mountain tops on a clear day is just fantastic. The picture shown here was taken at 5.15 am in May.
Lachung (height of 8000 ft) is the entry point for the Yumthang valley (25km from Lachung). You find strawberries growing by the side of the road in the right season! (Road maps at http://sikkim-roadsandbridges.gov.in/). The picture in the background of the title 'Roads and Rides' is also from Lachung.
The other great journeys are :
2. Munnar to Thekady
3. Manali to Rohtang Pass
4. Bhandardara Lake
5. Almora to Kausani
(More on these in the next post)
Hi Naimish
ReplyDeleteI agree on the Munnar to Thekady choice. I enjoyed that leg though not in the driving seat.!!
Cheers
Arun
Hi Naimish,
ReplyDeleteI second you on the Gangtok to Lachung Drive. Had been to Sikkim this February and the drive is just fabulous particularly the Lachung-Yumthang valley-Zero Point Stretch because of the rough terrains that it offers which would be a first love kind of experience for crazy drivers and the scenic beauty really comes as an icing on the cake. Would love to go there soon, but this time on Scorpio's driving seat instead of being driven!!!
Anchit