Do you fancy being in a cable car ride while viewing the ethereal beauty of lush forests? Do you see yourself rafting on the Teesta river? Is mountain-biking on your ever-so-long to-do list? Then Gangtok is the place for you! It offers you a prism of experiences from paragliding into the Himalayan sunset to Yak safari at an altitude of 12,400 ft. at Tsomgo lake. For adventure-junkies Gangtok isn’t just a place, it’s a home away from home. If you are planning to travel to Gangtok by flight, Bagdogra is the nearest airport and from there you can hire a cab and enjoy a breath-taking 5-hour drive through snowclad mountains, valley and mesmerising landscapes. The best thing is that you can make this amazing journey more memorable and rewarding by using your InterMiles membership to earn valuable miles on all the flight bookings you make for yourself and your loved ones. Apart from the flight bookings, you can even earn miles by refuelling your car at select Indian Oil fuel stations.

Also Read: 10 places to visit in Gangtok - Sightseeing in Gangtok, 2020

At an altitude of 1780 metres, Yuksom is where mountaineering expeditions to Mount Khangchendzonga begin. A blend of colourful flora and old monasteries, Yuksom is a delight for tourists seeking mental peace and serenity away from the humdrum of urban living. The ones who find peace in exercise can go ahead and enjoy the riotous landscape of Yuksom by going on treks to Dzongri, Bakhim and Pemayangste.

Going to the Nathula Pass is like driving down the lanes of history as it was once a part of the Old Silk Route. The breath-taking view of the snow-laden mountains and Indo-China border make the chilling temperatures one jolly drive! Also, there are many equally beautiful places to explore near Nathula Pass like the Mandakini Waterfalls, Tsomgo Lake and Baba Harbhajan Singh Temple.

After Gangtok, Pelling is the next stop for adventurers! A small town on the foothills of Mount Khangchendzonga, Pelling is one of the most beautiful Sikkim tourist places! It offers a picturesque view of the Himalayas and Kanchenjunga Peak. It also hosts the Khangchendzonga Festival, which has fun activities like white-water rafting, kayaking, trekking, mountain biking, sightseeing, traditional sports and bird- watching. Pelling is famous for its Rimbi waterfall that’s known for its surreal beauty all over the globe.

Lachung’s majestic mountains and a gush of waterfalls have tempted tourists from across the globe to come and explore this unexplored paradise. The charm of its dreamlike apple, apricots and peach orchards made Joseph Dalton Hooker, a British botanist describe it as the ‘most picturesque village Sikkim village’. Its markets are renowned for their hand-woven rugs and blankets that make great presents for friends back home.

Birds and tourists alike crowd at Ravangla to witness the first rays of sunshine on the snow peaks of Khanchendzonga. The flight of many birds like Babblers, Cuckoos, Blue Whistling Thrush, Verditre Flycatchers, Dark-throated Thrush decorate the skies and trees here. History-buffs can ease their curiosity by exploring the ancient Bonn and Ralong monasteries. From August to September, Ravangla celebrates a festival called the Pang Lhabsol Festival. It is a festival that celebrates togetherness. There is dance, feasts and a whole lot of colours that make this festival an experience for an eternity.

This should be on top of your ‘things to do in Sikkim’ list! Sikkim is flooded with monasteries, both big and small, many old and few new. But no monastery is in the same league as this one! Rumtek is the biggest and one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim. Known as the Dharma Chakra Centre, Rumtek is a beautiful ballad of Buddhist culture and traditions. If you long for both mental and physical peace, Rumtek might just be your calling.

Sikkim’s gift of flora and fauna brings to you Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Garden. If we were to imagine the Garden of Eden today, this would be it! With rare exotic plants, orchids and trees found only in this part of the world, this is indeed an experience waiting to be explored. Your trip to Sikkim is incomplete if you don’t stroll through its vast collection of Himalayan flora.

What if we were to tell you that there are places in Sikkim still untouched by the outside world? That’s true! Zuluk is a virgin destination of Sikkim. A small town within the clouds at a height of 10,000 ft. Zuluk is definitely a fantasy come true. There are no hotels in Zuluk as it is not meant for tourists, it’s meant for wanderers, who want to live, learn and laugh with the locals.

Crystal-clear icy water surrounded by snow-clad mountains is the kind of view that gets etched in one’s mind forever. One such gem is found 17,100 ft above sea level in Sikkim. Gurudonmar is one of the highest fresh-water lakes in the world. Both the view and the lake are mystical. This is because no matter how cold it gets a part of the lake never freezes! This has earned the lake a sacred status amongst the locals who believe that the portion of water which never freezes was blessed by Guru Padmasambhava.

Now that you have a list of places in Sikkim mapped out, it is important for you to know when to plan a trip. Either you can go between March and May to experience Sikkim’s exotic flora and fauna during Spring or you can wait till Autumn and visit Sikkim to enjoy an extremely clear and clearer view of the Himalayan Range. Whenever you are planning to go, book your hotel stays on our hotels platform and earn InterMiles. From flight to hotel bookings InterMiles is your one-stop travel guide for a journey that stays with you forever and makes all your trips more memorable and rewarding.

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