| Travel & Trek Info Sikkim/Darjeeling |
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| Sikkim/Darjeeling - Sikkim/Darjeeling Travel Tour Info |
| Written by Mountain Leaders P Ltd |
| Wednesday, 29 April 2009 10:48 |
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Travel & Trek Info Sikkim/Darjeeling: Darjeeling Travel/Trek Information: How to Get There: Air: The nearest airport to Darjeeling in Bagdogra, 100-km south. ADGHC bus leaves the tourist lodge and club side around 8 am each day to connect with flights; tickets for the bus can be booked at the tourist bureau. Rail: The toy train runs to Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri, weather and landslides permitting, but takes an angst-inducing nine hours. Railway reservations for selected mainline trains out of NJP can be made at Darjeeling’s station a couple of days before departure. They have tourist quotas for trains to Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram. Road: Buses and minibuses run every thirty minutes or so to Siliguri from the bus stand at the bazaar. Buses leave for Mirik every thirty minutes. Two minibuses run each day run to Gangtok and one minibus leaves every day for Kalimpong. Although it's possible to buy bus tickets for Kathmandu, tourists still have to change buses at Siliguri. Local Transport: Jeeps run to Gangtok, Siliguri, Mirik, Kalimpong and Jorethang, and are the most efficient and comfortable way to travel. Book in advance or just turn up at the jeep stand. The Gangtok service runs frequently between 7.00 am and 2.00 pm. Private Taxis and Landrovers are also available for local sightseeing purposes in and around Darjeeling. For Tourists: Tourist Cars and Buses, Tourist mini coaches and Taxis are available for transfer of passengers between Darjeeling and Siliguri / New Jalpaiguri Junction / Bagdogra, and also for sightseeing at fixed rates and may be reserved through Tourist Bureau, Govt. of West Bengal, Darjeeling. DISTANCE FROM MAJOR CITIES » Kalimpong: 51-km » Siliguri-90-km » Mirik: 45-km » Gangtok - 15-km Sikkim Travel/Trek Information: Getting There: Fly from Kathmandu to Biratnagar / Bhadrapur ( Nepal ) and transfer by road Or fly from Delhi / Calcutta to Bagdora ( India ) and transfer by road. The other option would be to arrive by train from any part of India to New Jalpaiguri. Best Season: Mid February to late May and Mid September to late December. Clothing: During Summer - light jackets & rain gears. In Winter - down gears at high altitude. Entry Formalities: All foreigners intending to visit Sikkim has to avail of an Indian visa which can be obtained at any Indian Embassy or Mission abroad. The inner state permit which is also a must can be obtained along with the visa. Insurance: Personal travel insurance should be made by the client prior to arrival in Nepal. Full travel insurance coverage, particularly for trip cancellation and interruption is strongly recommended. Currency: The unit of currency is Rupees. USD 1 = Rs 48.2 Foreign currency & travelers cheque is accepted at the Bank of India. Major Credit Cards are accepted in Indian Bank. Climate: Due to sharp variance in the topography, the climatic conditions also vary from tropical to the arctic. June-September is generally considered as summer/monsoon season. The maximum temperature ranges between 21 degree C to 37 degree C and the minimum between 13 degree C to 23 Degree C. October and November loosely from the autumn season with the clear skies and lush green hill slides after a long monsoon he winter stretches from December to February with maximum temperature falling between 0 Degree C to 9 Degree C and the maximum from 13 Degree C to 298Degree C. March to May is the spring season with warm days and cool nights. The spring and autumn are the best season to visit Sikkim, especially if one is situated in trekking. The snow in the higher reaches makes it difficult to do high altitude trekking during winter but trekking this season is as good as it is spring and autumn. |
| Last Updated on Friday, 01 May 2009 11:44 |
| Facts About Sikkim and Darjeeling |
| Sikkim: Area:7,096 sq.km Altitude:280 m to 8,585 m Capital:Gangtok Languages:Nepali, Bhutia, Lepcha, Limbu, Hindi and English Darjeeling town: Altitude:2134m Languages spoken:English, Nepali, Hindi, Tibetan and Bengali. Transport and Communications :Railway,Nearest Airport is Bagdogra (90 km) |
