Silk Route

Old Baba Mandir or Adi Baba Mandir is dedicated to Baba Harbhajan Singh, a Sepoy in the 23rd Regiment, who died near the Nathu La during Indo – China war in 1962. This temple was built at the site of the bunker of Baba Harbhajan Singh and is maintained by Indian Army. It is reported that Indian soldiers have got favours by Baba who also guards each one in the inhospitable terrain. A camp bed is kept for him and his boots are polished and uniform kept ready every night. The sheets are reportedly crumpled every morning and boots muddy by evening. The Major continues to draw a salary and takes his annual leave. 

The true beauty of the Tibetan Highlands can be experienced at Tukla Valley. Located at an altitude of around 12500 feet above sea level, Tukla Valley in Sikkim offers a majestic panoramic view of Mt. Khangchendzonga and its allied peaks. The valley contains a famous war memorial, which was constructed to commemorate the death of British soldiers who died in the Battle of Tukla. The Tukla Valley is covered with snow during winter and in September-October, the whole valley becomes red due to the growth of a local flowers.

Kupup Lake locally called Bitan Cho is one of the most sacred lakes of Sikkim. Owing to its resemblance to elephant, Kupup Lake is also known as Elephant Lake. The lake nestles at an altitude of 13,066 feet, on the way to Jelepla Pass, bordering area with China and India. It is the second highest mountain in Bhutan. The shape of the lake resembles an elephant. The right side of the lake looks like an elephant trunk and on the left, it looks like tail. The lake is also accompanied by a stunning valley. A small village called Kupup, which has only few houses and a police check post is located at the lake coast.  

At 11200 feet, Thambi View Point offers a panoramic view of Mt. Khangchendzonga. Located at a distance of 14 kms from Zuluk on the famous zig-zag road (locally called Bhulbhulaiya for its 30 hairpin turns) Thambi is a roadside viewpoint that opens up suddenly to Mt. Khangchendzonga. Named after the Civil Engineer who constructed this amazing road, Thambi Viewpoint truly honours the extra-ordinary feat achieved by the engineers and workers who constructed this road. On a clear day on your way to Thambi viewpoint, you would also catch a glimpse of the zig zag road from Zuluk.

Located at 13,000 feet above sea level, tucked within barren mountain slopes, strewn with rocks and pebbles and devoid of any vegetation, the newly formed Hangu Lake is nearly one km long. Fed by glacial waters, the lake reflects the shadows of the surrounding mountains. The advent of winter brings flocks of migratory birds from across the Himalayas to the shallow waters of Hangu Lake. The Indian Army’s memorial to the Forgotten Soldier is located on a Hill Top beside the Hangu Lake. Adventure tourism activities like rock climbing, zorbing ball, mountain biking, boating and zip-line along Hangu Lake near Kupup in East Sikkim have been recently initiated by Kupup Village Development & Tourism Cooperative Society Ltd.

Jelep La is a high altitude mountain pass at 13,999 feet linking Lhasa to India. It nestles between India and Tibet in the eastern part of the Sikkim in India. The word Jelep La is of Tibetan origin and it means “the lovely level pass”. It is truly the most level among all the passes between Sikkim and Tibet. The beautiful Menmecho Lake flows below the Jelep La Pass. One can savor the awesome sight of the pass, while coming from New Baba Mandir to Kupup Lake, just after crossing the Menmecho Lake on the GN Road. There are some small military settlements at the Jelep La Pass. The complete trail from Jelep La Pass to the Kupup Lake is visible.

Lampokhari is a mesmerizing emerald boot-shaped lake in Aritar, Sikkim. It is placed at an altitude of 4600 feet and is 1120 feet long and 240 feet wide. The main highlight about this natural lake is its boating facility and a pathway that has been constructed around the lake for tourists to look at it from different angles. The pine forest around the lake adds more charm and captivates the visitors here. There is also a small shrine on the banks of the lake dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava. This lake is popular for boating, hence, you can paddle around the boot shaped lake and enjoy every moment being one with nature. You can also hike up the pathway towards Mankhim and get a spellbinding view of the valleys and lake. You can also visit the Mankhim temple that is positioned right beside the lake.

Aritar Dak Bungalow also called as Ari-Bangla is one of the renowned attractions in Aritar. This age-old British bungalow built under the supervision of the 1st political officer of Sikkim in 1896, Sir James Claude White still stands strong. This heritage bungalow is located at an altitude of 1447 m and it offers a splendid view of the mountains, forests and valleys. Erstwhile, it was used as a health centre for the injured soldiers back in the 20th century but today it has been transformed into a reputed hotel in Aritar, and is renovated and equipped with all the modern furnishings.

Aritar Monastery, popularly known as Ari Gumpa is nestled on the edge of the Himalayas. It offers as a vantage point for the panoramic view of the lush green mountains, winding roads amidst rich vegetation and slow-moving green algae water of Lampokhri Lake. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim lying on the way to Mankhim Top but is often missed by the tourists on their visit to Aritar because of its secluded location. This sacred Buddhist pilgrim, embellished with best artifacts, finely carved and exotically painted murals, ancient manuscripts and traditional architecture, belongs to the Karma Kagyu lineage order of Tibetan Buddhism. On the visit to Aritar Gumpa, one can dwell into the rich traditional Buddhist art and literature.

The Kew Khola Falls also named as ‘Kuikhola falls or Kali Khola Falls’ by the locals is situated on the Old Silk Route, on the way from Rorathang to Rongli, East Sikkim. This 100 m gushing waterfall is blessed with immense natural beauty, which makes it one of the most attractive and visited waterfalls in Sikkim. The mesmerizing view of its crystal clear water, rackling from the lush green hills and falling over the rugged pieces of mountains, allures the tourists on the way to halt and capture some incredible pictures with nature in their cameras. The Kali Khola Falls is popularly known as the Lonely Falls, being tucked amidst profound nature.

Located at an altitude of 13,500 feet, Nathang valley was the home to traditional yak herders who came from Tibet. Few streams crisscross the valley, and prayer flags flutter on the mountain edges on this vast plain of nothingness. Nathang Valley appears in different colours in different times of the year. In autumn it looks golden when the grass dries up, in rainy season it’s covered in flowers and in winter it is buried in 5 feet of snow. Nathang Valley is also visited by migratory birds just before the onset of winter. There is a monastery, a temple and a small bridge over a small stream in the distance dotting the valley.

The Four Lake Point located at an altitude of 13600 feet on the way to Menmecho from Gangtok gives a panoramic view of the endless stretches of the barren Tibetan plateau with four emerald lakes dotted within the horizon.

The nearest two lakes are called Jorpokahri (twin lakes), the middle one is called Green Lake (not the one in North Sikkim) and the farthest one is Kupup Lake (also known as Elephant Lake or Bitang Cho) at 13066 feet above sea level. From the viewpoint of the Four Lake Point, Kupup Lake is almost 16 kms away in the horizon. This is an amazing viewpoint which introduces the travellers for the first time with the “nothingness” of the Tibetan Plateau.