Some bonds are built by chance and cannot be explained in words. They just happen and leave a direct mark on your soul. Such is the bond we have formed with Gangtok Sikkim in India.
On the first look, Gangtok City located in Northeast India looked like another uber hill town of Himachal or Uttarakhand but after spending a few days there, we realized how unique and advance it is. Locals absolutely love their city, like to keep it CLEAN and also abide by every single rule and regulations set up by the government. The Tangible Goals to end Tuberculosis by 2020, to make state completely organic and plastic-free clearly shows the high vision of state Sikkim. Just imagine, if the whole of India follows this, where we can head to. The Gangtok Town is flanked by the Himalayas on all side and has traditional monasteries hidden in between them, just like the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh.
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<p>During our Darjeeling Sikkim Trip, the plan was to spend 2 days in Gangtok, Sikkim whereas we ended up spending up 4 days here. Gangtok acts as a base for trips to East, West, South or North Sikkim. So, even we made it our base and explored all zones from here itself. Also, we got surplus time to imbibe its culture and aura into our souls.</p>
<p>So, here is a brief travel guide from our experience on Gangtok City. </p>
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<p>Table of Contents</p>
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<h2><span><strong>Eat- Places to enjoy food in Gangtok Sikkim, India</strong></span></h2>
<p>Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, is a city of Nepalese, Tibetans’, and Sikkimese. So, on MG Marg (Mahatma Gandhi Marg) the heart of Gangtok; one can find plenty of cafes and restaurants serving all the specialties to satiate your taste buds. Here are the recommendations of cafes and restaurants from the ones we tried. </p>
<h4><span><strong>Osm Restro & Lounge- Let’s Get Social</strong></span></h4>
<p>The Osm Restro & Lounge located on the first floor has great interiors and gives a feel of fine dining. The seating is comfortable and the corner seats offer the direct view of MG Marg. Their motto to <strong>“Let’s Get Social”</strong> – <strong>SMILE, ENJOY, LAUGH, EAT, DRINK</strong>, <strong>SHOUT</strong> is what this place truly lives too. After a long hectic walk, we relaxed, enjoyed some cocktails and munched on thin-crust pizza here. And the experience was great enough to make us hit back the s<g data-gr-id=)
treets .
 100vw, 768px” data-recalc-dims=”1″><figcaption>Osm Lounge & Bar at MG Marg, Gangtok Sikkim India</figcaption></figure>
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<h4><span><strong>Nimtho- Authentic Local Cuisines of Himalayas</strong></span></h4>
<p>Nimtho, located on the first floor in the middle of MG Marg is known for authentic local cuisines of Himalayas. They serve Sikkimese, Nepali and Tibetan food, cooked in the old style with aromatic herb and spices. </p>
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carefully with the Leeches, if you are walking down.
The Hanuman Temple has a mythical story- it is believed that Lord Hanuman rested here for a while, during his return trip from Sri Lanka, while carrying Sanjeevani Bhuti (Herbs) from the Himalayas to cure Lord Laxman. And today this temple is known as wish-fulfilling Temple by locals.
Ganesha Tok, the shrine dedicated to Lord Ganesha lies on the way to Hanuman Tok. The temple can be identified easily from a distance because of its vibrant colors and the colorful flags decorating the pathway. The entrance to the Temple is quite narrow and only one person can enter at a time.
Kanchenjunga View Point /Tashi View Point
The Kanchenjunga viewpoint, also known as Tashi viewpoint lies 8 Kilometers from the Gangtok city. The place is known for the panoramic views it offers of Gangtok city, and of Mount Kanchenjunga and Mount Sinolchu.
Here you will also see the tourists getting themselves draped and clicked in traditional Sikkimese dresses.
 100vw, 1024px” data-recalc-dims=”1″><figcaption>Dragon art at Tashi View Point in Gangtok</figcaption></figure>
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<h4><span><strong>Bakthang waterfall</strong> – Gangtok Sikkim</span></h4>
<p>Bakthang waterfall lies 3 kilometers from Gangtok city on the North Sikkim Highway. The fall looks absolutely magnificent because of its spread and the way it falls on the green canopy of creepers. </p>
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ideo camera charges are additional Rs. 100/-.
 100vw, 1024px” data-recalc-dims=”1″><figcaption>Deorali Butterfly Bridge in Gangtok</figcaption></figure>
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<h3><span><strong>Attractions Nearby Gangtok </strong></span></h3>
<h4><span><strong>Nathula Pass</strong></span></h4>
<p>The Nathula Pass located at 14,140 feet lies 56 kilometers from Gangtok town and can be visited as a day trip. The route was once the main silk trade route between India and China but today only limited trade takes place here. For more details on Nathula Pass and permit check here<strong>.</strong></p>
<h4><span><strong>Tsomgo/ Changu Lake</strong></span></h4>
<p>The Tsomgo or Changu Lake is a glacial oval-shaped lake at 12,310 feet. It lies 40 Kilometers from Gangtok and can also be visited as a day trip destination. The Changu Lake Lake <g data-gr-id=)
too is considered as one of the highest glacial lakes of India like Gurudongmar Lake and Chandratal Lake.
 100vw, 1024px” data-recalc-dims=”1″><figcaption>Tsongmo Lake or Changu Lake (Source)</figcaption></figure>
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<p><strong><em>Note</em></strong>: Nathula Pass and Tsomgo Lake both need an inner line permit for a visit and can be visited via local cabs only. We skipped visiting both these places for two reasons. First, as we already visited another high altitude Lake i.e. Gurudongmar Lake in North Sikkim and second we never wanted to travel anymore in the cabs.</p>
<h2><span><strong>Live – Accomodation in Gangtok Sikkim India</strong></span></h2>
<p>There are plenty of accommodation options in Gangtok from guest houses to budget hotels to luxurious hotels. The only criteria we had set up for choosing a hotel for ourselves was to find a good place near to the MG Marg. So, we choose to stay at <strong>Hotel Chumbi Residency</strong>, located on the Tibet Road, at just 5 minutes’ walk away from the main market M.G. Marg. </p>
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