Saturday 16 August 2014

The form of greeting in Nepal is “Namaste” performing by joining both palms together. It literally means “the divine in me salutes the divine in you”.



nepal

Do not trek alone. There have been numerous disappearances of solo trekkers in recent years. Always hire a guide or trek with other people. There are online forums where travelers can look for fellow-trekkers. This applies to everyone but especially women that are travelling single – they seem to more vulnerable. Always communicate your travel plans to your next of kin. 

 Food safety - Avoid water that is not bottled or boiled. Avoid raw vegetables and pre-cut fruit as much as possible.

Even though Nepal is known for its pristine environment and beauty – not the highways and major city streets. They are crowded with traffic, full of smoke and bumpy and dusty. Hence travelling on a bicycle or a motorbike for the most part is not advisable. There are some off-road mountain bike trails that are ok to do. 


nepal
 Do not give money to beggars that you see on the streets. Even though they look pitiful, your giving away of money encourages them only to beg for more. If you really care support one of many charity organizations working in Nepal .

Be sure to exchange back all the Nepalese currencies before you leave. They are not accepted (or even exchanged for that matter) outside of Nepal . Besides, taking currency out of the country is against the law.

Do not touch someone’s head or sit showing the bottom of your feet towards them. It is considered rude.

Do not fully rely on schedules and times that are committed to you whether in verbal or written while you are in Nepal . They may not commence in time as stated or committed and may end up disrupting all your subsequent schedule. Have time buffer as much as you can between your major plans and activities, especially if you have a hard stop date that you need to fly out by.
nepal
Always be alert/aware of “Bandhs” (Strikes – where no transportation is allowed) as they can alter all your travel plans substantially.

Do not assume that “ganja” (marijuana) is legal in Nepal . It is not. Even though it is a common weed on hillsides you can get in trouble for picking it and carrying it for consumption purpose.

Do not assume that when a Nepali says “yes” or shakes the head in affirmation that it is a done deal or they agree with you. Re-confirm using simplest of words but being as direct as possible to make sure.

Stay away from dance bars in KTM and PKR. These are tourist traps where they scam you on buying alcohol and food at much inflated prices. Some of these places have a history of intimidation and violence.
If you are planning to apply for the Visa at the airport, make sure to have passport size photo available. Plan B is to have your photo taken at the booth at the airport.
nepal
Do not give money to beggars that you see on the streets. Even though they look pitiful, your giving away of money encourages them only to beg for more. If you really care support one of many charity organizations working in Nepal .

Be sure to exchange back all the Nepalese currencies before you leave. They are not accepted (or even exchanged for that matter) outside of Nepal . Besides, taking currency out of the country is against the law.

Do not touch someone’s head or sit showing the bottom of your feet towards them. It is considered rude.

Do not fully rely on schedules and times that are committed to you whether in verbal or written while you are in Nepal . They may not commence in time as stated or committed and may end up disrupting all your subsequent schedule. Have time buffer as much as you can between your major plans and activities, especially if you have a hard stop date that you need to fly out by.
Always be alert/aware of “Bandhs” (Strikes – where no transportation is allowed) as they can alter all your travel plans substantially.
Do not assume that “ganja” (marijuana) is legal in Nepal . It is not. Even though it is a common weed on hillsides you can get in trouble for picking it and carrying it for consumption purpose. 

 Do not assume that when a Nepali says “yes” or shakes the head in affirmation that it is a done deal or they agree with you. Re-confirm using simplest of words but being as direct as possible to make sure.

Stay away from dance bars in KTM and PKR. These are tourist traps where they scam you on buying alcohol and food at much inflated prices. Some of these places have a history of intimidation and violence.
If you are planning to apply for the Visa at the airport, make sure to have passport size photo available. Plan B is to have your photo taken at the booth at the airport.

20 Important Tips For Nepal Traveller

First Night At Kathmandu After Journey !!!

way of kathmandu

When we reached Kathmandu,The happiness of reaching our destination, soon burst into some kind of growl and we did make a huge amount of noise before alighting the cab(Innova). As planned, we have reached our hotel in Kathmandu(Hotel Lai Lai) on Day 1, night.

Me with my Friend in Hotel 
The check in process was smooth, the lounge of the hotel itself showed the class and most of us were going to stay in such a hotel for the first time in life.  We were escorted to our rooms. 3 persons per room and the suite was really luxurious.
The first thing we noticed as we step out is the neatly concreted roads unlike the tarred roads we have in India. The city was bumbling with activity. We felt as if we are in some European country as the people we see the most were Europeans than the local people. Most of the shops here are manned by Indians. But surprisingly they will behave as if they are from the local community the moment they understand that we are from India. Might be a business tactic so that customers from India don’t walk away with reductions by using national sentiments.
kathmandu hotel









The money value of Kathmandu rupee was less than Indian rupee, which made all of us rich instantaneously. But this joy was short lived as we found that the cost of items was double than that of India. 

Dinner
We had to find some hotel for food. All the hotels were the ones with pubs and discotheques. We, being from a place which does not have any pubs, we were sure not to feel at home once in that place. But deep inside our heart we wanted to know what is happening inside because we have heard only stories of such hotels. Another worrying factor was the ignorance of cost of food in these hotels. 




















Nepal tour | My Journey to Kathmandu |

Friday 15 August 2014

After 19 days of coming from Nepal, when I was planning for my second trip to Gangtok, I have tried to take all reverent information from all possible sources for making my tour enjoyable to the fullest extent.

View of football stadium from my hotel room

After lots of googleing , I could not really find very relevant data , most of online data are SEO ( Search engine optimization ) friendly . So , I feel that  I should  share my experience for the benefits of tourists who are looking for a pleasant stay at Gangtok . I like to describe my journeys in few parts. I request you read all the posting to get complete tourist friendly information. Here, I describe the information about.

  • Route information to New Jalpaiguri/Siliguri to Gangtok
  • Hotel information of Gangtok
  • Few basic information, you need to know for hassle free journey and save extra cost.
Journey From kolkata to New Jalpaiguri (NJP)/Siliguri :
To reach Gangtok, you need to pass through NJP and Siliguri that is the gateway to North Eastern States of India, Sikkim, Bhutan.
You can reach Siliguri from major Metros by rail, road and Air ways . Nearest Metro Kolkata is very well connected to Siliguri through road and rail. Earlier I reached Siliguri by Road . But for family, this will be  a hectic journey of 12 hours. So best way is to book ticket for train, and  reach NJP by trains . This time, I planned early by booking train. We reached NJP by Kanchankanya Express. For train journey, it is advisable to reach to NJP in the morning, so that you can reach Gangtok by after noon on the same day. If you go by Bus, it would take you to Siliguri Bus stand. From there, you can avail various modes of transport to reach Gangtok .

Taxi and SUV charge from station to Gangtok
If you reach NJP  by train , you can reserve a cab or SUV from the station itself  , they would charge you  around Rs 1200 ( for Indica , Maruti Alto) to Rs 1800 ( For sumo ) . They can charge you more depending whether it is peak season or not.
But , if you are small family , look for shared service , better , you can go from NJP  to Siliguri Bus stand by hiring local auto ( Charges Rs 15 per head ) , and from Siliguri station , you can get shared Sumo services for Gangtok . For shared sumo services, they can charge you Rs.150 per head in lean season to Rs 200 in peak season.

Our journey to Gangtok
We started our journey from NJP at around 7:30 AM. Slowly we passed through the NJP town and followed the National Highway 31A . After 30 minutes journey along Sevok Road , we reached Baag Pool and met River Teesta at Sevok . This  is the point you can see the hills are welcoming  you and this is junction point  to reach various hill stations like Gangtok , Darjeeling , Kalempong etc  . We followed the hilly road to Gangtok , watching the deep gorge alongside. Every turn, we could see the Teesta welcoming us with her renewed freshness. After 20 km journey, we reached Teesta Bazar .We stopped there  for lunch. Do not forget to taste Momo here . It is really tasty . We have taken momo as our lunch .

View of kanchenjunga from Darjeeling
After lunch again we started for Gangtok . We have seen the beautiful views of hilly terrain , river Teesta along our journey . After an hour journey we reached Rangpo .This is the gateway point for entering Sikkim State . Security people checked our Photo ID .

gangtok sikkim

Hotel information in Gangtok:
During peak season (April to May) and Puja Vacation ( October month ) , if you are planning to visit Gangtok , it is better to book the room in advance  . But still I have taken some amount of risk , I could have booked the hotel , but I plan to see the room and then book the room even it cost more . Accordingly, I collected information from my known circle about few hotels . And finally I made a good  deal when I visited Hotel Sikkim near Lal Market . The room we booked is a deluxe room and having full mountain views of Gangtok. Hotel change is also moderate Rs 800 per night .


If you are looking for moderate hotel it is bitter to visit few hotels and make bargain and then book the room.
From my experience, I could see following cluster of hotels in three major areas like

gangtok lal market

1.Deoarali Bazar : Bus , cab from Siliguri stopped here at Deorali bus stand . Here you could see many small to medium range hotels . You can see the hotels and book .Many Budgets hotels are here . Bengali style hotels you can find here . From here , you can go to Gangtok market like MG Road by taking local Taxi ( Rs 40 for 4 people ) . If you are really looking for budget hotels in Gangtok , this is the right place , prices varies from Rs 300 to 800 per night .


2.Lal Market (Allay marg) : It is close to nearby local taxi stand . If you come from Siliguri , You first reach Deorali Stand , from there you can take taxi to reach Lal  market or MG Road (area ) , for tourist , cab driver can  charge  little bit extra  ( Rs 100 per Cab) . I stayed in this area and this is very close to MG MARG, and it is just below the MG Marg . Here you can find many good hotels .Since this is close to commercial places of Sikkim , hotel rates are higher . Here you can get plenty of hotels .Again , you can visit two to three hotels and book the best one as per your budget . Here room rate is Rs 600 to Rs 1200. (Peak season, this can be higher). But back side hotels  you can get a better deal .Advantage of this area is that it is very close to local taxi stand and also close to MG matket . In Lal market where you can do shopping .

gangtok market

Few basic information, you need to know for hassle free journey and save extra cost .
When you are planning for holiday trip in Gangtok , please note the following , this may save you time and money .
  1. ID Card : You must carry a photo ID card ( Voter card , driving license , Passport copy etc ) , you must carry the original for entry verification at Rangpo . For whole family , at least one photo ID card is required . You must carry few photocopies of the ID card ( if you plan for distant site seeing , like Yamthung Tour , Changu Lake tour etc ) .
  2. Take 4 to 6 photos of each family member .Photos are required for making pass to visit distant tourist spots .During peak season , local photographer may change you Rs 100 per person .
  3. Take enough medicine while making tours to high altitudes places.
  4. While returning from hill to Siliguri , start early as it takes 4 to 5 hours to reach planer if road and traffic condition  is good , sometime tourists miss the flight or train due t unexpected delay and road problem on the national highway .
Rest all are really excellent about Gangtok , very safe place for outing .People are friendly , local cab drivers are really very helpful .So enjoy your trip to Gangtok .

Gangtok Tour- Small but beautiful | My journey to Gangtok, Darjeeling,Sikkim

Nathula Pass and the Old Silk Route
Bordered by China, Nepal and Bhutan, Sikkim has long been regarded as one of the last Himalayan Shangri-las. Because of its remoteness and the fact that permits are required, Sikkim isn't the most accessible area to visit in India. However, it certainly is one of the most energetic and refreshing. There's something very soothing to the soul about the mountainous beauty and ancient Tibetan Buddhist culture in Sikkim.

More Images of Nathula Pass

If you're really feeling adventurous, nothing compares to a journey along the former Old Silk Route to Nathu La, three hours from Gangtok on the Chinese border. The border consists of a lone barbed wire fence, and you'll get the strange thrill of seeing the Chinese soldiers on the other side. Unfortunately, only Indians are allowed to travel this far though, and only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. A permit is also required, obtainable through a registered travel agency.

Border of indo-china

Tsomgo Lake, also called Changu Lake, 27 kilometers (17 miles) short of Nathu La
Tsomgo Lake, also called Changu Lake, 27 kilometers (17 miles) short of Nathu La.
Foreigners can go up to Tsomgo Lake, also called Changu Lake, 27 kilometers (17 miles) short of Nathu La. This spectacular high-altitude (12,400 feet) glacier lake remains frozen until May. For a quirky experience, ride a yak there!


Beauty of way to Nathula Pass

Top 5 Sikkim Attractions and Tourist Places

sikkim
Beauty of Sikkim
Sikkim is famous for two things, unobstructed view of Mt. Kanchenjunga and the stunning rhododendron bloom that paints the landscape in all shades in April/May. We didn't miss the glory, we saw flowers of all colors - pink, yellow, red, white! It was crazy as hell. 



The journey starts from "Rongli".It was a glorious day, two things Sikkim's known for were right in front of us - the mountains and the flowers. 


sikkim
Clouds 




nathula paas


sikkim

Snake road

sikkim
Another Capture of Snake Road


sikkim snake road









Surreal Beauty of Sikkim

 
Adventure Starts Here © 2015 - Blogger Templates Designed by Templateism.com