Cycling Through Sikkim

Today, we will be transferred to the airport to board a flight to Bagdogra.

Upon our arrival, we board our vehicle (support vehicle) and continue our journey a little further from Gangtok. After checking in at the hotel, we have enough time to visit the city and stroll through the local market.

In the morning, our itinerary descends into the valley and then climbs slightly towards Rumtek. Passing through rice fields and small hamlets, we follow the path towards the magnificent Martam Village. Along the way, we visit the Rumtek Monastery, one of the main monasteries in Sikkim and residence of the Karmapa Lama, the third highest-ranking monk in Tibetan Buddhism. It was built in 1960 by his excellency Gyalwa Karmapa, at the end of the 16th century, when he took refuge in Sikkim after the Chinese attack. It houses some of the rarest works of art in the world, manuscripts and ancient icons. After a short climb, we traverse the rocky mountainside before continuing with a gradual descent through Martam's fertile rice fields until we reach the village. We arrive at the Resort of Martam village overlooking a wide valley of terraced rice fields and bordered by forest-covered hills.

Today, we will travel along another beautiful road leading to Ravangla passing through the Temi tea fields, near Damthang. The first part of the day is a magnificent circuit crossing the small terraced villages of Sirwani and Sang. A descent with breathtaking scenery leads us to Damthang from where we begin a gradual climb towards Ravangla. We stop along the way to visit the Temi tea fields, the only tea plantation in Sikkim. Continuing our journey passing by small waterfalls, we reach Ravangla. Located at an altitude of 2100 meters, Ravangla is among the few places in Sikkim where you can enjoy unparalleled views of some "Himalayan ranges" such as Mount Kanchenjunga, Mount Pandim, Sinialchu and Kabru. These are the most visible peaks from where we are. The beauty of its landscape and its location as a transit point between neighboring destinations have made Ravangla an unmissable destination.

After breakfast, we continue by bike from Ravangla to Yuksom, passing through the Tashiding Monastery. We start with a fantastic descent towards Legship and the Rangit River then we continue with a gradual climb towards Yuksom and we stop along the way to visit Tashiding. The Tashiding Monastery belongs to the Nyingmapa order and is highly respected by the inhabitants of Sikkim. Built at the top of the hill, the monastery is located at the junction between the Rathong River and Rangit. It is said that a simple visit to the monastery can help cleanse mortals of all sins. After the visit, we continue our ride through small villages and terraced rice fields, passing by great waterfalls until we reach Yuksom. Yuksom literally means the meeting of three great lamas. These lamas came from Tibet and established the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism in the region. Yuksom is also the base camp for various trekkers. Upon arrival, we go to our hotel and visit the Dubdi Monastery. Also known as the hermit convent, it is one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim, located at the top of a hill approximately one hour walk from Yuksom. Dubdi means "the retreat". This monastery was built in 170

Today, the day will be short but stimulating, as we head towards Pelling. Leaving Yuksom in the morning, a beautiful descent takes us there after passing by a few magnificent waterfalls. Along the roadside, high mountains succeed small villages and the views of the terraced rice fields on the opposite side of the valley are a treat for the eyes. Placid Pelling situated at an altitude of 2,072 meters offers a panoramic view of the entire mountain range. Upon arriving in Pelling, we check in at our hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or take a walk in the town.

After breakfast, we head towards the Pemayangtse Monastery. Pemayangtse (the perfect and sublime lotus), located approximately 107 km west of Gangtok. It is one of the oldest and most important monasteries in the state and offers an impressive view of Mount Khangchendzonga. This monastery belongs to the Nyingma order and all other Nyingma monasteries in Sikkim are subordinate to it. After lunch, we begin our descent towards Dentam continuing with a progressive climb ending with a descent towards Rinchenpong.

Today, we leave Rinchenpong and continue our journey, largely downhill, as we head towards Nayabazar. Passing through terraced rice fields and small lodges, this is the final stretch of Sikkim before reaching Nayabazar, a bustling occupied border village.

At Nayabazar, we leave our bikes and take the car for approximately 25 km to Darjeeling in West Bengal. Darjeelingstretches in ribbons along a steep ridge, surrounded by emerald green tea fields with the white peaks of the Himalayas as a backdrop, floating on the clouds in the distance.

In the morning, we leave the hotel and take the secondary road that winds around the hills towards Ghoom. We travel through small villages located above the tea plantations. Upon arrival at Ghoom, we make a detour to visit the Ghoom Gompa. It is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in this region, built in 1850. It is among the oldest monasteries of Ghoom as it houses a statue of Buddha Maitreya. From Ghoom, we drive on the "old military road", no cars pass through it, and as we enter the ancient conifer forests after small waterfalls, we don't meet anyone on the way. As we continue driving at more than 2000 m altitude, the views gradually open up onto the small hills and tea plantations, where we can see the inhabitants carrying baskets as they pick tea leaves. We then descend to Kurseong. We spend the night in another colonial house converted into a hotel, where we enjoy the view from the veranda while sipping tea. We also admire the landscape overlooking the tea fields while thinking of our wonderful stay.

Today after breakfast, we accompany you to Bagdogra to board a flight to Delhi.

Upon arrival in Delhi, we are accompanied to the hotel where we check in. The rest of our day is free to visit the city market.