| Gangtok
 Gangtok
in East Sikkim is a sizzling modern town,
perched on the ridge at a height of 5300ft. Being the capital
of Sikkim at set amidst the typical
Himalayan landscape, Gangtok is the prime tourism destination
in the state. The identity of this town is largely depended
upon natural beauty and ethnic people, which combine with the
modern city life. The brightly painted pagoda-like wooden houses,
whipping prayer flags, Lamas spinning wheels, views of snow-capped
peaks and the smiling faces of the local people will make you
understand that you have entered into the mystic town Gangtok.
 The
town is 110m kilometers from Siliguri. The cool and calm lifestyle
of the Sikkimese, the monasteries of Gangtok and the enormous
Kunchenjunga have always attracted the tourists from all over
India and now also from the western countries. The scenic beauty
in Gangtok is spectacular. There is excellent view of the entire
Kanchanjangha snow range from many points of the city. Within
the city and its immediate environs are some fascinating places
to visit. Rich with culture and natural beauties these places
are the prime tourism attractions for the travelers.
 Tourism
in Gangtok
The people of gangtok are largely dependent on tourism, which
is the main occupation for the residents. A number of good international
standard hotels have come up in the recent years to cater the
increasing demand of tourists. All these hotels are luxuriously
built and decorated and offers service which is a mixture of
traditional hospitality and modern professionalism. Most of
the hotels have their own cuisine and restaurant serving excellent
local, Indian, Chinese and Continental food.
Find out more about hotels in Gangtok
 There
are also a number of good food counters and bar in the city,
where all type of packed and cooked food and are available.
Sikkim is a heaven for the wine lover. Gangtok, being a capital
town, holds a maximum number of bar counters, where all type
of beer, whisky and rum are available at an unbelievable cheap
price.
A number of foreign exchange counter and ATM counter have been
set up for the convenience of the tourists.
Find out more about Sight seeing
in Gangtok
Things to buy:
Shopping is another prime attraction in Gangtok. The most favored
shopping destination is perhaps the government run handicraft
center near Zero point. There is a in built cottage industry-cum-training
center-cum-selling counter, which is a specialist in making
of Tibetan handicrafts like carpets, blankets, shawls, masks
and other traditional crafts.
 Climate:
Due to its altitude Gangtok enjoys a neither-hot-nor-too-cold
climate throughout the year. The temperature does not rise more
than 21 degrees centigrade in the summer. The winter can be
cold during January. The temperature falls down to zero degree
centigrade.
Although the town does not experience snow
falls but in the upper ridges in the town occasional snowfalls
occurs during December to February. The monsoon arrives in the
region in the mid July and continues upto mid September.
The best time to visit Gangtok is September to June.
Accessibility: Gangtok can be conveniently
reached by National Highway 31A from Siliguri,
in West Bengal. The distance from Siliguri is 120kms. The nearest
railhead NJP that connects all the important Indian cities by
regular train service is 6kms from Siliguri and the Bagdogra
Airport having daily Jet Airways and Indian Airlines flight
from New Delhi and Calcutta is 28kms from Siliguri.
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