Namchi & Kaluk Trip
Namchi, is the District Headquarter of South Sikkim. 'Sky High' is what the meaning of Namchi, and is completely synonymous as it is located at an elevation of 4,314 ft. The small town, Namchi is the epitome of culture, diversity, religion, benevolence, and also depicts the munificence of Sikkim. Namchi is blessed with welcoming monasteries, traditional temples, lush greenery, flora, and forests.
How to Reach Namchi
By Air: The nearest airport is Bagdogra airport which is 124 km from Gangtok and 190 km from Mangan. Gangtok and Bagdogra are connected through helicopter services. From Gangtok to Namchi jeep and buses services are available.
By Rail: The nearest rail is New Jalpaiguri. It is well connected to most of the major cities in India.
By Road: Roads are good and the vast network of road in Sikkim is well connected with the rest of the destinations of the region. Gangtok is located at a distance of 124 km, Kalimpong is located at a distance of 49 km, and Darjeeling is located at a distance of 45 km from Namchi. Private buses, jeeps and taxis are also available from Siliguri and Bagdogra. Bookings can be made at the SNT terminus, Siliguri. Namchi is accessible from Gangtok, Yukosom and Pelling through NH 31A.
Best Time to visit Namchi: Summer (March to October)
My trip to Namchi was in the month of October 2013. This trip also included 2 nights stay in Kaluk (Rinchenpong). I would recommend for a 2-night stay in Namchi. It is a very small and beautiful town. Namchi has become a very popular tourist place nowadays.
Central Park, rightly named in Namchi is the central location where the main town surrounds. You will find the place to be well decorated and planned with shops and food courts. You can spend some quality leisure time with your family just sitting for hours in the Central Park.
Namchi, is located in such an elevation that you will enjoy the weather. My trip to Namchi was in the month of November. It was cold there and you need to wear heavy woollen garments.
Namchi offers an unmatched view of the Mt Khanchenjunga range (from certain locations provided you get the clear sky) and the Rangit valley. You can see sparkling Darjeeling Town also from Namchi in the night.
Char Dham is the main attraction for tourists in Namchi. It is located on a hill top and is about 5 km distance from Namchi Town. This Pilgrim Centre has a most important temple of 108 feet height on which is established the 87 feet high statue of Lord Shiva. Apart from this there are also replicas of the twelve Jyotirlingas, to offer one platform to worship for the devotees of Lord Shiva. A statue of 16½ feet height of Lord Kirateshwar is also installed in this place. As per the Hindu belief in order to attain eternity, one has to perform pilgrimage to all the existing four Dhams, hence, replicas of these four Dhams has been built in the same premises.
Other major attractions include, Temi Tea Garden, Namchi Monastery and the statue of Guru Rinpoche.
Temi tea Garden is the sole tea garden in the state of Sikkim and it produces top quality teas for the international market. The tea garden originates from Tendong Hill. A visit to the tea factory helps learn more about the tea processing.
Statue of Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim. The statue in Namchi is the tallest statue of the saint.
During my visit to Namchi, I stayed in Seven Hills Resort. During evening time you can spend some leisure time with your family just sitting on the benches of the resort for view of glittering Darjeeling Town.
Visit to Namchi is very much suggested with family during Winter.
From Namchi via Jorethang we then went to our next destination, Kaluk. The area is gifted with abundant natural resources and it’s a paradise for nature lovers. It is mainly surrounded by small hamlets of Lepcha tribals and their culture, tradition and life style are still well preserved.
Our stay in Kaluk was in Mandarin Village Resort. It has an area of 23 acres of green forested land. It offers a glimpse into the traditional village lifestyle complete with authentic local cuisine and the panoramic view of Mt Kanchenjunga range which is rarely seen from any other place. The chanting of prayer both in the morning and evening followed by soft local music, warm hospitality, beautiful ambience, homely atmosphere with plenty of places to stroll around in the fresh air has touched the our heart.
Our visit to Kaluk was just to luxuriate in the peaceful and pollution free surrounding and the see the great view of Mt Kanchenjunga range. Typical sightseeing options are not much available here. However, we just visited only one location, Rinchenpong Monastery.
You can also plan for day trips to Hee, Bermiok, Pelling, Hilley, Varsey etc from here which are all within an hour’s distance.
I would recommend to plan trip for Namchi and Kaluk with family or friends in group. We spent a remarkable leisure time there among the nature.
How to Reach Namchi
By Air: The nearest airport is Bagdogra airport which is 124 km from Gangtok and 190 km from Mangan. Gangtok and Bagdogra are connected through helicopter services. From Gangtok to Namchi jeep and buses services are available.
By Rail: The nearest rail is New Jalpaiguri. It is well connected to most of the major cities in India.
By Road: Roads are good and the vast network of road in Sikkim is well connected with the rest of the destinations of the region. Gangtok is located at a distance of 124 km, Kalimpong is located at a distance of 49 km, and Darjeeling is located at a distance of 45 km from Namchi. Private buses, jeeps and taxis are also available from Siliguri and Bagdogra. Bookings can be made at the SNT terminus, Siliguri. Namchi is accessible from Gangtok, Yukosom and Pelling through NH 31A.
Best Time to visit Namchi: Summer (March to October)
My trip to Namchi was in the month of October 2013. This trip also included 2 nights stay in Kaluk (Rinchenpong). I would recommend for a 2-night stay in Namchi. It is a very small and beautiful town. Namchi has become a very popular tourist place nowadays.
Central Park, rightly named in Namchi is the central location where the main town surrounds. You will find the place to be well decorated and planned with shops and food courts. You can spend some quality leisure time with your family just sitting for hours in the Central Park.
Namchi, is located in such an elevation that you will enjoy the weather. My trip to Namchi was in the month of November. It was cold there and you need to wear heavy woollen garments.
Namchi offers an unmatched view of the Mt Khanchenjunga range (from certain locations provided you get the clear sky) and the Rangit valley. You can see sparkling Darjeeling Town also from Namchi in the night.
Char Dham is the main attraction for tourists in Namchi. It is located on a hill top and is about 5 km distance from Namchi Town. This Pilgrim Centre has a most important temple of 108 feet height on which is established the 87 feet high statue of Lord Shiva. Apart from this there are also replicas of the twelve Jyotirlingas, to offer one platform to worship for the devotees of Lord Shiva. A statue of 16½ feet height of Lord Kirateshwar is also installed in this place. As per the Hindu belief in order to attain eternity, one has to perform pilgrimage to all the existing four Dhams, hence, replicas of these four Dhams has been built in the same premises.
Other major attractions include, Temi Tea Garden, Namchi Monastery and the statue of Guru Rinpoche.
Temi tea Garden is the sole tea garden in the state of Sikkim and it produces top quality teas for the international market. The tea garden originates from Tendong Hill. A visit to the tea factory helps learn more about the tea processing.
Statue of Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim. The statue in Namchi is the tallest statue of the saint.
During my visit to Namchi, I stayed in Seven Hills Resort. During evening time you can spend some leisure time with your family just sitting on the benches of the resort for view of glittering Darjeeling Town.
Visit to Namchi is very much suggested with family during Winter.
From Namchi via Jorethang we then went to our next destination, Kaluk. The area is gifted with abundant natural resources and it’s a paradise for nature lovers. It is mainly surrounded by small hamlets of Lepcha tribals and their culture, tradition and life style are still well preserved.
Our stay in Kaluk was in Mandarin Village Resort. It has an area of 23 acres of green forested land. It offers a glimpse into the traditional village lifestyle complete with authentic local cuisine and the panoramic view of Mt Kanchenjunga range which is rarely seen from any other place. The chanting of prayer both in the morning and evening followed by soft local music, warm hospitality, beautiful ambience, homely atmosphere with plenty of places to stroll around in the fresh air has touched the our heart.
Our visit to Kaluk was just to luxuriate in the peaceful and pollution free surrounding and the see the great view of Mt Kanchenjunga range. Typical sightseeing options are not much available here. However, we just visited only one location, Rinchenpong Monastery.
You can also plan for day trips to Hee, Bermiok, Pelling, Hilley, Varsey etc from here which are all within an hour’s distance.
I would recommend to plan trip for Namchi and Kaluk with family or friends in group. We spent a remarkable leisure time there among the nature.
For any queries feel free to contact Suvobroto Ray Chaudhuri
All pictures used in this website is clicked by Suvobroto Ray Chaudhuri
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© 2015 - 2016 | Suvobroto Ray Chaudhuri | suvorc.weebly.com
Site created and maintained by Suvobroto Ray Chaudhuri