Tour To Darjeeling And Sikkim: A Rewarding Experience For A Lifetime

Posted by North East Tour

With the holiday season fast approaching, I was desperately looking for the ideal getaway with my family. After sifting through a really long list of tourist destinations which I had shortlisted after seeking recommendations from my friends and colleagues, I finally finalised on a family trip to Darjeeling and Sikkim.
Soon I began searching for comprehensive tour packages on the internet which could fit my budget. I was looking for a travel agency which would leave no stone unturned to fulfil my travel needs and offer unrivalled services. It was during this search that I got to know about Northeast Tour, one of the most leading tour operators in Sikkim.
Here in this blog post, I am sharing my memorable experience of the Darjeeling-Sikkim trip!

My Family Trip Experience With Renowned Tour Operators

Day-1: Arriving In Darjeeling
We boarded an early morning train from Kolkata and reached Siliguri at afternoon. A friendly driver from the travel agency was there at the railway station to receive and drive us to Darjeeling. Once we arrived in Darjeeling, we checked into the hotel and decided to rest for the night.

Day-2: Experiencing The Charm And Delights Of Darjeeling
We woke up early the next day to see the magnificent sunrise over the Himalayas from the mighty Tiger Hills. Witnessing the Himalayan peaks light up as the sunlight strikes, was a remarkable feeling. On our way back, we visited Batasia Loop and Ghoom Monastery.
After having our breakfast, we commenced our sightseeing tour of Darjeeling. We visited Peace Pagoda, Japanese Temple, Rock Garden and the famous tea gardens of Darjeeling. Our day-2 ended with a joyous ride of the toy train.

Day-3: A Remarkable Tour To Kalimpong
We visited the Zoological Park, stayed there for almost 2 and half hours and got ready to leave for Kalimpong. We reached Kalimpong within a few hours. We went for sightseeing and visited the ISKCON temple, Hanuman Statute and the Science Centre. This sightseeing arranged by our tour operator in Siliguri was a rewarding experience for us. We returned to the hotel, had our dinner and decided to rest for the night.

Day-4: Travelling To Gangtok
Our day started with the Cactus Garden in Kalimpong where we found almost 200 varieties of cactus plants. After having our lunch, we left Kalimpong at noon. The driver took us to Gangtok and we checked into the hotel at around 7 pm.

Day-5: Discovering The Rich Cultural Diversity Of Gangtok
We began our Gangtok tour by visiting Hanuman Tok, Ganesh Tok from where we continued on to the famous Tashi view point, a popular handicraft center and Enchey monastery. We had a small meditation session to relax our minds.

Day-6: Climbing To Nathula Pass
The driver took us to Nathula Pass where we were amazed by the beautiful landscape. On our way back, we stopped at the scenic Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir. Other than the panoramic views, we even enjoyed the Yak ride at Tsomgo Lake.

Day-7: Bidding Goodbye To A Remarkable Place
Next day, it was time to bid farewell to this magical place. We started early in the morning for Siliguri.

Experiencing the beauty of Sikkim and Darjeeling with my family was indeed a rewarding experience. Truly, it was a welcome break for my family from the hurly-burly affairs of our hectic life back in the city! If you are planning to visit Northeast India and finding  tour operator, check six qualities your tour operator should possess.

Category: , , 5 comments
Location: Darjeeling, West Bengal, India

Some tips to remember before heading towards Northeast India

Posted by North East Tour

Northeast India is one of the most recent resorts for offbeat holidaying. When it comes of Northeast India, all the things like where to go, what to do and what do eat are some of the most obvious concerns. The entire land of Northeast is completely different from rest of the country because of their unfamiliar and less-known lifestyle. And this exclusivity has made the place more interesting. If you are planning to spend the coming vacation in Northeast India, make sure you have enough information about the food, lifestyle, language and culture of the place.

Here are some important tips that would help you make your trip easy and hassle-free.

  • Get your Inner Line Permit (ILP) – Though it may sound a bit complicated, it is not actually. It is required to make your presence in the new place and this is needed to locate you in case of a mishap. If you are planning your trip through a travel agent in Siliguri, they are likely to help you get the permit without hassle. Also Government has made the process of getting ILP easy to endorse tourism industry in Northeast. Visiting beautiful states requires this extra effort but this is worth. However, people from foreign countries don’t require any ILP to visit states like Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Manipur. Whether an Indian citizen or foreigner – no one needs any permit to visit Tripura and Assam. But the foreigners need to register with respective Foreign Registration Office or Office of the District Superintendent of Police within 24 hours of entering each of the states. Also they need Protected Area Permit to enter Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Book tickets well in advance – The seven sisters are now one of the most visited states of India. The air tickets to the states can soar really high and sometimes you may have to wait even for days to get tickets. However, this is not a regular affair. This usually happens during holiday season as well as winter months. Students studying abroad or in other Indian states, get back to home during vacations and also during Christmas. And this makes the fare score up leaving a few seats available. The thing you should do to avoid the issue is to book your tickets well in advance. Siliguri being the starting point, you can contact a Tour Operator in Darjeeling to get the tickets for you. They would charge a nominal amount for buying tickets for you, on your behalf.
  • Keep updated about weather changes – Weather change is simply unremitting in these states. So it is highly recommended that carry a thin jacket even if you are visiting the region during summer. Here, the rain pours endlessly and that can bring cold. Carrying a waterproof jacket or raincoat would be wise as carrying an umbrella is inconvenient while travelling. Also carry mosquito repellent. This would come even handier during the wildlife safaris. The best time to visit the states is between September and April as this is the time when the festive fiesta is on full swing.
These are only a few of many pointers that you must keep in mind while planning a trip to Northeast India.

Category: , 0 comments
Location: Siliguri, West Bengal, India

A Few Things to Know Before You Visit Siliguri

Posted by North East Tour

Siliguri, the most important town of North Bengal and gateway to North-East India is a frequently visiting travel destination. The strategic location of the town requires every traveler to the north-east to pass through Siliguri.

Location

The town is the commercial capital of North Bengal with the best communication facilities in the region. The nearest important railway station from Siliguri is New Jalpaiguri aka NJP – the biggest railway station of the area. From this station you can avail trains to different parts of India. Bagdogra Airport located just at a distance of 12 kilometers from Siliguri is the only airport of the entire region. Siliguri is also well connected by road with not only the Himalayan region and other parts of North Bengal but also with South Bengal. NH – 31 and NH – 55 connect Siliguri with other places of significance. Renowned Tenzing Norgey Bus Terminus is also in Siliguri. Apart from bus, taxi, jeeps and trekkers are other modes of communications available in Siliguri.

Major places around

The road distances of leading tourist spots in surroundings:
Siliguri to Kolkata – 650 kms.
Siliguri to Gangtok – 120 kms.
Siliguri to Kathmandu – 760 kms.
Siliguri to Thimpu – 350 kms.

History

The town of Siliguri is not very old. During Indian Independence in 1947, Siliguri was just a hamlet. But partition of India and establishment of Pakistan dramatically increased importance of this place. Hundreds of thousands of migrants from Bangladesh came and settled in this beautiful small town during partition. Over the next 50 years or so, the town has turned out to be a city by growing in all aspects and become the second most significant city of West Bengal after Kolkata.

Places to see

  • Sevoke Coronation Bridge – Situated over the fast paced Teesta River, the bridge was built during the British period. The road to the bridge passes through famous Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. Sevoke Kalibari located on the bridge is a famous pilgrimage site of Siliguri and its surroundings.
  • Shopping Centers – Siliguri is widely popular among the shopaholics. It has a number of shopping centers as well as markets.  Hong Kong Market is a leading one that is known for trading imported goods, mostly from China. Right from umbrella to high-end party attires, the market has a lot to offer. Nivedita Market, Bidhan Market and Sunflower Shopping Mall are some more to name.  To keep updated with the latest shopping trends, the city boasts Cosmos – an up market shopping mall.
  • Science City – This is a highly accomplished institution equipped with a number of scientific instruments. The museum also exhibits a number of scientific experiments. The science center complex encloses a Nature Interpretation Centre and a planetarium. 
Siliguri is mostly visited by the tourists and travelers because the city is the gateway to a number of popular holiday destinations of North Bengal as well as Sikkim. Popular hill station Darjeeling is in close proximity to the place. Besides, Siliguri also serves as the gateway to Dooars. There are many travel agencies and tour operator in Siliguri that help the tourists reach their desired destinations safely. Also they arrange for tour packages to help the tourists get the most out of their visits. You can contact a travel agent in Siliguri to reach your holiday destination without hassle.

Category: , 0 comments
Location: Siliguri, West Bengal, India
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)