Khangchendzonga from RinchenpongSitting in our Siliguri (North Bengal city) hotel room in the late evening, me and Tommy Singh, my friend were discussing whether should we undertake a circular adventure tour- Gangtok, North Sikkim, West Sikkim and back or the other way around?
Suddely there was a knock on the door.
"Come in",replied Tommy Singh, almost shouting.
Mr. Banerjee, the manager entered with a beaming smile.
"How are you sir?. What will you like to have in your dinner?""Two beautiful women" Tommy replied looking at an embarrassed Mr. Banerjee and then burst out laughing.
"No no..I was just joking" added Tommy Singh. Then he looked keenly at Mr. Banerjee and shot a question at him.
"What do you suggest Mr Banerjee?" And then Tommy narrated our plan to the manager. Mr. Banerjee looked at me, at Tommy and then there was a smile on his face.
"I think, sir, you should start your journey with Rinchenpong, in the west Sikkim" replied Mr.Banerjee with a "Great Explorer" written all over his face.
"Rinchen..pong! Pong? What a kiddish name?" I interjected.
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| Road to.. |
"Sir, if you want to see the crowning glory of the queen of Himalayas-Kanchenjunga, the 3rd highest peak in the world, then go to Rinchenpong!" Replied Mr. Banerjee proudly. He explained
Rinchenpong. He had hit the nail. It helped us to come to a conclusion instantly. Mr. Banerjee left our room assuring us to make all the arrangements at Rinchenpong. The final shape of our journey was: Richenpong-Pelling-Gangtok-North Sikkim and back.
Next we left early on NH31 passing through scenic views of tea gardens, hills and forests over a green carpet. Passing through
Sevok, Kalihora and Milli, took a sharp right reaching at
Jorethang. Jorethang was a major town in South Sikkim district in the Indian state of Sikkim. The town was situated at an altitude of about 300 m above sea level and has a temperate climate. Jorethang was on the Rangeet River, a tributary of the River Teesta. River rafting, trekking in the region can be undertaken at Jorethang. A few kilometres north was the hot springs which were becoming an added tourist attraction.
It took us about 3 hours to cover about 120 Kms to reach Rinchenpong at a height of 1700 meters and headed towards
"The Rinchenpong Village Resort" at a village
Kaluk. It was a different world. An exotic place to stay sprawling upon a 40 acre estate of pristine forest.
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A great place for rural village & Eco tourism!
We left very early next morning to witness nature's miracle. We were greeted by a spectacular sunrise on Khangchendzonga and its sister peaks. One by one ,Khangchendzonga, Rathong, Kabru, Kumbhakarna, Pandim, etc. were catching the crimson rays of the rising sun turning the entire massive range into a bright shade of scarlet. My goodness! Compared to the sight of Khangchendzonga when viewed from Darjeeling or Pelling, the view from Rinchenpong was more majestic because the entire range could be seen.
Poison Pokhri Lake
We followed the step road from the bazaar which took us to the banks of the historical
"Poison Pokhri"- In 1860 the British sent an expeditionary force to Sikkim. When the force reached Rinchenpong the Lapchas (the original inhabitants of Sikkim) used herbs to poison the water of a pond, the only source of water in Rinchenpong, thus killing half of the British forces and forcing them to beat a retreat. The pond was christened Poison Pokhri, making it one of the earliest examples of bio-chemical warfare, and can still be seen in Rinchenpong. Sadly the small, almost dry pond is nothing impressive, but worth
visiting an ancient record of bio-chemical warfare!There was nothing else here except Nature and one can enjoy its pristine quality and the exotic beauty of the colorful wild flowers.
INFORMATION
VISA AND PERMITS : In addition to an Indian visa, foreigners must obtain inner line permit (ILP) to visit Sikkim, the permits can be obtained from all Indian missions, Tourism Office, New Delhi, Sikkim Tourism office, Calcutta and Sikkim Tourism Office, Siliguri on the strength of an Indian Visa.
ACCESS
By Flight : The closest Indian Airport is at Bagdogra, 99 kms from the resort, where scheduled flights operates from Calcutta, Delhi, Guwahati. Travel time from the airport to Gangtok is 3.5 hours. From Kathmandu, fly to Bhadrapur in the east Nepal(1 hour), then drive to Kakarbhitta (Nepal-India border, 35 kms), to Siliguri(37 kms) and to the resot (99 kms, 3.5 hrs). Or fly to Biratnagar also in the east.
By Rail : The closest Railhead is at New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri which are connected to Calcutta, New Delhi Guwahati and other major Indian cities. By Road : Rinchenpong is at a distance of 120 kms from Siliguri and will take 3.5 hours to reach the resort. The resort-The Rinchenpong village resort is at a distance of 40 km from Pelling and 69 km from Darjeeling .
ADVENTURE SPORTS : Trekking, mountaineering, rafting and yak safari
TRANSPORT : Transport is provided by buses. Vehicles are also available on hire. Taxis are available for getting around Gangtok.
BEST SEASON : April to Mid-June; Mid September to November
BEST MOUNTAIN VIEWS : Mid Sept. - Mid Dec. RECOMMENDATION CLOTHING : Light woollens and tropicals in summer (umbrellas and raincoats are useful) and heavy woollen in winter.
LANGUAGE SPOKEN : Nepali, Hindi and English
HOTELS AND RESORTS IN KALUK (RICHENPONG)
- Hotel Norlha
- Rinchenpong Nest
- Hotel Mount View
- Hotel Rinchen
- Hotel Reesum
- Kanchen Valley Tourist Lodge
- Rinchenpong Village Resort (Below Kaluk Bazar)
- Ghonday Village Resort
- Mandarin Village Resort
- Kanchan View Hotel (Hee Bermiok)
- Hee Tourist Lodge (Hee Bermiok)
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