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Bhutan, Darjeeling & Sikkim
An adventurous journey through the high mountains
OverviewOn a map Bhutan, Darjeeling and Sikkim look as if they are squeezed between India and China. And in a way they are, as the Himalayas were thrust upwards when the earth’s tectonic plates collided some 80 million years ago.
Darjeeling has long been part of India, but Sikkim only since 1975 and Bhutan is an independent state. This is a magnificent high mountain region full of good walking, stunning views, new experiences and different cultures.
Bhutan enjoys what may be an enviable position in the tourist world as it is so difficult to reach and restricts the entry of visitors. As a result, Bhutan remains lovely, near pristine and a joy to visit. We’ll walk, explore and sightsee from Paro, Thimpu and Phuntsholing, giving an insight to Bhutanese life.
We leave Bhutan through the mountains by road to the hill station of Kalimpong in West Bengal, where we will discover the town and walk in the surrounding countryside visiting a traditional village. The tiny and beautiful state of Sikkim is cradled between two southward spurs of the Greater Himalayan range and from the capital of Gangtok, we’ll sightsee and walk in this wonderful region, discovering its Buddhist past.
Darjeeling, in the heart of the tea producing region of India, is a highlight of the British Colonial Raj era, with its hill stations hovering around 2100m, and is inhabited by residents from all over the Eastern Himalaya. It’s a fascinating place and during our time we plan to explore the town, take a journey on the narrow gauge railway and visit Tiger Hill at sunrise, which has an unparalleled 360° Himalayan panorama.
We fly back to Delhi to connect with our flight home.
Cautionary note: We are travelling here in high mountain regions varying between 300m and 2300m in relatively undeveloped areas. The holiday involves a good deal of sightseeing with walking which will generally be D grade. The longest road journeys (Bhutan to Kalimpong and Sikkim to Darjeeling) should be about six hours duration spread throughout the day. Weather conditions and local resources can cause itinerary changes and client safety has to be paramount.
Holiday Information SheetAll Holiday Information sheets are in PDF format. You will need Acrobat Reader or a similar program to view these. To download Acrobat Reader visit get.adobe.com/reader.
The two local guides in Bhutan were absolutely excellent: helpful, kind, very knowledgeable. Particularly good walk lead...
The lunch in Thimpu was excellent. The walk which included the sunrise over the mountains was excellent - the best of th...
David started in the company as a leader in 1991 and spent 5 years leading pretty much all over the world. He now travels as much as possible with his wife and daughter rather than leading groups.
