Much has been written about Sikkim in tourist brochures and on the net, so we thought we were well prepared for our trip there this March. And no doubt our visit confirmed that this is indeed one of the most beautiful places on earth. Beauty in a variety of forms – snowy peaks and craggy mountains, sloping meadows, terraced fields, winding river valleys with sparkling blue water, greens of every shade, wild flowers and flowering trees, birds and bees, colourful monasteries and fluttering prayer flags – the scenery keeps changing, never a dull moment. Roads are good (though BRO roads are perilous in areas – even after 30 years of “maintenance”, travel between Gangtok and Mangan is a risky affair, especially during rains and low cloud cover).
Cars are parked in neat rows. Plastic bags are few and garbage dumping is restricted to the back lanes of Gangtok and outskirts of hamlets. Plenty of dustbins around, even in smaller “towns” like Ravangla. No slums, no beggars, no poverty to be seen. Houses are well maintained, brightly painted and even the poorest of dwellings have ledges full of flower “pots”. Lots of schools and children happily on their way, smartly dressed in uniforms. This gets reflected in the caliber of the people – literate and therefore confident, communicative and capable of getting ahead (our three taxi drivers owned their vehicles, lived in their own houses and even had other business ventures). What a pleasure it was to visit such a progressive state !!
Now for what we did not know and what we would like to warn prospective travelers about:
Accessibility: Most “resorts” are situated away from habitation and usually at heights. This affords the best views and the most serene atmosphere, but can also present the problem of accessibility – not only for the disabled and the senior citizens, but for anyone not in absolute peak form. So do specifically check out precise location and accessibility before deciding on your hotel, as our experience below will illustrate :
The Bamboo Resort at Sajong Village, Rumtek can be approached from the main road only on foot, by negotiating a long curving uphill path of stony steps of unequal height and uncertain surface. There are no railings for support and at night are there no lights to illuminate the way. Secondly, the resort is about 6 km away from the monastery, an ascending, well-paved, scenic road which took us 2 hours to walk. One could, however, with some difficulty, flag down one of the numerous share-taxis plying on this Gangtok-Rumtek sector and save oneself the walk. Or hire a “reserved” taxi.
Ravangla has only one resort – the Mt. Narsing, which has non-deluxe (pretty basic) accommodation at road level and an annexe with the better cottages up above. How far “above” we learnt to our dismay when we got there. From the main road, the path is a series of hairpin-bends, extremely steep and very stony. It is also a never-ending one km long! And the stones can cut into your feet through the thickest of soles. Though the resort is 3 km from Ravangla, there are plenty of share-taxis who are only too happy to stop and take you on for Rs. 10 each. But go up and drop you at the resort annexe itself? Sorry sir, very difficult sir, perhaps at an extra Rs. 100 per head sir! So if you are thinking of spending a few days here taking gentle walks and exploring the surroundings (lovely area to do so), you either need to be a mountain goat or else, hang on to your vehicle. Hotels at Gangtok are necessarily built on many levels, but it appears that the management of The Chumbi Residency does not know that it is mandatory to provide lifts if there are more than 4 floors. So stay there only if you enjoy room service because the bar and dining room could well be a good 6 floors down!
Poor Service: Whilst tourism has taken off, knowledge of the hospitality industry is rudimentary at best and professionalism still has to be learnt. There is no trained staff at The Bamboo Resort, Rumtek (though the personal involvement of the brusque take-it-or-leave-it Swiss owner ensures basic standards), or at The LeCoxy, Lachung (though the extremely eager-to-please boys do the best they can with their very limited resources), or at Mt. Narsing, Ravangla (service at its nadir: here we were looked after by a cocky local farmer lad who was assisted by 2 sullen-faced girls of about 16 – 18 with little Hindi and no English, by an obliging but uncommunicative 14 year old girl and a timid 12 year old boy – isn’t child labour banned in India ???)
Food: This can present a problem, particularly outside of Gangtok, where restaurants or dhabbas are few and far between. So try to include food in your hotel package and be categorical in your indication of diet preference. Breakfast at The Chumbi Residency, Gangtok is cold boiled eggs accompanied by even colder toast and coffee. At The Bamboo Resort it is assumed that all Indians have to be vegetarian. At LeCoxy food supplies go up in the vehicle along with you so what you get to eat is very very basic. And at Mt. Narsing – well if you have not been put off by the long wait for the staff to open the dining room door or finish their meal, the dirty table cloths, the broken plastic table mats, the glasses being blown into to remove dust etc, the food can be quite tasty. However, you are not given more than two pieces of chicken per head (this could include the neck and other indefinable parts), a second helping of vegetable could be difficult and what, you want sweet dish as well? Forget it!
Shivering in the dark: Power breakdowns are frequent and most establishments do not have generators or not enough fuel to run them. At Ravangla there is usually no electricity till around 7 pm. Though it gets dark around 5.30 pm (in March), the Mt. Narsing Resort generator is not switched on till about 6.45 pm, so you are compelled to sit around a flickering candle for an hour. Evenings can be a drag in Sikkim, with nothing to do and nowhere to go, so remember to take along your Scrabble and Monopoly – along with a good torch and windcheater (remember, no electricity means no heating too!