Pelling in Sikkim is the place for all such people whether they are adrenaline junkies or gastronomies, culture buff or ardent bird watcher. Pelling is the most stunning hill station with a charm of its own, embraced within the carpeted green mountains. Take a break from fanatic work and make your way to the ocean of calmness, Pelling is waiting for you. Before we start exploring Pelling as a tourist guide, you must know little about this amazing place:
Some Interesting about Pelling
Pelling is located on an altitude of 7,200 feet. It is a small town located in the foothills of Mount Kangchenjunga, in west Sikkim, a north-eastern state of India. A place of breath-taking beauty, Pelling offers scenic views and mesmerizing locales. But its greatest claim to fame is that it offers the best and closest view of the Kanchenjunga peak, the third highest mountain peak in the world. Pelling tourism is a mix of scenic peace and adventure. To start making plans, read this how can you reach there?
How To Reach Pelling
Pelling is becoming a popular tourist destination day by day. The efforts to reach there are on to link it better with mainland India. There are many bus and cab services you will get from various towns and cities of Sikkim.
- By Road
Regular buses run daily between Pelling with Gyalshing. Cabs are also available from Gangtok. Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim. From here Buses start from at 7:00 a.m. and till 12:30 p.m. Other than Gangtok, there are regular jeeps connecting Pelling to the towns of Jorethang, Kalimpong, and Namchi. If you can’t afford a private cab, you can also hire a shared cab.
- By Rail
The nearest railway station is Siliguri. Siliguri is a city spanning Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts of West Bengal. You can book a taxi or board a bus to your destination, just 130 km away.
- By Air
The nearest airport is Bagdogra International Airport. In the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, Bagdogra is a beautiful town. There are taxis and buses available from Bagdogra to Pelling. The airport also has regular helicopter flights to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, from where jeep services to Pelling are available.
Best Time To Visit
From March to May is an ideal time to visit Pelling. The temperature remains pleasantly cool all through summer although nights and early mornings can be quite cold even during summer. Summer actually starts in April. The temperature during summer can vary between a minimum of 3°C to a maximum of 30°C (although night time temperature can get to zero or even sub-zero at times). Visibility remains good unless it rains. Summer often sees showers. On clear days you can expect to get great views of Kanchenjunga snow peaks during this time.
Things To Do
- Explore Khecheopalri Lake
Khecheopalri Lake is 18 km away from Pelling. The lake is surrounded by prayer flags and forested hills and lies in a depression. It will take at least five hours to wander the full surrounding area. If you trek 1.5km uphill, you will reach Khecheopalri Gumpa.
- Trek to Bhaley Dunga
You can also go trekking to Bhaley Dunga. It is a cliff top from where you can view the mountains and the town of Yangang right below. To reach the Sangacholing Monastery, you can then walk downhill.
- See the Sangachoeling Monastery
It is one of the Buddhist monasteries of Pelling among some of the oldest monasteries of Sikkim. Built-in the 16th century, you can go see the Sangachoeling Monastery. It is accessible only by foot a 45-minute walk from Pelling.
What to Eat?
There are not many restaurants in Pelling and for the most part, you will need to depend on in-house dining in your hotel. Having said that, there are few nice restaurants here that are popular with both tourists and locals. Gya Thuk or Thukpa is the most popular dish. It is a noodle-based soup with vegetables or meat. You can also taste Momos, which are dumplings stuffed with minced meat, vegetables or cheese and last but not the least is Sha Phaley, it is bread stuffed with seasoned beef and cabbage.
What to Buy?
At the end of the trip, you love to purchase some souvenirs for family and friends. For these, you can buy hand-woven carpets, blankets in Lepcha weave and shawls, intricately carved tables (locally known as choktse), cloth bags, handmade paper products, colorful threaded scarves, Buddhist religious items, wall hangings, and traditional Tibetan thangkas (paintings). The Rural Artisan Marketing Centre is the perfect place for buying souvenirs.