May 4 | The colors here are striking.

The window in our room at the Phamrong over looked the Kanchenzonga, well that’s what was told to us when we checked-in, but this morning, we witnessed it. The elusive Kanchenzonga showed up once more but again, in parts, covered in mist and extremely difficult to identify one peak from the other. I clicked and clicked trying to get a good shot, but the mist really killed what the camera could see from what i could see with the naked eye.

For breakfast we went to ‘Kabur’, the same place we went for dinner last night. Last night’s meal did not convince us enough to blindly go with the local cusine and instead we had continental, but after the experience, we would recommend you just go with the local sandwiches and noodle soups. The first half of the day was assigned to places around Pelling, not many but a few that come well recommended by travel guides and locals alike.

We first went to the ‘Pemayangtse Monastery’; it’s the bigger of the two monasteries at Pelling. There are three floors that are open to the people, the first and second are predominantly ancient paintings on the wall, idols of ‘Manifestations of Lord Padmasambhawa’ locked in class cabins and hundreds of scriptures wrapped in silk and sandwiched between wooden planks, but the third floor has something more majestic; it’s a 15-20ft tall structure full of intricate carving which enumerates the learning and life of the Gods. One could spend a lot of time just staring into the structure and discovering interesting details. Just another 10mins ride downhill and we reached the ‘Ruins of Rabdentse’; the erstwhile capital of Sikkim has been declared a site of national heritage and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. A hike of about 500mtrs along cobble-stoned paths leads to the ruins which have been immaculately maintained.

After checking-out of the hotel, an hour long ride intermittently interrupted by potholes brought us to the ‘Khecheopalri Lake’ (1800mtrs above sea-level), held sacred by the people of Sikkim as the wish-fulfilment lake it is surrounded by trees and mountains on all sides. It’s not just the lake, but there’s an option of a 2.5hr hike up the mountains that leads to Duphuk Caves (2400mtrs above sea-level), we could not do this due to paucity of time, instead we just paid our visit to the lake and wished for a safe trip. Among the ones who visit the lake are not just tourists but birds as well who move within the mountains and the lake. Also, the place is full of locals who are anytime willing to talk about the lake and other topics like which one of the two has better muscles. After this we were on our way to Yuksom. Again, the roads were beautiful, packed with greens with sights of roads and mountains on the other side of the valley and rivulets flowing at every major bend, but with a few roadblocks and bumps on the way. While on the way, one of our pit-stop was the ‘Kanchenzonga Waterfall’, i still wonder why it’s called that, but it has its little settlement of people hawking chai and nick-knacks. Yuksom was just another 9kms away, so we took it easy here. A 2min hike up the stairs and you see the water gushing from about 50feet and falling into a small pond. Suzy and i picked droplets just falling off the edge and followed it till it entered the pond, it kept us busy for a while.

The final ride to Yuksom was watered down with heavy showers and it continued like that for the rest of the evening and part of the night that i was awake. We checked ourselves into this new property called ‘Phodrang Marpoo’ also called as the ‘Red Palace’, just 7months old, it is set on the outskirts of Yuksom but the quality of rooms and serenity of the place worked in its favour and we did not think twice. Once in, we experienced the best service till now. Once the bell-boy (Karma) carried our bags in, he even undid the covers and used them to wrap the bike safe because it rains heavy here, we were impressed. The property is owned and run by Danny Danzonpa’s elder Sister-in-law and they even pointed the house in which young Danny spent his early years. The walk/ride up to the hotel comes through some dense growth, hence it is recommended to keep checking yourself for any leech or other insects, just a precaution.

The colors that one watches along the journey; be it the Monasteries, the flora and fauna, the lake, the people or even just the ride is beautiful and one to watch out for. The Monasteries will show you the most jhatang reds and yellows, the ride and lake soothes the eyes with the greens and the flowers, especially the orchids come in the most brilliant shared of pinks, whites and reds. Sikkim till now is feeling like a color pallete where we have lot more to discover by mixing and matching the shades from each of the above.


Dinner was a basic meal but before that, we were served ‘Seychang’, it’s the local brew made from Millet Seeds and served in a big flask with a bamboo straw jutting out draw the brew into the mouth. It’s a warm liquid that draws its flavour from the seeds that have been earlier soaked and dried in jute bags next near a fire. It’s an acquired taste hence not all will relish it, but definitely worth a try.

Morals: Pelling and Yuksom are very small towns, don’t expect much variety in places to stay or the food. Khecheopalri Lake is quite a distance away from Pelling town, keep enough time to spend there, the trek to the cave could be an interesting experience. Try the Seychang, if you can handle warm alcohol, you will love it. Beware of leech and other insects while walking around.