South Sikkim

In this part of the Himalayan Hideouts series, Sheetal Bidaye takes us scouring the southern region of Sikkim, a domain of forest ringed lakes, glacial valleys and chiseled peaks to find some of the most beautiful and rarely visited sites of the Himalayas.

A wooden bridge balanced over glacial melts

South Sikkim

Since we have been riding around Sikkim, by now we might believe that the state has the most beautiful natural lakes in the world and perhaps we are right! To familiarise yourself with the rest of Sikkim, do check out the Himalayan Hideouts series on Gangtok, Lachung and West Sikkim.

From west of this beautiful state, we ride towards South Sikkim, where altitudes range from 1300ft to 6500ft above sea-level and sports a temperate climate allowing a much larger variety of flora and fauna. Lush with greenery, decked up with many waterfalls, gurgling streams and placid lakes, riding in South Sikkim is as good as a ride to wonderland. The region is sparsely populated and you will find yourself in natural surroundings of the purest form.

One of Sikkim’s many waterfalls

Rider’s joy: Leaving a wonderful place like Yuksom is not what you would like to do but let me assure you that from here on, it only gets better! From Yuksom we first need to tread back to Pelling, where we find routes leading us to some of the most spectacular waterfalls and lakes. Although the roads here are not always in the best of shape, they offer great views and riding here is always a pleasure. The only thing you need to be careful of riding on these roads is your own riding style. Be sure to turn from the inside of the curves avoiding the edges as a fall here will land you a few 100ft down. Best is to go a little slower than usual and enjoy the beauty of Sikkim’s natural surroundings.

What you can do there: This isn’t a region of very high altitudes and won’t cause any strain or exhaustion on the riders. What we need to do here is ride our bikes, farthest that we can and stop only to proceed on foot further. This is a place abundant with the best that nature can offer – be it site-seeing, vistas, food, resources or lifestyle – you are sure to find one of the best!

Be gentle on curves!

At the onset, it’s better to calculate the fuel requirements and stay prepared for the wonderful journey ahead. Click here to estimate the requirements. At a distance of about 12kms away from Pelling and about a 5kms further down from Dharap village are the Rimbi falls. These falls are a wonderful sight, especially if you are riding here in the summer. You may spend some time at the well-maintained Sewaro Rock Garden which has interesting recreation amenities, zigzag footpaths, swimming yard and some nice view points or grab a bite with a hot cup of tea at the cafeteria.

As you ride for about 14kms ahead of the falls, you will come across the Khecheopalri Lake. This beautiful lake is one of the sacred lakes of Sikkim and considered holy by the Lepchas as they believe that the lake fulfils their wishes – You may try your luck too! The Khecheopalri Lake remains hidden in thick forest cover and although surrounded by prayer flags and trees, this placid lake never gathers leaves! The belief here is that birds do not permit even a single leaf to float on the lake surface and pick it up as soon as it lands. Do remember to carry a pack of biscuits for you to feed the fish in this lake. Next to the lake is a small gompa where many devotees gather for a festival around the months of February-March. They light butter lamps in small wooden containers which are set afloat in the lake. Quite an enchanting sight – imagine thousands of tiny lights, shimmering and bobbing on the lake surface as a pleasant evening unfolds into a starry night.

Hot cup of aromatic tea

Next day you should ride on to the Kanchenjunga Falls that are just a couple of kilometers away. Watch and take pictures of the water coming rushing down from a 300ft high cleft in the mountains. These falls are also called as Rainbow Falls owing to a rich spectrum of colours created by sunlight in its mist. This is quite an attractive sight and you will enjoy spending some joyful time at this spot before you begin riding towards Dentam.

As you approach Dentam, a beautiful village in the hills, you need to cross the second deepest gorge in Asia. Singshore Bridge, which hangs between two mountains, will take you across the 198m long gorge with a river flowing 678ft below. The river resembles a silver ribbon and the entire landscape is exceptionally beautiful.

Dentam is famous for the Alpine Gouda Cheese factory which produces naturally ripened cheese (Gouda). The cheese is rated as one of the best quality cheese available in India and is a must try.

Dentam is an hour’s ride from Hee and Bermiok, which are twin villages bound by three rivers and a forest reserve. With the Hee River flowing on its west, the Kalez River in its north and the Rangeet River on its east, Hee Bermiok is flanked by the Samdong Reserve Forest to its south. Around both these villages, riders can witness nature at its best since apart from excellent views of Mt. Everest, the place is home to over 65 species of birds and has a good collection of plant life. The hills here are good for mountain biking, nature walks and bird-watching. You could also visit the Sirijonga Holy Cave at Martam which is nearby. If you are trekking, ensure that you are well equipped with your trekking gear. You could pick some good ones here.

As you ride along these beautiful villages you will come across Sangay Falls after which you shall cross a bridge. A 9km road on your right shall take you to Uttaray, a small hamlet on the Nepal border. Uttaray, a favourite spot of trekkers, is a wonderful place enveloped in clouds. If you would like to explore this place, a short winding trek through cardamom plantations takes you to Kagaj Gompa, a highly scenic place with a chorten nearby.

From here, you would need to head back to Dentam before you take the road leading towards Soreng, a picturesque village set amidst a beautiful landscape. Nearby are Ringchenpong and Kaluk, two villages that lie 3kms apart. A visit to the Resum Monastery here is an interesting experience and so is a trek to Khandi Danra or Malanpso, which is a rich forest area and offers an enjoyable experience as it has a large variety of wild animals and birds.

River Rangeet flows around the south-west of Jorethang where you could enjoy river rafting and also try your skills at paragliding in this wonderful location. You will come across Manpung, a beautiful valley with tall trees and waterfalls, just 12km ahead of Jorethang. Another 21kms ahead is Namchi, the capital of south Sikkim and from Namchi the route to Ravangla is a nice 42km stretch which gets you to Geyzing through the town of Legship, which is midway.

For the traveller: Jorethang is a major town and the main bus station of south and west Sikkim. The town has a big market where you could make your purchases and it also has a post office, just in case you need to send your shopping bags home. Places of stay and eating joints are many in larger villages and towns yet homely and nourishing meals can always be found across all of Sikkim.

If you do not wish to return back to Gangtok, you may choose to ride on a 26km winding stretch of road that passes through tea plantations and reaches Darjeeling within 1.5 hours.