"Travelling with Hammocks Huts Holidays is an wonderful experience in my life. I’ll recomand them to everyone."
-Mrs. Khanna
New Delhi, India
Sikkim
The small Indian state of Sikkim is nestled in the majestic Eastern Himalayan range, bounded on the north by the great Tibetan Plateau, on the west by Nepal, and on the east by the kingdom of Bhutan. It is a magical land of immense vistas, enchanted valleys, and awe-inspiring, snow-capped mountains – the most revered, Kanchendzonga, is the third highest mountain in the world. Due to its mountainous and rugged terrain, this small state encompasses an astounding diversity of climates and ecosystems, ranging from sultry tropical forest to dry alpine tundra. Sikkim is a sacred and peaceful land, home to Snow Leopard, Musk Deer, and Red Panda, where rare and exotic plants including orchid, magnolia, rhododendron, and cypress flourish in lush groves and stark highland environments. The ecological diversity of Sikkim is mirrored in the great variety of customs and cultures in the human communities, many of which still live according to centuries-old traditional patterns. The earliest inhabitants were the indigenous Lepchas (or Rong-pa, the “People of the Ravines”), whose villages are found in the north-central part of the state. Over the centuries, the Lepcha communities were joined first by the Bhutias from Tibet, later by Nepali immigrants who introduced terraced agriculture, and most recently by the Indian business community from the plains. Today these peoples – among them Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians – coexist in a model of peaceable diversity. Sikkim truly presents a kaleidoscopic wealth of images and experiences to the visitor!
Gangtok
Gangtok (1,600m) is the Capital of State Sikkim of Indian Union. Today this unique town has grown into some giant peace of white blanket, which looks like mountain of houses from the opposite hill. But still this town holds numerous attraction for the tourists. View of Kanchanjunga is also splendid from Tashi view point of Gangtok in the dawn.
There are many other places such as Ganesh tok, Hanuman tok, Banjhakri falls etc. Any traveler who had been to Gangtok, would tell you about the Gangtok`s testy Momo, Thukpa, diversity of the cuisine, unique Sikkimese hospitality, cultures, streams, winding Tista river on the way to town, beautiful mountainous landscape etc. |
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Rumtek
Rumtek monastery is the seat of the Gyolwa Karmapa, the head of the Kagyuap order of Tibetan Buddhism. It was built in 1960. The Kagyuap order was founded in the 11th century by Lama Marpa, the disciples of Indian Guru Naropa. It is one of the huge and wealthy monasteries in Sikkim . It is said that the 1st Karmapa spent many years meditating in a cave and ten thousand fairies came to congratulate him and each offered a strand of her hair. These strands of hair were woven into a black hat which was passed down and is still worn by the karmapas on cerimonial occasions. Behind the main monastery is the Karma Nalanda Institute of Buddhist Studies and the building opposite to it is a small hall featuring a beautiful jewel studded Chorten, which contains the ashes and the bones of the 16th Gyolwa Karmapa. Half a kilometer uphill from the monastery there is a hermitage in which monks go into complete seclusion and can meditate for a period upto 3 years. It is 24 kms away from Gangtok. The religious dance called called the Tse-chu is performed on the 10th day of the 5th month of Tibetan Calendar (May) and depicts events in Guru Rimpoche`s life. A chamm or masked dance, representing the battle between good and evil, takes place 2 days before the Tibetan New Year (around late February or early March). |
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