»
Deer Park : Commanding a majestic view of the hills around, the park is
perched on top of a hillside that merges almost vertically deep into the
valley. The park was established in the later half of the 50s and is also
called the Rustomji park so named after one of the Dewans of the Chogyal of
Sikkim. The big open enclosure of the park park houses different types of
deers.
» Ridge Park : Just a 15 minutes walk from the main market,
the Ridge Park is a small expantion of plain and flat road above the town of
Gangtok. The ridge is lined with plants and trees which when in bloom are a
riot of colours. Flower shows which attract tourists from all over the world
are held just below the Ridge.
» Tashi View Point : Built by the late King of Sikkim, Tashi
Namgyal, the Tashi View Point is situated 4 km from Gangtok town from where
one can have a clear view of opposite hills, besides Mt. Khangchendzonga.
This site offers a breathtaking panorama of the majestic Mt. Khangchendzonga
and surrounding hills. A park above the View Point is a good place to enjoy
a picnic.
» Himalayan Zoological Park : Located exactly across the road
opposite Ganesh Tok, covering an area of 205 hectares, the
Himalayan Zoological
Park is also known as Bulbuley and extends almost up to Hanuman Tok in
Gangtok. The fenced open air enclosure is home to the red pandas, barking
deer, bears and other animals.
Climate
Gangtok has a very pleasant temperature throughout the year. The winter in
the month of November to February is extremely cold with minimum
temperatures falling down to 4 degree centigrade during January - February.
Between the month of March & May, the sun is pretty good. The summer is
between May & October, while the region is always wet due to the heavy
rains in the monsoons. Autumn falls between the months of September &
October.
The best time to visit this part of the nation is March to June and
September to December. The maximum and minimum temperature of the region is
28 degree C and 0 degree C respectively and the average rainfall is 325 cm.
/ Year.
Shopping
The main markets for shopping are Old market, New Market and Lal market,
where you can find shops of all kind, offering good range of items to be
purchased. The tourists generally bank on carved furniture, dresses, Lepcha
weave bags, Carpets & Durries with intricate designs and colourful
decorations. Wooden, bamboo artifacts, handmade decorative pieces Gangtok
are some of the other items which you can buy here.
How to get there
» By Air : The closest airport is at Bagdogra, which is 124-km
from Gangtok (about 4 hours drive) and connected by air with all-important
Indian Metros. For all further details please contact any one of the Sikkim
tourism offices.
» By Rail : The nearest railhead is at New Jalpaiguri, which is
125-km (about 4 hours drive) from Gangtok. NJP is well connected with all
major cities of India. Gangtok, railway bookings can be made at the booking
counter of the Sikkim nationalised transport terminus.
» By Road : Gangtok is connected with
Darjeeling,
Kalimpong and Siliguri by the national highway 31 A. the Sikkim nationalised
transport plies regular bus services between Gangtok and Siliguri and within
Sikkim. Private buses, jeeps and taxis are also available from Siliguri and
Bagdogra. Bookings can be made at the SNT terminus, Siliguri.