India's Jökulsárlón glacial lake- Gurudongmar

Gurudongmar Lake

If you can’t visit Iceland to witness the beauty of Jökulsárlón Lake , then you must visit Gurudongmar  Lake, of North Sikkim , India. The natural beauty of Gurudongmar lake will mesmerise you for your lifetime.

The Freezing Lake

Gurudongmar Lake is considered as India’s -  Jökulsárlón Glacier lagoon lake.

Landscape of the valley

This is a naturally gifted lake with pristine valleys, water falls and rolling hills of Tibet.

Rolling hills of Tibet

It is one of the highest altitude (17800 ft / 5430 m ) lakes in the world. It lies on the north side of the Kanchenjunga Range and the Chinese Tibetan border is just 5 km away from this lake.

The picturesque land

Myth- It is considered one of the most sacred lake of Buddhists. According to local mythology, Guru Padmasambhava touched a portion of the lake which does not freeze in extreme winter. The water is used for drinking purpose of the locals.

The Freezing Lake during winter

The memorable road trip

Journey- The journey starts from Lachen (North Sikkim). You have to start early (by 4am) from Lachen . Take a halt for breakfast at Thangu Village(13000 ft) , which is about 30 km from Lachen.

 Mostly inhabited by Nomadic tribes  Thangu valley is crisscrossed by Tista river , which adds an extra flavor to the picturesque village.

Scene from Thangu Village

If you want to explore the virginity of Thangu valley ,you have to stay there and trek up to Chopta Valley and Muguthang.

Way to Chopta Valley

After a journey of about 2 hours from Thangu you can reach Gurudongmar Lake. Through out the road the snow covered mountains will accompany you.

Picturesque Mountain and road

Yaks can be seen by the side of the road, as these animals live in high altitude area like this.

Yaks grazing

The Lake remains frozen in the winter. 

The white snow, covers the lake and the mountains like a blanket. You can feel that you are sitting in the lap of the nature.

Sit a while and feel the beauty

 The reflection of the mountains on the crystal clear water adds an extra cherry to the beauty of Gurudongmar Lake.  

In the time of returning you can visit Chopta Valley.

Chopta Valley

A Scene from Chopta Valley

How to Reach- It is 190 km from Gangtok. Stay a night at Lachen(North Sikkim) ,next morning  start your journey for Gurudongmar Lake.

It will be remembered as one of your memorable road trip forever.

The journey for Gurudongmar

It will be remembered as one of your memorable road trip forever. To plan your trip and for further details contact with Yatrikaa.  Your personal trip planner.  Mail  us at- itsyatrikaa@gmail.com 

This article has been contributed by 

- Dibyendu Debnath

By profession he is a banker. But apart from his professional life he is a traveller, a photographer, and a nature lover.

Zuluk- A Paradise in Sikkim

The Silk Route

"Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by"

Tired of the hustles and bustles of daily life ?

Looking for an offbeat destination nearby?

Looking for a pocket friendly trip?


 Pack your bags and travel to the small hamlet of mystic Sikkim - Zuluk or Dzuluk .Relatively an emerging and off beat destination in East Sikkim at a height of around 10000 ft ( 3000 m),it provides an excellent view of the Eastern Himalayan Range including the Kanchenjunga.

A view of Mt. Kanchenjunga

How to Reach ?

You can find frequent train or flight services to reach NJP Station / Bagdogra Airport.From here it is about 160 kms, It would approximately take 6 hours and would pass through Rongpo  the entry point of Sikkim.

If you are travelling from Gangtok to Zuluk through Tsongo Lake and Baba Mandir ( Permit Required) or through Pakyong and Lingtham it will take around 4 hours (approximately 90 kms).

For travelers travelling to Zuluk from East Sikkim can travel through Kalimpong visiting through Pedong, Reshi and Aritrar. It will take about 4 hours to reach (approximately 90 kms).

Zuluk- Through a Bird's Eye

Sight Seeing Around?

The first view that comes to the mind of travelers about Zuluk is the historic Zig Zag Silk Route road connecting Tibet to India. The ancient route started from Kalimpong and passed through Pedong, Aritrar, Zuluk, and Jelepla to Chumbi Valley in Tibet.

If you are at Zuluk, you can't miss a ride to Lungthung and Thambi View Point. At a height of 11200 ft is Thambi View Point. Lungthung is located at about 12400 ft and is a one hour ride from Zuluk.It provides a mesmerizing view at sunrise with a very clear view of the famous three-level zig-zag road on one side and a panoramic view of Kanchendzonga on the other side.

The mysterious Zig-Zag Silk Route

Other points of interest include

Tukla Valley
Nathang Valley
Old Baba Mandir
Kupup
Memenchu Lake
Aritrar Lake
Padamchen

Luxmi Chawk/Laxman Chawk

Laxman Chawk- A place enveloped in snow

Permits?

A trip through the high altitude mountains of Sikkim requires special permits. Carry your Id proof and a set of passport size photographs.

Stuck in the Snowy Roads

Best Time to Visit?

Zuluk offers pleasant weather during most of the year. A scenic beauty of Kanchanjunga and both sides of the road  filled with Rhodedondrons would greet you in October to December. It would also be the ideal time for bird lovers and bird photographers as it offers abode to different species of pheasant such as monal pheasant, khaleez pheasant and blood pheasant, and you can also see Asian Emerald Cuckoo,Fire tailed Sunbird,Parrot bill,Crossbill and many other species of Himalayan Birds. If you are lucky you can also spot the Red Panda, the national animal of Sikkim, at this site. The snow cladded mountains with snow on both sides of your road could be enjoyed from December to May. 

A view from Lunghtung

Where to Stay?

Zuluk doesn't offer the facilities of a hotel. But it offers home stay accommodations where guests would be treated with a lovely smile and all basic needs of guests would be well taken care off.

A view of a Homestay Kitchen

A Typical View of a Homestay

This article is contributed by -

Pictures by - 

Dibyendu Debnath

Text by - 

Nishan Saha

By profession both of them are Bankers. But Travel, Photography and interacting with locals are their hobbies.  

Experience the best travel expedition and cherish the memories for lifetime.