Places to visit in Gangtok

Gangtok the little capital of Sikkim is perched at 5,500 feet, high on the ridge of a valley. It lies snuggled between the borders of Nepal and Bhutan at an altitude of 1547 m above sea level, and is famous for its numerous important monasteries and picturesque Himalayan views. Gangtok is a famous and popular tourist's destination among the visitors. Every year Gangtok has a huge amount of visitors majorly for adventurous tour of trekking. Gangtok is among the cleanest city it is highly organized and maintained beautifully. Gangtok is also popularly known for thoroughly abiding the rules and regulations which prevents tourists of being cheated. It is dominated by the Buddhists culture. The hospitality industry is the largest industry in Gangtok as the city is the main base for Sikkim tourism. Summer and spring seasons are the most popular tourist seasons. One of the oft-visited sites of Gangtok is the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. It was built in 1958 and is a research center for Mahayana Buddhism and Tibetan culture. Besides being a museum of traditional and old artifacts, one can also buy Buddhist religious books and other objects of craft. Nearby is a gompa for young lamas. The Tsuk-La-Khang or Royal Chapel is the main place of worship and assembly for the Buddhists. Adjacent to the Namgyal Institute is the Orchid Sanctuary, which is the home of some 500 varieties of orchids. There is a larger orchid sanctuary called Orchidarium, off the main road to Rangpo. Near White Hall, there is a Flower Exhibition Center and seasonal flowers, bonsai and orchids are a delight to the eyes. Gangtok is also famed for its wonderful orchids and every spring, an orchid festival and flower show is held to celebrate this exotic bloom. The Kanchendzonga, considered to be Sikkim's guardian, is visible from many parts of the town. Gangtok offers every traveler a unique traveling experience. Gangtok has a cosmopolitian flavour with a lively mix cultures and has undergone rapid modernization in the last two decades or so. Being the capital of state, Gangtok contains all modern facilities. There are good schools, a railway out agency, an Indian Airlines Counter, cinema halls, well-equipped hospital, fast food centers and telephone booths for making outstation calls and sending faxes. Gangtok has a number of interesting sites that you can include in your excursion. Some of the destinations are related to the Buddhist religion while others are simply picturesque, deserving an admiring look. However, the Rumtek Monastery, which is the largest monastery of its kind in Sikkim and the Phodong Monastery, one of the most beautiful monasteries in the region, needs a mention here. These places are easily accessible from the Gangtok town. For a bird's eye view of Gangtok take a ride on the bi-cable Zig-back ropeway which covers a distance of one kilometre from Deorali to Tashiling Secretariat. MG Marg, the main street of Gangtok town is a great place to chill out. The countrys first litter and spit free zone, no vehicular traffic is allowed into the marg. You can sit at the Titanic Park or at the various benches stretched across the mall and take in the carnival like atmosphere, especially during the tourist season. The Mall is lined with shops on both sides of the road so shopping becomes an added pleasure. Accommodation is not a problem in Gangtok. There are many standard hotels, which provide good services to their guests. As Gangtok is quite popular destination during the tourist season, it is better to get reservation before reaching there.