Kick starting The New Year with The Mesmerizing Sandakphu Trek

 With excitement and thrill within us, our family on this new year’s eve, decided to undertake the mesmerizing Sandakphu Trek package. The whole journey was so thrilling that we have been filled with freshness and sheer positivity for a much-needed time.

Day 01- Njp/ Bagdogra to Manebhanjan

The first experience of our trip to the Sandakphu peak was a long and blissful drive to the village of Manebhanjan, which was our base camp. We enjoyed a comfortable and pleasing drive amidst the mountains. Upon reaching the base camp, we proceeded to have a delicious lunch meal and took rest for the remaining day.

Day 02- Manebhanjan to Tumling

On the second day of the trek, we began with some actual trekking. The trek started early morning and was completed within a span of 6 hours. As we ascended higher, we came across a variety of beautiful terrains. Post lunch break, we proceeded towards a check-post, after which we were introduced to Tumling; a beautiful hamlet that lied in the eastern Himalayas of Nepal. This tiny hamlet of Tumling was situated at an altitude of 9,600 ft, within the motorway access from Manebhanjam and Jaubhari which were some other points of entering the Sandakphu-Phalut trail besides Kopidana. We reached Tumling by 5 in the evening. We enjoyed the exceptional view of Mt Kanchenjunga and its sister peaks, upon our arrival at Tumling. The warming sunset that evening was just soothing for the soul.

Day 03- Tumling to Kalipokhri

On the third day of the trek, we woke up to the prettiest views of Tumbling. We admired the sunkissed range of Kanchenjunga peaks standing aloof in all their glory. This day we trekked towards the exotic forests of Singalila National Park which we explored on our way to Kalipokhri. As we ascended, we also witnessed the beautiful rhododendrons and magnolias blooming. Our first stop for the day was Gairibas, a tiny settlement that existed just a little away from the border of Nepal. It was a serene place, away from the busy city life. We soon come across Kaiyakatta, which was another tiny settlement that lied 2 km away from Gairibas. At Kaiyakatta, we rested for a hearty lunch-break. After a while, we continued the trek to reach Kalipokhri; our final destination of the day. Sooner, within two hours of trekking, we were fascinated to come across a black water lake nestling near an exotic settlement, surrounded by Divya Mantra Tibetan flags fluttering in air, making us realize the existence of a Buddhist temple nearby. The view was serene and breath-taking.

Day 04- Kalipokhri to Sandakphu

The rest of the trail from Kalipokhri to Sandakphu was covered in approximately 3 hours. There was a gradual ascend which led us to a spectacular view of snow caped peaks from where the climb uphill began. The climb from Kalipokhri to Sandakphu was a mixture of excitement and thrill. The panoramic views of the highest Himalayan peaks were literally mesmerizing. The view of the Sleeping Buddha that remained our best companion throughout the trek was closer and clearer from the top. After some time, we enjoyed a good and healthy lunch at the top and spend the rest of the day in nature.

Day 05- Sandakphu to Sepi; Sepi to Darjeeling

On the last day of the trek, we woke up to a warm sunrise at the summit and got ready to begin our journey backwards. This day was a long and tiring day since we covered the distance from the top to our second last base camp in a single day. We descended through the bamboo forests which were also a habitat where the Red Pandas were often found. We trekked our way towards Gurdum which was an overwhelmingly beautiful paradise in the Himalayas. Gurdum is also where we halt for a lunch break. From here, we crossed past the village of Timburay and the beautiful Sri River also known as river Khola. The serene view of the clear river gushing its way out of our sight was indeed peaceful. Soon we found yourself reaching back to the village of Sepi. We relaxed for the remaining day and got some sleep to wash off the exhaustion of the day. We bid farewell to the campsite and on the 6th day, we reserved a night train back home.

Our year started with the mesmerizing Sandakphu Trek package and we look forward to many more treks this year, including the Kuari Pass Trek and the Brahmatal trek.