» 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.