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Cholamu Lake - India's Highest Lake

 Himalayan range is abode of many of world’s high altitude lakes, many of these high altitude glacial lakes fall in India. World’s 14th highest lake and India’s highest lake is Cholamu lake.A mighty  elevation of 18000 feet from the sea level takes Cholamu lake to the top of the “highest lakes” list . While coming down the slope around 300 feet from Donkiala pass ( 18300 feet ) , one gets the first glimpses of this rather moderately sized , almost frozen lake.

cholamu lake , north sikkim , india's highest lake

at Thangu before Cholamu lake , almost frozen

 Donkiala pass is the north most Sikkim route which leads to Tibet border, which is just 5 kms from Donkiala pass.  This special geographical location of Cholamu lake makes it special and also makes it a very sensitive army area with Chinese army always putting pressure on international borders.

cholamu lake highest lake in india north sikkim

Cholamu Lake , India's Highest lake (18000 feet) (Image Courtesy : Rajesh Verma)

cholamu lake north sikkim india , very near to china border

Cholamu lake and Gurudongmar lake are connected by road (9 KM)

Cholamu lake being just 5 – 6 kms  away  from the Tibet border , is nearly off limits for commonplace tourists . One needs special permits, from Army and Sikkim police/administration to visit Cholamu lake. A normal tourist permit will only be issued to visit Cholamu Lake only when one has Army’s permit in place. Normally foreign nationals are not allowed to visit north most areas of Sikkim (this is unlike ladakh where both foreign nationals and Indians are allowed to visit tso Moriri Lake which shares its borders with China). Only Indians can get these special permits to visit two of the highest lakes in India that falls in this region, Cholamu Lake and Gurudongmar Lake.

gurudongmar lake , india's second highest lake , very near to Cholamu lake

Gurudongmar lake ,India’s second higest lake (world’s 15th highest ) at height of 17100 feet

(just 9 km away from Cholamu lake)

 Getting permit for  Cholamu lake :

If you are on a family trip with your beloved wife and kids, forget visiting Cholamu Lake , better opt for Gurudongmar lake ,if weather permits, for which one can get permit rather easily . Almost no travel agency will risk their vehicle and driver in this treacherous terrain, that is why if you ask them to arrange a permit for Cholamu lake , they will simply deny going there or at worse they will suggest you it is impossible to get the permit .

You must do following to acquire the required Restricted Area Permit (RAP)

  1. First thing first get your own vehicle enlightened , you need to submit details of your vehicle to get the permit.
  2. Visit The Department of Home, Government of Sikkim.This is located at Tashiling Secretariat, Gangtok
  3. Tel Nos. :
    (91)-(3592)-202315
    (91)-(3592)-202323
  4. At the secretariat submit your vehicle details your identity proof  and your residence proof  along with your passport sized photographs  (keep sufficient copies of each ,may be 10 or so  )
  5. Home department will issue letters addressing to (1)Inspector General Police, Gangtok (2) GSO-1, Black Cat Division, Indian Army, Deorali (3) the district collector of Mangan 4. sub-divisional officer of Chungthang (4) One copy for you. Collect all the letters yourself and submit them to respective departments to expedite the process.
  6. make sufficient copies of the above letters issues by home department for your journey.

 Foreign nationals can also get the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) but process is different for them. Contact your respective embassies before embarking on your journey to this area.

Reaching Cholamu lake

Best time to visit Cholamu lake is October and November, one can expect clear sky during this season of the year. Visiting Cholamu lake just after the monsoons is not a good idea if you are planning to visit this lake on your bike. By that time most of the roads would be washed away with rains, and Border road organization (BRO) must be busy patching up the road as fast as they can during this time period.

The journey starts from Gangtok , state capital of Sikkim , one can reach Gangtok from NJP or Siligudi ,these are the nearest railway station . Nearest airport is Bagdogra (Siligudi). 

Gangtok (4,715 ft)  ------ 66 KM ---> Mangan  (3950 ft) -----34 KM ----> Chungthang  (5600 feet)

Till chungthang  the route is same for both,if you are planning to trek up to the lake or ride your thunderbird to Cholamu lake.

IF you are on your vehicle then head towards Lachen

Chungthang  (5600 feet)  ----- 22KM  ---> Lachen  (9,800 ft) ----- 30KM - ---->  Thangu   (13000ft) ----- 40 KM  --> Cholamu lake  (18000 feet)

 If you are trekking with your team then head towards Lachung

Chungthang ---- 25 KM-- > Lachung  (9,600 ft) ----25 KM -- -> Yumthang Valley (11,800 ft)  ---- 32 KM  -->Zero Point (zadong) / Yumesamdong  (16000 ft) (trek starts from this point) ------- ---> Donkaiala pass - --- -> Cholamu lake ( 18000 feet )

Zadong to Cholamu Lake Trek Route North Sikkim Gurudongmar Lake

Zadong - Cholamu trek route

 Facts about Cholamu lake

  1. Cholamu lake is India’s highest lake and world’s 14th Highest lake.
  2. Cholamu lake is very near to Gurudongmar lake (45 Mins drive).
  3. Maximum depth of the lake is around 5.5 meters or  18.3 feet .
  4. Many people  believe that  Cholamu lake is the source of river Teesta , which is not entirely true,actually river Teesta originates from a smaller glacial lake Khangchung  (some 100 – 200 feet farther from Cholamu lake ) .
  5. British botanists and explorersof the 19th century Joseph Dalton Hooker mentions cholamu lake in his “Himalayan Journals” about his 7th November 1849 survey of Lachen Valley

"Beyond this I recognised a hill of which I had taken bearings from Donkia pass, and a few miles further, on rounding a great spur of Kinchinjunga, I arrived in sight of Cholamoo lakes, with the Donkia mountain rearing its stupendous precipices of rock and ice on the east. My pony was knocked up, and I felt very giddy from the exertion and elevation; I had broken his bridle, and so led him on by my plaid for the last few miles to the banks of the lake; and there, with the pleasant sound of the waters rippling at my feet, I yielded for a few moments to those emotions of gratified ambition which, being unalloyed by selfish considerations for the future; become springs of happiness during the remainder of one’s life. The landscape about Cholamoo lakes was simple in its elements, stern and solemn; and though my solitary situation rendered it doubly impressive to me, I doubt whether the world contains any scene with more sublime associations than this calm sheet of water, 17,000 feet above the sea, with the shadows of mountains 22,000 to 24,000 feet high, sleeping on its bosom. "

      6.  Cholamu Lake should not be confused with Oracle Lake ( Lhamo la-tso) (17,388 ft) , Lhamo latso is situated in Tibet near Lhasa.

Submitted by the traveller on Mon, 11/01/2010 - 17:08
  • 23760 reads

Thanks Vishnu for the

Submitted by Sohong (not verified) on Thu, 05/02/2013 - 12:54.

Thanks Vishnu for the information. Well I thought Chopta Valley is a certain place in North Sikkim..lol..which is not so.
Can u please suggest me if Diwali(Oct-Nov) is a good time to travel in that region. How many days will it take us to trek from Zero Point(Zadong) to Gurudongmar Lake through Donkiala Pass and Cholamu Lake? What kind of trekking accessories do we need during the trek? Suggest if any kind of permissions are required on the way.

October is not a bad time to

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Sat, 05/04/2013 - 23:29.

October is not a bad time to visit North Sikkim and you should probably be able to reach Gurudongmar lake... I am bit skeptic about November because snow fall at times block the connectivity to Gurudongmar lake....I believe you will have to do this entire trek in one day...best to be done from Gurudongmar side...Overnight tenting won't be allowed... I believe Gurudongmar to Cholamu can be done in a single day.... If there is not much snow then i don't think you will require any technical trekking accessory.... Details about permissions are mentioned in the article...

Hi, I am planning a trip to

Submitted by Sohong (not verified) on Mon, 04/29/2013 - 18:57.

Hi, I am planning a trip to North Sikkim for 7-8 days. I want to visit Chopta Valley and Gurudongmar Lake and as well visit Cholamu Lake by trek if possible. Kindly let me know about Chopta Valley if it is accessible by road. If Lachen is taken as base point then can I cover Chopta Valley and Gurudongmar Lake within the same day?

What exactly you want to

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Wed, 05/01/2013 - 19:49.

What exactly you want to visit in Chopta Valley... Gurudongmar Lake, Cholamu lake, Lachen, Green Lake etc are in Chopta Valley... From Lachen you can do Gurudongmar Lake as a one day tour....Weather gets bad in the second half of the day so i will suggest you to start early...

Hi, We are planning for a

Submitted by Puranjoy (not verified) on Tue, 04/23/2013 - 21:41.

Hi,
We are planning for a trip kolkata-gangtak-gurdongmore-cholamou-zero point-gangtak by car during middle of may-13.

is it possible ?
we will take one maruti ritz petrol and one scorpio. please suggest? i think scorpio will be ok but wht abt ritz ?
we had done reshi-dzuluk-kupup-gangtak last december.
is there any driving route from cholamu to zero pt ?
from your earlier comments i can see gangtak to gudongmore by road is possible but what about cholamu to zero pt driving?

pleez suggest asap.. thanks in advance

puranjoy

Cholamu lake is not

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 18:43.

Cholamu lake is not accessible by road... You can reach till Gurudongmar lake and then you will have to trek till the Lake bed....You can also trek it from Zero point as well... Doing the whole circuit by car is not possible...

Scorpio can make it to Gurudongmar lake and Zero point but I doubt Ritz...Ground Clearance can be a problem....

Road beyond Thangu is treacherous and Ritz will have problem making it all the way to the lake...

=== Vishnu

Hi Vishnu, I'm planning

Submitted by Debajit Tayam (not verified) on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 10:24.

Hi Vishnu,
I'm planning for a Bike trip to Gurudongmar, Cholamu and Nathu La on 18th May with some of my friends for which I need your HELP.I have the following queries regarding the Permit,rout and the weather-
1> How to apply for the PERMIT and what are the documents required.
2> Can someone else apply for the permits on behalf of us?
3> Is it possible to get the permit directly from the Indian Army?
4> What are the charges for the permit?
5> How long it takes to get the permit? (especially for Gurudongmar and Cholamu)
6> Is there any road to Cholamu from Gurudongmar?
Please suggest us the rout (We love off road biking and we have the experience of Khardung La, Ladakh).
7> Is May month the right time for the trip?
Day Dreaming We will use our tents during the trip. What do you suggest?
Your reply will be a GREAT HELP for us. Please help.

Gurudongmar permit is usual

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Sat, 03/23/2013 - 02:05.

Gurudongmar permit is usual stuff... any tour operator can arrange it... for Cholamu lake, you will need special permit as mentioned in the blog....

- I think all you need a valid ID proof, photograph for getting this permit

There is no road till Cholamu lake... beyond Gurudongmar lake, you need to trek....

- May is not the best time to do Cholamu lake.. Trek might be snow covered...

- Tents won't be needed if you want to do it as a single day trip...

There is a blog about biking till Gurudongmar lake.. you might like it..

http://thinkingparticle.com/blog/north-sikkim-cycle-expedition

---- Vishnu

Thanks a lot. The blog is

Submitted by Debajit Tayam (not verified) on Sat, 03/23/2013 - 12:16.

Thanks a lot. The blog is awesome. Thanks once again.

hi vishnu I am planning to

Submitted by keyur mewada (not verified) on Thu, 11/01/2012 - 20:17.

hi vishnu
I am planning to visit sikkim from 21st nov, 2012 to 28th nov. 2012 on bike with my 5 other friends.

We all are from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

We have explore Ladakh and himachal pradesh on bike.
So this year we have plane for sikkim,

we want to wisit guru dongmar lake and nathula pass on bike
It is Possible to get permittion to visit both the places on bike??
And if possible Let me knoe how to get it.

Thank you.

Hi Keyur... Getting a permit

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Fri, 11/02/2012 - 11:29.

Hi Keyur... Getting a permit to Nathula would not be a problem and you can ride your bike on that route..However I will recommend you guys to take the old silk route (Reshi >> Aritar Lake >> Zuluk >> Kupup) to Nathula....

I see a very bleak possibility of reaching Gurudongmar during November...Road to Gurudongmar would be snow-covered and tourism department won't issue permits...you can definitely check the situation after reaching Gangtok..

Regards
Vishnu Kumar

thanks for your quick

Submitted by keyur mewada (not verified) on Fri, 11/02/2012 - 20:00.

thanks for your quick reply..
we also like to travel on this rout
Siliguri >> reshi >> Aritar >> Zuluk >> Baba mandir >> Nathula >> Tsongmo lake >> Gangtok

But some one told us that you have to take parmition from gangtok

So Have Pland this tour in our return journy from gangtok tu siliguri via this rout
But Some one told us there is no rout btwn babamandir to nathula pass

than we called
Nathula Permit issuing officer:
Mrs. Nima Choden
Asst. Director
Mobile: 9775423684

She Told we wont allow bikes in nathua pass

So we are confused now.
How to plan my entire tour

Take a look at our planning and guid us please.

17TH - AHMEDABAD ( TRAIN )
18TH - TRAIN
19TH - KOLKATTA......... TRAIN FOR SILIGURI IN EVENING
20TH - SILIGURI ( HIRE BIKES FOR JOURNY ) & SILIGURI TO GANGTOK
21ST - GANGTOK SIGHT SEING
22ND - GANGTOK TO THANGU
23RD - THANGU TO GURUDONGMAR TO TSO LAHMU(TRAK) TO GURUDONGMAR TO THANGU
24TH - THANGU TO LACHUNG
25TH - LACHUNG TO ZERO POINT TO LACHUNG TO GANGTOK
26TH - GANGTOK TO YUKSOM
27TH - YUKSOM TO GANGTOK
28TH - GANGTOK TO NATHULAPASS TO BABA MANDIR TO KUPUP
29TH - KUPUP TO SILIGURI.....SILIGURI TO KOLKATTA BU TAXI
30TH - KOLKATTA TO AHMEDABAD

PLEASE GUIDE US TO DESIGN MY TRIP
THANK YOU.

Hi Keyur, Permit for

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Mon, 11/05/2012 - 12:31.

Hi Keyur,
Permit for the route (Siliguri >> reshi >> Aritar >> Zuluk >> Baba mandir >> Nathula >> Tsongmo lake >> Gangtok) can also be procured from Rongli Police Station near Reshi...

One of our fellow traveler took the same route and has not reported any problem with the permit...

http://thinkingparticle.com/forum/ride-sikkim-and-bhutan

You can drop a comment on his thread to know the current status on the permit thing..

Regards
Vishnu Kumar

We are going for G.lake and

Submitted by pritha (not verified) on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 15:39.

We are going for G.lake and old silk route on bikes ,leaving on the 29th of oct frm kolkata.we are worried about the permits .all have voter id card except for me.The only photo id proof i have is only my pan card and school and college admit cards.Moreover the two bikes that we will go r nt in our name as they r second handly bought and other one is my cousins.We r really worried.What can we do..

For old Silk route, permits

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Thu, 09/13/2012 - 13:51.

For old Silk route, permits are issued from Rongli Police Station near Reshi and for Green Lake, you need it from Gangtok... For getting inner line permit, you need to submit photographs and identity card... Voter ID card would work for sure but not sure about Pan card.... taking a bike which is one someone else name won't be a problem...

I would like to visit Cholamu

Submitted by Rituparno Bhattacharya (not verified) on Tue, 08/14/2012 - 12:32.

I would like to visit Cholamu Lake and Donkiala Pass on March 2013. Is there any tour operator who can conduct the entire tour? I think its difficult to arrange Car & permission personally. Need your help please.

Permissions are difficult to

Submitted by vijay on Tue, 08/21/2012 - 23:19.

Permissions are difficult to arrange but vehicle can be easily arranged from Gangtok...not sure whether anyone is arranging tours/trek till Cholamu lake... you can try calling numbers mentioned on this thread...

thinkingparticle.com/forum/valuable-inputs-travelers-gangtok-sikkim

Hi Vishnu, I am going on a

Submitted by Dhivakar (not verified) on Sun, 08/12/2012 - 02:47.

Hi Vishnu,

I am going on a bike ride to Sikkim starting from Siliguri on the 10th of next month. Plan is to go to Gurodongmar lake, yumthang valley, Nathu La Pass, kupup and few other places. I have three weeks time for this trip so if time permits i would go to Bhutan too. As of now it looks like a solo ride.

Could you please advice whether September is okay to ride to the places that i have mentioned. How will the roads be and will it still be raining? Thanks in advance.

Dhivakar

Hi Dhivakar,

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Tue, 08/21/2012 - 20:38.

Hi Dhivakar,
September is a good time for bike riding in Sikkim... i don't think it will be raining in September.... If you are planning north sikkim then you should make it till Katao... I heard really good things about that route... If you have prior experience of riding bikes in mountains then it won't be a problem... you can also look at option of driving till yuksom if you are heading towards peeling...

Bhutan is a good pick but getting permissions are really annoying... you need to have your entire itinerary upfront for getting permissions...they issue permits region wise.... In Bhutan, Bhumthang valley is beautiful....

Have a safe trip and do write us back...

Regards
Vishnu Kumar

Thanks a lot for your reply.

Submitted by Dhivakar (not verified) on Mon, 08/27/2012 - 20:39.

Thanks a lot for your reply. I have some experience riding bikes in mountains. Went on a three week ride to Ladakh last year. So i guess i should not have a problem riding in mountains. My plan does not include Pelling but i have heard good things about Yuksom. Will try to add it to my itinerary.

Bhumthang valley seems good. Will see whether i can add that too. Can i send my itinerary to your mail id?
If you could go through it and let me know your opinion, it would be great.

-Dhivakar

sir,I want to know the

Submitted by Rahul (not verified) on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 15:48.

sir,I want to know the experience,of highest lake point,how ws the feel. Does it deserve so much pain?

Just wanna paraphrase a

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 20:45.

Just wanna paraphrase a dialogue from movie.. The beach...

Trust me, it's paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is a generation that circles the globe and searches for something we haven't tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what? It's probably worth it....

Hello Vishnu, it seems from

Submitted by siddhartha (not verified) on Mon, 06/18/2012 - 15:14.

Hello Vishnu,

it seems from the comments that getting permission for
gurudongmar-chola mu will be difficult if not impossible this year.

Do you have any information about the Green Lake trek? Are the authorities granting permission? Me and my team would like to go up to Zemu glacier if they permit (& also if we are capable enough!).

It will be great if you can provide some details about this trek, like porter charges, how difficult the trek is etc.

regards,
Siddhartha

Hi Siddartha... Yeah, getting

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Wed, 06/20/2012 - 19:49.

Hi Siddartha... Yeah, getting permission for Changu lake is difficult and same goes with Green Lake Trek however for Indian Nationals, authorities grant permits....Sorry, I do not have much information about Green route trek.. I heard that many did that and it was spectacular... Making till Zemu glacier would be extra-ordinary... I think you need to carry proper trekking accessories and Guide from Gangtok....and obviously special permit will be needed... let me see if we can find someone who can help you in this regard...

Hello Vishnu, i was thinking

Submitted by siddhartha (not verified) on Tue, 05/29/2012 - 12:43.

Hello Vishnu,

i was thinking about the Chola mu trek suggested by you. You mentioned in one of your replies on 05/03/2012 that Gurudongmar is not open for tourists. Can you say where/how can I get further information? I live in Kolkata.

Another thing, there is a lot of mention about bikes and including Chola mu in travel agent tour plans. I hope there is a separate trekking route where I wont have to see/listen to vehicle noise

Hi Siddhartha.... Gurudongmar

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 11:55.

Hi Siddhartha.... Gurudongmar lake was open for tourists after calamity in Sikkim last year...So far, I have not heard from anyone who made to Gurudongmar lake this season... Many of our travelers left number of recommended tour agents in our forum section... you can call these guys and check the latest status on this route..

http://thinkingparticle.com/forum/help-sought-sikkim-trip#comment-39082

There is no road direct road till Cholamu lake... After Gurudongmar, one needs to trek 4 km to reach Cholamu lake.. you won't fine vehicles on this route..

Regards
Vishnu Kumar

Hi Vishnu, Nice to see that

Submitted by Bala (not verified) on Mon, 06/18/2012 - 09:38.

Hi Vishnu,
Nice to see that you have gathered enough information on Cholamu lake. We a bunch of cycling enthusiasts planning to cycle cholamu lake. Can you suggest if this route can be covered by bicycle if yes any suggestion or caution from your experiance.

Thanks,
Bala

Hi Bala... You can not make

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Mon, 06/18/2012 - 17:49.

Hi Bala... You can not make all the way till Cholamu lake on cycle however you can cycle upto Gurudongmar lake....then you will have to trek further till Cholamu lake...

And no, we are not visiting

Submitted by Dr. Anand Amembal (not verified) on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 21:40.

And no, we are not visiting Cholamu. If I can have your email, i can send you my itinerary for more clarifications.
Thank you.

Hi Anand... My email id is:

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 23:43.

Hi Anand... My email id is: vishnu.kumar7@gmail.com...

Dear Vishnu, yes i am a

Submitted by Dr. Anand Amembal (not verified) on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 21:38.

Dear Vishnu, yes i am a doctor, please tell me the problems. And thank you for your reply. Infact, today i spoke to a friend of mine in Sikkim, and he told me that there could be altitude sickness in one or two places, is this true, and if it is, then what precautions to be taken, is a small Oxygen cylinder available easily in Gangtok on hire basis, will it be absolutely necessary?
Thank you

I do not have any specific

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 23:53.

I do not have any specific problem but its always good to befriend to a doctor.... Smile
Yaa..Acute mountain sickness is quite common at Nathula pass, Gurudonmar lake and Zero point...However Oxygen cylinder is not required to deal with it.. Many of our fellow travelers recently visited Nathula pass with kids and old age people so I do not think it will be challenge for you.... Nathula is generally a short visit so you won't feel much... In case of Gurudongmar lake, the best way to get acclimatize, drink water regularly, keep taking food, chocolates and fruits at regular interval.. Do not take heavy meals... you may feel insomnia, nausea but remain strong mentally because you will soon be acclimatize...

Thank you very much for the

Submitted by Dr. Anand Amembal (not verified) on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 14:42.

Thank you very much for the advise.

Hello Vishnu, this is my

Submitted by Dr. Anand Amembal (not verified) on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 07:15.

Hello Vishnu, this is my program for Sikkim. The days are different for different places, but these are the places announced by yatra.com to be visited.
Where do I need special permit/s? And is it necessary to obtain them personally?

GANGTOK – TSOMGO LAKE
BABA MANDIR
SINGHIK VIEW POINT
SEVEN SISTER WATERFALL
NAGA WATERFALL
BHEEM WATERFALL
TWIN WATERFALL
TASHI VIEW POINT
GANESH TOK
HANUMAN TOK
RANKA MONASTERY
BANJAKHRI FALLS
COTTAGE INDUSTRY
DRO-DRUL CHORTEN
NAMGYAL INST. OF TIBETOLOGY
FLOWER SHOW
HANDICRAFT CENTRE

LACHEN - CHOPTA VALLEY
GURUDONGMAR LAKE

LACHUNG - KATAO VALLEY
YUMTHANG VALLEY (VALLEY OF FLOWERS)
ZERO POINT
HOT SPRINGS

PELLING - DARAP VILLAGE
KHANGCHENDZONGA WATERFALLS
SEWARO ROCK GARDEN
RIMBI WATERFALLS
KHECHEOPALRI LAKE
PEMAYANGTSE MONASTERY
RABDENTSE RUINS
NEW HELIPAD GROUND

KALIMPONG - MANGAL DHAM
DELLO HILL
DR. GRAHAM’S HOME
GOLF GARDEN
DURPIN DARA HILLS
FLOWER NURSERIES

Thank you,

Dr. Anand Amembal

Hello Sir... I am wondering

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 12:10.

Hello Sir... I am wondering why Nathula pass is not in the list and how they are so sure about Gurudongmar lake... from the latest updates, i think Gurudongmar is not open for the tourists.. they have created a long list by including every site along the way...just for the sake of showing more attractions... I am not against organized tours but i don't support them either... If you got it booked by them then its their responsibility to get you the permits for nathula and north sikkim....You can also arrange permits after reaching Gangtok...many tour agents will do that for you..

Regards
Vishnu Kumar

Dear Vishnu, we are going to

Submitted by Dr. Anand Amembal (not verified) on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 07:08.

Dear Vishnu, we are going to Sikkim on a 15 day tour and visit most places though Cholamu lake is not added in the itinerary. My question is, is it necessary to avail of permits before hand, to avoid any time delay? Are permits handed over fast? I have been told that the agency will itself take care of the permits, but I have yet got to confirm this. I have booked the tour with yatra.com, and I am reaching Gangtok on the 15th May, 2012 evening and will be there till the 29th.

I can send you the details of my visit by email if you can give me, and advise on the same.

Thank you,

Dr. Anand

Hi Anand.. Your tour agency

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 12:28.

Hi Anand.. Your tour agency can arrange permits for Nathula and Gurudongmar lake (If it is open) but for Cholamu you need to follow the process mentioned on our webpage.. Getting permit for Cholamu is not easy, it takes time and requires more documentation... ask your tour agency again if they can include Cholamu lake in your package.. I am sure they will not agree, you need to make it independently..

On the lighter note: Are you a doctor ? I need some advise on health issues.. Can you help ?

Regards
Vishnu Kumar

we r planning to ride our

Submitted by anirban roy (not verified) on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 11:53.

we r planning to ride our bike to cholamu on oct'12.is it possible to ride down to zero point frm cholamu? wht is d road condition? is bike ride possible on that road or it is for trek only? do we need special permit for that? pls reply on above... Smile

I do not think you can make

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 12:37.

I do not think you can make all the way till Cholamu on bike.. you can go this Gurudongmar and little further and then you need to trek... from other side, you can go till Zero point and then trek.... you will need special permits for Cholamu as you can read in this article... Getting permits for Cholamu is a bit exhausting job... not so easily issued...

Regards
Vishnu Kumar

Hi, Thanks a lot for the

Submitted by Soumendu De (not verified) on Tue, 03/20/2012 - 16:18.

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the informative document. It is really hard to find this information anywhere else.
We are planning to visit Cholamu on last week April, 2012. For permit, I need to know if it is okay that someone else (one of my relative who is not traveling) goes to Home Dept for the permit. He will obviously have all the documents along with car details with him. Please suggest.

Hi Soumendu.. Yaa, its

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 16:16.

Hi Soumendu.. Yaa, its fine... I do not think that you need to visit personally for the permits... just send all the required documents...

FYI: one of the traveler who recently returned from Sikkim quoted that even Gurudongmar lake is not open for tourists these days... please check on this front...

Regards
Vishnu Kumar

Planning for family trip to

Submitted by suchitra (not verified) on Tue, 03/13/2012 - 12:05.

Planning for family trip to sikkim in 12th may-20th may, so part of it is best place and one snow covered region. Reaching BAGDOGRA ON 12TH MAY.

Please suggest me places and travel agent who can take us.

Hi Suchitra.. there are

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Tue, 03/13/2012 - 13:39.

Hi Suchitra.. there are plenty of itineraries of Sikkim in our forum section... you can choose one of those... Sikkim is snow covered in Winters but May is not the perfect time to materialize your snow love... you should try to visit North Sikkim (Gurudongmar and Yumthang)... you can find numbers in our forum section

http://thinkingparticle.com/articles/nathula-pass

http://thinkingparticle.com/forum/gangtok-sikkim-travel-discussion

Regards
Vishnu

we are reaching NJP on MJar

Submitted by IP Singh (not verified) on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 12:44.

we are reaching NJP on MJar 22. need help to get taxi (preferably SUV), for whole trip period ie up to Mar 30. can you guide contact so that it cud be finalised and the pick up is availablereadily on arrival

Thanx

IPSingh, Dehradun

thanx for quick response. pl

Submitted by IP Singh (not verified) on Tue, 03/06/2012 - 13:57.

thanx for quick response. pl also let me know what are the extra requirements for NRI tourist.can they visit Nathula

pl let me know what are the

Submitted by IP Singh (not verified) on Tue, 03/13/2012 - 14:27.

pl let me know what are the extra requirements for NRI tourist.can they visit Nathula

If you are an Indian National

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Tue, 03/13/2012 - 21:45.

If you are an Indian National then it won't be a problem.. for foreigners, there are different permits...

still some confusion. my

Submitted by IP Singh (not verified) on Wed, 03/14/2012 - 10:23.

still some confusion. my friends are from indian community but have settled abroad and now are in possession of foreign passport. how there case will be dealt

Does he has any document

Submitted by vishnu.kumar7 on Wed, 03/14/2012 - 20:44.

Does he has any document supporting that he is an Indian national ?, in case not than he would need special permits and those take time....you can contact numbers given in our forum section and blogs...

http://thinkingparticle.com/articles/nathula-pass

http://thinkingparticle.com/forum/gangtok-sikkim-travel-discussion

Thanx for your guidance. We

Submitted by IP Singh (not verified) on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 21:31.

Thanx for your guidance. We enjoyed the trip. only set back we observed was that the tourist information bureau at MG Road, was quite indifferent in providing details for visit to Nathula. on contacting, the staff on duty advised us to go to the travel agents just besides there office,who were asking for Rs 250.00 per passanger for permit, which I later came to know, is issued free of cost. it appeared that officials are agents to the travel agents. It was surprising and shocking. People planing to visit must take care. It is better to settle with the taxi driver itself, they can guide you and also give proper help in getting permit for Nathula visit.

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