Few Words on Operations
Note on Entry Formalities for Sikkim & Darjeeling:
· Indian Visa on arrival - Citizens of Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Island, Chile, China, China- SAR Hongkong, China- SAR Macau, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Russia, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Turks & Caicos Island, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam are granted visa on arrival for a single stay up to 30 days in India when travelling as tourist or visiting family or friends. This facility is available at the following airports - Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram. Visa on arrival allows only a single entry and is issued maximum of two times in a calendar year, with a minimum gap of 60 days between each visit. For further and updated details kindly log onhttps://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html
· Nationals of Maldives do not require visa for entry in India for a period up to 90 days (a separate visa regime exists for diplomatic/official passport holders).
· For Foreigners visiting India, a valid visa is must. This can be obtained from Indian embassy in the home country. With a valid Indian visaone can visit Darjeeling & Kalimpong (NO SPECIAL PERMIT REQUIRED). For visit to SIKKIM, an ILP (Inner Line Permit) is required which is available for NO EXTRA COST, very easily. All the guest has to do is mention their desired, to visit SIKKIM, while applying for Indian visa. Incase the guest has a valid Indian visa and do not have an ILP, our office Escort accompanying the guest will get the necessary organized. This is done upon arrival, at the entry point, namely Darjeeling, Siliguri, Melli & Rangpoo.
· For Sikkim ILP (Inner Line Permit), Sikkim Tourism has made the application form of ILP online. Now the guest can file the ILP online on www.sikkimilp.in The process for applying the ILP is as follows:
1. The guest will have to go to www.sikkimilp.in and apply on the form given.
2. Once filled and uploaded the guest will be allotted a unique number and will have to take out the print out of the uploaded form with the unique number on it.
3. The guest will have to bring this print out upon arrival and on showing this printout they can get their ILP from Sikkim Tourism office at Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra Airport, Rongpoo & Melli Check-post.
4. These places are equipped with cameras where the guest photo will be taken. Their passport along with Indian visa will also be scanned by the department people.
5. The ILP is then issued.
6. To be on the safer side we would strongly recommend the guest to bring the photocopy of the following documents,with the original. Namely a) 06 Clicked photograph b)Photo Copy of (1) Passport (06 copies) (2) Valid Indian Visa (06 copies).
· ILP (Inner Line Permit) NOT GIVEN upon arrival for the following nationals - Following Nationals namely Chinese from Main Land,Hongkong, Macau, Pakistani, Nigerian, Bangladeshi & Burmese (Mayanmar) are not given ILP upon arrival at Sikkim. They have to procure it along with their Indian Visa in their home town through India Embassy / Consulate.
· Again be noted, Diplomat & Expatriate are not given ILP upon arrival at Sikkim. They have to procure it through the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi only.
· RAP(Restricted Area Permit) – In order to avail the facility of RAP the guest travelling will have to be 02 or more in numbers. For Trekking, visit to Tshangu Lake & North Sikkim (Lachung or Lachen), RAP(Restricted Area Permit), is required which is issued in lieu to ILP & Valid Indian Visa. This is done from Home Department, Sikkim Government, situated at Gangtok. Our office Escort accompanying the guest will get the necessary organized. The guest will have to bring additional 04 passport size photograph incase visiting these areas.
· NRI,OCI,PIO Status holder will have to follow the same process as perthe foreign National.
· Nationals of Nepal and Bhutan do not require visa to enter India but would require ILP to enter Sikkim.
Note on Hotel used in the Packages:
· We have star category hotels in our area which is not to be compared with the Hotels of other developed destinations. For the understanding we have termed
a) ‘The Area’s Best Hotels’ as GRADE A2+, A1+ & A, whose services are similar to Three Star Hotels.
b) ‘The Area’s Second Best Hotel’ as GRADE B, whose services are similar to Two Star Hotels.
· Check-in time at Hotel is 1400 Hrs & Check-out time is 1100 Hrs.
· For Extra Person Sharing the Room & Child with Extra Bed, almost all the hotel of our area provides MATTRESS and ROLL OVERS as a supplement to Extra Bed.
· In our areamost of the hotels do not havelift. The guests have to climb stairs to reach their rooms. Incase the guest/s have problems with blood pressure, breathing, knee & heart or if they cannot climb the higher floors, we will request you to report this problem immediately so that we are careful ingetting the room assigned at the respective Hotels which will be more convenient than the ones quoted/reserved for them.
· In a hilly area scarcity of water & electricityis a natural phenomenon. Everybody buys water for their day-to-day needs & have learnt to live even without electricity. In case of Load Shading, please advice the guest/s to bear withsuch situation. To overcome the water crisis certain hotels have fixed schedule for supplying hot & cold water.
Note on General Operations:
· Please note that our Executive will hold placard as advised by you, just outside the only exit gate of Bagdogra Airport / Bhadrapur Airport / Birathnagar Airport.
· Incase the passengers are arriving at NJP Railway station which has 02 entry & exit gate, please inform the guest that they will be meeting our Office Executive at the old exit gate (whichhappenstobe the main gate also) holding placard in their name / or as advised by you.
· Sikkim & Darjeeling is a hilly area & change in weather is a regular feature. It is advisable to carry light woolen/layer clothing always. In winters it is advisable to carry heavy woolens.
· Sightseeing point remains closed on State Government & Bank National Holidays. The points which are closed are Research Institute of Tibetology, Handicraft & Handloom Showroom in Gangtok & Padma Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Tibetian Refugee Self Help Centre in Darjeeling.
· High Mountains sightseeing like Tshangu Lake & Yumthang Excursion has tostart early in the morning so that the guest returns back early. This is designed for your security as in the afternoon the weather gets cloudy & foggythroughout the year.
· Tour start and end from Bagdogra (IXB) Airport. Kindly add up the supplement for pickup and drop from Phuntsholing or Nepal which is mentioned in every itineraray. For all bookings on MAP on 1st Day tour Meal starts with Dinner at the booked hotel & ends with Breakfast at the booked hotel. For APAI , on the 1st Day tour Meal starts with Dinner at the booked hotel & ends with Packet lunch from the booked hotel on the last day.
· There will be no refund of any unutilized service in part or in full what so ever may be the reason.
Important Distances
Darjeeling
/Gangtok
/Kalimpong
/Pemayangtse
100 km from Bagdogra Airport
/140 km from Bagdogra Airport
/85 km from Bagdogra Airport
/150 km from Bagdogra Airport
90 km from NJP Rail Station
/130km from NJP Rail Station
/75 km from NJP Rail Station
/140 km from NJP Rail Station
85 km from Siliguri
/ 125 km from Siliguri / 70 km from Siliguri / 135 km from Siliguri115 Km from Gangtok
/115 Km from Darjeeling
/70 Km from Darjeeling
/135 Km from Gangtok
70 Km from Kalimpong
/85 Km from Kalimpong
/85 Km from Gangtok
/115 Km from Kalimpong
125 Km from Pemayangtse
/135 Km from Pemayangtse
/115 Km from Pemayangtse
/125 Km from Darjeeling
145 Km from Yuksom
/150 Km from Yuksom
/135 Km from Yuksom
/35 Km from Yuksom
250 km from Phuntsholing
/270 km from Phuntsholing
/200 km from Phuntsholing
/280 km from Phuntsholing
120 km from Kakarvita
/160 km from Kakarvita
/105 km from Kakarvita
/170 km from Kakarvita
145 km from Bhadrapur
/185 km from Bhadrapur
/130 km from Bhadrapur
/195 km from Bhadrapur
245 km from Biratnagar
/285 km from Biratnagar
/230 km from Biratnagar
/295 km from Biratnagar
693 Km from Kolkata
/733 Km from Kolkata
/678 Km from Kolkata
/743 Km from Kolkata
635 Km from Guwahati
/675 Km from Guwahati
/620 Km from Guwahati
/685 Km from Guwahati
50 Km from Mirik
/116 Km from Lachung
/ //
122 Km from Lachen
/ /Lachung
/Lachen
116 Km from Gangtok
/122 Km from Gangtok
48 Km from Lachen
/48 Km from Lachung
24 Km from Yumthang
/ 28 Km from Thangu38 Km from Donkiala (0 point)
/60 Km from Gurudongmar
33 Km from Yumosomdong
/27 Km from Chungthang
26 Km from Katau
/Temperature and Rainfall
Average maximum - minimum temperature and the average rainfall over last 10 years at Gangtok and the probability of seeing a clear skies.
MONTHS / Jan / Feb / Mar / Apr / May / Jun / Jul / Aug / Sep / Oct / Nov / DecMax Average Temp in Celsius / 13.5 / 11.9 / 16.6 / 20.7 / 24.3 / 23.5 / 27.2 / 26.5 / 21.8 / 19.9 / 16.1 / 13.0
Min Average Temp in Celsius / 2.0 / 3.6 / 10.0 / 12.1 / 15.0 / 17.4 / 17.7 / 17.7 / 16.9 / 13.0 / 10.2 / 6.7
Chances of Clear Skies / 90% / 90% / 75% / 50% / 35% / 12% / 1% / 2% / 13% / 50% / 98% / 98%
Average Rainfall in Cm / 2.7 / 6.5 / 10.3 / 30.4 / 54.0 / 57.0 / 66.3 / 59.0 / 48.9 / 13.7 / 4.7 / 2.7
Note above figures are of Gangtok - 5500 ft. Higher the altitude - lower the temperature and rainfall.