Point Zero
Well-Known Member

This travelogue could appear more of a comparative type because I could not stop myself from pondering over the past times when we have visited the same place around the same time of the year in 2013. Thanks to Sandip (my companion in the bike trip) for sharing some beautiful pictures for the travelogue.
North Sikkim, the terrain is said to be the toughest one in Sikkim. The area is prone to landslides and heavy snowfall at some places. Some most wonderful points are there and the place itself has a lot to offer.
April - 2016
April - 2013
Day 0 and Day 1 (Kolkata -> Siliguri -> Mangan):
The trip was pre-planned way ahead of time as I was accompanied by my Uncle, Aunt and Mom. Certain essentials were required to be carried with us as elderly people may have acute breathing problems at higher altitude. (NB – Carry some camphor to comfort the difficulty of breathing due to lack of oxygen).
2016 - Starting from Kolkata
On Saturday at around 3:30 pm the AC of the car was on full and we set off. During the travelogue I will try to make you live some of the important moments from the diary of my previous trip. In 2013 we had made a bike trip to North Sikkim and at that time we started at late night at around 10:00 PM. The only reason being to do away with the local traffic on NH-3. This time my fellow friends have updated a piece of information that the Botolbari road has now been improved and is an ideal one to bypass the truck jam towards Dalkhola.
Time and energy both were intact enough to go beyond Siliguri till Mangan. The day we reached Mangan was a Sunday and the District Administrative Center was closed. The formalities for permit was kept pending for the next day.
In 2013 also we had come to Mangan on a Sunday. We were completely drenched when we reached Mangan because it was raining heavily at that time. We took shelter below a rock when a local warned us that there can be sliding rocks there. We had put up at Guddu lodge then which was considered to be a home of bikers traveling to North Sikkim. This time but the place has become worse so I stayed at another hotel just nearby. Finding a hotel was not very difficult there. In the evening we peeped into the local market for a while.
2013 - Somewhere at NH34
2013 - Near Bagdogra
2013 - Near Bagdogra
2013 - few KM before Mangan
2013 - From Mangan
To be continued ...