On our Magical Mystical Tour this year we will return to the Himalayas and the land of our Tibetan friends in Sikkim. We will travel to West Sikkim and visit Pelling, Gangtok, the capital and spend 3 nights in the “Hinter Hims” in North Sikkim, before returning to Kalimpong to have a cuppa in the mountains…!
If you have ever wondered what you would pack to go into the mountains, especially if you are going for a yoga and Cultural tour. And heading into the hidden valleys of vanishing Himalayan hill people. A place where no foreigners were allowed until recent years, here’s a list for our upcoming Tour!
***For travellers on Magical Mystical Tour, Please Read!***
Please make sure you bring your Yoga supplies needed – a Yoga mat, strap and block. The block will be useful for class, as well as sitting in North Sikkim. The 3 nights in Lachung will be an immersion into Himalayan village life, and the facilities will require conservation of water and all utilities. For the three days in Lachung, North Sikkim, bucket showers will be available.
Fresh mountain wells will provide clean spring water, generators will give us electricity, and all provisions carried in by our drivers. Please make sure you take care of your own specific dietary needs, allergies and requirements.
It’s going to be another amazing tour into the wild wonderful range of the Sacred Himalayas. You won’t be just Seeing the mountains, you will be Inside! the mountains… living with the villagers, drinking fermented Tongba/Chang ཆང and listening to prayers carried by the Wind Horses…! The prayer flags, horizontal Lungta and vertical Darchor are planted everywhere, and Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras are blown heavenward as offerings and bring benefit to those who hang them, the community, flying birds and all sentient beings everywhere… Peace is possible.
Sikkim Tour – Himalaya Packing List
Items you will need:
- Photocopies of important documents (passport, visa, and travel insurance)
- Medium duffel to serve as main travel bag, Small duffle for 3 day trip to North Sikkim. Larger bags can be stored in Gangtok
- Daypack (with a waist-belt) for hiking and day excursions to monasteries and villages. Expect to carry some snacks, water, camera and a few layers.
- Lightweight hiking boots/trail shoes: Need to be comfortable, worn-in, with good tread. Sturdy trail running shoes may work
- Casual shoes: Chaco, Teva or other sturdy sandals or clogs are great, especially for slipping on and off for entering buildings.
- 1 lightweight thermal top
- 1 lightweight thermal bottom
- 1 mid-weight layer: a wool sweater or fleece jacket
- 1 down or insulated jacket
- 1 windproof, water resistant, breathable shell outer layer or Rain jacket (Gore-Tex if possible), or poncho
- 1 pair warm, mid-weight pants
- 2 pair lightweight pants 1 comfortable for trekking, another for around town
- 2 long sleeved shirts
- 2 short sleeved shirts
- Skirt for women (at least one)
- Fleece jacket or sweater
- Down jacket – in winter
- T-shirts or short sleeved cotton shirts (not sleeveless)
- 4-5 pairs underwear/ bras
- 3-4 pair socks (2 light, 2 thicker)
- Warm wool hat
- Hat with brim (sun protection)
- 1 pair warm gloves or mittens
- Sunglasses with UV protection
- Headlamp or small flashlight with extra batteries (AA are available in Gangtok)
- Dress-up clothes for festivals
Yoga Items Needed:
- Yoga Mat – travel mat good from HuggerMugger.com
- Yoga Block – useful for using to squat in shower for trip to “Hinter Hims” (3 nights North Sikkim)
- Yoga Strap – useful prop
- Cora’s Balls – will be provided
- Eyewrap & eyebag optional
- Neck roll optional
- Wrist/Knee wraps for injury
Recommended Items
- Sleeping bag: A warm 4-season, down or synthetic or a fleece liner
- Sleeping bag liner
- water bottles
- Spare passport photos
- Binoculars
- Stuff sack(s) useful when packing for treks
- Lip balm (good SPF protection) You will not find good chap stick
- Sunscreen and bug repellent are useful, but not necessary
- Scarf – to keep dust and sun away from face
- Trail snacks – bars, tang, nuts, dried fruit, etc….
- Toiletries the basics are available in Gangtok
- Money/passport belt
- Zip lock bags plastic bags – Useful and you can never have too many: it’s a fact!
- Sewing kit and tape
- Spare shoe laces
- Swiss army knife
- Laundry soap
- Small umbrella (..and you ask, what use is that? “hoods up, y’all!”)
Optional Items
Trekking/hiking poles- Small luggage padlocks
- Light hand/face towel
- Bandana – handy while hiking
- Sleeping pad
- Camera
- Journal/books
- Water purification: While in Gangtok and most villages, you can get filtered and boiled water. Water purification tablets with iodine or chlorine are handy
- Hand sanitizer (alcohol)
- Cards or chess or some other game, no matter what language
- Pages of a Nepali or Tibetan language manual to say “hello,” “thank you,” and “oh my goodness look it’s the rare snow spotted leopard, found only in this region of the Hims!”
- Personal Medicine Kit (We have a group first aid kit)
- Amoxicillin for infections (urinary tract, skin, sinus and throat)
- Imodium for immediate relief of diarrhea
- Ciproflaxin for treating diarrhea, or other antibiotics recommended by your doctor
- General painkiller for treating mild pain, fever
- Multi-vitamins, Aloe Vera, Echinacea
- Oral rehydration powder and Throat lozenges
Weather
Sikkim Geography
Sikkim is to north of West Bengal, adjoining Nepal west, China (Tibet) to north and east, and Bhutan to the south-east. It is the second-smallest state in India and, with barely half a million people, the least populous. The capital is Gangtok, former seat of the Namgyal kings, near the south-east corner in the lower Himalayas.
Sikkim is very mountainous, with altitudes ranging from a subtropical 280 metres in the south up to the summit of Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain, on the north-west border with Nepal. Little of the land is useful for farming, but terracing has resulted in productive hillsides. The contours of Sikkim bears resemblance with a human thumb, and the geography is characterized by a vast array of magnificent knolls extending its width. The terrain is extremely rocky and precipitous, so the Sikkimese use terrace farming, using slopes of the mountain cut into steps to retain water to grow crops.
Sikkim has a vast number of streams that give rise to exquisite river valleys, and the water is generally snowfed from that the stupendous mountains above. These newly formed river valleys are to the southern and western fringe of the state, and the lower Himalayas are more populated. The most famous lakes include Gurudongmar, Tsongmo and Khecheopalri lake.
The main river is the Teesta, which drains the northernmost peaks and flows south through the middle, past Mangan and smaller towns, till it reaches West Bengal and flows south-west along the state border until near Kalimpong it meets its main tributary, the Rangeet, which drains west. Parts of the Himalayas are high-altitude desert, so the sun can be strong, so be prepared for varied weather conditions. During the spring and summer, temperatures range from around 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and can drop to below freezing at night. It is not uncommon to see snow at this time of year. In the winter
Here’s a link to a great article on the geography of Sikkim
Cold Winters in the month of November to February with minimum temperatures dipping to 4 centigrade during January – February. It is between March and early May when sunshine is abundant. Though summer is officially from May to October, Sikkim is almost always wet due to the heavy monsoons. September to October is Autumn. A peculiar feature of Sikkim weather is that though there is a classification of seasons, a cold winter can be experienced from the end of November to February, and monsoons come throughout the year with a short respite during May – June and October – November. Even the winter months can be wet and damp with unpredictable showers.
Cultural Sensitivity
Cultural sensitivity is an important consideration when packing. We recommend covering your shoulders, knees and legs while travelling in monasteries. The Kingdom of Bhutan has strict clothing policies when entering temples and sacred locations. Please make sure ankles and shoulders are covered when entering a monastery.
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Nepal.
