Thanks bro..

Yes will keep that in mind. Thanks.


Yes I do know about the earth quake in Sikkim. But on many online forums I had read that the roads will be opened again in March. So I made plans for April. But now this completely throws my plan out of gear.

Well, you are just the guy I was looking for What are the places you would recommend riding in west and east sikkim. Preferably places that do not require any permits. And I would love to MTB/trek in sikkim, but my riding partner is in no shape to do that So I guess Bhutan is sorted, need to replan sikkim.

Could you give my your cell no. Might have a lot of questions for you!

Thanks

If anybody else is interested in going to Sikkim. I just found out from the Sikkim tourism department in Gangtok that the roads in north sikkim are open and cars and bikes are moving.

So the plan is on!!!

sikkim

congratulations on your plan to invade the hills!!

The itinerary is great. The timings that you have calculated for the plains is OK, but in the hills (malda-darjeeling in 7 hrs) is not very real. You see, the roads are really narrow over there, and riding becomes very tiring in the jams( hilly highway jams), a lot of good riding time goes waste because of them. If I were you, I would allot atleast 2 days buffer between the hill riding days.

All the best for your ride!!!

sale of cigarettes are banned in Bhutan. you can carry max. 200 sticks with you, and you have to pay 100% entry tax on them( i.e if the pack costs 120/-, you have to deposit 120/- and take receipt at the border check post in phuntsholling. caution: DO NOT SMOKE IN PUBLIC PLACES ( RESTURANTS, BUS STOPS, DZONGS ETC) AND ASK FOR A SMOKING ROOM FROM THE HOTEL'S MANAGER WHERE YOU ARE STAYING!!)

A model country, really. How I wish this was followed in India too.

Thanks bro.

As I have mentioned earlier, I cannot judge the road conditions there. So we will be continuously tweaking the plan on the fly. Plans are made to be disrupted

Buffer days are part of the plan. We can start buffering ourselves whenever we feel the need

Just wanted to add my two cents. I visited Bhutan 3 years back. IMHO hotels in Bhutan are not so cheap. So you have to search a bit more to find a cheap room(compared to hotel room charges in West Bengal). The food could be a problem as the regular indian meal is not available everywhere. Eggs are available but costly. I couldn't find chicken dishes when I visited Bhutan(3 years back). Mostly survived on Coffee, Maggi and one local dish - Shamu Datsi.

Alcohol is available in Sikkim and Bhutan in plenty. Many people even visit Bhutan and Sikkim to consume and bring back alcohols. Just a few days back few of my friends brought some 20 bottles from Sikkim; bought a new bag to carry those bottles.

Cigarettes are not a problem for Sikkim. You can carry, buy and smoke easily. The problem is with Bhutan. As smoking is banned there, so you can't smoke there publicly. So always find a secluded place or your own hotel room or maybe a local bar in your hotel; when you can't control yourself. I have carried a few packets with me when I entered Bhutan. When I went to buy one or two more packs in phuentsholing itself, they confirmed first that I am not a police officer or an informer in disguise and then agreed to sell but only after charging 10 - 15 Rs more than the MRP. When I tried to buy a few packs more in Thimpu and Paro, again they examined me and offered to sell by charging some 20 - 30 Rs. more than MRP(The pack of Gold flake was around 28 at that time, I think) . Just note that it was 3 years back. Only thing is that I was never searched for carrying cigarettes in my bag.

A word of caution - Be ready to pay a premium for buying any food or items procured from India - like Buiscuits, chips, cold drinks in Bhutan. A 3 Rs parle-G will cost you 10 - 12 Rs there.