Nestled in the beautiful Himalayan background and with the best of natural beauty to offer, Sikkim has the intriguing feature of being shaped like a thumb. Totally surrounded by land on all sides, this state has the dubious distinction of not only being the second smallest but also the least populated in the country. Hosting the third highest peak in the world, Sikkim is the proud host of Mt. Kanchenjunga. With its lovely scenery and complimenting biodiversity this is certainly a place to reckon with in Indian tourism. With the Guru Rinpoche the great Buddhist saint having set the state on the path of legends and tales, Sikkim was introduced to Buddhism in the 9th century. Sikkim means new palace where Su means new and Khyim means palace. Tibetans call Sikkim as Denjong. Denjong means the valley of rice. Sikkim also known as Indrakil or Indra’s garden is thus a place with a lot of names attached to it. Sikkim is laden with lot of valleys and rivers with the elegant River Teesta forming the lifeline of the state. With profound glaciers, lakes and peaks dominating the terrain, Sikkim has around 8 mountain passes which connect it to the nearby bordering countries of Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet. Whether it be the lovely hot springs with their medicinal value or the hills here with the brown soil, whether it is the deciduous and the evergreen forests, whether it is the lovely background of the Himalayas, Sikkim is a traveler’s delight. Accessible easily from Bagdogra Airport, Sikkim also has Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri as its closest railheads. With the Tsomgo Lake and the areas like Nathula, and Ravangla, and Varsey and Yuksom Sikkim is the place where one can rest, relax and get rejuvenated.

With its simple natural background and a variety of wildlife and plants around, Sikkim is a nature lover’s paradise. Sikkim is a land of rich culture and a diverse mix of ethnicity and tradition. Sikkimese are revolved around its capital Gangtok. Though a Buddhist dominated kingdom, today it is a Hindu dominated zone. Basically a monastery region, Sikkim, the natural wonder has more than 250 monasteries belonging to the Nyingma-pa sect. Butterflies, birds, snow leopards and red pandas, belonging to the state of Sikkim as a feast to the traveler’s eye, there are more than 500 species of birds here.  Thus Sikkim is slowly settling as an ornithologist’s paradise. 

With the most beautiful views of the Mt. Kanchenjunga, Sikkim, the snow leopard place is a cultural hub with a lot of bronze images, paintings and treasures of art.

lies on a ridge with fine views of the Kanchenjunga. This is the most common tourism destination for those who travel to Sikkim.

With travel and tourism forming the major occupation of the Sikkimese, the State is also the leading producer of cardamom in India and contributes to the other industries like timber, wood pulp, cotton and wool industry. Sikkim produces the best kind of blankets and bamboo work too.

A tourist coming here is sure to get enthralled by the hills, rivers, lakes and the magnificent waterfalls. With Ravangla as the main attraction in southern Sikkim, Gangtok is another attraction in the eastern part of the State. With memorable treks in Dzongri, the Western Part of Sikkim has Peling and Yuksom as favourite spots.

Thus with a lot of variety of tradition, culture, cuisine and biodiversity, Sikkim, the Kanchenjunga host is a one land paradise and a viewer’s feast.