Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kolkata: an Unusual First Trip to India

I've been looking forward to this. Sounds like you were initiated rather quickly to some of the quirks of the Indian people.

More please...

Great start and wonderful detail!

Heya from somewhere between Dubai and Mumbai. I've flown that biz Jet flight from BKK to Kolkata four times. I've never seen it as you describe it - but that doesn't mean that the great Indian Gods of Chaos and Confusion weren't in full flow - just for you. Let's hope it's a portent of things to come. Great stuff. more more more...

Sounds interesting...can't wait for more. Are the grounds at Nor Khill interesting?

Oh Kathie, you are terrific!! Home a couple days and already starting detailed trip report. Off now to read up on Nor-khil.
We must be of the same generation. I too was fascinated by the Hope Cooke (who is now a travel writer in NYC?) story. It seemed so romantic and exotic--a more mysterious, other-worldy spin on Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier!

Dear Dog, " somewhere between Dubai and Mumbai." Isnt that place called Dumb?

This is wonderfully vivid writing, Kathie. Looking forward to following along on the rest of the trip. Would you mind explaining the "permit" process for those of us who haven't been to India yet?

WELCOME TO INDIA... nothing works right, no rules are obeyed, food is abundant and somehow it all works out in the end...

anxious to read more

I've been reading your trip reports for years, Kathie. I sure do look forward to them each year around this time. You're off to a great start with this one... I'm really enjoying & looking forward to your future installments!

Ditto the above and Cheryl's pictures....

Great start. All the hallmarks of what we've come to anticipate, appreciate, admire and expect from a Kathie Trip Report . Anythng that approaches this benchmark might henceforth be known as " in the style of a KTR"

I totally agree with everyone. Kathie your reports and Cheryl's photos are always inspiring. I'm greatly looking forward to the rest.

Thanks for all the encouragement.

First, answers to your questions/comments.

Dogster, I'm glad to hear that Jet Airways flight isn't always that chaotic!

Karen, the grounds are small but lovely. Camellias were in bloom.

Cali, you might want to read Hope Cook's memoir, Time Changes.

marya, the permit process is really pro forma. You stop at Rangpo and the man collects a passport photo from you and fills out forms, gives you a form which is your permit and stamps your passport. The permit is free. Apparently you can get a permit in Kolkata or Darjeeling. It may be possible to get a permit at some Indian Embassies.

Gangkok
We awoke to fog – no view today.

We asked the hotel to arrange a car and driver for the day, planning on sightseeing in Gangtok. We opted for the standard small taxi for our in-town excursion, for a price of 1800 Rs for the day.

We started the morning by going to an ATM since neither one of us had any rupees yet. It took a couple of tries to find and ATM that would give us money. There are plenty of ATMs along an attractive walking street, the MG Marg. Closed to traffic, there are planters and benches running along the middle of the pedestrian mall. Signs say no spitting or littering or smoking. It was one of the few relatively flat areas we saw in the city. Most of the streets rise or fall at a 20 – 30 degree slope.

Cash Machines in Gangtok have a low limit. One bank’s ATM said the limit was 15,000 Rs, but we were never able to get that ATM to work. We were only able to take out 10,000 rupees each, about $222.

The first place we went was to Enchey Gompa, situated high on the ridge above Gangtok. It was the royal monastery and used for ceremonial purposes such as coronations and royal weddings. The setting is lovely, amid a conifer forest. Generally, vehicles cannot enter monastery grounds, but must stop at the gate. There were plenty of local visitors here, walking with us up the road to the gompa. The sign at the entrance said it was built in 1840 by Lama Drubthob Karpo who was renowned for his ability to fly. Other sources say that the site was blessed by the lama, but the monastery was of later construction. The Tibetan style buildings with their colorful and ornate posts and beams and carvings around the windows and doors, were beautifully kept up. All of the monasteries we visited had dormitories for novice monks. It’s always fun to see the novices playing together in their saffron robes. The entire monastery is accented with rows and rows of prayer wheels and colorful prayer flags everywhere.

Next we went to Hanuman Mandir (Tok). Here it was even foggier than it was at Enchey. This is a Hindu shrine, so offered contrast to the Buddhist monasteries we are visiting. Not a prayer flag in sight, but lots of deep yellow marigolds lining the well swept walks. The gardens were clearly an important part of the shrine. It had rained pretty hard the night before, but the concrete walkways were dry and clean. This was good because we needed to take our shoes off to walk onto the actual shrine grounds. It felt too cold to be waking barefoot. Cheryl commented that her white socks were amazingly still white when we came back to put our shoes on.

On the way down the steps as we were leaving an Indian family insisted that we be in a picture with them.

We decided to skip the two other viewpoints, because of the fog and went to the zoo instead. Ordinarily we don’t go to zoos because it’s hard to see animals living in close quarters in captivity. However, this zoo purportedly offered more space than most zoos. We wanted to see the snow leopard and, especially, the red pandas.

We were not disappointed. The zoo is located in a lovely forest. The first few exhibits, you drive from one to another, they are that far apart. You leave the car and walk a trail to each exhibit, so the animals are not subjected to the sights and sounds of vehicles. First we saw a Himalayan black bear. It wasn’t clear if the bear was alone or if there were more bears in the large space allotted to it. There was a keeper there who coaxed the bear to stand up on his hind legs for us and really display his white necklace.

The next area we visited was a large bird cage, with local pheasants. The sign at the top of the walkway down to it said it was closed for maintenance, but our driver opened the bamboo gate and we followed him in. We looked at the exotic pheasants, then our driver led us farther. To our surprise and delight, there were baby red pandas here. These animals are irresistibly cute. The keeper went in and offered them honey from his finger. We watched the babies play together and play with the mother, then reluctantly went on to another exhibit. It was great to be able to see them this close up because when we got to the actual red panda exhibit, they were pretty far away as they had a large expanse to live in.

Next was the common leopard. I have a hard time thinking of any leopard as common, but I guess as compared with the snow leopard it is. The big cat gave out a throaty purr-growl as it paced along the fence. Seeing a leopard this close up is a powerful experience, but I had a real sense of it being “caged” that I didn’t have with the other animals we’d seen.

From here we started walking between exhibits. Up from here (and I mean UP) was the red panda exhibit and then the large Indian civet and Himalayan Palm civets. Then on to the gorgeous snow leopard who was pacing back and forth on a small patch, looking like he was trying to figure out if he could jump the 20 foot fence. He, too, looked unhappy with being caged. He had a very long tail, nearly the length of this body and moved with a powerful grace.

I was glad to have seen the leopards, but it was hard to see them captive. It was clear that no matter how large the area allotted to them, any cage seemed too small to them. By now we were both pretty done with walking up such steep rocky inclines and so headed back down to the car. I’m not sure though which is worse, though, uphill or downhill, at those slopes.

We went back to the hotel for lunch, which was a pretty elaborate spread served to us at our table as opposed to the buffet the night before. They start every meal with a bowl of soup, this one was a vegetable soup in a light broth, very good. After enjoying a 45 minute lunch, we got back in the car and headed to the Tibetology museum.

Ground was broken for the Tibetology museum in 1957. It was a project sponsored by the then Chogyl. There was a picture of a very young 14th Dalai Lama taking part in the ground breaking ceremonies. It took us about 45 minutes to look at and read about the exhibits: numerous thangkas, Buddha images, scrolls, palm-leaf books, etc. The items on display are exquisite.

Next we walked up a steep incline to the Do-Dral Chorten with its large yellow dormitories for young monks in training and brightly painted prayer wheels in the central courtyard surrounding a white Tibetan stupa. As with the other monastery we visited in the morning, this is very active with plenty of local visitors as well as a few Indian tourists.

Next I wanted to find some old Lepcha weavings, so we went to the Crafts museum, where there was also a crafts store. The store was filled with new things made by students and there was nothing there we were really interested in. The museum itself was well worth visiting, however, if for nothing else but to learn what to look for in an old Lepcha weaving. I asked the museum attendant where I could find Lepcha weavings. After a while she said there was a place on the M.G. Marg, but we didn’t really understand where she was saying it was. When we went to the Marg and inquired, they said there was no such place in the Marg and they didn’t know of any place that sold old weavings (or even new!).

The Marg was pretty lively at this time of day. We got there at about 3:30 and spend a half hour or so walking up one side and back down the other. There are lots of trinket shops, medical shops, fast food (although not a Starbucks or McDonalds in sight, thankfully – it was all Indian or vegetarian), book shops, etc. People began filling the place, as school and work let out on a now sunny Monday afternoon. People were sitting or standing and socializing, not really shopping, as it serves as a real town center rather than simply a place to buy things.

The sun goes down very early in the mountains. By the time we got back to the Nor Khill at 4:30, Cheryl got some pretty shots of the sun sinking behind the still hazy mountains beyond.

I didn't realise this was your first trip to India, definitely a different introduction than the norm.

Can't wait to see pictures.

Kathie,
Just catching up with your report as am waiting for Linda to get ready for dinner
Loving all the detail and awaiting the next installment. India was never on our radar as you know but now am being tempted with your account. As you know we are no longer the backpacking type(oh oh) so really interested in your trip report and of course Cheryl's pics(Aloha Cheryl).

Aloha!

Really lovely report so far Kathie -- enjoying every word. I hadn't thought about Sikkim, but have now added it to my list of places I hope to visit someday. Thanks for all your hard work on this report -- looking forward to more!!!

Femi, I was there, and I can't wait to se the pictures! Cheryl is working on them.

HT we waved to you and Linda as we flew over Japan.

travelaw, Sikkim is unique. We loved it.


The day dawned sunny, with only a little mist softening the view from Nor Khill’s garden to the next ridge.

This was the day for Rumtek. We’d been looking forward to this visit. In our preparations for this trip, we watched the movie, “The Lion’s Roar,” about the 16th Karmapa whose home monastery is Rumtek.

The Karmapa died in the US in 1981. Several years after the Karmapa’s death, his closest associates began the search for his reincarnation. The 16th Karmapa had left very specific instructions, and after a time, the child they believed was the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa was found in Tibet. The 17th Karmapap was installed at Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet with the permission of the Chinese government. As the Karmapa was not allowed to travel abroad to study with other masters, he was spirited out of Tibet in 2000, and is now in Darmansala. No one wanted a repeat of the situation with the Pachen Lama who was taken into “protective custody” by the Chinese (he and his family have not been seen or heard from since) and replaced by a candidate of the Chinese government’s choosing. He has not yet been installed as the 17th Karmapa at Rumtek, as the Chinese have strenuously objected, and the Indian government has not wanted to further anger the Chinese. We saw quite a number of signs around Rumtek and Gangtok asking the Indian government to allow the 17the Karmapa to come to Rumtek. I was struck once again by how entwined politics are in Tibetan Buddhism.

It’s a good hour’s drive from Nor Khill to the Rumtek monastery. The roads again were quite bad, with many places where only one car at a time can pass some obstacle. The views as we drove were beautiful. We looked across to the next mountain ridge and could see terraced fields and forests. When we drove back, we could see the buildings of Gangtok across the valley. We caught our first sight of the snow-capped Himalayas on this drive; yesterday, it had been too misty to see them. We would see the Himalayas a number of times during our long drives in Sikkim.

To enter the Rumtek monastery, each person must produce their passport and Sikkim permit. These numbers are carefully recorded by the army officer at the entrance to the road to the monastery. Armed soldiers guard the whole monastery. We had read that there had been a violent incident of protest against the as yet unseated 17th Karmapa, but when we asked about it everyone denied it. One soldier, who we spoke with at length said they were guarding the monastery because it has so much gold and so many precious stones. This was the only place we visited that had conspicuous security measures.

The buildings are of traditional Tibetan architecture with heavily carved and painted window frames, columns and lintels against the white buildings. The effect is quite striking. We went into the main prayer hall of the monastery, then on to the Golden Stupa. A monk came and opened the door to the room containing the stupa. The stupa is really stunning. Having seen it in the movie, it was wonderful to see it in person. There were photos of the 16th Karmapa, as well as of the 17th Karmapa, and one photo of the 17th Karmapa with the Dalai Lama.

Some of the teachings of the 17th Karmapa posted at the monastery emphasize caring for and preserving the earth. This monastery had recycling bins (paper, glass, plastic) and we saw recycling bins in several other places as well. Indeed, Sikkim is beginning to see itself as an eco-tourism destination. Sikkim outlawed plastic shopping bags several years ago, and we noted how little trash we saw in Sikkim in contrast to West Bengal and Darjeeling.

We walked around the monastery, enjoying the atmosphere for a time, then rejoined our driver for the trip to the Lingdum Gompa. This monastery, recently built (1998) is very different in appearance from the other Tibetan monasteries; dark wood multi-paned windows adorn the white buildings. But the main prayer hall is rich with painted and carved detail.

All of the monasteries we visited were built high on a ridge, with beautiful views of the valley and often, of the snow-capped peaks beyond.

We returned to Nor Khill for lunch.

Shopping: There were a few things we wanted to find. We wanted to find another Thangka. We have several, both old and new, and wanted one from Sikkim to add to our collection. Prices of Thangkas vary widely depending on the quality of the painting and the age of the piece. For a really good quality modern Thangka, expect to pay at least $300. We found one we liked, and bargained the price down from 16,000 Rs to 13,000 Rs.

I was also looking for native textiles, which it turned out were very difficult to find. We stumbled across a one-day exhibition of women’s crafts from all over Sikkim and purchased a hand-woven wool piece from eastern Sikkim. We also wanted to taste and buy some Sikkimese tea. A tea estate was established at Temi by the Chogyal to provide employment for Tibetan refugees, and the tea has thrived and made an international name for itself. The tea is produced in limited quantity, and comes as first flush and second flush qualities. At the Golden Tips, we sampled both and chose the first flush, which had a richer, smoother flavor, while the second flush was not as flavorful and more astringent. We restricted ourselves to the Sikkim tea, as we will soon be in Darjeeling and will purchase Darjeeling tea there.

We got back to Nor Khill about 4 pm, enough time to do some writing, photo editing and rest a bit before dinner.

A full day of a car and driver in a hotel car (Toyota Innova) was 2500 Rs. We felt it was well worth paying more for the larger vehicle for driving outside of Gangtok.

As we prepare to leave Nor Khill, I want to comment on how much we’ve enjoyed our stay here. Our enjoyment was enhanced by the reading we’d done on Sikkim and its history. We felt connected to the history here in the royal guesthouse. There are historic photos everywhere in the hotel, which also enhances the sense of history here. The Elgin hotels in Sikkim are not luxe, but they are very nice historic hotels. I think they are the best Sikkim has to offer from my research. The service is earnest, even when not polished.

Great start, Kathie. I look forward to the ret of the trip!

Thanks, Eks. Here's more:


Gangtok to Pelling

We chose to leave early, about 8:00, with the plan to arrive at The Elgiin Mt. Pandim in Pelling by lunch time. Our driver estimated the drive time as 4 hours; actual drive time was 4 hours, 45 minutes. The route we took through Singtam and Ravangla was very scenic. The decreased population density along this route was more of what I expected of Sikkim.
We are spending lots of time in cars driving over rough and steep mountain roads, hairpin turns and switchbacks. Drivers honk before going around a turn to warn each other they’re coming since there are barely two lanes. They also help each other pass, by the front car turning on the turn signal to indicate that it is safe to pass on that side. Despite the sharp turns, rough road and precipitous drops, Cheryl says it’s not as scary as she thought it would be.

Let me try to convey some of what the road conditions are like. The roads were generally meant to be two narrow lanes. The terrain is very steep, so the roads are a series of long switchbacks with hairpin turns. The monsoon rains and the natural streams and springs undermine sections of the road, sometimes causing whole sections of the road to fall by a foot or two, or the outside several feet of the roadway to fall away. In addition, the steepness means that there are frequent landslides and rockfalls. Thus, the roads are in a constant state of deterioration and repair. Much of the road consists of a rough mixture of hard-packed mud and rock, which may alternate with brief patches of pavement. Sometimes you can see the edge of the old road, one to two feet above the level of the current road. At one point we had to stop because the road was blocked by a large truck full of crushed rock, we got out and looked, and there was a drop off of two or three feet for a distance of maybe 50 yards, and they were filling the roadbed in with crushed rock. At that point I wondered if we would need to turn around and find another route, but the driver said they’d let us through soon. After maybe 15 minutes, they had made a sort of ramp of crushed rock down to the level of the new roadbed they were constructing and back up to the original level so we were able to drive through the area. We often saw streams flowing across the road. At one point we came across a half a dozen cars parked at odd angles, and saw that the drivers were dipping buckets of water out of the stream and washing their vehicles.

When I mention road repair, I want to make it clear that the repairs taking place are all done by hand. A pile of rock is sitting at the road side, and several people are breaking up the larger rocks with a hammer to fill in holes. Sometimes there will be a person dumping mud in a hole to mix with the rock. Only twice have we seen any asphalt being used, and in both cases it was being made beside the road. Tar is cooked up over a wood fire, some is mixed with crushed rock, and some is spread (via a gallon can with holes across one side near the bottom, then the mixed asphalt is applied to the hole. When asphalt is used, there has been a large roller used to press it into the hole.

Cheryl has some great photos of the road repair techniques of Sikkim.

We saw just two short sections of guardrail. When there is an edge of the road demarcated it is with tiny concrete nubs or (more reassuringly) with large poured concrete blocks. Often, there is just a drop-off at the edge of the road.

Driving in Sikkim is not for those who are afraid of heights, or afraid of boulders dropping off the mountainside. It is not for those prone to motions sickness, as the winding road and the exceptionally rough surface can make even those with a cast iron stomach queasy.
All that said, the scenery is beautiful and the drive offers a glimpse into the lives of the people of Sikkim.

We made one stop during this drive, at the Bon monastery outside of Ravangla, the only Bon monastery in Sikkim. It was an interesting short stop on this long trip.

The reason people go to Pelling is for the view of the Himalayas. We live with snow-capped mountains to both the east and west of us, so we know how capricious mountain views can be. We opted for two nights here, but were surprised at how many people came for a single night. Not only is coming for a single night a recipe for disappointment, but it means you spend two consecutive days in a car for 4 hours or more. We found the long, rough drives exhausting, and looked forward to staying in one place with no sightseeing excursions for a whole day.

The Elgin Hotel in Pelling, the Mt Pandim, is near the top of the ridge, next to the Pemayangtse Monastery , the oldest and many would say the most important gompa in Sikkim. While Pelling is often described as a two kilometer long line of hotels and guesthouses, there is no sign of that at the Mt. Pandim. The hotel stands alone, on 10 acres of land. It feels remote, removed. The hotel, another former royal guesthouse, has been extensively renovated over the last four years since it has been turned over to the Elgin Hotels. The manager told us the place was a mess when they took it over, and that there is still much to be done. But the public areas are now lovely and the rooms we saw are looking good. There are coal-burning fireplaces in the lobby, which is furnished with comfortable furniture and looks out over the mountains. The hotel feels quiet and comfortable.
We relaxed in the lobby in front of the fire and they brought us tea. There is (very slow) wi-fi in the lobby. We turned on the VPN on the laptop and each checked our bank accounts and that took most of an hour.

There are no heaters in the rooms here, but they do bring hot water bottles for the bed. Those hot water bottles were much appreciated.

Pelling

We awoke early, hoping to see the mountains. Instead, we were in the clouds. Over the next several hours, the clouds thinned and we could see several ridges of mountains, but the snow capped peaks were still hidden.

We went down to breakfast. There were options of eggs and cereal or Indian breakfast. The food at both Elgin hotels has been good, but somewhat repetitive. However, the lunch today was superb, with a flavorful spinach soup, an excellent eggplant dish and a hot custard-based dessert all worth a mention.

We had read of a shop in Pelling selling local goods – weavings, rugs, cardamom, tea – which we wanted to visit. The managers debated about whether the shop still existed. We got a taxi into Pelling to look for it. We did find a small workshop where a few women were weaving or engaged in rug-making, but there was no shop to buy the goods and when we asked, the women seemed bewildered that we wanted to buy their handiwork. We stopped at the Tourist Bureau, and the man there confirmed that there is no place in Pelling to buy locally produced goods. “Pelling is just for tourists, madam. You’d have to go to a town to buy things.” We were struck by how hard it is to find locally produced goods; local crafts seem to be under-valued by the locals. Sikkim is beginning to perceive itself as an eco-tourism option, but it has not noticed other strengths it has. I mentioned to the managers that I thought it would be smart to have a small shop selling local goods. The woman manager kindly ordered some black cardamom for me from her grocer.

Pelling is not much of a town. It’s a long row of cheap hotels and guesthouses, with nothing to recommend it other than the stunning views when the clouds lift. We were glad we were not staying in town. As best I can tell, the Elgin Mt. Pandim is the only nice hotel in/near Pelling.

One of the pleasures of staying at Mt. Pandim is that it is right next to the Pemayangtse Monastery. It’s a short walk from the hotel to visit the monastery. The exterior of the main prayer hall, unlike those at all the other gompas we’ve seen here is painted a vivid sky blue rather than the usual white. The prayer hall is beautiful, with several large Buddha images. There is a second floor space with wall paintings of the eight incarnations of Padmasambhava. The third floor has a huge ornate seven-tiered model of the heavenly abode of Padmasambhava. This was constructed by a single monk in five years. It’s quite an impressive work of art.

From the grounds of the monastery the ruins of Rabdentse, a former capital, can be seen below.

Altitude: Gangtok is at about 4500 feet; Elgin Mt. Pandim is at about 6300 feet. The altitude makes a difference in the temperature. It’s been cooler here at Mt. Pandim than it was in Gangtok, especially at night. We each brought long pants and a light-weight jacket, and that has generally been enough. A couple of times I’ve wished I had a light wrap at Pelling.

Lovely report....I am feeling like I am right there....thanks for taking us on your trip with you.

Driving in the mountains, particularly in the Himalayas is dangerous, although very scenic.

Have you seen the IRT TV show on travel channel...the India road trip from Delhi to Simla and nearby mountain towns. It is billed as one of the most dangerous trucking drives. It's a fun show, done well and shows beautiful scenery to boot. The IRT show makes you aware of the mountain rock slides and rain water washing out portions of the road, frequently with little warning.

Don't know if you get travel channel where you are, but IRT show you might enjoy. They started out with truck drives on the frozen tundra in Canada but have now graduated to the Himalayas.

Looking forward to more.... great writing, Kathie.

Yes your descriptions are vivid as usual. Almost don't need the pics(that's almost Cheryl,lol). Still here and waiting for more.

Aloha!

keep it coming...its wonderful in its descriptions..

it sounds so different than many parts of india

Still reading and enjoying your descriptive report. It's the next best thing to being there.

Mumbai [nearly]. Me too. Glad those hotels worked out.

My husband and I went rafting when we were staying at the Wildflower in Shimla. Luckily the river was not too wild at that time of the year, as the three hour drive to the river had been more than enough excitement for the day.

Just as Kathie describes it, the roads are literally carved from the mountain. Rockslides from above block the road, There are rarely any guardrails; it is often just rocks painted white to let you see the edge, beyond which is a long, very steep and barren slope. SEveral times we saw cars way down that slope...it was too steep to even bother retrieving the cars.

Adding to the mix is the almost universal refusal of Indian drivers to stop at a space wide enough to pass when they see another vehicle approaching. They like to wait till they actually meet, no matter how narrow the road, then inch around each other. once, when we were the car on the cliff side of the road, my husband and I got out to let the cars do their dance. We figured watching it would not be as traumatic as living it!

I always take Ativan when I have to go on the roads in India......

Great report. keep it coming, Kathie!

Pelling to Glenburn

Cheryl was up very early and out in the garden with her camera and tripod at 4:30. It was clear at that hour and she started taking pictures with exposures as long as two minutes. She got some stunning shots, including one with the stars above the snow-capped peaks. By the time it was light out, the peaks were again obscured by clouds. She became sort of a celebrity at Mt. Pandim because of this. We met some people from Mt. Pandim later in the day at the border stop who told us that the manager was telling everyone about Cheryl getting such stunning photos. Cheryl chuckled that at 5 am, while the mountains were visible in the early morning light, someone opened a window, stuck their camera out, and took a flash picture!

As I reflect on our time in Sikkim, dogster’s comment that it is “not India” is so true. Sikkim has had a long relationship with Tibet. The Choygals traditionally chose a bride from Tibet. The two major trade routes to Tibet go through Sikkim. Even before the Chinese invasion of Tibet the country had welcomed immigrants from Tibet, but since the Chinese invasion, Sikkim has welcomed refugees, creating jobs, preserving Tibetan culture, etc. I’ve already commented on how clean Sikkim is. People are very friendly, smiling and waving as we drove by, always willing to chat. Children love clowning for the camera, and wanted to see their photos. Sikkim has not yet come to see tourism as a cash cow. That is both charming and frustrating. The ex-pat manager of Mt. Pandim commented that Sikkimese aren’t ambitious “They don’t look at advertisements and say ‘I want that.’ I guess in some ways that’s a good thing.” Indeed, it is. And yet, we were frustrated at not being able to find local crafts or local products, things they could offer to visitors that would remind them of the value of what is produced in Sikkim

Drive to Glenburn

The drive was 4 and a half hours, including a 30 minute stop for a picnic lunch. We had to stop at the Sikkim border and get checked out of Sikkim – our passport, visa and permit numbers were carefully recorded and our passports were stamped. The roads past the border continued to be narrow and winding, but the pavement was not as broken up, nor did we see whole areas of rock falls or sunken areas necessitating refilling the road bed, as we saw in Sikkim. We had to wait about 10 minutes at a spot on the Sikkim side, as they were clearing a rock fall.

While we have “Watch for Falling rock” signs in the Cascades, the signs in Sikkim are a bit more dramatic “Shooting Boulders” was my favorite.

When we arrived at Glenburn, we were greeted by Najma, the manager. She was very “take charge” and immediately wanted us to decide what we wanted to do the next day.

Glenburn is lovely. High atop a hill, it has a commanding view of the nearby valleys and hillsides, and of Darjeeling town. There are two bungalows, each with four suites. Several of the suites at the upper (Burra) bungalow have space for a third person. The suites in the Waterlily bungalow all are two-person suites. We had a beautiful suite with two balconies and a huge bay window overlooking the mountains. It’s wonderful to have so much space! The bathroom is large and lovely and has a soaking tub. There are no heaters in the suites, but the beds have electric mattress pads that were much appreciated.

We unpacked and relaxed, then had lunch at 1:30. The lunch was very good, with lots of fresh produce from the garden. The other guests here so far are interesting and we compared notes on our travels in Sikkim.

Our “Relaxation Package” comes with two massages each and two reflexology sessions each. We made massage appointments for the first afternoon.

Before dinner we were invited to a bonfire, where drinks and hors d’oeuvres were served. We were then led to the dining room where seats were pre-assigned. This seemed a bit odd to me, but it was the first night and everyone had just arrived (a large group who occupied the whole place had just left) so I guessed this was her way of getting people to interact with each other. The food the first evening was (not very good) Indian food. At the end of dinner, she said, “Well, that’s our one Indian dinner,” as if it were an obligation she was now done with.

Yipes, Lcuy! I'm glad to report that drivers in Sikkim are more cooperative than the drivers you encountered.

Kathie, thanks for this detailed TR. Looking forward to more about Glenburn. Since it's expensive(by my budget baseline) am curious if your opinion on if it is worthwhile. (There are other tea plantation resorts, much less $, that are supposed to be terrific too.)

Sounds like Glenburn caters to non-Indian people. They think you WANT non-local food?

I've encountered the preassigned dinner seats at another hotel which interestingly, is also at the high end tariffs. Another thing you encountered--that the minute you check in, places want you set set up activities. But it was kind of endearing--as if they dont want you to forget that they have all these activiiteis We just firmly and politely said, "Thank you, we just need a few hours to settle in a bit" The other thing was when they knock on the door to remind you of whatever...dinner seating, safari, etc

So..I love to read your impressions of what was unusual and different in this part of India!!!!

LCUY--are you serious about the Ativan??

Great report! Did you have any altitude problems?

Glenburn caters to a wide variety of nationalities, but a goodly number of Brits and Australians. We met no Indian families when we were there, but I do know that they get a fair number of Indian families. There were two expat families living in India we met there. I should note that the manager, Najma, had only been at Glenburn a few months.

We had no problems with altitude. The highest we stayed was a bit over 6000 feet, so not that high.

We had agreed to do the walk down to the river and the hike over the bridge to Sikkim today, but discovered at breakfast that we were instead scheduled to go to Darjeeling. We’d said we wanted to go into Darjeeling and do some shopping, and Najma said everything would be closed the next day so we had to go today. She rushed us up the stairs to the car – which was not waiting, we had to wait for it. I was beginning to get the picture that everything was on her time schedule.

As we got into the car, she gave the driver instructions totally contrary to the instructions I had given her about what we wanted to do. I spoke up, but she said, “No, no, you should do this.”

It’s about an hour and a half drive to Darjeeling town. Najma had the driver buy us tickets to the toy train. It’s not something we would have chosen, but we went along with it. Everyone raves about the toy train, but I must have missed something. I am sure for train buffs it’s a must-do. But for the rest of us… The train runs right along the road between Ghoom and Darjeeling. So we drove through Ghoom to get to Darjeeling, took the train from Darjeeling back to Ghoom, them drove back to Darjeeling from Ghoom. So in two hours, we saw the same stretch of not very interesting road three times. I had wondered whether the train went through areas one doesn’t see from the road, but at least this segment does not. We frankly felt it was a waste of our time.

We did stop at a monastery in Ghoom, which is a part of the yellow hat sect. They reportedly have an original copy of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, but you must make pre-arrangements to see it.

We weren’t interested in the other places Najma gave as destinations: the zoo, Himalaya Mountain Institute, etc. We really wanted to do a bit of shopping. We asked to stop at a teashop and bought some white tea we wanted. We then went on to look at Pashminas. The shop the driver took us to was excellent, with a wide variety of options in grade and pattern and color. We bought both for ourselves and as gifts. The only glitch was that Cheryl accepted the offer of a cup of tea. It was lukewarm, and she immediately was intensely sick. After recovering from the acute phase of her illness she decided it was safest to head back to Glenburn. The only other thing we wanted to do in Darjeeling Town was to walk in the historic area, so we missed that.

We went back to Glenburn, rested, read and enjoyed a quiet afternoon.

To our dismay, seating at dinner was again assigned. There was general grumbling from the guests about this, as all of us found it annoying, but any suggestion that things might be done differently was shut down immediately. We even discovered that Najma had nixed anyone talking about Tea Trails while they were at Glenburn. She didn't say so to us (probably didn't hear us mention it) but she told another couple they were not to talk about it.

The next day we opted for the walk down to the river. This combined with a walk across the suspension bridge to Sikkim. We walked halfway down, then were driven the rest of the way to camp. We had lunch at the camp, relaxed a bit, and then were driven to the trailhead for the walk into Sikkim. Annoyingly, Najma called the staff while we were at the camp to ask what we wanted to do the next day. We told her we'd decide the next day. The scenery is spectacular. The bridge is 109 years old, but is as solid as can be. I expected the bridge to sway and generally be scarier than it was. The fact that you didn’t see the river when you looked at your feet made it feel easy to walk across.

After our hike, we headed back to Glenburn. I have to say that how bad the roads are does discourage one from doing very many things away from Glenburn. Even this day of (mostly) walking involved probably an hour and a half in the jeep. The ride is very rough and uncomfortable.

We had foot massages when we returned. We were exhausted. Cheryl was still not 100% after her bout of illness the previous day, and I had a cold, so we decided to skip dinner. There are no phones in the rooms, so we couldn’t call and say we were skipping dinner, but we assumed they would figure it out. We went to bed and were asleep when the first of three people sent by Najma knocked on our door. Saying we were sleeping and wanted to be left alone only caused her to send someone else. The last time, I didn’t even respond to the knocks on the door. The next day, Najma did apologize for bothering us, but the whole episode for me epitomized just how intrusive she was.

This had been one of those trips when we have been doing something active every day and have had little time to relax. So the next day we decided to relax – spend time reading, writing, doing a bit of Tai Chi overlooking our view, and getting another massage.

Our last full day at Glenburn, we took the Tea Tour. We had also done a tea tour at Tea Trails in Sri Lanka. I find the tea tours fascinating, and we enjoyed tasting the various teas. We bought teas to take home with us for our own use and for gifts. Cheryl went on village walk in the afternoon. I was still feeling under the weather from my cold, so stayed at Glenburn.

The next morning, we packed and were driven back to Bagdogra airport for our onward journey to Kolkata.

Reflections on our five days at Glenburn

The bungalows and the guest rooms at Glenburn are lovely. The views are beautiful, though we never got a clear view of the mountains during our stay.

There is lots do – walks, both long and shorter are available, and Glenburn supplies excellent guides. There is the famous walk down to the cabin by the river and the walk across the suspension bridge to Sikkim, as well as shorter village walks. The manager seems to feel it is her job to encourage everyone to do as many things as possible.

One thing that was promised as a pert of our package was a cooking class. Once we got there, the literature says that they have an "open kitchen" policy and anyone can go observe the cooks. Frankly, there was no dish served while we were there that I had an interest in duplicating.

Meals: food is mostly good, but by no means exceptional. The food is not as good as at Tea Trails, for instance. The manager assigns seats to people at dinner. We found this rather annoying. Even more annoying was the hostess reprimanding a guest for moving over next to his wife after half the guests had left. She pointedly told him she had separated them. Guests were treated as naughty children. Wine, beer, other alcohol is not included in the price. I find that kind of silly. And the first night, in particular, they pushed people to drink, and only later did anyone find out that they were being charged for it. Even the room info simply says to ask about the alcohol policy. The mediocre Indian wine is charged at $5 a glass – this must be a big profit maker for them, as one of the guests said she saw the same wine in the market for $10 a bottle.

The “picnic lunches” packed for us three times were pretty awful. The same bland sandwiches are served each time, plus a banana and an apple each and “brownies” that were dry and remarkably un-chocolately.

Guests are asked to supply detailed information about dietary requirements. Remarkably, all of this information appears to be ignored. Vegetarians are routinely presented with chicken dishes, saying, “it is not meat, madam, it is chicken.” We saw several vegetarian couples presented with food they could not eat, without so much as an apology by the hostess.

I have to say that the most annoying part of the stay was how controlling the manager was. She had firm ideas about what people should/shouldn’t do, and she enforced them. Input was not only not solicited, but when given by guests it was ignored or punished.

When it came time to check out, we were surprised to be told we couldn’t use our credit card “today” because their machine was not working. While I have no idea whether or not the machine was working, I know very well that they could have written down the numbers and sent them through once the machine was working again. It was clear that they wanted cash. We did have enough cash, so paid them in cash, but I was annoyed. I felt nickeled and dimed again.

I expected to love Glenburn. I wanted to love Glenburn. It was a splurge for us at $500 a night. It could have been a wonderful experience. But the manager would need to learn how to listen to what guests want. People could be encouraged to mix rather than required to sit in a particular seat. Food could have been better planned with guests’ needs in mind. Guests could be informed of the opportunities without being shoehorned into what the manager felt people should do. There were certainly things I liked about Glenburn, but there were annoyances too big to ignore. For $500 a night, I expected it to be my vacation – not someone else’s idea of my vacation.

We had some lovely times there. We didn’t let Najma ruin our days there, but I would not return.

The drive from Glenburn to the airport was three and a half hours. We arrived plenty early, and mindful of the business class seats that were unfilled on our previous domestic flight, I asked at the check-in counter about upgrading our tickets. The agent said we’d have to go outside the airport and ask at the ticketing window. Since we had time, I did so. I told the man that we were interested in upgrading our tickets. He played with his calculator a bit, and came up with a price of $400 to upgrade our tickets. This was more than we had originally paid for our tickets, and I said so. He just nodded.

I went back in and checked in for our flight.

The flight was an hour and was uneventful. Again, only two of the four business class seats were filled. Like the other domestic flight, it was fairly orderly.

We arrived in Kolkata, retrieved our luggage and got a taxi. We opted not to take the traditional Ambassadors, but opted for a slightly larger car with air conditioning for 600 rupees. Both are available at pre-paid taxi desks inside the airport. It was an hour and a quarter drive from the airport to the Oberoi Grand.

We found ourselves getting excited about the city as we drove to our hotel. It was a good reminder of how much we love cities.

The Oberoi is lovely. We were checked in quickly. We had a pre-paid voucher from the booking service we used.

It was a pleasure to get settled in our room and unpack a bit.

As dinnertime came, we found ourselves too tired to plan to go out, so we did what we couldn’t imagine ourselves doing, and ate at the Thai restaurant in the Oberoi. The food was very good (albeit quite expensive), but it is unlike us to be eating Thai food in India when we are flying back to Bangkok in a few days.

We only had two full days in Kolkata. I felt our only chance of getting a feel for the city was the Calcutta Walks Tours. We had made arrangements with Calcutta Walks for a full day tour, a combination of driving and walking, and an early morning walking tour.

Breakfast was included in our room rate at the Oberoi. They have a lovely buffet, and make eggs to order.

We met our guide, Malini, at 10:00 in the lobby. We hoped to get an overall sense of Kolkata by sampling a variety of areas to visit. She had chosen a good variety of things to show us. The day was exactly what we were looking for.

Cheryl got great photos of our days in Kolkata, so I will just summarize what we did and saw and let you look at the photo galleries to get a glimpse of our experience of Kolkata.

Our first stop was a very ornate Jain temple. Malini talked about Jainism and about the man who built the temple.

We walked in the old market area. Like old markets in other Asian cities, one block will be all shoes and the next block will be office chairs. I always love walking in markets! The markets areas are so lively. People were very friendly, and always glad to chat.

We visited the home of Tagore, the first Indian writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature.

We walked in the pottery area Kumartuli. This is the place where the figures of the gods and goddesses are made, from the straw forms through the finished painting. Festival time is over, so it was not as active as at other times. Nonetheless, there is always something going on there. We noted a batch of straw figures with large tummies, which I assumed were pregnant women until Malini told us they were all going to be Santa Clauses.

We stopped in the University area, and walked by the stalls of second hand textbook sellers. We also stopped at the coffee house where the intellectual and political leaders of the time hatched the independent nation of India. There is a large portrait of Tagore on the far wall.

We visited the flower market, which is next to the river. We could see the bridge a million people walk across every day. That’s incredible.

Last was a stop at the new market, much like market areas in any major Asian city with modern goods of every type. Cheryl bought spices and t-shirts. Be sure to bargain.

Our day with Malini was a full 8 hours, and we felt we got exactly what we wanted from this day. She was informative and we really enjoyed taking with her. Malini was a delightful guide and I highly recommend her.

For dinner, we went next door to the Peerless and their excellent Bengali restaurant, Aaheli. We opted for the vegetarian thali, which was very good.

The next morning, we had a walk scheduled. Originally, we were to go with Ifte, but he had family obligations that prevented him from being our guide. He did, nonetheless, pick us up at our hotel at 6 am. There was one other person going with us, a chiropractor from Australia. On the way to meet Manjt, we stopped at Ifte’s favorite Chai wallah. He maintains it is the best Chai in town. All I can say is that it was the best Chai I’ve ever had. We met up with Manjt, and we were off on our walk at 7:00. This was the Confluence of Cultures Walk, about which dogster wrote so eloquently. I won’t try to compete with dogster’s account. We did slightly different things than he did (no watching Armenians wrestling, for instance) but saw all of the various ethnic groups he described.

We had a delightful time with Manjit. This is his neighborhood, and people greet him in a way that helps you see the city through his eyes.

He does do some street food stops. I mostly didn’t sample but Cheryl did and enjoyed it.

We had the opportunity to meet and chat with some of the neighborhood characters, which was a lot of fun.

We spent three and a half hours walking and were never bored for a moment. The streets are so alive, and it was wonderful just to be there and experience that.

We found ourselves already talking about which walking tours we want to do next time we are in Kolkata. I can’t say enough good things about our experience.

We got back to the Oberoi at 11:30, and despite the fact that breakfast was over at 11:00, the buffet was still out and they let us go in and have breakfast. I noticed we weren’t even the last people to do so.

We decided to spend our last afternoon at the Oberoi spa. It was a great way to wrap up our time in India. We both had facials and had these great “Lava Shell” massages, in which polished shells are filled with a hot substance and used to smooth your muscles. Lovely.

The next morning, after another great breakfast, we were off to the airport again. This trip on Jet was not as chaotic as the first. The Indians boarding in Kolkata mostly didn’t have luggage to check, they had cargo. Something is going on here with importing/exporting that I expect explains all the carry-ons as they left Bangkok and all the cargo as they leave Kolkata.

I was surprised at just how small the Kolkata airport is, a mere two gates. Signage is just terrible, but there are always people around who will direct you.

When get got back to Bangkok, Cheryl commented on just how clean the airport is. And as we drove to our hotel, she also commented on at how drivers stay in their own lanes. There is really a contrast effect between India and Thailand.

This was our first trip to India, but it won’t be our last. We had a marvelous range of experiences.

We absolutely loved Sikkim. The Elgin Hotels we stayed in there were nice historic hotels. Prices included all meals. We paid about US$ 180 a night at Nor Khill and about $145 a night at Mt. Pandim. Tipping was not expected. Entry fees to monasteries in Sikkim were quite low, usually 20 or 40 rupees, between $.50 and $1.

You’ve read about our mixed experience of Glenburn. The price there was $500 a night, including all meals, laundry, transport from your last destination to Glenburn and from Glenburn onward to your next destination. Even though there were annoying things about Glenburn, I’m glad we didn’t stay in Darjeeling. We were not charmed by Darjeeling, but perhaps we didn’t have enough experience of it. Others at Glenburn who had a couple of days in Darjeeling had no better impression of it than we did.

We found we loved Kolkata, which was a bit of a surprise. The Oberoi Grand, which is, indeed, grand, cost us $700 for three nights. We could have gotten a much lower price if we were there before Dec. 1. The price includes a big buffet breakfast. We felt no need for lunches there.

Calcutta Walks charges 50,000 Rs for a full day city tour, about $115 and includes pick up and drop off at your hotel all admission charges, and some little extras. For a walk of about 3 hours, the cost is 2000 Rs per person, about $93 for two people, including pick up and drop off, some street food samples and such.

Lucky you had that amount of cash on you. Even if I did I probably would have refused to pay that way or tell them that I only had so much(maybe half)or at the least get a discount for paying cash. How tacky can a place be? Mark the Glenburn as a loser of a place.

Aloha!

To think we consdiered the "five day" Glenburn pkg for next yr, which their website says is what most guest are happiest with. Hmmm. Thank you for saving us a bundle!!! And thanks for the impression of not just you and Cheryl, but others, that Darjeeling town.is not worth a long stay
Glad to hear you loved Calcutta Walks! Love reading all the details of our trip. Fascinating, and helpful!!
Keep dry

Sorry your time at GLenburn didn't live up to your expectations. Every trip has one place that doesn't...Your just happened to be exspensive. But ...you did find some enjoyment there. Glad to hear Kolata was enjoyable as we are looking at it as part of our trip.

travelaw reported a few Indian hotels that had "broken" credit card machines. Shapura Bagh where we spent one night and which was reasonably expensive also had a "sit-in-the-dining-room-where-we-tell-you-to" policy. We rebelled and asked a woman who was traveling alone to join us.

Kathie: Again I must tell you how much I enjoyed reading your well-written and well-organized report. I visited Darjeeling and Calcutta more than 25 years ago, so I don't need to tell you that it brought back many memories. I especially liked how you summed up the Glenburn experience with your reflections segment. The description of Najma was spot on-(reminded me of officious travel-industry people I've met on various trips to India in the past.) You really brought the Glenburn scene to life. I certainly won't be heading that way any time soon, though!

Where would you like to travel on your next India jaunt? (I have no doubt that there will be a "next" one before too long!)

Thanks for your comments, everyone.

Now for the grand finale of this report, Cheryl's photos.

www.marlandc.com/Sikkim/index.htm

This link will take you to the index page for the trip, and you can choose which segments to view. The tiny arrow at the bottom of the first photo of each section will turn on the slide show function.

What a great intro to India! Sikkim & Calcutta are both on my "list" for the future.

You were so gracious at Glenburn.It sounds like you didn't let it ruin the other aspects of your visit though! I hope you will send a copy of this report to the owners, as they might be interested in giving Najma some feedback.

CaliNurse- I always joke that Ativan makes all my traveling possible. I do not fly well, and get really nervous when taking long trips on bad roads. it is an anti-anxiety, anti-nausea drug that doesnt' make your brain foggy.

Lovely photos and your description of Calcutta makes me want to visit even more, maybe in combination with the south which I have never seen. Glenburn looks wonderful but doesn't sound as tempting.

As usual, Cheryl's pics do a lovely job of taking us along on your trip (love the shot of the kitten on the walk to the bridge).

I enjoyed reading your take on Glenburn, having stayed in more than a few small boutique hotels in which I feel that I must fit in with the schedule and preferences of the establishment rather than the other way around. I try to handle it the way you did, graciously in spite of my irritation. I think a lot of people tend to travel more spontaneously and thus appreciate the help when planning their activities- I'm basing this theory on the rave reviews garnered by these pushy places. It's all part of the adventure I suppose.

Bravo Cheryl , for the photos to match Kathie's words!!
What a great travelin' team!! More comments after setting aside the time your photos deserve...over a cuppa home-brewed cardomom chai .
Thank you both so much for this report!!!!

Excellent, excellent excellent, both Kathie and Cheryl. You ladies add so much to this board. Thank you!

One of the many pleasures I get from travel is sharing my experiences with my Fodors friends. So I appreciate all of your comments.

Femi, your take on Glenburn is interesting. Of course, we all travel differently, and your thought that there are those who want someone else to tell them where to sit and what to do must be correct, otherwise these places would cease to exist.

well based on this i can cross that whole area off any potential travel lidt, except for kolatta.

great report..

travel list

Bob, you aren't interested in Sikkim? We loved it there!

But thinking about it more, Sikkim has neither shopping or Italian restaurants (other than some backpacker places serving pizza) so perhaps it's not your cup of tea.

Great report, Kathie (and thanks for posting a comment on my Malaysia/Singapore thread). We had considered Calcutta for our last trip but Jeane didn't want to do another big city. Now I'm convinced that it is still worth a visit.

Shame about Glenburn - I don't think I would have been nearly as gracious as you were, especially if we were paying $500/night. I refuse to be pushed around by anyone while on vacation.

Now it's time to check out Cheryl's photos...

have not read about S other than here, but all the travel troubles would put me over the edge...

and you don't ever have to worry about me paying $500, unless it is for a week's stay at the oberoi... i already like that manageress--she knows exactly how you will have enjoyment and fun---

i think i am a city person with some rural stuff thrown in...

were there any mexican restaurants in S?

LOL, rhkkmk. Well, samosas are kinda like empanadas, si?

Lovely photos to accompany your travel writing. Was there a photo in Kolkata of a Parsi site? Looks like you did some ecumenical stops along the way there. William Dalrymple's latest book, "Nine Lives" describes some of the vanishing religious sects and practices in India.

The colors in southeast Asia are so vivid compared with American cities (she says, after just returning from San Francisco). Other than your bad experience at Glenburn, I'd follow your footsteps in a heartbeat! If you had it to do over, how would you handle the Nampa problem??

If you go to Kolkata, day 2, photos 10-25 were taken at the Parsi site.

Yes, ecumenical is right - the Confluence of Cultures walk included a Jain temple, the Parsi site, the oldest synagogue, a Portuguese Catholic Church, an Armenian church...

What would I have done differently at Glenburn? I'm not sure. Probably not a lot. When we went to Darjeeling, I'd catch the driver before he bought train tickets and nix that. As far as dinner seating is concerned, that's the way it was done there. I suppose I could have fomented a revolution (and I could have had plenty of followers), but I think it just would have been unpleasant for everyone. In the larger picture, Najma was annoying, but she couldn't ruin our vacation or even our time at Glenburn unless we let her. I would just not return to Glenburn or a place with that kind of culture.

cheryl---fantastic pics...thanks

Nice pictures Kathie and Cheryl!

Kathie - how would you compare Glenburn to the Tea Trails in Sri Lanka?

Tea Trails wins hands down. No question.

The food is better, wine and before dinner sherry are included in the price, they serve a beautiful afternoon tea. There are plenty of walking trails, and you can do the walks on your own, no guide needed. You choose the time for your meals, and you have a table of your own on the terrance. One night a week they do Sri Lankan food and it is served at the large dining room table, but no assigned seating. The staff at Tea Trails are more professional, and you are made to feel like a welcome guest.

The Tea Trails suites are lovely, and there are only 4 or 5 per house, so it's a smaller, more personal experience. I also loved that Tea Trails had quite a collection of books about Sri Lanka and about tea, so plenty of interesting reading material was provided.

And I checked - Tea Trails is less expensive than Glenburn - not by a lot, but still.

(No wonder they didn't want people talking about Tea Trails at Glenburn!)

i thought tea trails sounded fantastic after your visit and craig's.... i will expect a full discount by mentioning my dear friend 'kathie from seattle'

Months ago, the woman with whom we communicated re: Glenburn (when we were planning trip for next yr) is named Darlene Khan. She was most gracious and helpful vi email. I wonder if "your"manager replaced her?

Cheryl..great pictures. I love the color in the monestaries up in the mountains. I guess I was even surprised by it. The tea plantations in India don't seem as "lush" as Sri Lanka. Is it the climate or the time of year? The pictures of the sun comming up are excellent...Like having the top of the world at your finger tips. Thanks for sharing them, and Kathie for your detailed report. Loved it.

I finally have good net access again (after 3 nights minimal, 4 nights none at all!) and have really enjoyed catching up with your report. Sikkim is now definitely on my list of places to see!

Sorry you didn't enjoy Darjeeling and the toy train. I think just riding it to Ghum is a different experience than using it as transport up to Darjeeling. I'm also glad I paid a lot less to stay at the Windamere in Darjeeling than you did at Glenburn - I think I might have had "words" with that drill-sergeant manager!

Cali, Darlene isn't at Glenburn, she's in the administrative offices. I, likewise, had good interactions with her.

Karen, glad you enjoyed the photos. The monasteries are so colorful! The tea in Darjeeling had finished it's fall flush, so you're right, it isn't as lush as Sri Lanka.

Thanks, Kathie (and Cheryl)!

This is by far the best set of photos Cheryl has taken. Maybe it is the colorful people and architecture or maybe it is the new camera. Whatever it is, bravo - job well done. I've enjoyed these so much and have forwarded the link to Jeane as I know she will appreciate them as well...

Thanks, Craaig, I will pass on your feedback to Cheryl. She does feel like the new camera has made a difference, but you are so right about how colorful this trip was.

Great photos, Cheryl! It is so colorful there - all the architecture, little shops, etc.
Kathie - I so enjoy your trip reports and Cheryl's pictures particularly as the places you go are not really on my to-do list - maybe 20 or 30 years ago they might have been.

Excellent report, Kathie! I have read every word of it, it is so interesting. I am familiar with Calcutta & Darjeeling. Sikkim is on my radar for a trip at the earliest & see how it is different from our hills up north west-central India!
Now, let me take a look at the pictures, as well.
Merry Christmas!

Excellent detail, Kathie. Please be sure to give Cheryl the thumbs up on the photos too!

Reading along I realized how little I know about the history of Sikkam so will be sure to followup on that; someone else made a comment about the history being fascinating as well.

Smiled when I pictured you doing Tai Chi with a lovely view to look at. Inspiring isn't it? Did you find though that you were more focussed on the view or more focussed on your practice?

rivet, we're beginners at Tai Chi, so I had to concentrate on my practice, but at the end of a sequence it was lovely to rest my eyes on that view!

Ah the reward system....Tai Chi looks to be an ambitious practice. Good for you both.

For those of you who are considering following in (some of) my footsteps, I have some book and movie recommendations.

Sikkim: A Traveller’s Guide, Photographs and Essays by Sujoy Das, Text by Arundhati Ray. Permanent Black, New Delhi, 2001. This is the book most often recommended for travelers to Sikkim.

The most fascinating book I read was Memoirs of a Political Officer’s Wife in Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan by Margaret D. Williamson. Wisdom Publications, London, 1987. Her descriptions of living in Gangtok in the 1930s, and traveling overland by foot and pack animals to Tibet were amazing.

Another first-person account of life in Sikkim comes from Hope Cooke in Time Change, Simon and Shuster, New York, 1980. While the first part of the book rather lags, her description of living in Sikkim the worries of being invaded by either China or India were vivid and fascinating.

For practical matters, we used Lonely Planet’s Northeast India

The movie I most recommend is The Lion’s Roar, a documentary about the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa filmed in 1985

We also watched a number of movies on Tibet, as the history of Sikkim and Tibet are so intertwined.

Excellent pictures. That early morning snap of the eternal snow capped mountains, is stunning. I wonder if the footbridge over the Rangeet is the replacement for an amazing Bamboo bridge, as recorded by Bourne & Shephard (1869c). The picture of that bridge appears in 'The Last Empire'by Clarke Worswick.

Thank you, VP.

I have seen the photos of the bamboo bridge, but I don't know if this bridge was a replacement for it or not. The bridge in our photos is 109 years old and still feels as solid as can be.

Indeed it is.

Quite why anybody wanted to build a bridge, not once, but twice, going from nowhere to nowhere still remains one of the enduring mysteries of Sikkim.

This remarkable structure holds even more resonance for a certain pooch. You may have noticed a small golden cairn hidden on the path on the Glenburn side, shaped uncannily like a Shiva lingham. Chiselled into one side are these words:

This shrine marks the crossing of Mr. Dogster during the celebrated bandh of 2008. All roads were closed yet somehow a way was found...

Fate led you to The Secret Way from Sikkim to Darjeeling, used only in case of strikes, mayhem and canine emergency. Now you can look at those photos again and imagine the dogster carried across that famous bridge on a palanquin, led by a small army of men in green Glenburn uniforms carrying his suitcases.

I've forgotten the name of my Hostess with the Mostess at Glenburn. It was a different woman - but she was just as scary as yours. I wonder if the plantation manager was the same guy...?

The above guff out of the way, now that I'm out of Azamarapurdah, let me just congratulate you on a wonderful report. I'm really delighted you enjoyed Sikkim. Shame about Bossyboots from Glenburn. You showed great restraint. I would have bitten a chunk out of her throat.

We thought about you being sneaked over the border during the bandh when we crossed that bridge. That must have made for a dramatic entry!

Indeed, the plantation manager is the same guy. I again showed great restraint by not writing about him here.

Kathie-Forget about restraint. Give us the low down on the plantation manager.lol Even if you decline, I want to let you know how much I enjoyed reading your very interesting trip report. I spent 16 days in northern India a few years ago and plan to return to see parts of southern India and Sri Lanka next year. You have now put Sikkim on my raidar for possibly a third trip to India.

Great report, Kathie.

I am putting Sikkim on my list just so I can cross the bamboo bridge someday. First the dogster and now you crossing this bridge.

And the hostess at Glenburn is fascinating...such gumption and from a supposedly calm and quiet place among the serenity of the Himalayas!! I wonder if she reads fodor's or knows how her guests feel about her.

I am with shelleyk...give us the lowdown....on everything.

Even if Najma does not, Darlene Khan is certain to read the report!
Who could ever put you in a 'Purdah', Dogster...great to have you back, pop up like a bad penny!!

Kathie,

Hurray - I was so glad to see your trip report posted! I just came across it.

Your trip reports are always a such a delight to read.

This corner of the world seems very special. I’ll have to move Sikkim up my very long wish list.

Cheryl’s photos are wonderful!
Thank you for sharing all,

Mary

I have received an email from Glenburn in response to my report, and I am glad to publish their response here.

Dear Kathie and Cheryl,
As the owner and conceiver of the Glenburn Experience, it was with great sadness that I read your report on your visit. I can only sincerely apologize for your less than perfect experience, and I have passed the feedback straight back to Najma who has graciously taken full responsibility for all you mention. She has been with us only since October and is trying her best to manage things to the best of her ability. In her defence, she does not know what or where Tea Trails is, so I believe this was a genuine misunderstanding (or case of Chinese Whispers?). Until 3 months ago, she had lived in Assam all her life as a Tea Planters’ wife, and her husband died a few years ago and she has been living alone there every since. She has a tough act to follow, given our reputation over the past 8 years, and she was very nervous when she began but I do feel she has the ability to manage Glenburn once she settles in a bit more. Many of our guests have enjoyed her company at Glenburn and she works hard to ensure things run smoothly and at the high standards set in the past.

The fixed seating at Dinner is by no means a “rule”…..most guests find it fun, and many request to shift around once they reach the dinner table, or even to dine alone (which we are happy to organise, and do so on many occasions). For her “take control attitude”, she apologises, and I believe it is only her attempt to organize and balance everyone’s programs so that all are happy. She has accepted that she needs to be more sensitive to everyone’s needs, and knows she has a lot to learn. Constructive criticism is always helpful, and we learn from it.

In her defence on the “organising activities front” however, we were having problems organising transport/guides and other arrangements for the subsequent day as when she first joined us in October, as she wasn’t being able to get this information from the guests on arrival, and then it was becoming too late (by dinner) for us to organise certain things for early the next morning with a house full of guests and everyone wanting to do something different. We are very proud of our “complete flexibility” when it comes to activities at Glenburn, but when you have airport pick ups, airport drops and also in-house activities, day trips to Darjeeling and Kalimpong, we do have to plan these at least by early evening the previous day. So I had requested her to try and get this information from the guests over tea when they arrived, however, if a guest is not sure, and wants to relax and decide later, this is not a problem at all but some guests do want to “fit in as much as they can”, often in just a few days, and we do have to keep this in mind so we can cater to everyone’s requirements.

Our price reflects only what we spend on each guest, from the unlimited transport, high maintenance costs due to being remote and having terrible roads, and the almost 50 staff members hired to look after just 16 guests. We did try to include Alcohol last year but were almost drunk out of business (!), but I will look into the pricing if guests are finding it steep. However, our wine does cost more than $10 per bottle and often needs to be transported to Glenburn from Calcutta as we refuse to serve cheap Indian wine brands that are more locally available. Sula Wine is a good Indian Wine, and 8 years of guest feedback has confirmed this and hence we continue to serve it. If you felt the staff “pushed” you to drink, again, I can only apologise but I do believe they were trying to be hospitable.

Regarding the credit card machine, we do have major problems with this because of the limited telecommunication network in the region. We still do not have land line phone connections at Glenburn and operate only on mobile phones. If the tower in Darjeeling is down, then we get no connection to operate the credit card machine. It’s as simple as that, and we cannot foresee these periods to warn guests to carry cash. When we did not have a machine, guests complained that we needed one. Now that we do, and the majority of the guests do get to use it, we cannot do anything about the periods when it does not work! Luckily this affects less rather than more of our guests.

I also would like to copy an email I received from other guests who visited Glenburn recently. By no means should this take away from the apology, which is as sincere as it can be, but in our defence, many people do continue to appreciate what we offer.

[I am not reproducing that letter here as I do not have permission from the writer to do so.]


And in general, and to other members of the forum responding to your review,….I would suggest that these sorts of review always be sent back to the hotel for feedback as I only stumbled upon it when a guest about to book with us read the review and questioned our fixed seating arrangement. I will now take positive action and make sure no guest has to suffer this again should they not want to, but had I not found your review, this may have continued! As so many people have commented positively about how “fun” and “quirky” it is to sit near someone different every evening, we will continue this but we will make it a point to check that everyone is happy with this, and has the choice to shift around or dine alone.
Sometimes people make mistakes, but if we are happy to take remedial and positive action, then surely a hotel should be given the chance to improve and win back positive guest comments! In this spirit, I hope everyone who has commented on your review and decided NOT to visit Glenburn will also read this! Regarding 5 days at Glenburn being too long, our recommendation on the website is based on guest feedback, and if you read other genuine guest reviews, you will see that most of them say that 2-3 nights was far too short given the time it takes to get all the way out to us, all there is to do, and also the fact that they needed time to rest and relax. So this is certainly not a ploy to get more business!

I believe many of Najma’s shortcomings were a reflection of her trying to “do a good job” in light of our previous 8 years of Glenburn hospitality. Her trying to be “efficient” and stick by the way we have run Glenburn in the past, and received great reviews from guests…..(the only ones I read regularly are the Trip Advisor ones and Thank You letters sent back to us, and I do believe these are genuine sentiments!). This feedback will help her improve her manner with guests and I am sure will help future guests at Glenburn. None of our staff at Glenburn are from the “officious travel industry” or have any training in hospitality, but are encouraged to look after our guests as they would in their own homes.

My biggest fear at Glenburn is always that we will become “complacent”, and I will strive never to let this happen, as Glenburn is not just another hotel, but the passion and commitment of my entire team who strive to make each guest experience the exceptional.

I am currently in a remote part of Assam where the internet connectivity is not very good. I tried to register with Fodors and paste this comment on the forum but wasn't able to. Perhaps you could do so on our behalf so that guests who did read and comment on your review will also see our reflections on your comments.
Sincerely,
Husna-Tara Prakash

And this is my return email:

Dear Husna-Tara Prakash,

Thank you for your email. I was just preparing to send my report to Darlene Kahn, as she is the only person affiliated with Glenburn with whom I have had email correspondence. I do want to provide clear and direct feedback to Glenburn about our experience there. I will be glad to publish your email to me on Fodors. I will omit the letter from the German/Belgian couple as I do not have permission from them to publish it.

Glenburn is a lovely place. We do understand that Najma is new to the job and I do believe she was earnestly trying to do the best she could. But to do one’s best job, one must be open to feedback and input from guests. What is missing at Glenburn is communication. Simple things like publishing in your notebook in the rooms what the alcohol policy is, letting guests know before they arrive at Glenburn that they are not assured of being able to use a credit card to settle the bill would help in alleviating misunderstandings. And if the assigned dinner seating is optional, perhaps Namja could say at dinner that seats have been assigned in the spirit of helping people get to know each others, but guests are free to change seats as they wish. That would give an entirely different atmosphere to the experience.

By the way, nowhere did I say that 5 days at Glenburn is too long. Indeed, I agree that it is just the right length of time.

I’m sure it is difficult to read the critical points I made about Glenburn, but please don’t ignore the praise I have for Glenburn. I appreciate your wish to improve the Glenburn experience and I hope my comments will help in that endeavor.

Sincerely,

Kathie

Great job getting this resolved, Kathie.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

I'm the "guilty party" who referred to five days (in the context of Kathie saving us from a big bill, and possibly bigger mistake).
We would have originally been there now, but had to change plans until next yr.
For me, impression that staff makes ispart of an experience. We had a similar experience (at Orange County Coorg) where the place was sooo beautiful but we coudnt quite get over the impression of bossy officiousness from some of the staff. As we left (therewas a "last strw" occurrence ) i related my impression to the GM--but in a less calm manner than did Kathie.
So Kathie, i am so glad you conveyed your concerns.You will not doubt save others from experiencing what you did..despite the many positives of Glenburn.
And if the decision is made to stay at Glenburn, it can be done after expressing concerns to Mr Prakash that your experience not be repeated. Kudos to him for a very gracious response.
Even places (hotels restaurants, etc) with perfect reputations need a bit of shaking up, lest they get too complacent.

Cali, I wondered if it was you.

I would always rather be prepared. If you do opt to stay there, you will know that the wine is $5 a glass and that the assigned seating is "optional." Those were thorns in our side, but they don't have to be thorns in your side. That's the wonderful thing about a travel forum like this.

Great report Kathie as always. Thanks also for the photo link. They are beautiful. We have not been to Sikkim or Darj but looking at your temple photos I was struck with the likeness to Bhutan in the temples. Thanks again.

Jules, the great voyage is from Burma to Assam to Bhutan to Sikkim to Nepal. Look on a map - it's a logical sweep of wonder. Only politics gets in the way.

Admittedly, getting from Burma to Assam involves some serious back-tracking 'cos you can't cross the border...

It's time for you to fill in the blank spaces.

Kathie, I would suggest you plan to Visit India , this time ot Hyderabad. The city of Nizam ( kings ) of 1700 and 1800 AD. The place has lot of memories...

Kathie, I'm just home after surgery a few days ago and had not seen your report until now. Like everyone else, I really enjoyed it. Thanks so much for all the details. I think you were incredibly gracious regarding Glenburn. Sounds like a lovely place, but Najma's controlling attitude would have sent me over the edge.

When - not if - you return to India, I'd strongly recommend a visit to some of the more typical first-time stops, including Delhi, Jaipur and Varanasi. I think you'd love them, too, and they'd be such a contrast to what you saw.

Thanks again for sharing. Loved every minute! Now to check out Cheryl's pictures...

Karen, I hope you are recovering well from your surgery.

Yes, we know we will return to India again (and again). After all, we got 10-year visas. India is so rich in history... there are so many places we'd like to visit in India.

"this time ot Hyderabad" - maybe not. See my TR.

I think Rajiv may be an advertiser. I remember what you had to say about Hyderabad, Thursdays.

Kathie - just reread your report while following along with in the Fodor's India guide. Thinking of doing this itinerary (Gangkok, Pelling, Darjeeling & Calcutta) in October 2012. How many days total was this?

Craig, it was 14 days, the first day we flew from Bangkok and arrived in Gangtok that evening. The 14th day we flew from Kolkata back to Bangkok.

It was an amazing trip. I think you and Jeane would really enjoy it.

I think we can do a RTW then with the Continental/United merge: Fly from the east coast to Delhi and return from Bangkok or vise versa.

two one ways only? they will not allow it otherwise...

We are actually doing two one ways (not RTW) on United for our Singapore/Malaysia trip in June. Was not aware that I could not book it as one itinerary, however.

Kathie, looking at this again. I am finding that the flight times make it particularly challenging:
1. I'm thinking 3 nights Gangtok, 1 night Pelling and 3 nights Darjeeling.
2. I realize that Pelling might deserve more time due to the unpredictability of the clouds, but it doesn't seem like there's much going on there. Your thoughts?
3. Darjeeling - I think we'd actually like the toy train. Looking back, if you had to do it again, would you still stay at Glenburn? Is there much else to do in Darjeeling? - it seems you and the folks you spoke to had decidedly negative opinions of the town.
4. It almost seems like the drives themselves may have provided some of the best photo ops - would you say this is accurate?
5. We'd like to spend 3 nights (2-1/2 days) Calcutta and 3 nights in Singapore. The flight schedules are such that we may have to spend a 4th night in Calcutta (with not much time to do much, except have a nice dinner). Do you think your time spent there was about right?
6. Perhaps we could cut out Singapore and do another 3 days there on another trip. If you could apply those 3 days to Pelling, Darjeeling or Gangtok, how would you do it?

Craig, One really is constrained by flight times. we found the flight from Bangkok changing planes in Kolkata and on to Bagdogra worked exceptionally well.

Three nights in Gangtok is a good amount of time. I really think I'd opt for two nights in Pelling not only because of the capriciousness of the mountain views but just for the atmosphere of the place. You can walk from the hotel to the Pemayangtse Monastery which is really lovely. The only other visitors there were small clusters of school children. The other reason to stay for a full day in Pelling (two nights) is so that you don't have two consecutive days of 4-5 hours of driving.

Darjeeling was disappointing after Sikkim. I think if we'd gone the other way, Darjeeling to Pelling to Gangtok, we might have liked Darjeeling more. Sikkim is so clean and beautiful. Darjeeling has the natural beauty, but is filled with trash, even on the trails at Glenburn. Ok, filled with trash is a bit harsh, but there was litter everywhere, even if only candy and snack wrappers along the trails. There is more litter in Darjeeling town. The town was busy, noisy and crowded. There is supposed to be good shopping in Darjeeling town. We only bought pashminas and tea, so can't comment on other shopping.

Glenburn itself is beautiful, with a beautiful setting. You know what the downsides are.

If I was going to do this trip again, I might have gone to Darjeeling first, spent a couple of nights in town at either the Elgin hotel or Windamere, then two or three nights at Glenburn, then on to Pelling for two nights and Gangtok for three nights. I think we would have enjoyed Darjeeling more without the contrast with Sikkim.

We had three nights in Calcutta, which gave us enough time to sample the city. We also would have enjoyed another day there.

The drives do provide lots of photo ops. It's a good thing the drives are so enjoyable, as you spend a lot of time in a car!

I really enjoyed riding the toy train up from Kurseong (I'd have ridden it the whole way, but the lower reaches had been washed out), but it certainly isn't for everyone. I haven't checked the guidebooks lately, but while I was at Darjeeling I did a dawn trip to Tiger Hill and visited the monastery at Ghum, the snow leopards, a tea plantation and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Everest Museum. I loved staying at the Windamere but I recently checked their website and it looks like the hotel has been poshed up since I was there.

i've just reread parts of this tale and loved it even more the 2nd time around...

what agency did you use for the oberoi?

Did Bob just utter the words Oberoi?

Quick someone call Karen quickly!!!!

Aloha!

Bob, we used a booking website based in NYC, gtahotels.com They were excellent - good prices, good service. Since we used them, they have been bought out by another company and are now dhr.com I have no experience with the new company.

i was just trying to pretend i was interested...

Making points with Karen, eh?

Kathie, I am thinking of skipping Pelling altogether. I think that would give us 3 nights Darjeeling and 3 nights Gangtok plus 3 nights in Kolkata and 3 nights in Singapore (this may be non-negotiable with Jeane). We would have an overnight in Bangkok most likely before heading to Kolkata. What do you think? Any idea what the travel time or best route would be from Darjeeling to Gangtok?

Personally, I think it is a shame to miss Pelling. If it were me, I'd skip Darjeeling instead. But you two might like Darjeeling more than we did.

The drive from Darjeeling to Gangtok is about 4 - 4.5 hours. So figure 4 hours from the airport at Bagdogra to Darjeeling, and from Gangtok to Bagdogra will be about 4.5 hours.

So why Pelling? If I have missed something in your report, please let me know. I am going by the photos which may not tell the whole story.

From above "I really think I'd opt for two nights in Pelling not only because of the capriciousness of the mountain views but just for the atmosphere of the place. You can walk from the hotel to the Pemayangtse Monastery which is really lovely. The only other visitors there were small clusters of school children. The other reason to stay for a full day in Pelling (two nights) is so that you don't have two consecutive days of 4-5 hours of driving."

Also, there are lovely walks in the area. The countryside is gorgeous, and much more undeveloped than other places you might walk (like around Glenburn). You can also walk down to the Rabantse ruins (a former capital) which are visible from the grounds of the monastery (photo #13 in the Pelling section).

We just loved our time in Sikkim. It is so beautiful, so peaceful.

I understand that Pelling might not be what you are looking for, but we really enjoyed it. Darjeeling felt much less special than Sikkim to us.

I'm getting it now, Kathie. May be just what we want. More research to do...

Kathie, Lonely Planet Northern India describes a "relaxing" and interesting walk to Darap Village as a day-trip from Pelling. This sounds great and would be something we might really like to do, especially if we do a 3 night stay and skip Darjeeling. Did you consider doing or hear of anyone else doing this walk?

I am getting the impression that Pelling is worth it for the drive alone to or from Gangtok (in addition to the amazing views from the Elgin). I am going to have to figure out whether driving between Bagdogra and Pelling in one day is a good idea (I gather it isn't) and look at the alternatives.