North Sikkim

Dzongu
Dzongu is a village panchayat located in the North District district of Sikkim state, India. The latitude 27.34 and longitude 88.61 are the geocoordinate of the Dzongu.
The official language of Dzongu
The native language of Dzongu is Nepali and most of the village people speak Nepali. Dzongu people use Nepali language for communication.

Place Of Interest :

Lachen
Lachen is a town in North Sikkim district in the Indian state of Sikkim. It is located at an elevation of 2,750 meters'. The name Lachen means "big pass". The town is being promoted as a tourist destination by the Sikkim government. The town forms the base to the Chopta Valley, Gurudongmar Lake, An annual yak race. Lachen is about 129 km from Gangtok, and can be reached via a six-hour road journey. A short two-day-long trekking route also connects Yumthang Valley to Lachen. It has a population of around 1000. Lachen has its own system of rules and regulations called Dzumsa. The heads of the Dzumsa are known as Pipon & Gyenbos.To the north there is the old town of Thangu. In Thangu the daytime temperature varies from 4 to 12 degrees Celsius (40 to 55 °F) even in the months of June and July. Gurudongmar can be reached from Lachen, a sacred lake in the Great Himalayas Region. The best time to visit Lachen is from November to June.

Chopta Valley(Thangu)
Chopta Valley is a valley situated in North Sikkim . It is located at an altitude of 4,000 meters (13,200 feet) above sea level. It is a popular area for tourism containing alpine vegetation, orchids, rhododendrons and other high-altitude vegetation. The valley is criss-crossed by meandering rivers.



Gurudongmar Lake
Situated at a height of 17,800 feet, it is considered one the most sacred lakes by the Buddhists and Hindus alike. The beautiful and awe inspiring lake (190 kms from Gangtok) remains milky in colour throughout the year. According to a legend, since the lake used to remain frozen most of the year, it was not possible to use its water for drinking purposes. When the Guru Padmasambhava passed by, while returning from Tibet, the local residents are reported to have approached him for providing source of water. The Guru obliged. A portion of the lake touched by him does not freeze in extreme winter. Since water of the lake is considered sacred, visitors carry the 'blessed' water in bottles.

Lachung
Lachung is a town in northeast Sikkim, India. It is located in the North Sikkim district and is near the border with Tibet. Lachung is at an elevation of about 9,600 ft or 3,000 m and at the confluence of the Lachen River and Lachung Rivers, tributaries of the River Teesta. The word Lachung means "small pass". The town is approximately 125 km from the capital Gangtok. The Indian Army has a forward base in the town. Before the annexation of Tibet in 1950, Lachung was a trading post between Sikkim and Tibet, after which it was closed down. The town's economy has been boosted by tourism in recent years as the region has been opened up by the Indian government. Tourist comes from all over the world to visit the town between October and May, mostly on their way to the Yumthang Valley and the Lachung Monastery. Most of Lachung's inhabitants are of Lepcha and Tibetan descent. Languages spoken here are Nepali, Lepcha and Bhutia. During winter the town is usually covered in snow. Lachung is also the base camp for Rhododendron Valley Trek which starts from Yumthang Valley and ends at Lachen Valley. Lachung has been described as the "most picturesque village of Sikkim" by British explorer Joseph Dalton Hooker in his definitive, The Himalayan Journal (1855). Skiing is conducted in Phuni near this town. jumping.

Yumthang Valley
Yumthang Valley is a grazing pasture surrounded by the Himalayan mountains in the North Sikkim district of Sikkim, India. It is at an elevation of 3,564 meters' (11,800) above msl at a distance of 150 km from the state capital Gangtok It is popularly known as 'Valley of Flowers' .It is also home to the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, and has over twenty-four species of the rhododendron, the state flower. A tributary of the river Teesta flows past the valley and the town of Lachung, the nearest inhabited centre. Yumthang is closed between December and March due to heavy snowfall. A forest rest house is the only permanent residence in the valley. During the spring months, the area blooms with rhododendrons, primulas, poppies, iris and other flora. During the summer months, villagers take their cattle to these heights to graze (a practice known as yaylag pastoralism). In view of increasing number of tourists, there is possibility of environmental degradation in near future. Skiing is conducted in the valley.

Hot Springs
Sikkim has many hot springs known for their therapeutic value. High in Sulphur content, the waters are believed to have great medicinal properties with the average temperature of the water in these hot springs close to 50c. There are some well known hot springs in North Sikkim. The Yumthang Hot Spring is located some distance away from Yumthang village. To reach the hot spring one has to walk a few hundred yards from the road and across a pedestrian bridge on the River Lachung. For the convenience of bathers, there is a hut with two pools which contains hot spring water. Hot water rich in sulphureted hydrogen gas from a spring just behind the hut and is diverted to the pools.

Gangtok Local Sight Seeing:

Hot Spring
Waterfalls
Kanchenjunga National Park
Conservative Lepcha Culture
Mt. Kanchenjunga View Point