THE TREKS OFFERED BY OUR COMPANY

1. SHORT TREK AT SINGALILA RIDGE: [DURATION 3 NIGHTS / 4 DAYS ]

1. 1. Day 1: Maney Bhanjyang – Tonglu / Tumling (11 km)
   2. Day 2: Tonglu / Tumling – Sandakphu (20 km)
   3. Day 3: Sandakphu – Phalut (21 km)
   4. Day 4: Phalut – Rammam (24 km)
   5. Day 5: Rammam – Rimbick (16 km) and back to Darjeeling by jeep

1. LONG TREK AT SINGALILA RIDGE AND PHALUT WITH HALT AT GORKHEY [DURATION 5 NIGHTS / 6 DAYS]

1. 1. Day 1: Maney Bhanjyang – Tonglu / Tumling (11 km)
   2. Day 2: Tonglu / Tumling – Sandakphu (20 km)
   3. Day 3: Sandakphu – Phalut (21 km)
   4. Day 4: Phalut – Rammam (24 km)
   5. Day 5: Rammam – Rimbick (16 km) and back to Darjeeling by Jeep

1. LONG TREK AT SINGALILA RIDGE AND PHALUT, WITH HALT AT GORKHEY [DURATION 5 NIGHTS / 6 DAYS]

1. 1. Day 1: Maney Bhanjyang – Tonglu / Tumling (11 km)
   2. Day 2: Tonglu / Tumling – Sandakphu (20 km)
   3. Day 3: Sandakphu – Phalut (21 km)
   4. Day 4: Phalut – Gorkhey (15 km)
   5. Day 5: Gorkhey – Srikhola (17 km)
   6. Day 6: Sri Khola – Rimbick and back to Darjeeling by Jeep

1. LONGEST TRE AT SINGALILA RIDGE AND PHALUT [DURATION: 6 NIGHT / 7 DAYS]

1. 1. Day 1: Maney Bhanjyang to Tonglu / tumbling (11 km)
   2. Day 2: Tonglu / Tumling to Kalipokhari (14 km)
   3. Day 3: Kalipokhari to Sandakphu (6 km)
   4. Day 4: Sandakphu to Phalut (21 km)
   5. Day 5: Phalut to Gorkhey (15 km)
   6. Day 6: Gorkhey to Sri Khola (17 km)
   7. Sri Khola to Rimbick, and back to Darjeeling by Jeep

1. VILLAGE TREK OFFERED BY OUR COMPANY IS AS FOLLOWS: [DURATION 3 NIGHTS / 4 DAYS ]

1. 1. Day 1: Jaubari to Danga via Mazua (15 km)
   2. Day 2: Danga to Karni Farm via Khola Gaow (22 km)
   3. Day 3: Sight Seeing at Karni Farm (18 km)
   4. Day 4: Karni Farm to Darjeeling

1. VILLAGE TREK ALONG WITH SINGALILA TREK AND PHALUT TREK

1. 1. SHORT TREK: Village Trek [4 Nights] and Singalila Trek [4 Nights] in total [7 Nights / 8 Days Trek]
   2. LONG TREK: Village Trek [3 Nights] and Singalila trek [6 Nights] in total [9 Nights / 10 Days Trek]
2. LAND ROVER SAFARI:

1. 1. Land Rover Safari till Sandakphu and back i.e. 1 Nights 2 Days [Extra Night Halt is also possible]
   2. Land Rover Safari till Sandakphu, Phalut and back i.e. 2 Nights 3 Days [Extra Night Halt is also possible]
   3. Land Rover Safari and Trek to Phalut i.e. 3 Nights 4 Days. [Extra Night Halt is also possible

FACILITIES PROVIDE BY OUR COMPANY ON ALL OUR PACKAGES ARE (Ex Darjeeling)

1. Land Rover Fare from Darjeeling to Maney Bhanjyang and Land Rover fare from Rimbick to Darjeeling on returning.
2. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea/coffee twice and two bottles of purified water every day.
3. Hotel/Lodging expenses throughout the trek
4. National Park Entrance fee.
5. Porter wages if porters were required.
6. Guide wages and usually there will be two guides i.e.
   1. One guide from the company who will be responsible for the trek. Company guides are professional guides with vast knowledge of the area, mountains, flora and fauna of the Singalila.
   2. According to the authority of the National Park, where trekking is permitted i.e. Wildlife Division 1 (Forest Department, government of India). It is mandatory to have a local trained guide from Maney Bhanjyang, guide office. These guides are trained by the Wildlife Division, National Park Authority). The advantage to have these guide is that they have great idea of the locality and the new trekking route which was opened by the Tourism Department, Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, and Wildlife Division 1, Government of India
7. The facilities offered for a Land Rover Safari are as follows:
   1. Jeep fare from Darjeeling to Maney Bhanjyang and back to Darjeeling from Maney Bhanjyang
   2. Land Rover fare (usually it will be private and reserved exclusively for the entire group), its halt charges, food and accommodation for the driver.
   3. Guide wages for both company and local guide
   4. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea/coffee and purified water.
   5. Hotel/ Expenses in the trek/journey
   6. Park entrance Fee.

Please Note: The Day 1 charges have not been included in the trekking itinerary. So, the group / client themselves have to cost of Day 1.

One Day Treks offered by Hot Stimulating Treks N Tours

Average distance covered daily – 15 kilometers (10 miles)

Walking time excluding stops – 4 to 6 hours

Lowest elevation: 1500 metres

Highest: 3636 metres

The types of one day treks offered:

1. Organized Trek
2. Tent House Trek
3. Eco Trek – An Eco Tourism Package
4. Village Trek
5. Monastery Trek with lecturers on Buddhism

We also provide Airport Drop and Pick Up.

For a detailed package please contact us at hotstimulatincafe1@yahoo.com

The Joys of the Sandakphu Trek

Kanchenjunga and Singalila Ridge as seen from Sandakphu. Photo by Anirban Biswas

Trekking into Sandakphu starts off from an altitude of 1, 524 metres (5,000 ft) and gradually climbs up through forests of rhododendron, giant magnolias, spruce and other trees of sub-alpine region and not to mention, more than 600 varieties of orchids – the largest to be found in one geographical area in the world. For flora worshippers, the months of April and May are the best time of the year for the trek while for those who have an insatiable thirst for a view of the mountains, the best months are in autumn. The view from Sandakphu is unsurpassed by any other view anywhere. Where else can be seen 180 degrees of snowcapped mountains which includes Everest, Makalu, Lhotse, Kumbhakarna, Kanchenjunga, Chomolhari in one single stretch of snows – an ethereal beauty. It is easy to understand why people leave hearth and home, traveling, some times, thousands of miles to walk through ripples of terraced fields of maize, rice, millet and barley, leaving the last traces of civilization far behind.

Trekking in Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim

Plenty of trekking routes have been opened in the Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim to savour the breathtaking beauty of the Eastern Himalayas. In Darjeeling Hills, the summit of the trekking adventure culminates at Sandakphu – a summit at an altitude of 3, 658 metres (12, 000 ft) on the famous Singalila ridge. It is fit to make mention of a visionary and dream eyed Jesuit Rev. Fr. MacDonald, who pioneered trekking as an organized holiday and sport in Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim where multitude of trekkers now cluster for its joys. Trekkers have virtually, to just take themselves upon the mountains – the equipment, food etc, is shipped upon the climb site by the porters. In Darjeeling trekkers who are too old and don’t have the time to walk seven hours a day for the allotted time of five to ten days, can always trek upon Sandakphu by jeep or Land Rover. The journey is memorable and tests both the mettle of the driver and the intensity of the vehicle. The trek into the Darjeeling Hills can be undertaken by any casual walker.

Hiking/Trekking – What is it all about?

Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. It usually takes place on trails in rural or wilderness areas.

The word ‘hiking’ is understood in all English-speaking countries, but there are differences in usage. In some places, off-trail hiking is called ‘cross-country hiking’, ‘bushwalking’, or ‘bushbashing’. In the United Kingdom, hiking is a slightly old-fashioned word, with a flavor more of heartiness and exercise than of enjoying the outdoors. Australians use the term ‘bushwalking’ for both on- and off-trail hiking. New Zealanders use ‘tramping’ (particularly for overnight and longer trips), ‘walking’ or ‘bushwalking’. Hiking in the mountainous regions of India and Nepal is called ‘trekking’. Overnight hiking is called ‘backpacking’ in some parts of the world. Hiking a long-distance trail from end to end is referred to as ‘thru-hiking’ in some places. Since we are based in Darjeeling Hills and offer Hiking Packages in Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim henceforth, we will only used the word Trekking.

Trekking is one of the fundamental outdoor activities on which many others are based. Many beautiful places can only be reached overland by trekking, and enthusiasts regard treking as the best way to see nature. It is seen as better than a tour in a vehicle of any kind (or on an animal; see horseback riding) because the trekker’s senses are not intruded upon by distractions such as windows, engine noise, airborne dust and fellow passengers. Trekking over long distances or over difficult terrain does require some degree of physical ability and knowledge.

Trekkers often seek beautiful natural environments in which to trek. Ironically, these environments are often fragile: trekkers may accidentally destroy the environment that they enjoy. The action of an individual may not strongly affect the environment. However, the mass effect of a large number of trekkers can degrade the environment. For example, gathering wood in an Himalayan Ecological Area to start a fire may be harmless once (except for wildfire risk). Years of gathering wood, however, can strip a Himalayan area of valuable nutrients.