Serene, breathtaking, and beautiful are the words that come to mind when one picture’s the northeast. This is about the last trip I made to the northeastern state of Sikkim, including Darjeeling in mid September, and I left with my heart resonating with those exact same words. After landing at the Bagdogra Airport, I continued my journey to Gangtok, Sikkim’s capital city. It is a 4-hour ride by road, with the river Teesta running alongside it. The noisy river makes you feel its presence, especially during the monsoon season. I reached Gangtok by evening. The journey made me a little tired, but my curiosity to see the renowned MG Marg couldn't keep me in the hotel room. MG Marg was full of hustle and bustle. It had two never ending rows of shops on opposite lanes where you could find almost everything of need. The road was adorned by natural beauty, fountains, and a parallel row of benches to sit and relax. 

The next day, I headed to Nathula Pass that is about 56 km from Gangtok. This is situated on the Indo-China border. One definitely gets instilled with a sense of nationalism and pride on the way to this place after seeing soldiers doing selfless work. It was a freezing 5 degree Celsius outside. The road was curvy and full of hairpins.The following day, I decided to go for sightseeing and visited some of the nearby places such as Directorate of Handicrafts and Handlooms, Research Institute of Tibetology, Do Drul Chorten, Hanuman Tok, Banjhakri falls, and Tashi view point. Each place had its own beauty.

Next day was reserved for Pelling. I made a brief stop at Namchi, which lies between Gangtok and Pelling, visited Chaar Dhaam Mandir and Buddha Park at Ravangla, and continued my journey to Pelling. By the time I reached Pelling, it was already dark. Next morning was going to be a day when I was to see the most beautiful views of nature. Nature was at its best; views would change in the blink of an eye. The places to see here are the majestic Kanchenjunga falls, Khecheopalri Lake and a palace.

The following day, I headed to Darjeeling. Darjeeling is a beautiful town situated at a height of approx. 2100 meters. It is dotted with tea estates and plenty of stores sell the famous Darjeeling tea. I took some tea home too with me. Next morning, it was foggy, and I was not lucky enough to go to Tiger Hill and witness the sun rays kissing the Kangchenzonga peak. I then headed straight to Bagdogra Airport to catch my return flight.

All and all, it was one of the best experiences of my life. I met some of the loveliest people and got a peek into their lifestyles and food habits (majority of them are rice eaters). It seemed life for them is a lot simpler than those living in metropolises, for they are very intricately connected with nature.