Highland Asia

Singalila Ridge Trekking

11 Days 10 Nights Trip CodeSTT101

Overview

The Singelila range, forming the political boundary between Sikkim and Nepal offers an excellent trekking route in the Eastern Himalayas. It’s an easy to moderate graded trek with maximum altitude of 3,600m and suitable for beginners, families and people with slow pace.

The trek climbs from the trail-head at Maneybhanjang (2134 m) for three days to reach the Sandakphu –Phalut ridge at an altitude of 3600 m. En route; there are the lovely forests of the Singelila National Park, and the view point of Tonglu. From Sandakphu there are breathtaking views of the Khandchendzonga Range towering over a basin of silver firs and Rhododendrons, in the foreground. In the West the peaks of the Mount Everest group are visible, whilst on the East lie the Chola Range with views of passes leading into Tibet. The knee wobbling descent to the road head at Rimbik is through forests with flora, flowers and mountain streams. Trek tour starts & ends at Darjeeling.

Outline Itinerary

Day 01-02~Flight into Bagdogra Airport of West Bengal or Bhadrapur Airport of Nepal and transfer to Darjeeling. At Darjeeling, we explore the temples and monasteries, experience steam engine toy train ride and enjoy mountain views at Tiger Hill.
Day 03~Transfer to Maney Bhanjyang and commence trek. Pass through Chitre Village and rhondodendron and Magnolias.
Day 04-05~Trek via Kalpokhari to Sandaphu. Enjoy the views of snow capped peaks of the Himalayas, including Lhotse, Everest, Makalu, Kanchanjunga etc.
Day 06-07~Trek along the ridge via Phalut to Ramman through rhododendron and firs and with superb mountain views.
Day 08~Descend and trek through a number of villages and conclude trek at Rimbik.
Day 09-10~Transfer to Gangtok-the capital of Sikkim where we visit the monasteries, flower shows, cottage industries etc.
Day 11~Transfer to Bagdogra airport for flight to next destination.

Itinerary

Day 01:Arrive at Darjeeling

Upon arrival at Bagdogra Airport, you are met by your guide and driven to Darjeeling (100km/65 miles. 3 ½ hrs). It’s a scenic drive through the coniferous forests and terraced tea gardens. Darjeeling, situated at an altitude of 2,134m, has soothing temperature and was developed by British as Hill Resort in order to avoid the heat of summer. On a clear weather day, we can enjoy spectacular views of Himalayas that includes the third highest mountain on earth-Kanchendzunga-which the Sikkim people regard as their guardian deity. Upon arrival, check in hotel and after some rest, take a stroll in Chowrastha.

Day 02:Darjeeling

You are awaken early in the morning and driven to Tiger Hill (11km/7 miles) for sunrise and mountain panorama view. Tiger hill (2590 m.) is the highest point in this area and famous for breathtaking sunrise view on Mount Kanchenjunga. Mount Everest (8,848)-the highest mountain in the world is also visible on a clear day. Return to the hotel and after breakfast; embark on sightseeing of the highlights of Darjeeling. We visit the Mountaineering Institute, Himalayan Zoo etc. We will also experience the Toy Train ride and on return, visit the Ghoom Monastery. Overnight hotel in Darjeeling.

Day 03:Drive to Maneybhanjyang and commence trek

Drive to Maneybhanjyang (11/2 hrs) which is the trailhead of Singelila Ridge Trek. It’The days walk, about 06 hrs, is uphill and the trail passes through small village of Chitre and forests of Rhododendrons and Magnolias. We camp at Tonglu on a hill top at an altitude of 3020m.

Day 04:Trek to Kalpokhari

It’s a pleasant walk today, through the forest where we can chance to see Red Panda and Tragopan. We trek about 5 hours and camp at Kalpokhara (3100m)

Day 05:Trek to Sandakphu

We trek about 6 hours to reach Sandakphu (3626m). Sandakphu is famous for mountain views. On a clear day one can see the peaks of Lhotse ( 8501m), Everest( 8848m) and Makalu(8475m) of the Nepal Himalayas and the huge Kanchenjunga massif (8586m) along with other peaks of the Sikkim Himalayas. Overnight camp at Sandakphu.

Day 06:Sandakphu to Phalut

The trail is along a ridge and can be considered as one of the most enjoyable and scenic walks in the Himalayas. The whole range of snowy peaks is always in view and the trail passes through high altitude vegetation and areas of dwarf rhododendrons and firs. The walk to Phalut (3600m) is about 07 hours. Overnight at Phalut.

Day 07:Phalut to Rammam

Early morning, walk up to Phalut Top to view the sunrise over the Himalayas. After breakfast start trek to Rammam (2560m) which takes about 05 hrs. The trail passes through the villages of Gorkhey and Samanden and the forest provides ample opportunities for bird watching. Overnight at Rammam.

Day 08:Rammam to Rimbik

From Rammam, the trail descends (6 hours) to the bridge at Sirikhola and passes through a number of small villages to reach Rimbik (2280m), the road head. Overnight at Rimbick.

Day 09:Drive to Gangtok

After breakfast, drive 6 hours to Gangtok. While half the way you arrive at the place called “Rangpo”, an entry point to Sikkim. You have to fulfill the entry formalities against your special permit to tour around Sikkim, which may take about some time then continue drive to Gangtok. Overnight at Hotel.

Day 10:At Gangtok

Enjoy the full day sightseeing of Gangtok-the capital of the lost Himalayan Kingdom. We visit the famous Rumtek Monastery, Enchey Moanstery, Research Institute of Tibetology, Dodrul Chorten, flower Show and the Cottage Industries. Overnight at hotel

Day 11: Departure

You are transferred to the Bagdogra Airport (3 ½ -4 hrs) for your flight to Delhi or Kolkatta or next destination.

Trip Info

Cost Includes

Accommodation on twin sharing in moderate standard hotels in Darjeeling and Gangtok
Daily breakfast in the cities
All transportation as on itinerary
Fully supported trekking with gears, supplies, crews, pack animals
Three meals a day prepared by our crews during trekking

Cost Does Not Include

Lunch and dinner in the cities
Expenses of personal nature such as drinks, tipping, laundry, phone etc.
Airfares to and out of Bagdogra
Expenses or loss due to nature and unforeseen events such as flight delay, cancellation, illness, accident, inclement weather, civil unrest etc.
Travel Insurance

Guide and crews

The trek is led by a local Tour Guide and supported by a trekking crew and pack animals. Your Guide will be a college graduate, trained and certified by local government authorities. Your guide will be with you throughout the trip to lead you on the trail, help organize, coordinate with the crews and animal drivers and assist you interact with the villagers. Your guide knows the trails, villages, local culture, local language, some flora and fauna and will be always willing to share their knowledge with you. They are easy going, flexible and ready to adjust the trip to suite your pace and needs.
The crews come with all the supplies and camping gears. They will set up and break camps for you. The crew member comprises a special cook who is trained to cook western style as well as the local delicacies. We will use porters or pack animals to transport the gears and supplies.

This is an easy trekking.

Singalila Ridge trekking is one of the easiest trekking in Indian Himalayas. We don’t need to confront any extreme altitude; the highest altitude being 3690m (12,103 ft) at Sandakphu and so we do not need to worry about the risk of high altitude. We follow the trails well-trodden by local villages and cattle. Although the trek is graded easy, we need to walk up to 7 hours a day with frequent ups and downs. If you are not optimally conditioned, it’s advisable that at least two months before the trip, you begin some mild exercise that includes walking, jogging or cycling.

What is a trekking day like?

One of the kitchen crews greets you in the morning around 6 a.m., while you are still inside the tent, with a hot steaming mug of tea or coffee and soon you are supplied a jug of hot water for brushing teeth and washing. Then, you will pack your stuff and head to the breakfast table. While you are eating breakfast, our crews will break down the camp and porters and pack animals will set off. We start walking after breakfast, between 7:30 and 8:30 am. You will walk at your own pace but make sure you will not make distance with other trekkers. You will have opportunity to stop along the way to explore villages, interact with the villagers, take photos and take rest. Our kitchen crews will have given us a lunch pack at breakfast time and we will stop for lunch around 11:30 am. We reach our camp usually 3 to 4 pm. Soon we arrive at our camp; we will be served tea and cookies or snacks. We settle in our tent and take rest or read few pages of books or write journal or engage ourselves in photography while our crews are cooking dinner for us. Dinner is served usually 6:30 pm. After dinner, if you are not tired, you can join the crews and play cards. Sometime, crews may bring local drums and sing folklore songs and dance to entertain the trekkers.

Preparing for the trek, vaccination and medications

Once you decide you are going on a trekking trip, it is strongly advisable that you begin a fitness training. Taking a lot of walks, particularly up and down hills is the best way to prepare for a trekking trip. Additionally, you can also do jogging, aerobics, cycling and fast swimming. The more you are physically conditioned before embarking on a trekking trip, the more you are going to enjoy the trip.
India does not require any mandatory vaccinations but you may still consider some vaccinations such as Hep A, malaria, rabies etc. You need to consult your physician before you decide to take any vaccination. Our final trip dossier will also list some recommended vaccinations. Our crews carry a basic first aid kit but recommend that each traveler also carry a personal first aid kit including any prescription medication you require.

Accommodation

In the cities, we stay in first class hotels where choices are available and we pick the best one when choices are limited. In Darjeeling, our choice of hotels is May Fair or New Elgin and Netuk House or Norkhill in Gangtok. You will have private bathroom with running hot and cold water and most modern amenities. During the trek, we will pitch tents which will be spacious for 2 persons. We provide thick sleeping mattresses, sleeping bag, camping style chairs, tables, toilet tents and all kitchen utensils and cutleries.

Food

This trip includes 3 meals a day. During hotel stays, you will eat your breakfast and dinner in the hotel and they will provide lunch pack for the sightseeing day. Most hotel and lodge restaurants usually provide western style as well as local delicacies and choice of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. During the trekking, our kitchen crews provide hot breakfast and dinner and lunch is provided in the box that they prepare during the breakfast time. They usually set fixed menu and you will have choices of western style as well as local varieties. Local delicacies include curried vegetables, chapattis, samosas, lentils and variety of rice dishes and other nourishing meals, prepared with local supplies and produces as much as possible. Our staff will medicated water for cooking and ensure a good levels of hygiene for all food preparations.

Best time for trekking.

Eastern Himalayan areas experiences cold winters between November to February and monsoon affects Darjeeling from the end of May/June to the middle of September. The best season to take this trip is between mid March through to mid June and this is also the time, the rhododendron and orchids come in bloom. October and November are also good months for this trip. March to early May is when sunshine is quite abundant. Temperatures on trek will range between daytime highs of 20 to 25°C (68 to 77°F) with quite chilly evening temperatures with around 5°C (40°F) but temperatures may drop to below freezing at higher altitude. Your final trip dossiers include the weather details depending on what season you are traveling.

Camping Gears and equipment

You do not need any special equipment or clothing for this trek. We will provide all camping gears that includes two persons tent, a sleeping bag, mattress, chairs, tables and toilet tent. You will need to bring your personal clothing and boots. A detailed equipment list is provided on booking.

Passport, Visa and Permits

You will require a passport valid for at least 6 months at the time you enter India. You will also require Tourist Visa which you need to obtain beforehand as Indian does not grant visa on arrival. Besides, Sikkim requires a special entry permit that we will obtain locally for you. Starting from 2008, India has outsourced their visa processing to a third party agency. If you need more info on this, please write or call us.

International and internal travel, pre trip and post trips

Our land service starts from Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal, India or Bhadrapur Airport in Nepal. So, basically you can buy your international airfare to Delhi or Kolkatta in India or Kathmandu, Nepal. You need to allow a couple of nights in the gateway city before you fly to Bagdogra or Bhadrapur. We can make the arrangement for accommodations and transfers and in the gateway cities and also take care of the internal airfares.
After the trekking, you may add a day trip to Taj Mahal for a day or two or visit the pink city of Jaipur for another two days. If you are starting or finishing your trip in Nepal, you should allow 2-3 days in Kathmandu touring the temples and palaces around and consider 2-3 days jungle safari rides in Chitwan National Park and two days in the beautiful Pokhara Valley

Note on Itinerary

Although we will do our very best to adhere to the itinerary schedule as listed; it is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control.

Booking and Cancellation

When you are sure you are traveling, please don't delay in booking. The internal flights are the key factor in determining whether your trip can be realized or not. A deposit of US$200 is requested along with complete trip application form and passport copies.
Balance payment is due 60 days prior to your departure. Depending on the number of applicants, we may set an early payment date. Credit card payment attracts additional fee.

Cancellation fee

90 days prior departure: Administrative fee US$ 50 per person.
60-89 day's prior departure: US$ 250 or 25% of the land cost whichever is higher.
45 days to 59 days prior departure: US$ 450 or 50% of the land cost whichever is higher.
30 days to 44 days prior departure: US$ 600 or 75% of the land cost whichever is higher.
Less than 30 days: 100%

Highland Asia Travel

We are an active adventure travel company, based in Minneapolis, USA with destination management offices in Delhi,Kathmandu, Thimphu and Lhasa. We are BBB accredited business and an active member of American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and Nepal Association of Travel and Tours Agents (NATTA). Our local partners are also affiliated with the tourism associations of the respective countries and maintain all government requisites and licenses. We have set the standard for adventure travel and have a strong reputation for excellence that we do everything we can to maintain. Our managers and guides have more than 15 years of experience in organizing and leading adventure trips in the highlands of Asia.

Travel Protection Plan

While we plan do our best to make your trip smooth and seemless, there may be chances of unforeseen events and conditions such as illness, accident, inclement weather, and flight cancellation or missed connection or loss of baggage etc. that may cause interruption or delay or total cancellation of your trip putting your hard earned travel investment in jeopardy. It’s also possible that you may need medical assistance, emergency evacuation or medical transportation when you get ill or involve in an accident when you are traveling in remote areas. Highland Asia’s Tour cost does not cover any of these expenses or losses and so we strongly recommend you that you should protect yourself and your travel investment against those unfavorable conditions.