Sikkim

Sikkim climbs from subtropical river valleys at 300 metres to the world's third-highest mountain in the space of 100 kilometres — a vertical range that contains more ecological zones than most countries and a Buddhist culture that has been protected by its altitude from the homogenising pressures that have affected more accessible places.

The monasteries of Sikkim — Rumtek, Pemayangtse, Tashiding, Enchey — maintain the Tibetan Buddhist tradition with an authenticity of practice increasingly rare even in Tibet. Rumtek, built in the 1960s by the 16th Karmapa as a replica of his monastery in Tsurphu, is the most important Kagyu Buddhist institution outside China.

The Yumthang Valley in North Sikkim reaches full bloom in April and May when 24 species of rhododendron flower simultaneously across a high alpine valley at 3,600 metres — from white to blood red — in a display that has no equivalent in India and few equivalents anywhere in the world.

Places to Visit in Sikkim

• Rumtek Monastery
• Tsomgo Lake
• Nathula Pass
• Gangtok MG Road

Things to Do in Sikkim

• Monastery visits
• High-altitude lake excursions
• Local momos and thukpa food trail