Sikkim Saga

Sikkim Important Notes 

Time chosen for Travel – Many of the client have mentioned that they have booked the tour very well in advance so why isn’t the best room allotted to them. When the client choose to travel in the month of April, May, June, September, October & November & this happens to be the busiest months for Sikkim & North Bengal. Kindly be updated that the area of Sikkim & North Bengal are not developed like many other hill stations of India & world. The government has been trying to lift the areas development by enforcing LTC (Leave Travel Concession). We understand very well the size of India & its population. We also understand well that most of India falls under heat wave during summers & spring. There are not many places where one can go for relief. Now even if 0.1% of the population turns up, towards Sikkim & North Bengal, the area runs out of capacity.  Everything becomes chaotic. Delivering the promised becomes an issue. Patience & understanding becomes an important part in getting the tour organized & making the holiday into a memorable one. This is where we & our services come into counting.  

Uses of AC (Air Condenser) in the Vehicle – The AC will be on when the car is on move only. While travelling in the plains the clients would need AC, which will be switch on. When the car is travelling uphill AC will be switch off.

Cancellation – Since the Luxury vehicles are limited in number, cancellation rules will be applicable on the complete tour package including the transport cost.

Amendment fees on bookings after confirmation - NON WAVER FEE of USD 70 per amendment + applicable cancellation if any + Difference in amount attracted due to change.

Entry Formality & document for NRI / OCI / PIO Card Holder - As per the latest ruling from the Sikkim Government NRI / OCI / PIO card Holder will have to carry Original Passport along with Visa / OCI / PIO Card while travelling. Their entry procedure to Sikkim will be same as per the Foreign National travelling into Sikkim. These guests will not be allowed to visit Baba Mandir, Nathula Pass &Gurudongmar Lake. They will only be allowed to visit up to Tshangu Lake and in North Sikkim (Chopta Valley, Thangu, Yumthang&Yumesamdong), with a valid permit. They also have to be 02 & above are number to visit Tshangu Lake. They will also be required to bring along with them 08 passport size photograph for processing their permits into Sikkim, Tshangu lake, Lachen&Lachung. There will be an additional cost for processing the permit & making the tour applicable. Kindly write to us for additional cost.

Mandatory document for any travelers –It is mandatory to valid Photo ID with address mentioned on it. This could be original passport, driving license, voter ID. This is a mandatory requirement for all adult traveling in the group. For children they have to be accompanied along, with their parents and should have a Photo ID issued by the school authority. It is also advisable to carry photo copy along with the original Birth Certificate of the children traveling along. 

Mandatory Document for permits to Tshangu Lake, Baba Mandir, Nathula& North Sikkim - People availing the services to Nathula, Tshangu Lake & North Sikkim (Lachung, Yumthang Excursion, Yumosomdong (Zero Point),  Katau, Lachen, Chopta Valley &Gurudongmar Excursion) are requested to submit at the time of the booking the following documents for every traveler (be it adult or child):

1. 06 passport size photograph of each member traveling whether Adult or Children with their name, age & gender written behind each photograph.  
2. Photo Copy of Photo ID proof of each member traveling whether Adult or Children. Original to be brought with self. 
3. A list mentioning the Name Age & Gender of all traveler family wise.
4. Any documents issued by Central or State Government having Photo, Name and the address will be considered as ID Proof. The Photo ID Proof can be anyone of the following, Driving License, or Valid Passport. Aadhar Card & Pan Card is not accepted as ID proof by the authorities.
5. In case of Child traveling below 18 Years or couple traveling where there is no ID proof of wife, there has to be a written declaration given from the parents / husband. 

GENERAL & IMPORTANT NOTES 

Note on Hotel used in the Packages:

We have star category hotels in our area which is not to be compared with the Hotels of other developed destinations.  For the understanding we have termed  

1. ‘The Area’s First Best Hotels’ as GRADE A2+ whose services are similar to a Four Star,
2. ‘The Area’s Second Best Hotels’ as GRADE A1+ & A, whose services are similar to a Three Star+ Hotels.  
3. ‘The Area’s Third Best Hotel’ as GRADE B2+, B1+ , whose services are similar to a Three Star Hotels
4. ‘The Area’s Fourth Best Hotel’, GRADE B & C, whose services are similar to a Two Star Hotels.
5. The  Area’s Fifth Best Hotel as GRADE D, whose services are similar to a Budget & Tourist Class Hotels.
6. GRADE LTC hotels are very basic service hotels which are selected on the basis of cost.
7. PURE VEG Hotels are mixed service / Grade Hotels which are selected on the basis of Vegetarian food served. The hotels used in this category are not to be compared with one destination with the other.

• Check-in time at Hotel will be 1400 Hrs& Check-out time will be 1100 Hrs. All the bookings are non-transferable & all in-house hotel rules will be effective during your stay. As imposed by the Government Valid photo ID for all members staying at the hotel is mandatory. For early check in / late checkout / extending of stay, will be completely subject to the availability as per the situation then. 
• For Extra Person Sharing the Room & Child with Extra Bed, almost all the hotel of our area provides MATTRESS and ROLL OVERS as a supplement to Extra Bed.
• We have selected, combined & graded the hotels in a manner, so that you get similar standard of services & facilities at every destination / place of retirement other than specific grade like Grade LTC & Pure Veg.
• As the area is backward it is quite obvious that the constructions of the hotels are unplanned. This further means that most of the selected hotels are located in the city centers. These hotels may have the view of the building in the front, beside or behind them. As the services are under mark in the area, we have made our hotel selection on the basis of SERVICES provided by them.
• In our area, most of the hotels do not have lift. You will have to climb stairs to reach your allotted rooms. Incase any of you, have problems with blood pressure, breathing, knee & heart  or if you cannot climb the higher floors, we will request you to report this immediately, so that we handle it with care, before the Hotels assign you your room, which will be convenient than the ones quoted/reserved for you. DIFFRENCE IF ANY WILL HAVE TO BE SETTELED DIRECTLY BEFORE CHECK OUT.
• In hilly area, scarcity of water & electricity is a natural phenomenon. Everybody buys water for their day-to-day needs & have learnt to live even without electricity. In case of Load Shedding, kindly bear with such situation. To overcome the water crisis certain hotels have fixed schedule for supplying hot & cold water. We strongly regret the inconvenience.
• Certain Hotels in Grade B1, Grade B Category & all hotels in C, D & LTC Category have system of providing room heater on request, on extra payment basis. This payment is not included in the cost & the user will have to settle it directly with the hotels before check-out. The charge varies from USD 3 - 6 per heater per room per night.

Note on Transportation used in the Packages:

• The vehicle used will not be at disposal and will be exclusively used for the group as per the itinerary only (on point to point basis).  It will change sector wise. NAC Tata Sumo / Mahindra Maxx cannot drop the guest, to the hotel (Government rule) and have to leave the guest, in the Taxi Stand. From the Taxi stand, the guest are shifted into local Taxi (Maruti Van / Wagon R maximum 4 pax in a vehicle) and then transferred to their respective hotels. Again the day they are going to Lachung, Lachen or Tshangu Lake and Nathula, they have to be transfer, by local Taxi, to a different stand and then get shifted into their vehicle which is a NAC Tata Sumo / Mahindra Maxx. The same exercise is vice-versa, on their return from Lachung, Lachen or Tshangu Lake and Nathula. This Taxi fare is already included into the packages & will be paid by your driver.
• As the area is backward & due to unwritten syndicate rules your vehicle & drivers will change for every transfer & sightseeing. These drivers come from remote places and are not educated in tourism etiquette and some of them do not know how to speak & behave. You are requested to be soft & gentle with your drivers. 
• Often in past guests like you, have been misguided by such drivers. We would like to inform you not to listen to such people & reconfirm whatever they say with your File Handling Executive (FHE). 
• As the vehicles & drivers change always, we will request you to be very careful with personal belongings. Once left in the vehicle, there is, almost nil or little chance, of getting it back.
• Certain sightseeing, are totally controlled, by the syndicate. We do not have any say over such services. We will request you to bear with such uncalculated situations. FHE will guide you on such services e.g. Tshangu Lake, Nathula, packages to North Sikkim etc. Especially while using such services you will have to be gentle in dealing with the drivers as due to lack of their exposure to the tourism industry & practices. They at times, get annoyed and may misbehave.
• Since Nathula is a restricted area and gets sealed, without any notice, for security reasons. In such case your tour will only be till Tshangu Lake and there will be no refund for unutilized services.
• One can opt for Nathula Excursion by paying a supplement cost which varies from month to month. Organising the permit at the last moment is not possible & a clear window of 72 Hrs with proper documents is required to process the permit. Nathula permit gets confirmed a day prior OR on the day of journey (depending on the working of the permit issuing office) & it is subjected to permit availability as it is allotted as per lottery. Nathula is closed on Monday & Tuesday for tourist.  To process the permit we would require 04 Passport Size Photograph & photo proof identity card such as Voter Id / Passport / Driving License. Pan card &Adhar card is not accepted as identity proof by authorities. There is no refund, in case the permit is confirmed by Sikkim tourism & due to whatsoever reason (Land slide, Heavy rain fall, VIP Movement, Health issue etc) one is not able to visit Nathula. 
• Due to shortage in space for parking, please be informed that you will have to be ready on time & wait in the lobby. Due to uncalculated situations the vehicle reporting may get delayed. We will request you to bear with us and as soon as vehicle arrives you will have to get in, within few seconds, before the policeman blow his whistle. 
• Due to vehicle-parking difficulty, most of the areas are restricted to entry of vehicle & specific time is allotted for entries. Kindly follow the time strictly as given to you. Incase of delays the vehicle will have to leave the hotel area without you & get parked in a parking area. In such a case, you will have to be transferred in a Maruti Van FOR WHICH THE COST WILL HAVE TO BE BORNE BY YOU & WILL HAVE TO BE COLLECTED DIRECTLY FROM YOU.
• Due to specified time, your transfer vehicle for your next connecting destination may not be allowed to enter the hotel area. Under such circumstances you will be transferred from stand to the hotel or vice versa, in a local taxi (Maruti Vans) for which the driver of your connecting vehicle will make the payment. Depending upon the situation the FHE may request you to make the payment which will be reimbursed to you immediately at the next station. 
• As per Motor Vehicle Act capacity of a Luxury Vehicle (Scorpio / Xylo / Innova) is 06 pax including Adult or Child. Also while opting for Luxury Vehicle please travel light with minimum baggage of one piece per person. However for comfortable & safe traveling it is advisable to fit in 04 to 05 adult in a Luxury vehicle.

Note on General Operations:

• The area is backward but rich in Nature and the facilities available cannot be matched to those available in the Plains and other developed destinations. We strongly regret this constraint of the area.
• Please note that our Executive will hold placard as advised by you, just outside the only exit gate of Bagdogra Airport. 
• Incase you are arriving at NJP Railway station which has 03 entry & exit gate, please be informed that you will be meeting our Office Executive at the old exit gate (which happens to be the main gate which houses the Army Counter) holding placard in you name / or as advised by you.
• It is to be noted that incase, you are arriving by train in the late evening / night & are departing early morning, it is mandatory for you to spend a night in SILIGURI. In such situation of late arrival & early departure, if you have not opted for a stop over package at Siliguri, then you will have to wait at the Waiting / Retiring Room of the station. Our Executive will be meeting you at 0600 hrs in the morning for the meet & greet and arrival transfer. This has been planned keeping your security factors in mind.
• In case of any Flight / Train Cancellation has effected the operation of the Tours then the Company will not be responsible for the same and the cancellation as per the policy will be applicable. 
• Tour start and end from Bagdogra (IXB) Airport / New Jalpaiguri Railway (NJP) Station. The 1st Day tour Meal starts with Dinner at the booked hotel & ends with Breakfast at the booked hotel, on the last day for all the bookings on MAPAI. For APAI 1st Day tour Meal starts with Dinner at the booked hotel & ends with Packet lunch from the booked hotel on the last day.
• Sikkim & Darjeeling is a hilly area & change is weather is a regular feature. It is advisable that light layer clothing should be carried always. In winters it is advisable to carry heavy woolens.
• Landslide is a common occurrence in hilly areas. EXPENSES INCURRED FOR DIVERSION, DUE TO THIS OR ANY OTHER REASONS WILL BE COLLECTED DIRECTLY AS PER ACTUAL EXPENDITURE INCURRED. 
• Kindly be informed that we make contingency plans so that the sightseeing points do not fall on a closing day. Incase due to inevitable situation if the sightseeing falls on a closing day, it will have to be left out & cannot be carried forward to the next day. If you are taking the left out tour on the next day, you will have to pay the extra against the vehicle charges as advised by the File Handling Executive (FHE).  
• Sightseeing point remains closed on State Government & Bank National Holidays. The points which are closed

1. ON SUNDAY, STATE GOVERNMENT, BANK & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS are Research Institute of Tibetology, Handicraft & Handloom Showroom and Flower Show in Gangtok&Tibetian Refugee Self Help Centre in Darjeeling.
2. ON THURSDAY, STATE GOVERNMENT, BANK & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS are Padma Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. 

• Weather in the hills is unpredictable. We have kept your sightseeing related with nature, like Tiger Hill in Darjeeling, flexible. This is done, so that the chance of good view of Sunrise becomes more probable. When your FHE call for such change we will request you to take it sportingly & without any apprehension. Once Tiger Hills sightseeing is decided between you & FHE which will be done before 5 P.M. no changes will be allowed. Incase of any changes it will be treated as cancellation without any refund. Changes after 5 P.M. cannot be accommodated as the allotted drivers leave the Operations premises by 5 P.M. & are not contactable. By Default the vehicle will report at 4 A.M. in the morning, whether you go for the sightseeing or not for any reason or eventuality (which could be because you wanting to change after 5 P.M. or bad weather or heavy downpour) the bills will be raised against us. These rules are formulated by the local syndicate which is very strong. For further clarification please contact the FHE. 
• People with knees, heart & blood pressure problem & having children below 05 years should avoid going to Nathula, Gurudongmar&Yumosomdong (Zero Point) as it could be of high risk & medical facility are also very poor. 
• High Mountains sightseeing like Tshangu Lake, Yumthang Excursion, Gurudongmar Excursion has to start early in the morning so that you come back early. This is designed for your security as in the afternoon the weather gets cloudy & foggy throughout the year.
• Due to non-availability of night life the whole area goes to bed early & wakes up early. We request you to go to bed on time so that next day you can start your tour early. 
• We provide following while rafting a) Helmets b) Paddles c) Life Jacket d) Dry Bags for gears e) Rafting Guide for assistance.
• There will be no refund of any unutilized service in part or in full what so ever may be the reason.

LACHUNG

• Lachung operates on package only. All the Tours starts from Gangtok and ends at Gangtok and is on Full Board (includes all Meals at the hotel). 1st Day tour of North Sikkim, Meal starts with Dinner at the booked hotel & ends with Packet lunch from the booked hotel on the last day. 
• Please note that these areas are cold through out the year; kindly be advised to be equipped with proper woolen / warm clothes. 
• ONCE THE PACKAGE IS BOOKED & CONFIRMED NO REFUND WILL BE ALLOWED 
• Please note that North Sikkim is blessed with Natural Beauty.  The accommodation provided at Lachung / Lachen will be more like a Tourist Lodge / Guest House having basis facilities like:

1. Often due to electricity failure, the geysers do not work. In such case warm water is provided in buckets, by the Hotels.
2. The food prepared will be fresh, by the local trained Sherpas’s& not by Hotel chef.
3. There are telephone lines but due to cable fault and weak signal, it is often out of order.  Vodafone & BSNL operates better in this area.
4. The rooms are having Heaters but due to electricity problem many of times hotel provide Hot water pad in the bed.
5. The best season for traveling to North Sikkim is Mid February to Mid June &Mid September to Mid December. 

Temperature and Rainfall 

Average maximum - minimum temperature and the average rainfall over last 10 years at Gangtok and the probability of seeing a clear skies.

Note above figures are of Gangtok - 5500 ft. Higher the altitude, lower the temperature and rainfall.