GANGTOK-ZULUK-GNATHANG VALLEY-DARJEELING TRIP MARCH 2018


22 MARCH 2018 - DAY 1 - JAIPUR TO DELHI TO BAGDOGRA TO GANGTOK


After months of planning the day arrived for us for our first North East Trip to Gangtok/Darjeeling. Googled lots of blogs, trip advisor forum, knowledgeable websites (https://www.darjeeling-tourism.com/) etc. After making all necessary checklist and finally packing everything we checked and double checked as we as family were travelling with 2 kids ( 13 yrs Son & 5 yrs Son prone to frequent motion sickness). Some last week updates like Air Vistara return flight changed its time due to summer schedule from 3.15 Pm to 5 PM from Bagdogra led to change in our plans but all worked out and in place.

At 4 AM in the Morning we left our Home (Jaipur) and reached Jaipur International Airport to catch our Delhi Flight 6E 6066 departing at 6 AM. Check-in was Smooth but less sleep last night could be seen on kids’ faces. Also recent news about Indigo flights grounding due to neo engines made my wife bit uncomfortable.

                                            Me with Kids @ At Jaipur Airport

We reached T1C terminal at around 7 AM and quickly collected our bags to catch our Onward flight Air Vistara UK 725 (10.25 AM from T3 International Airport).  We exited from T1C terminal and quickly went to free Shuttle Service point to T3 Airport. We showed our boarding pass (Indigo / Air Vistara both) to Helpdesk counter behind bus boarding point and were issued free travel coupons. Soon bus arrived, we made queue (minded by airport staff) and boarded the shuttle. Those who did not collect the coupon beforehand had to pay Rs 30 per person for the service. After 15 mins we reached the T3 Airport at around 8 AM but shuttle dropped us below at T3 Arrivals point. We put our luggage on trolley bag and escalated to T3 Domestic Departures above in some time.

                                                         Kids @ T1C Shuttle Point

T3 check-in, bag drop and security was smooth by but we had long walk to GATE NO 52 for Air Vistara UK 725 Flight Departure to BAGDOGRA and finally we boarded. After 2 hrs flight and sumptuous in-flight service we landed at around 12:15 PM at BAGDOGRA Airport. It is a small airport and in no time our luggage came out we went straight to pre-paid taxi booth as we wanted to move to Gangtok ASAP to avoid night travel at hills.

The pre-paid taxi booth told us that there were no drivers for Gangtok presently as Bagdogra (Siliguri) was in West Bengal & we had to wait. I went out of the airport to look for Sikkim Cab (SK Taxi) and left my wife kids and inside the terminal. Near Booth lots of agents asked for 500-700 extra for taxi to Gangtok. Luckily after few haggling moment I found WB Tavera @ Rs 3300 to Gangtok and soon we loaded and went straight for FIRST NORTH EAST TRIP. After pathetic 1 hrs long traffic mess at Siliguri we finally reached to bye-pass road for Gangtok. 


Hiils began soon and we drove alongwith Teesta River for almost our entire journey to Gangtok. We passsed Coronation Bridge, then Teesta Bridge and reached Rangpo from were Sikkim started.

                                                      Rangpo, Sikkim 

We reached Gangtok at around 4:30PM checked-in our studio service Apt @ Tadong (Shumbuk Homes Hotel & Serviced Apartments @ Rs 2700/Per Day after discounts etc.). We were greeted by rain and thunderstorms that lasted for quite sometime.  


Meanwhile we freshened-up and went to M G MARG , GANGTOK (from taxi point opposite apt for 20 Rs each). WOW it was very clean and awesome M G Marg. 


   


We strolled on MG Marg for sometime but due to cold weather, drizzling and kid's tiredness we went back (from from taxi point opposite M G Marg for 20 Rs each ) to our apartment and booked sightseeing taxi (WagonR @ Rs2000 whole day 10 points view) with hotel for next day  & retired for the night.


Todays's Major Expense:
1. Bagdogra to Gangtok : Rs 3300 / Tavera
2. Service Apt : 22 March to 25 (@ 2700 / per day) ,  @Rs 8100

No comments:

Post a Comment

Total Pageviews