Into the Mountains - Amey’s Dreamy Trip to North East with Thrillophilia
“Mountains are a reflection of heaven. You feel peace, beauty, and moments of serendipity wrapped in breathtaking views.”
Hustling day in and day out in a corporate world feels like a cage somehow, and me and my wife being nature lovers, the walls tend to bore us easily. On one super slow Tuesday afternoon, my wife called me up in the office and said, “I think the mountains are calling us!”
"I think so too," I exclaimed. We decided to sit together that night and plan our trip over some tempting pizza and garlic bread.
After an extensive search, we decided to explore the captivating beauty of the northeastern part of India. As a result, we chose the perfect 8-day package with Thrillophilia to visit Gangtok, Pelling, and Darjeeling.
Nature, Culture, & Peace
We have heard many stories from our friends about Gangtok’s modern vibe being perfectly blended with natural beauty, and we were super excited to explore it ourselves.
Gangtok is indeed a proper city, but it is truly well-planned and quite a LOT picturesque.
My wife and I were thrilled and awestruck by the beauty of Gangtok. We not only enjoyed the amazing views from the Tashi Viewpoint but also learned about the rich culture of Tibet at the Institute of Tibetology.
The most interesting part was that we gained a deeper insight into the Tibetan people's religion, history, language, and art here. Learning about a completely different culture and religion is something that we absolutely love.
But what truly took our breath away was the mesmerising 100-foot waterfall cascading in the Ban Jhakri Falls Park. This park is named after a mythical shamanic healer and what truly healed us was the cold water and the serene view.
At that very moment, we even forgot to click pictures and just sat there meditating on the melody of falling water and were captivated by its beauty.
Serenity All Around
Further, our quest for peace and tranquillity was fulfilled by our day trip to Tsomgo Lake near Gangtok. This scenic lake was exactly what we had envisioned when booking the trip.
The lake is located at an elevation of 12,000 feet approximately amidst snowcapped mountains. It is one of the most picturesque and tranquil lakes I have ever witnessed in my life. We are mountain lovers at the core and encountering this enchanting place deepened our affection for it even more.
My wife couldn’t contain her excitement to show the entire world how beautiful the lake is. So, it was my duty to capture my beautiful wife with a beautiful backdrop from every perspective and use every camera mode.
While on this excursion we also passed through the thrilling Nathu La Pass and offered our prayers at the Holy Baba Mandir nearby.
Mo Intersection of Serenity & Sanctity
The monk who sold his Ferrari to live in the mountains did just the right thing because after experiencing Pelling’s peaceful sacred vibes and captivating natural beauty, my wife and I also wanted to relocate here!
There are actually no words to describe the peace we felt at Khecheopalri Lake and Pemayangtse Monastery. As we stood by the "wish-fulfilling lake," like every hopeful soul on this planet, we earnestly made our wishes and prayed for a bright and fulfilling future.
And, if you are visiting Pelling, you cannot miss out on the most beautiful waterfall in India - The Kanchenjunga Waterfalls. We made sure that our itinerary included this beautiful waterfall so that we could tick it off our bucket list. Also, we got to explore the fascinating historic ruins of Rabdentse, which added an enchanting allure to our trip.
The Breathtaking Scenery: From Pelling to Darjeeling
Our trip was going superbly well and we were loving every bit of it. There came a point in Pelling where I felt a little sad that the trip was coming to an end, but my wife cheered me up that we still had one more city to explore and my spirits soared high once again!
As we checked out of Pelling and started our journey towards Darjeeling, we were captivated by the scenic landscapes and marvelled at the panoramic snow-covered Himalayan peaks and tea gardens. The journey was so mystical that we couldn't wait to see what awaited us.
The highlight of our Darjeeling sightseeing has to be the sunrise from Tiger Hill while enjoying the views of Mt. Kanchenjunga. Our Darjeeling expedition included everything from historic sites and sacred monasteries to the Darjeeling Zoo and vast green tea estates. It was the perfect combination of history, nature, peace, and culture.
And, the most touristy part, we could leave without checking out “The Mall Road” in Darjeeling. As always, every hill station has a Mall Road which is the centre to shop for souvenirs and local products and indulge in some delicious food. My wife and I are both Momo and Maggi fans, and Darjeeling is known for offering delicious momo with spicy chutney.
All in all – in between waterfalls, mountains, monasteries, and beauty, we found peace and created lifelong memories. Everything was so perfectly planned and the trip went smoothly without any hassle.
We got just what we needed, to take away the hustle and find tranquillity, peace and calmness within ourselves. In the end, I can say, “Sky above, mountains below, peace within - what a perfect vacation this turned out to be.”
Read More: Thrillophilia North East Reviews