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Sikkim
is the smallest state I the northeast. It
covers the area of 112 km from north to
south and 64 km from east to west. The
elevation of the mountains rises from a mere
244 m in the Teesta River Valley to 8,540 m
at the Mt. Kanchendzonga. Beyond Yumthang,
is the high altitude desert in the extreme
north of Sikkim.
Gangtok, the capital of the city of the
state, offers picturesque view of the
mountain ranges. The Tsomgo Lake is a
glacial lake at a distance of 40 km from
Gangtok. It is an ideal location for basking
in the beauty of the nature. At a distance
of 118 km is the Pemayangtse Monastery,
which is the oldest monastery of Sikkim. The
Emchey Monastery is the second oldest
monastery of Sikkim. It is 200 years old.
Pelling, 2 km from the Pemayangtse
Monastery, Ravangla and Ghezing are the
unexplored towns worth visiting. These towns
now have well-developed infrastructure for
tourism. On the way to Pelling via Ghezing,
you will come across the ruins of Rabdantse,
which is an ancient capital. There is a
short trekking route to Menam peak and
Tendong from Ravangla. The sacred place of
the Lepchas, the Khecheopalri Lake is at a
distance of about 33 km from the north of
Pelling. The mountains and thick forests
surround the lake, which is also known as
the 'Wishing Lake'.
Mangan is the headquarters of the North
Sikkim. The places to visit in north Sikkim
are Chungthang, deep in the valley, Lachung,
Lachen, on a grassy flatland and Thangu, at
a height of 13000 ft from where the
high-altitude desert begins.
The Changu Lake at an altitude of 3,780 m is
35 km to the northeast of Gangtok. Only 20
km from the border of Tibet is the Nathu La
Pass. You can visit the Kyongnosia Alpine
Sanctuary on the way to Nathu La Pass where
a riot of colors can be seen between the
months of may and August when the wild
flowers are at its full bloom.
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