Tsomgo Lake + Tips on Stay & Restaurants! (Part 3)
Posted On January 31, 2019
~~TSOMGO LAKE~~
Day 3 was the most anticipated of the entire Sikkim tour. We had planned to go to Nathu La Pass, Tsomgo Lake & Baba Harbhajan Singh temple. These, you can say, are in North East Sikkim.
Now, we had such a tremendous luck so far, you know? First, rainfall. Second, rude drivers. Third, heavy snowfall in the north. Yes, there was snowfall because of which tourists were not permitted to visit Nathu La Pass as well as Baba Harbhajan Singh temple. I can still make my peace with the rainfall which ruined my outfit, but this? It sucked. I mean, people who haven’t been to Sikkim also know about Nathu La Pass & we were there & couldn’t go. But, thankfully, we at least got to visit Tsomgo Lake. It is also known as Changu Lake.
Now, we had such a tremendous luck so far, you know? First, rainfall. Second, rude drivers. Third, heavy snowfall in the north. Yes, there was snowfall because of which tourists were not permitted to visit Nathu La Pass as well as Baba Harbhajan Singh temple. I can still make my peace with the rainfall which ruined my outfit, but this? It sucked. I mean, people who haven’t been to Sikkim also know about Nathu La Pass & we were there & couldn’t go. But, thankfully, we at least got to visit Tsomgo Lake. It is also known as Changu Lake.
It was almost entirely frozen. The view of the lake was very pleasing. It was, of course, crowded with people & yaks. The premises of the lake & outside was quite big. There are so many things you can do there. You can go for a yak ride which looked like a lot of fun. You can play in the snow. You can take pictures from 360 degree angles, because it’s just so beautiful at whichever point you are standing. I’m sure it must be amazing when the lake is not frozen, but the view we had was purely amazing too! Don’t miss this spot if you’re in Sikkim!
Time Taken to Explore: 45 to 60 minutes.
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| On the way to Nathu La Pass. |
So, I was finally able to sum up all the wonderful places in these three posts. I sincerely hope that you loved the posts, enjoyed the photographs & that the info was helpful. And, now, as promised, I will write a bit about the hotel I stayed at & some must-visit restaurants in Sikkim!
~~STAY AT GANGTOK~~
We stayed at Hotel Mayur which is near M.G. Market. We had booked through RCI. We did so on our earlier trips as well and it is which usually quite decent. But, this hotel was quite an exception. The only amazing things were the view from the room which was so stunning. You get up in the morning & see such a view & then your whole mood is set for the day to explore! Apart from the view, the location was great! It was the most ideal as it was from walking distance to M.G. Road. So, these two points were key.
But, as for the actual room, the horror story starts now. Most of the furniture was broken. The bed was creaky & the sofa was actually broken. The elevator was not functional. The heater which was provided to us wasn’t too good either. So, we didn’t exactly have a good night’s sleep. But, since our stay was only a few days, we managed. We are complete suckers for a good view, so we had to manage somehow.
But, as for the actual room, the horror story starts now. Most of the furniture was broken. The bed was creaky & the sofa was actually broken. The elevator was not functional. The heater which was provided to us wasn’t too good either. So, we didn’t exactly have a good night’s sleep. But, since our stay was only a few days, we managed. We are complete suckers for a good view, so we had to manage somehow.
~~RESTAURANTS IN GANGTOK~~
This is going to be my favourite part because we are all foodies, right? I went to 3 restaurants on M.G. Road. Here goes the review!
Baker’s Café:
Baker’s Café:
We visited Baker’s Café on Day 1 for snacks/dinner. It is a cute little café on M.G. Road. It is rated at 3.3/5 on Zomato but that doesn’t really do justice for its merry decorations on Christmas, pleasant ambiance, delicious food, tasty drinks & also good music!
We sure ordered a lot of food & drinks & completely enjoyed the experience.
OSM Restro & Lounge:
Please don’t go by the name-form of the restaurant, it really is awesome. It’s located on the first floor somewhere on the M.G. Road. We went here for lunch on Day 3 after our visit to Tsomgo Lake. If you’re looking for a sophisticated meal, this is the place. It is a proper restaurant, like in cities. So, you will feel at home. It is rated at 3.4/5.
The food & service here is impeccable. There are really cool paintings hung on the walls while going upstairs. Like a quote from Harry Potter & HIMYM. It’s always fun to look at something you are passionate about.
Food Court:
Food Court is your simplistic food court the kind you have in malls. There is a lot of variety of food available here. It’s rated at 3.2/5. While the food is not of excellent quality, it does taste good. We had soup, South Indian food, some chaat & Sandwiches.
The only problem was cleanliness. Since it was a busy place, it was a bit compressed with sounds coming from the kitchen. The plates & silverware were not very clean, so please check on that part.
The only problem was cleanliness. Since it was a busy place, it was a bit compressed with sounds coming from the kitchen. The plates & silverware were not very clean, so please check on that part.
Taste of Tibet:
This is another restaurant towards the end of the Road to try out local delicacies. We didn’t have the time to go there, but it is quite famous & rated at 3.3/5.
~~RESTAURANTS IN NAMCHI~~
When I was doing my research, I found this amazing little place by the name of ‘Central Park’ in Namchi. It’s basically the market area, crowded with lots of shops & people. There are also many restaurants there. I was very keen on visiting Crumbs N Whips. It was rated 4.5/5 & all of its aspects were appealing, from the variety of food to the ambiance. But, unfortunately our timings & routes got mixed up. We also had the driver who didn’t want to take that route & we were too hungry to argue for more than 10 minutes. So, we ended up eating at a random restaurant at Char Dham. And of course, that food upset our stomachs. Anyway, below is a list of good restaurants you can eat at!
These are some of the best ones:
· Crumbs N Whips Café
· Hotel Orchid
· Adonai
· Taste of Namchi
I’m sure you must have enjoyed reading about Sikkim & watching all the stunning photos! I hope some of the info about timings etc can be helpful.
You can check out first post & second posts as well! And, in the next 2 posts, I will write about my Darjeeling adventure! Stay tuned!!
Until next time,
About The Author
Aishwarya Shenolikar
Hello! I'm Aishwarya, an Introverted bookworm & writer. I have been reviewing books since 6 years on my blog - Mindscape in Words. My favourite genres are Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Magical Realism, Poetry, Fantasy & Memoirs. I like the kind of books which evoke emotions on several levels leaving me wrecked, but also incredibly content. I'm dreaming for the world to paint a landscape full of words, more like Mindscape in Words. Hope you enjoy the view.