Located in the northeast Sikkim, Lachung boasts about as the most picturesque hamlet of Sikkim and locally dubbed even as the Queen of the Northeast. At an elevation of 8,610 ft, Lachung is hailed for its snow capped mountains, majestic valleys, copious fruit orchards and lush green ridges. Adding one more uniqueness to Lachung is its embrace of the old Sikkimese traditions. With its exquisite murals and ancient statues, Lachung Gompa, sitting at the top of a hill, is a major attractions inside the village. The Gompa has exquisite murals and ancient statues, which are a sight to behold.
Some Must Do things in Lachung
If you are visiting Lachung, you don’t wanna miss out on a trek to Yumthang Valley at any cost. The valley offers glorious vistas which are as beautiful as it gets. With over 24 varieties of rhododendrons decorating its broad expanses, the valley is blessed with a rich biodiversity. The adventurous and pacific hike from Lachung to the valley is roughly 25 Kms. While returning from the hike, you can immerse yourself in the Yumthang Hot Spring.
Only 8 kilometres from Lachung lies the breathtaking Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary. The sanctuary covers around 43 square kilometres. The Yumthang Chu (river) winds its way through the sanctuary, enhancing the beautiful scenery. As you travel through the Sanctuary, you’ll be blessed with spectacular views of snow-capped peaks and a plethora of rhododendron trees. The sanctuary is known around the world for being home to over 40 types of rhododendron bushes and trees, as well as a diverse range of fauna. The ideal time to visit Shingba is in the spring, when the sanctuary blooms with rhododendron flowers that stretch for miles.
Yume Samdong is the location of Zero Point, which is situated at an elevation of 15,000 feet. The location is known as Zero Point because it marks the terminus of a civilian road, beyond which citizens are not permitted to travel. Yumesamdong, or Zero Point, is 23 kilometres away from Yumthang Valley and takes 1.5 hours to get to. The Yumthang Valley’s small roadways ascend in a zig-zag manner. It’s the clear blue skies, intriguing vistas of snow-capped mountain peaks, and a few yaks grazing here and there, you will find at Yumesamdong. The region also serves as the confluence of three rivers. Visitors must obtain permission to visit because it is so near to the international boundary between India and China. At Yumesamdong near Sebu Chu, there is a hot spring that allows you to recover from the challenging hike.
Bhim Nala and Naga Falls are the two main waterfalls. Tourists who come to Lachung during the monsoon season do so with the intention of seeing the waterfalls in all their splendour. Bhim Nala is a three-tiered cascading waterfall which is also called Amitabh Bachchan Falls because of the towering height it falls from, whereas Naga Falls cascades in layers. To reach the source of these waterfalls, a walk will need traversing several kilometres of difficult terrain.
Things to Remember While in Lachung
- Yume Samdong is a protected area. All visitors must obtain permission to visit because it is so near to the international boundary between India and China.
- Luggage must involve seasonal items of clothing according to the weather for the period of your visit. The summers are still welcoming but the winters are savage. First aid kit, antibacterial creams, sunscreen lotions, woolens are a must.
- Before the visit go through the state’s policy about places, wildlife, and interaction with the natives.
Things You Will Need in Lachung
While trekking to Zero Point, which sits at high altitudes, you are expected to have low oxygen levels and high altitude sickness. In travel you are supposed to save every bit of your energy to traverse the trek and thus you cannot afford to carry your big DSLRs and stuff in the backpack. This is where the handy GoPro comes to your aid. You can take pictures of panoramic views of snow-clad mountains and picturesque surroundings or you could even record your whole trekking adventure by attaching the versatile GoPro. Don’t forget to rent one of them from us when you are planning the trip to Lachung. Go ahead and rent GoPro Hero 8
A trekking pole will be an aid in your trek to Yumthang Valley and Zero Point. Traversing these high altitude locations may put you in jeopardy so taking a trekking pole always helps. Here is the link to rent a trekking pole in Sikkim from Vacaystore.
Binoculars are never needless wherever you may visit. Since Lachung may offer some offbeat spots you can observe your surroundings well with a binoculars in your hands. It will also help you in spotting flowers and mammals in the vast Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, even a snow leopard or untraceable red panda. We have these equipment on rent too! sounds great right? Go ahead, renting it then. Here’s the link to rent Binoculars in Sikkim from Vacaystore.
During your visit to Yumthang Valley and Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, when you gaze at the beauty of the flowers in the valley or the rich biodiversity of Rhododendron trees of the Shingba Sanctuary, you wanna etch the scenes in your memory forever. To make your memories more profound you can capture its sheer beauty with the cameras offered by us. Go ahead and rent the cameras for your next journey. Here’s the link to rent our cameras in Sikkim.
During the winters, temperatures can go sub zero in Lachung and more so at the Zero Point. Shielding of even multi-layered clothing doesn’t help your condition in the chilly winters.. A fleece jacket is the minimum you will need irrespective of your plans in Lachung. These jackets are light and can keep you warm even up to minus 4 degrees. Our jackets are professionally dry-cleaned after every rental cycle, so don’t worry about hygiene and rent it here. It will also save you trouble of carrying heavy woolens all the way from home. Rent clean and good quality jackets in Sikkim from Vacaystore. Here’s the link.