{"id":1334,"date":"2022-12-31T17:09:43","date_gmt":"2022-12-31T17:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myoffbeatravelog.com\/?p=1334"},"modified":"2025-07-30T16:10:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T16:10:55","slug":"lungchok-a-picturesque-village-in-east-sikkim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myoffbeatravelog.com\/?p=1334","title":{"rendered":"Lungchok: A picturesque offbeat village in East Sikkim"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lungchok – A paradise for bird watchers and adventure enthusiasts<\/h1>\n

Our next offbeat destination after Rolep was Lungchok, a little-known village in Sikkim, not far from Rolep and situated at an altitude of about 7000 feet. Hearing that this village has a wonderful view of Kanchenjunga, our interest increased. Our car was already ready, so after breakfast at the Rolep tribal homestay, we said goodbye to everyone and left for our new destination. Instead of going to Rongli, we took a short path through the jungle and reached Lungchok in about 40 minutes, and on the way, we saw many unknown mountain waterfalls and small villages in the distance. \ufffc \"\"<\/p>\n

The road condition of the entry into Lungchok was very rocky and somewhat broken. So, we felt the rocking of the ship in the car which was painful. In fact, this type of road condition is seen in many parts of the hills after monsoon.<\/p>\n

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It is a small, quiet, charming Himalayan village surrounded by green forests of pine and fir. It is a bird-watcher’s paradise. Magnificent views of Kanchenjunga, a serene environment, and various types of colorful blooming flowers, these are the characteristics of Lungchok. Of course, this valley is a popular trekking destination for adventure-loving travelers.<\/p>\n

Where is Lungchok Located?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Altitude & Location<\/strong>: At around 7,000 ft above the sea level. This offbeat is located in the East District of Sikkim state, India and belongs to the Rongli<\/strong> Subdivision.<\/p>\n

Essential Information of Lungchok<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Nearest Airport<\/strong>:
\nInternational: Bagdogra Airport (IXB), WB<\/strong>
\nDomestic:\u00a0 Pakyong Airport (PKY), Sikkim<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nearest Main Railway Station: NJP<\/strong>
\nNearest Bus Terminal: Rongli<\/strong><\/p>\n

Distance of Lungchok (Approx. Measurement)
\n<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Destination<\/strong><\/td>\nDistance (KMs)
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rolep via Machong Rd.<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rongli via Rongli – Chujachen Rd.<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aritar<\/td>\n43<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pakyong Airport via NH 717A<\/td>\n51<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gangtok via NH10<\/td>\n75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Siliguri (via Ronpo, Rongli Bazar)<\/td>\n112<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Remember: <\/strong>Nearest ATMs are available in Rongli.<\/p>\n

Local Medical Facilities<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The nearest health centers are in Rhenock & is Rongli. \u00a0The nearest hospital is located at Rhenock bazar. Before travel, please carry some common medicines for common high-altitude issues & others. Also, a retired doctor is the owner of one of the homestays in Lungchok.<\/p>\n

How to Reach<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You can reach here directly from the airport, NJP, or by reserved car from Siliguri. Sikkim Government operated bus services and shared jeeps are available from SNT Bus Terminal in Siliguri to Rongli via Rhenock. Before travelling, please check bus timings and fares on Sikkim State Transport website (https:\/\/sntonline.sikkim.gov.in<\/strong>). Our experience with Sikkim State Transport while returning from Gangtok to Siliguri was very good. Travelers can also reach Lungchok from Rongli or Rangpo by a shared or reserved car. But we took a shortcut through the forest from Rolep to Lungchok which took about an hour in a reserved vehicle. All our transport arrangements (Rangpo\u2192Rolep\u2192Lungchok\u2192Gangtok<\/strong>) were arranged by the owner of Rolep Tribal Homestay, which was really hassle free.<\/p>\n

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Local People & their language<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sherpa (Sharpa<\/strong>) and Chhetri communities live here. But Sherpa people are seen more in number.
\nThe Sherpa community is an ethnic group of the Eastern Himalayas that migrated from eastern Tibet and now mainly lives in Sikkim, Nepal, Darjeeling, and Bhutan. The Sherpa community is one of the indigenous communities found in Sikkim, and they practice Buddhism traditionally.<\/p>\n

\"Sherpa
Sherpa Marriage Ceremony<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Tibetan language<\/strong>, SHAR<\/strong> means East<\/strong> and PA<\/strong> means People<\/strong>. Hence the word Sharpa<\/strong> or Sherpa<\/strong>, meaning People from the East<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"SherpaThe language <\/strong>of the Sherpas, <\/strong>known as Sherpa <\/strong>or Sherpali,<\/strong> is a dialect of Tibet, but has influences from other surrounding languages. It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch<\/strong>. Sherpa has no written system, but many Sherpas can speak Tibetan, Nepali, Hindi or English.
\nThe Government of Sikkim recognized Sherpa as one of the official languages of Sikkim in the year 1997.<\/strong>
\nThe name Chettri <\/strong>is derived from the word Warrior<\/strong>. They basically migrated from Nepal. The Chettri people practice Hinduism. They usually speak Nepali and read and write in Devanagari.<\/p>\n

Livelihood<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Apart from tourism, the main occupations of Sherpas are agriculture, grazing, and small business. Almost everyone grows a variety of vegetables in their home garden, including turnip-sized radishes, potatoes, and carrots. Many people run homestays these days. Since Sherpas are known to be good climbers, many also work as guides and trekkers<\/strong>. Educated Sherpas are working in various government institutions. There are also doctors, college professors, and schoolteachers.
\nCultivation, agricultural laborers, and government and private sector employees are the main occupations of the Chettri community.<\/p>\n

Local Delicacy<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sherpas are generally non-violent people who do not kill animals. But they are allowed to eat meat and fish. They also eat rice, potatoes, and other vegetables. Through the fermentation process, they are capable of preserving a lot of non-seasonal vegetables, and this is quite a traditional thing.\u00a0The Gyalbo Homestay<\/strong> served us some local organic food that was both delicious and healthy and that we had never eaten before. Those delicious foods were prepared from backyard garden. Below are some special sherpa & Chettri foods.<\/p>\n