Situated at the foot of the Himalayas at a height of over 1525 m (5000 feet) in West Sikkim, Kaluk is a small village where you can feel tranquility upon arrival. The view of Mt. Kanchenjunga and other snowy Himalayan peaks look so beautiful from here. You can spend your day following the trails on the slopes to reach any local Lepcha villages and spend time with them. The smiling villagers will definitely win you heart. Lush green landscape and surrounding pine forests will surely tease you to go for a jungle trek. If you are tired of busy city lifestyle and looking for a peaceful getaway – Kaluk is the location you are looking for.
*If you look at the backside of an Indian 100 rupee note, the image you see is the replica of Kanchenjunga view one can get from here.
Activities
Village walk: You can go for soulful village walk in and around Kaluk. The vibrant and peaceful Sikkimese villages will definitely win your heart. Smiling local villagers, their cattles, birds this villages are so peaceful and the landscape looks so picturesque. You can visit to local Rinchenpong monastery (1717 AD) to spend some quiet time. The evenings can be well spent by browsing through the local bazaar (market) and if you do then don’t forget to taste the momo (Dumplings) here.
Learning Sikkimese cuisine: You can learn cooking various Sikkimese dishes at the place you are staying. Good thing is that the cuisines are prepared from fully organic vegetables cultivated in the nearby villages.
Excursion to Uttarey and Pelling: You can go for excursion trip to Uttarey and Pelling. This full day tour program can be customized to meet your needs. Some of the places of interest are Singshore bridge, Dentam valley, Chhangey falls, Pemayangtse Monastery, Rabdentse ruins and many more.
Places to Visit: Kaluk Valley, Gurung Monastery, Rinchenpong Monastery, Reesum Monastery, Poison Pokhri, Hee-Bermiok, Hilley, Barsey Rhododendron Santuary. Dentam valley, Singshore bridge, Chhayatal and many more.
Travel Guide
Weather
The general temperature in Kaluk stays cold all the time. During summer, mercury hardly crosses 23°C in daytime and during night it stays around 15°C. The average temperature for Kaluk is 15°C during winter. This place never gets snowfall but gets good amount of rainfall during monsoon season.
Local Words
Generals greetings and words: Welcome greetings: Namas-tey, Yes: Hoon-chha, No: Ney-he, Little bit: Ali-kati, Thank you: Dhan-ya-baad, Road: Raas-taa, Shop/Store: Doo-kaan, Market: Baa-zar, Medicine: Daa-wai.
Food and Drinks: Hot water: Taa-to Paa-ni, Cold Water: Chee-so Paa-ni, Rice: Khaa-naa, Lentils:Daal, Vegetables: Sab-jee,
Emotions: Good (Food): Mee-tho, Not Good (food): Mee-tho chha-e-no, Good (Places, things): Daa-me, Not Good: (Place,things): Daa-me Chha-e-no.
Time: Morning/day: Bee-yan, Evening/night: Bel-ka.
Relationships: Elder-brother: Daa-joo, Brother: Bhaa-e, Elder Sister: Dee-Dee, Sister: Ba-hee-nee.
Getting here
The nearest airport name is Bagdogra airport (IXB). It is well connected with Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and metro cities of India.
The nearest railway station name is New Jalpaiguri Junction (NJP). It’s well connected with Delhi, Kolkata and other metro cities of India.
Kaluk is well connected by roads with Sikkim and rest of the India.
Permit
Indian tourists don’t need any permit to visit this place. Foreign tourists need an Inner Line Permit to visit this place but they can get that on arrival at Melli check point which is the entry point of Sikkim. It’s a hassle free process and takes only 20 min to complete the procedure. One must carry two photocopies of his/her passport and valid visa along with 2 copies of his/her passport size photo while applying. For further query please contact us.
Custom
While visiting in any religious place please remove your footwear before entering into the main temple. Also it is advisable to wear modest clothes while visiting any religious place. People will happily pose for a picture but please ask them before taking any picture.
*Please note that in a Sikkimese tradition while a guest is leaving they offer Khada (scarf) to their guest as a sign of good luck. If they offer you such then please close your palms together to reply as a thank you gesture.
Safety
Sikkim is India’s one of the few states where the crime rate is very low. Not only towards tourists, people have deep respects for each other also. But for any safety concern, you can share your query with local police station (dial 100 only).
Health
You won’t find any mosquitoes here in Kaluk. Due to alpine climate tourist generally doesn’t get sick. But if you are allergic to plants and pollen then take precaution. The local hotels and restaurants serve safe drinking water but if you are not sure then you can buy packaged drinking water almost at every place.