Darjeeling, Sikkim & the Singalila Ridge

Great mix of cultural diversity and natural beauty of India - starting and ending in the manic centres of Delhi and Kolkata respectively, the majority of the trip is in quieter parts of West Bengal and Sikkim, which are simply beautiful.

I went on this trip in April/May 2015, which is the best time for viewing the rhododendrons but may not be the best time for views of the mountains. We were, however, lucky enough to get some great views of the mountains at the highest camp! The trek was not overly difficult or too strenuous but the first couple of days did have some rain so make sure to bring quick drying clothes and enough warm items to wear in the camps in the evenings as clothes may not dry before the next day. Trekking poles came in handy on some of the downhill sections but were not essential. The nights did get quite cool so a three season sleeping bag is ideal. The cook and camp staff were fantastic and always made sure there was plenty of food and hot beverages. I really enjoyed the hot juices at the end of the day's trek - a great way to warm up! The second half of the trip to Sikkim was equally excellent and the jeep rides were a great way to see the countryside. I did not think the time on the road was too long compared to other trips I have done. I think the longest day was about 4 or 5 hours. The jeep drivers were excellent and I never felt unsafe at any point, despite the rather narrow roads and signs of past landslides. Gangtok was a beautiful town, which was clean and quite green. The hotel was excellent and a welcome retreat after the trek. The overnight train from Siliguri to Calcutta was a pleasant experience, despite a bit of a fistfight in the section next to ours. I was not expecting much from Calcutta but was also pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness of the streets and friendliness of the people. Prior to the trip I did the Kashmir extension, which was a great way to adjust to the time zone and relax for a few days before the more hectic pace of the trip. The people were very friendly and Lake Dal was beautiful. The houseboat we stayed on was first rate and the guide and boat staff were fantastic. An amazing trip all around!

one of the best treks for variety and views of the himalayan range - a great intoduction for another higher altitude trek, for fitness and acclimitisation - more than a walk in the Cotswalds as advertised - and Dilip was a superb guide - could not do better

A fantastic trip which left our group under India's spell and eager to return for more. This was despite disappointing weather. We experienced mega thunder storms, gales, a hail storm and far more than our fair share of mist and fog. The toilet tent blew down one night in a gale. It could have been a disaster, yet all of our group managed to leave with entirely positive impressions. This was down to a) One day of clear bright sunshine when all the mountains appeared as if by magic; b) a fantastic sense of camaraderie between group members, the guides, cooks and pony men, c) delicious food, d) friendly local people and a great introduction to the culture; e) lovely characterful hotels that felt palatial after sleeping in a cold, damp tent for a week. A lot of people seem to think a trip to India is as good as a crash diet - but not if you go on this trip! Anyone would have thought that the delicious, varied, piping hot and beautifully presented meals had been prepared in a plush kitchen rather than a windswept tent in the middle of nowhere! They even managed a perfectly iced birthday cake baked over a camping stove at 3500m. Exodus seems to have chosen the accommodation particularly well on this trip. The Himalayan Hotel in Kalimpong was a firm favourite, but the Netuk House in Gangtok was also gorgeous and the Sherpa Lodge in Rimbik at the end of the trek (described as basic in the trip notes) is a delightful place in flower filled gardens with comfy rooms with pretty quilts on the beds, en-suite bathrooms and real toilets. The Hilton could not have felt finer. The walking is not too difficult and the paths are good with plenty of interesting flowers and bird life even if you can't see the mountains. The altitude is not too bad. It's a good combination of feeling that you've done something without feeling too stretched and exhausted.

From the madness of New Delhi to the beautiful unspoilt Sikkim area. This India trip does it all.

A holiday of two halves - firstly a 6 day trek with some of the best mountain scenery I have witnessed. The second half was more cultural - visiting towns in Sikkim, plus the excitement of the overnight train to Kolkotta.

3 weeks packed with so much to do and see. I have no idea how Exodus can make any profit from this trip. True value for money! In summary if you do the trip and the excursion it works out to be 3 holidays in 1. 1st week, the wonders of Delhi, Agra & Japur. Our driver Amir was brilliant and took us wherever we wanted. We also met 3 very knowledgeable guides who provided guidance while visiting the Taj Mahal, Agra, The Amber Fort and Japur. Our hotels during this part of the trip where excellent. The 2nd part of our trip was Darjeeling & the Singalila Ridge, where we met our new treking friends. The trek was led by Jospal & Suntos a local guide from Darjeeling. What these two did not know about the the mountains and local community was not worth knowing. We had some wet and windy weather but I always felt they had our best intrests in mind. We did get views of Kanchenjunga which was the icing on the cake for me. The tents we used where adiquate and the trek chef never let the side down and produced some of the nicest food I have ever tasted whilst on a trek not to mention a few restaurants I have visited. The days varied in length and variety. I was one of the youngest on the trek at 42 and found the undulating ridge fine. Our oldest member of the trek was 70 and like me plodded with the odd steep section slowing us down. If your relatively fit and healthy you'll be fine. No need to start running marathons to sign up. And certainly do not let age get in the way. The pace was always slow and steady to enjoy the views, banter, and rhododendrons. I chose to do this trip in April May to get the best advantage of catching the various colours of plant life. As it turned out it was by chance Budda's Birthday and a full moon during the trek, so whilst staying in small villages from time to time there was always some festivity happening. The 3rd and final part of our experience was what I would call the Jeep Rural Safari. We left Darjeeling after visiting the Mountaineering Intitute where climbers and sherpa's train to climb mountains such as Everest and lead treks and plumited down in altitude driving past massive tea plantations. Where we stopped and visited the tea pickers and farmers. Then onto Sikkim, different from the Darjeeling Region. More Westernised in my opinion, industrial along the river and lots of schools and universities. We stayed in Gangtok and visited a wonderful monestry and had some time to look around ourselves. The drive to Kalingpong took us back out Sikkim and back into the Dajeeling Region where we climed in our jeeps to see wonderful views of the local foothills of the Himilaya. We stayed at the Himalayan Hotel. The same hotel Malory, Irvine, Hillary and Tenzing stayed in prior to going to Everest. This was by far my favourite hotel of the whole trip! Ooozing with character and history. A wee drive to the train station then an overnight train to Calcutta, where we said goodbye to the jeeps and Santos. Calcutta was amazing! We had time to do a whistle stop tour of the city in time for some of us to go to a 20/20 Cricket match to see the Calcutta Night Riders v The Punjab Kings. Such an experience. The stadium was packed with 60-70,000 supporters. This was our last day, so we went to a rooftop restaurant which was a special place to say goodbye to our new friends before parting our ways and going home. I know this was to be a summary but there was too much to tell.

This trip is wonderfully varied with each day having something different to the last. The accommodation throughout is very comfortable especially if you love an adventure. There are highlights such as heritage and eco hotels and lodges , and full service camping with roomy tents . In March and the beginning of April the weather included sunny days in the cities of Delhi and Calcutta , contrasting with cold fresh nights on camp , with a hail shower . The hotel in Delhi has a pool and relaxation facilities , and for anyone arriving earlier , there is time for city tours to see the sights . The drives from the plains to the Himalayan hill stations revealed beautiful rivers , terraced tea plantations and habitations on high and steep slopes . We visited colorful Buddhist temples and the Unesco World Heritage site of the Toy Train at Darjeeling .

Such a varied and personally challenging tour! At 73, I wondered how well I would deal with the serious elevation hike up to the Ridge. The guide, Rajeev, made hard choices when the weather was difficult. The 3 guides supported us every day so we all did our best. The view at sunrise of the mountain from the Ridge made the effort worth it. The other stops in Darjeeling and Sikkim and Kolcutta gave us a good idea of this part of the country. A well planned and varied experience.

Amazing sunrises and sunsets. We were lucky to have good weather on trek. Tour drives were mostly pretty rough rutted post-monsoon mountain roads, but exciting, skillfully navigated by good drivers, and comfortable in large cars. Drives were often fairly long - but with tea breaks! Hotels: the hotel in Darjeeling was perhaps the least comfortable, the basic tea house at the end of the trek the most comfortable surprise, and the hotel in Gangtok the most beautiful and hospitable. Camping was very well supported. Camp meals were very good, varied and plentiful.