Incredible India comprises of some mesmerizing landscapes that keeps you locked in time at the sight of it, and you begin to wonder that there is an end of road where the roads end and the sky begins. One such place is the Gurudongmar Lake in North Sikkim. If you haven’t visited yet, it’s a place you would not want to miss. If you have visited, then I am sure you would want to visit again, like I want to.  This is my Travel experience of this beautiful Place with my friend .


Gurudongmar lake is one of the highest lake in the world, situated at the altitude of 17100ft. The lake is named after Guru Rinpoche, a Buddhist Monk who visited the lake for the first time ever known in the 8th century. When he saw it, he felt that it was worthy of veneration, as it represented the divine location of Dorje Nyima or Chhoedten Nyima. Because the lake remained frozen most of the year with no possibility of providing for drinking water needs, the people of the area appealed to Padmasambhva to help them. The guru agreed to help and placed his hands on a small part of the lake area, which stopped freezing during winter, facilitating drinking water to the people. Since then, the lake has been considered sacred and devotees carry this sacred water in containers which is supposed to have some healing power.


How to get there?
It is advisable to break this journey into two halves so that you can enjoy the beauty of nature and have some time on the way to connect, photograph and capture these precious moments into your memory. The first part of the journey is about four- and half-hour drive from Gangtok to Lachen.


During this part of the journey, you can see some beautiful view of the forest, waterfalls, old hanging bridges that you will drive through and rivers all across the journey. This drive is mesmerizing and its best you stop by in the local places along the way and enjoy some country wine, noodles (wai-wai), some local foods too. Don’t hesitate to walk into the village houses if they are inviting you, but make sure to smile and be friendly. Locals here are not poor, they are very rich at heart and very very humble and happy people. Sometimes you could be in for a treat at these local stalls. Make sure you have enough warmers with you because you will need the next day more than today!


Once you reach Lachen, you will realize that you are now in a remote side of the place and it will start to get a lot colder in the night. There are not too many places to stay, or the best of place to stay. But they will surely provide you will extra quilts and blankets and a very warm smile to keep you comfortable in the weather. People are very humble and always smiling, they will tell you stories when you ask them any information, which is good. You can even get to their kitchen and get your hands warmed up while they cook you a nice local meal. Make sure that you ask for extra blankets, you will need them to carry it
with you during the journey. You must ensure you return them back though.

Make sure you sleep well and sleep early because the next day will begin at 3AM in the morning. This is simply because the journey up to Gurudongmar is about 3 to 4 hours depending upon the weather, and you must reach early so that you are out of the place before 10AM in the morning. It gets very windy and you will not be allowed to stay there beyond 11AM.
Day TWO:


Like I said, the day starts very early and very cold, so make sure you have your warmers and enough blankets to cover you up even when you are inside a warm 4WD vehicle. The roads are steep, and God forbid, if its snowy and windy, it’s gonna be a tough journey. Most of the journey up will be very cold and very dark. But nothing to worry because the driver will take care of you with some nice local folk tunes and some wonderful stories about mysteries and ghosts around the mountains, if you are interested to hear them. As the dawn breaks, you will stop at a small valley called the Thangu valley where you can have some noodles for breakfast and warm your hands in the fireplace as they make you the breakfast and tea.


Now you will only stop at 15000 ft, at a café run by locals and the Army Jawans call the Café 15000. You will be served with warm coffee, you will be asked if you are okay to carry on. You might want to move around to acclimatize in the thin air at that height. If you arnt too comfortable already, it is advisable to break the journey and not continue any further. But if you are, you are in for a treat because the spectacular landscape from then on is so wonderful and picturesque that everywhere you turn, there will be a perfect postcard that you will click. You will never be able to get your eyes
off anywhere you turn. You can even experience the frozen waterfalls, frozen lakes and amazing landscapes of grazing yaks. Make sure you have your cameras ready!  

 
As you approach the mesmerizing Gurudongmar lake, you will see only snow peak mountains all over you, kept on either side of the road for you to abosorb and memorize. No matter how much picture you click, you will never be able to capture what you feel looking at the beauty of the nature all around you. So let you cameras rest for a while, breath the thin air and enjoy the magnetic view. Make sure you are not breathing too heavy, and make sure you don’t go running around the place. Remember the oxygen levels are quite thin and you must not exhaust yourself.


And when you look at the view of the Gurudongmar lake, you feel that it’s where the road ends and the sky begins. You might want to go around the lake, walk very slowly and breath easy. Don’t take the risk of doing this alone or if you are feeling very cold and windy. Don’t rush, and don’t eat or drink anything around there. No smoking or drinking at all, it’s a spiritual place and you must respect the spiritual faith. You will feel the vibration and positivity all around you. It is that place where you want to just look at the horizon, be silent and be with yourself, reflect and probably say or do nothing. The view is breathtaking and hypnotizing, so keep breathing and feel the bonding with you and the nature at its best! 


As you walk around the late, which is quite a long walk, you will realize that half of the lake is frozen. There will be locals at the other side of the lake, who might let you warm your hands in the wood they might be burning. You will see the local dover an swans around the lake and you will wonder how do they survive the winters here.


The view from the other side of the lake towards the side you started is absolutely spellbinding. You will see the clear blue sky and its true reflection on the lake, and even if you click that pic and turn it upside down it might just look the same.

You will not be able to see this breathtaking beauty anywhere else in the world, which will grip you and remain with you forever. The people travelling with you makes a lot of difference. I was with my best friend and that added all the sweetness in that amazing journey we did together.


As you end this journey, your cameras will be full of pictures of the lake and your heart will be filled with mesmeric and magnetic experience you just had, sometimes to your disbelief of what you just saw and experienced. This wonderful journey will remain with you for a long time. Our country has so many beautiful places, this will probably be that one place I want to go back with my wife and walk the lake again. Not too sure if I want to risk that in a wrong season, but this place reappears in my bucket list again!


Best time to visit?
September to November is a good time to visit because, apart from weather being pleasant during this time, it’s festival time. Dasain, Tihaar and Losoong, which is the Dussera, Diwali and the end of harvest festival, is celebrated during this time and you can see the richness and vastness of the Sikkimise culture which is the mix of Nepali, Bhutia and Tamang communities. Archery, Chaam dance, cultural shows, traditional food festivals are some of the few activities that you will enjoy during this time throughout the place. Festival time brings in a lot of life, colours, culture and happiness and this is also supported by the weather during this time. It’s the best time to visit Sikkim and take the trip up to the northern most part of Sikkim.