From Gangtok to Darjeeling: Amey Khot’s Sikkim Journey with Thrillophilia

Thrillophilia Verified Booking
PNR: BKD9XYVYPZM
Rating: ★★★★★
Travellers: Amey Khot & His wife
Trip Duration: 8 Days | 7 Nights
Date of Travel: 19 Dec 2023 to 26 Dec 2023
Package Booked: Romantic tour of Gangtok, Pelling and Darjeeling | FREE Skywalk Tour

By the second time Amey Khot reopened the suitcase to “check if the jackets were packed properly,” his wife had already started laughing at him.

The room looked exactly the way most mountain-trip packing sessions do. Winter clothes spread across the bed, chargers hanging from every plug point, snacks being stuffed into backpacks at the last minute, and a running debate about whether Darjeeling would actually feel colder than Gangtok in December. Funny enough, later while writing their Darjeeling trip review, this chaotic packing night was one of the first things Amey remembered.

But underneath all the chaos, there was also excitement quietly building.

For Amey and his wife, this trip had been pending for a long time. Not just Darjeeling, but the idea of taking a proper mountain holiday together without rushing through it, something slower and longer. A journey where the roads, the weather, and the small moments in between mattered just as much as the sightseeing itself.

Their trip began on 19th December 2023 and unfolded over eight days across East, South, and West Sikkim before ending in Darjeeling. Looking back later, what both of them kept talking about was not just the scenery but how personal and relaxed the entire experience had felt from start to finish.

In fact, while later sharing their experience, Amey mentioned how Thrillophilia's Darjeeling tour package never once felt overly touristy or rushed.

Gangtok Felt Like the Right Place to Begin

The drive from Bagdogra towards Gangtok slowly pulled them out of city life and into the mountains.

The roads curved beside the Teesta River, the air became colder with every passing hour, and somewhere along the way, conversations naturally became quieter too. At one stop near Kalimpong, they watched rafting boats moving through the river below while sipping tea from a roadside stall.

By the time they reached Gangtok in the evening, MG Marg was glowing under winter lights and cold mountain air.

That first evening stayed simple in the best way.

Amey and his wife walked through the market without really planning anything. They stopped for momos, browsed souvenir shops they did not need, and spent longer than expected just watching people move through the streets.

There was no pressure to “cover” anything yet.

The trip had only just started.

The Mountains Around Gangtok Slowly Took Over

The next day’s sightseeing introduced them properly to Gangtok.

At Tashi Viewpoint, clouds moved slowly around Kanchenjunga before finally revealing the mountain properly for a few minutes. And like most people standing there that morning, Amey quietly reached for his phone before eventually lowering it again.

Some views feel better when you simply stand still for them.

The day moved through monasteries, waterfalls, hilltop temples, flower gardens, and cultural centres across Gangtok. Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok brought wide mountain views, while the Institute of Tibetology and local handicraft centres gave the journey more depth beyond sightseeing photos.

But somewhere between the long mountain drives and stops at places like Ban Jhakri Falls and Lhasa Waterfall, the trip slowly stopped feeling like an itinerary.

It started feeling immersive instead.

Tsomgo Lake Became the Moment They Talked About Most

Day three brought colder weather and higher roads as they headed toward Tsomgo Lake.

The drive itself felt unforgettable. Snow slowly began appearing along the roadsides, the wind turned sharper, and every turn opened into another mountain view.

Then suddenly, the lake appeared.

Frozen blue water surrounded by snow-covered slopes, prayer flags moving in the wind, and temperatures cold enough to make everyone immediately pull their gloves tighter.

Amey’s wife later joked that this was the point where the trip officially started feeling “like a proper winter holiday".

Later, they visited Baba Mandir, where the stories attached to the temple added a different emotional layer to the day.

Even on the drive back to Gangtok, the excitement inside the vehicle never really faded.

Some places stay loud in your memory long after you leave them.

Pelling Brought the Quietest Moments of the Trip

As they travelled toward Pelling through Ravangla, the pace of the journey changed again.

Buddha Park stood calmly against mist-covered mountains, and unlike the busier tourist spots, Ravangla felt peaceful almost instantly.

Pelling carried the same energy forward.

Compared to Gangtok, everything here felt slower. The roads were quieter, the views opened wider, and Kanchenjunga somehow looked even closer from this side of Sikkim.

The sightseeing covered Khecheopalri Lake, Pemayangtse Monastery, Rabdentse Ruins, waterfalls, and smaller local stops spread across the region.

But for Amey and his wife, some of the nicest moments happened during the drives in between.

Stopping at tiny roadside tea stalls. Watching clouds slowly move across the hills. Sitting silently during long stretches of mountain roads without feeling the need to constantly talk.

Those were the moments that stayed longer than expected.

Darjeeling Felt Familiar Almost Immediately

By the time they reached Darjeeling, the trip had already settled into its own rhythm. Tea gardens covered the hillsides, colourful houses climbed the slopes, and the streets around Mall Road brought back movement and energy again. That evening ended up becoming one of their favourite parts of the trip. Hot tea in cold weather, warm street lights across the hills, shopping without urgency, and long walks where neither of them checked the time even once.

The next morning began before sunrise for Tiger Hill. Wrapped in layers against the cold, they stood waiting with dozens of other travellers as the first sunlight slowly touched Kanchenjunga in the distance. Nobody really spoke during those few minutes.

The mountain handled all the talking itself.

The rest of the day covered Batasia Loop, Ghoom Monastery, tea gardens, Peace Pagoda, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, and the Darjeeling Zoo, but Tiger Hill quietly stayed above everything else in memory.

The Part That Made the Journey Feel Effortless

For Amey and his wife, the biggest success of the trip was how smooth everything felt despite covering so many destinations.

The hotels provided by Thrillophilia stayed comfortable throughout, the itinerary never felt exhausting, and the entire experience remained flexible enough to actually enjoy the mountains instead of constantly chasing schedules.

They especially appreciated Tilak ji, their driver-cum-guide, who slowly became a huge part of the journey itself. Whether it was local stories during long drives, food suggestions, or simply keeping the atmosphere light throughout the trip, his presence made the experience feel far more personal.

At the same time, the Thrillophilia contact manager, Ravi, and local operating team stayed connected daily to ensure everything remained properly coordinated. Later, while sharing their experience, Amey mentioned that what stood out most was how private and customisable the journey had felt throughout.

To them, that feeling stayed till the very end, so much so, that by the time they left Darjeeling on the final day, the mountains no longer felt unfamiliar.

They already felt like a place both of them knew they would eventually return to again.

Also Read: Nikhil & Pankaja Sikkim and Darjeeling Trip with Thrillophilia