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Exotic Zuluk from Thambi point

Why are you a third-rate tourist

1. You follow the beaten path where thousand have gone
2. You are not a tasteful
3. You love urban life and not interested in exotic, hidden and less traveled places
4. You are impatient and always in a hurry
5. You take holidays because of compulsions and not because you love traveling and nature
6. You are NOT a discoverer
 Change your life before you die!

See India and visit exotic Zuluk in Sikkim before run-over by mediocre tourists

Why Zuluk

Or Dzuluk is a small hamlet that resides amongst the serene, beautiful landscape of the Eastern Himalayas. At a height of about 9800 ft, this perfectly painted village is still virgin for it is a newly discovered tourist destination and remotely accessed. The natural beauty which Zuluk offers is a treat for one's eyes. With a population of about 750 people, the tranquility of Zuluk is in the air. One can feel the rejuvenating freshness in spite of the chilly wind that travels from the Himalayas.
Zuluk is an abode of peace. Situated at an altitude of around 10,000 ft above the sea level and perched on the rugged terrain of the lower Himalayas in East Sikkim, Zuluk is a hamlet close to Indo-China border. Zuluk is located on the famous Old-Silk-Route. Zuluk is a relatively new offbeat destination of Sikkim and has a primitive charm.

Zuluk is the name of the valley with a small hilly village and famous for the zig-zag roads which is a definitely an eye-catching landscape. Zuluk offers an excellent view of the sunrise on the Himalayas. There is a place called Ganek, which is situated at the height of 10600 ft which is famous for its exquisite view of sunrise at dawn.The rising of the sun is a phenomenon which is beyond description. During the sunset, the landscape view becomes more breathtaking. The snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas along with the guardian of the Sikkim, Mt. Kanchandzongha make an excellent showcase in the entire north.

Winter is severe in Zuluk with heavy to very heavy snowfall and freezing temperature while summer is wet and foggy. During the summer, Zuluk and its surrounding hills are covered with thousands of blooming rhododendron. Zuluk during these months is a riot of colors due to the variety of rhododendron that can be seen here.

In the travel circuit, this territory has been opened to the tourists very recently. Even now most of the route is restricted area due to its international boundary with ( Tibet) China and the route is controlled by the Indian Army named as – “ Cloud Warriors”.

Zuluk is full of nature’s boon

Mt Kangchenjunga view from Zuluk

Surrounded by virgin wild forests, it has a large diversity of the Himalayan fauna. It’s quite common to get a view of the variety of birds such as Monal Peasant, Blood Peasant, Snow Peasant, Khaleez Peasant and others. Viewing Red Panda is a rare luck in Zuluk. Himalayan Weasel are also can be seen in the capering mood.

In Zuluk, there is no conventional Hotel or Resort. Some home-stays are there which run by local people with attached bath and basic necessities. But those homestay cottages are clean and hygienic. Room Heater or fire Places which are called “ Bukhari” in local language arrange by home-stay owners to make bedroom warm and comfortable.

Tourist Places Around

1. Lungthung, Zuluk

Lungthung, one of the well-known sightseeing, is at an elevation of around 12,400 ft above the sea level. The site offers abode to different species of pheasant such as monal pheasant, khaleez pheasant and blood pheasant. Along with this, tourists can also spot red panda, the national animal of Sikkim, at this site.

Tourists can also explore the famous Laxmi Chawk, which lies in the proximity of Lungthung. It is a dense forest that houses mosses, lichens, rhododendrons, and ferns.

The village of Lunghthung-Dhupidara located at almost 11,500 feet is perched on a hilltop with panoramic views of Mt. Kanchenjungha on one side and the winding roads of Zuluk on the other. This shot has been taken from winding roads of Zuluk near Thambi
Tukla
About 4 kms ahead of Lungthung is Tukla, known for the battle of Tukla. A contingent of British army led by Lt. Col Francis Younghusband invaded Tibet through this route in 1903. They faced fierce resistance from the Tibetan fighters and the battle of Tukla ensued. The Tibetan soldiers suffered heavy loss in the face of British firearms. It is said that close to 2000 Tibetan soldiers lost their life in this battle. There is a memorial here remembering the British soldiers who fought and fell here.

2. The Thambi View Point, Zuluk

A beautiful sight of sunrise along with the eastern Himalayas

The Thane View Point, which is located at a height of 11,000 ft, is another popular attraction of Zuluk. One can catch a beautiful sight of sunrise along with the eastern Himalayas
Gnathang Valley, Zuluk
Gnathang Valley is a famous tourist attraction, which is situated at a height of 13,000 feet. The valley is being developed as a skiing point in the Indian state of Sikkim as it is often covered with snow.

3.The Kalpokhari Lake 

In summer Kalpokhari Lake

It falls on way to Adi Baba Mandir. Wild ducks swim in the transparent water oh the Lake which freezes during the winter. The Adi Baba Mandir is a memorial built in the honor of Sepoy Bhajan Singh (23 Punjab ) who met with a tragic accident in this area and died. His Samadhi was constructed near Chhokhya Chho but was later shifted to the Watershed Memorial near LOG BR. Wreath lying ceremony is held at this site in the memory of all those Valliant soldiers who laid their lives at the Watershed defending their motherland. The road to Gnathang Valley is very often covered with snow. This area is being developed as a Ski point in Sikkim. Chinese Water Towers on Jelepla are visible with naked eyes.


Permit
You need to pre-arrange special permit for visiting this restricted area that is issued from a place called Rangli. The permits are also issued from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. At the time of writing this article, Sikkim government has not come out with a clear policy on tourism in the area. Hence the permit related issues keep changing and please consult our travel experts for the latest update on Zuluk permit.

How to Reach Zuluk

A memorable zig-zag road to Zuluk

1. Zuluk is about 4 hours from Gangtok (90 km). Technically you may travel from Gangtok to Zuluk through Tsongo lake and Baba Mandir, but the permit for this route is relatively difficult to get. The more common route goes through Pakyong and Lingham.
2. If you are traveling from any other place, such as Darjeeling, Pelling or NJP / Bagdogra, you have to first travel to Rongpo, the entry point of Sikkim. From here a less trodden route will take you to Dzuluk through Rorathang.
3. People traveling to Dzuluk from East Sikkim adjacent Bengal region, that is the Kalimpong subdivision, would do better to travel through Pedong, Reshi, Aritar route.

The travel time and distance from different major destinations 

The actual travel time will depend on prevailing road condition at the time of travel. Trying to guess travel time based on distance and average vehicle speed mostly proves futile in this region.

• From Gangtok – 90 km, about 4 hours
• From NJP / Bagdogra - 160 km about 6 hours
• From Kalimpong – 90 km, about 3.5 hours
• From Pelling – 150 km, about 7 hours
• From Darjeeling – 140 km, about 5 hours

Places to Stay

• +Dilmaya Resort-Phone:098301 07780
• Zuluk Sojourn Homestay-Phone:099032 95920
• Palzor Home Stay-Phone:097341 50546
• +Snow Lion Homestay-Phone:081018 27279