India is a huge and vast country and one could spend a life time there and never do and see all the things on offer. Some of the most beautiful areas of India are the northern Himalayan provinces. These areas cover Ladakh, Sikkim and Darjeeling. These places are all nestled in the Indian Himalaya and offer a huge range of diversity when it comes to landscape and culture. The people in these areas are amazingly friendly and the landscape is out of this world.
The Indian Himalaya stretches across two pockets of India, one being in the east and the other in the west. Nestled amongst the mountains are many picturesque hill stations like Darjeeling, the jewel in India’s crown, Leh, Daramasla, the home to the Tibetan government in exile and the Dali Lama and Gangtok the provincial capital and entrance point to Sikkim. All of these areas are worth visiting, for sightseeing, relaxing or trekking.

When you mix the majesty of the Himalaya with the diversity and vibrancy of India’s culture, you get memories of a place that will live with you for your entire life time.

Sikkim
Sikkim is often referred to as Shangri-La, meaning heaven on earth. The natural beauty of this place is without compare. The geography is incredibly diverse, ranging from lush tropical valleys, richly cultivated land, sheer vertical ridges, high Himalayan snow fields and glacial valleys. The place is dotted with homely villages, Tibetan monasteries and Gompas. It has a rich and diverse culture which mingles three religions into one harmonious life style. Its perhaps not only the most beautiful place to visit but one of the most interesting as well.

Some of the best places to see around Sikkim are-
Enchey Monastery and Tsugla Khang- dating from 1909 this building commands majestic views of the mountains. The walls of the monastery are artfully painted and you can while away some time exploring the tales of Buddhism.

Flowers-this venue just outside of Gangtok is the best place to see all the mountain wildflowers in there glory.

Cottage Industries- at this institute, you can see the production of local handicrafts and furniture. It also acts as a display and sales room where you can spend some money on souvenirs to take home.

Tsomgo Lake- cradled at the top of some of Sikkim’s highest peaks, this lake feels like it is truly on the top of the world. Here you can enjoy the views and ride a decorated yak. The lake is frozen from December to January and ringed with snow until late march.

Pelling-is a lovely town surrounded by monasteries, waterfalls, archaeological ruins, Lepcha villages and jungle trekking routes. One can easily spend a few days here breathing in the fresh air and taking in the sights.

Rumtek- headquarters of the Karma-pa sect of Tibetan Buddhism and a very beautiful hill top village is one of the best places to get away, relax, meditate, or just watch the vegetables grow.

Gangtok-carved out of a hillside, this is the headquarters of the region and the main gateway into the area for tourists and trekkers. Its surroundings are spectacular, with its Himalayan settings and Gangtok is famed for its friendly and helpful people and its cleanliness in comparison to other Indian cities.

Darjeeling
Darjeeling is often referred to as the Queen of India’s hill stations. Many local people flock here during the hot summer months to escape the heat and breathe in the fresh air form the mountains. Darjeeling is the most famous hill station set up by the English during their occupation of India. The town is spread along the ridge with magnificent views of the Himalaya form one side, including Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world and stunning tropical jungle on the valley floor from the other side. Darjeeling is also famous for being the staging point of the earliest Everest expatiations, and it is also renowned as the center for the world’s major tea production.

Darjeeling can be easily accessed from Silguiri by jeep or bus. Silguiri is the major transport junction and can be reached by train from most places in India.

There are many things to do and see in Darjeeling.
Tiger hill- this is the town’s most popular viewing station for the Himalaya and Mount Kanchenjunga. This is the best spot to get sunrise views of the mountains, you can stand breathless and watch as the sun in turn highlights each of the peaks, turning them pink. On a really clear day, you can see  Mount Everest. Tiger hill is essentially an observation tower on top of the 2590m rise just 11 km outside Darjeeling itself.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.-This place is the cenotaph of Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Darjeeling who famously accompanied sir endumd Hillary on his summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Tenzing was the long term director of the HMI and now days his ashes can be viewed here. The institute acts as a training post for the Indian Army and boldly teaches mountain climbing to Indians only. A part of the institute is also the mountaineering museum where you can see a range of mountaineering equipment from though the ages. At the museum is also a telescope set up to view Mount Kanchenjunga.

Ghoom Monastery-founded in 1850, this is the regions most famous and beautiful monastery. The Monastery comprises of a large shrine inclosing a statue of the Maitreya Buddha which is made of gold and stands 5 m high. This monastery has been painstakingly re furbished and is now at its full splendor.

Happy Valley Tea Estate- this is the best example of a tea plantation. The plantations are open for visitors and you can go there and watch tea pickers at work. You will be guided around the estate by one of the workers and will be shown the process of how tea is transformed from the plant to the beverage that we all know and love.

Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway- this is a short and very old cable car ride. You can take the trip from near the HMI, over the tea shrubs getting great views of Darjeeling and the valley below along the way. The round trip takes about half an hour.

Gymkhana Club- images of the Raj era and the English seem to go hand in hand with Gymkhana Clubs. This relic of the British empire is an interesting, if somewhat dilapidate place to explore. Inside you can use the facilities which include, billiards, snooker, squash, tennis and roller skating. There is also a very interesting library chock full of dusty literature and tales of imperialism.

Observatory Hill- another fine place to take in Darjeeling’s seemingly limitless views. The place is also a scared sight for Hindus and Buddhists. It is also closely tied to the origins of Darjeeling’s name. This grove protected by handsome pines and a thick web of prayer flags is fabled as the resting place of Indra’s septer or Dorje. Also near to the site you can explore the caves which have carvings of Vishnu and Ganesh among others, and keep a weary eye out for the fearsome monkeys that inhabit this area.

Zoological Park- a short walk from the town, you can find this beautiful and well kept zoo. Here you can see many rare animals like Siberian tigers, red pandas and of course the very rare and elusive snow leopard. The park is also home to the snow leopard breeding center.

Around Darjeeling there are also a number of interesting treks that you can do, in fact walking is perhaps the best way to get around the area. Darjeeling is also the gateway to the trekking Mecca of Sikkim.

Ladakh
Ladakh is on of the oldest kingdoms in India. The kingdom stretches over a 3500m desert like plateau and the Indus Valley and is part of the southern silk route between Tibet and Kashmir. The capital city of Ladakh is Leh and it has a very distinct central Asian feel. The area is littered with gorgeous gompas, deserted mountain trails, thriving villages and bustling bazaars, all tinge with a feel of an ancient and lost world. This far flung pocket of north western India is like a high altitude snow desert surrounded by razor sharp jagged mountain peaks.

Leh is the major post in the area and most people come here before hey commence trekking in the Ladakh region.

There are some interesting sights to see around the area-

Shanti Stupa-To reach this place you have to climb the 560 steps. At the stupa you will see the legacy of Fujii Guraji, a Japanese Buddhist who moved to India in 4931. This stupa is a Japanese built peace pagoda with some very beautiful panels depicting the life of Buddha.

Namgal Tsemo Gompa-this Gompa has many paintings depicting wrathful deities and benign bodhisattvas. The Gompa has a dark and eerie feel to it.

Sengge Namgyal Palace – towering above the old town of Leh and built during the 1630’s this nine story palace is a fine tribute to the Shey Empire. Back in the day, a roar of a loin would mark the opening of the main gate, the palace is a display room of thankas and swords.

Though desert like, Ladakh has some very interesting and surprisingly lush and beautiful places to visit, trekking is the best mode to get around and explore this sub Himalayan region. But some other interesting places you can visit by jeep or bus are-

Shey- this one time ancient capital is now the famous resting places of giant twin images of Sakyamuni. Both are located near to the majestic palace sitting in the surrounding hills.

Tikse-Perched on a craggy ridge is perhaps the most beautiful and most photographed Gompa in Ladakh due its breath taking surroundings.

Srinagar- previously one of the biggest tourist destinations in India, but due to recent conflict is nowadays less visited. Peace now prevails in this area and once again it is possible to visit this place, by doing so you will be one of the few lucky people to visit the most beautiful place in the world. This beautiful old town with its many gardens and cobbled streets overlooks the majestic lakes  and is surrounded by mountains and give you images that will settle in your mind for a life time. It is also the gateway to some of the most spectacular trekking in the world, but you must be accompanied by a guide.