Lachung

The Valley of Snow and Rhododendron

Lachung, the last human settlement and a popular tourist hub on the North Eastern flank of Sikkim, lays at an altitude of 2700 meters. This thinly populated village of Lachung-Pa, a Tibeto-Bhutia community, attracts many tourists during Spring, Summer and Autumn seasons for exquisite natural surroundings dominated by high mountain cliffs, verdant rhododendron valley, natural hot springs, perennial snowfields and elevated plateaus across the Trans-Himalayan region.

At a close distance from the Indo-Tibet border, Lachung falls under a restricted territory and requires advance permission to visit this place. Several day excursions to the higher niches of the Himalayas – Yumthang, Yumesamdong, Zero, and Katao, have brought this place to the prime tourist hotspot map in Sikkim. All these places are known for their stunning landscape, which is often compared with the Swiss Alps.

The rambling Tista River, locally known as Lachung Chu, flowing through Lachung, has separated the villages into different parts. An unplanned construction of several hotels in the lower part of the valley may not be very pretty, though. However, the upper part of Lachung on an elevated plateau provides a superb view of the entire valley with snow-clad mountains in the backdrop. Through the jumbles of hotels, peeps a small monastery of Lachung, which was built in 1880. It is a prime religious place for locals and also for tourists.

The valley of maddening Rhododendrons, Lachung, is popularly known as the flower valley. It has over 30 species of Rhododendron. The nearby hot spring is a significant tourist attraction. So is the source of the Tista River at Yumesamdong.

Weather | Each season brings its unique colour and charm. During spring, the surrounding subtropical forests predominated by a massive variety of Rhododendron sets the woods on fire. In the early summer and monsoon, the entire valley floor is covered with Primula, Yellow Poppy, Cinquefoil, Primroses, Louseworts and Cobra-lilies. These colourful flower bed on the grassy slopes and valley engulfed with monsoon cloud & mist creates a sublime vista. Lachung starts receiving snow during mid-December which continues till early April. The valley and its surroundings remain under snow during this period and are often cut off from the rest of the world.

Activities in Lachung

Mountain Biking and Motor Biking - The fantastic landscape of Lachung and surrounding valleys attracts many bikers in this region. Naturabeyond arranges long and short duration biking trips with a camping option in the valley. Some of the stretches are long and strenuous, but the terrain can be negotiated without much difficulty if you are an expert biker. However, backup vehicle support will always be there in case of some problem.

Bird watching in Lachung - The stretch between Lachung – Yumthang Valley is a rich bio-diversity zone and hosts a good collection of Sub-temperate and Sub-alpine bird species. The major birding area is the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary and the valleys along the Lachung Chu River. MORE

Attractions in Lachung

Yumthang Valley
Popularly known as the 'Valley of Flowers', Yumthang Valley, set amidst the snow-capped mountains in North Sikkim, presents its unique landscape beauty. At an altitude of 3700 meters, these high pastures fed by glacial rivers and streams glow with their array of colours from April to October.
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Yumesamdong
A further 20 km drive from Yumthang Valley leads to another charming valley, Yumesamdong, at 4000 meters. The rugged meandering road follows the River Tista and takes some sharp bends as the road climbs higher. The vegetation keeps on changing as you reach closer to Yumesamdong. The Temperate Silver Fir - Rhododendron forest will now alter into Alpine meadow and shrublands with dwarf Rhododendron, primula, azalea blooming everywhere, and a strange smell of nature will engulf you.
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Hotels and Stays

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Lachung is located 120 km north of Gangtok and takes about 5 hrs to reach. Chungthang is the nearest town 20 km down to the south and a confluence of Lachen Chu and Lachung Chu. Mangan is the head-quarter of Lachung, which lies 50 km south of the village. The travel to Lachung is not very smooth as most of the cascading waterfalls keep damaging the road. However, the journey is very scenic and passes through some of the densely forested hills with a lovely snow peaks view. The road becomes dangerous during the monsoon between July and September, with frequent landslides blocking the access temporarily.