Siam Society is holding a study trip to Sikkim and Darjeeling in India from April 22-30.
Sikkim is a state in northeast India bordered by Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, the area has dramatic landscapes that include India's highest peak Kangchenjunga at a height of 8,586m and the third highest on Earth.
Sikkim was an independent state populated by the indigenous Lepchas and early Tibetan settlers. In 1975, it became a part of India. This remote state is the second smallest in India and the least populous. The people are Buddhist of the Vajrayana sect, and 200 monasteries dot the region.
Its capital and largest city is Gangtok, originally established as a pilgrimage centre, has some beautiful Tibetan Buddhist monasteries with large murals, thangkas and prayer wheels. Also noted is the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology which houses rare Buddhist scripture and art.
The trip will focus on southern Sikkim with its scenic vistas, Buddhist monasteries, tea plantations, mountain trails and local handicrafts. Participants will pay a visit to Namchi, home to impressive pilgrimage centres and one that has the world's largest statue of the Buddhist Padmasambhava, which is also known as Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim that is 40m tall.
They will proceed to Pelling, a small town with amazing mountain views and once the capital of Sikkim. It houses some attractive monasteries and the Pelling Glass Sky Walk -- the first of its kind in India. The trip will continue to Darjeeling, once the summer resort for the elite of the British Raj, located in India's West Bengal state. There, participants will witness its scenic beauty, ancient forests, tea plantations and the narrow-gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway known as the Toy Train.
The trip also includes an exciting 45-minute cable car ride at the Ranjeet Valley Ropeway. Observatory Hill will provide a magnificent view of the Himalayas while walking down the mall will highlight some places of past British life in Darjeeling, the tea museum, grand hotels, old churches and more.
The fee is 92,500 baht (89,000 baht for members). Email thun@thesiamsociety.org or call 02-661-6470--3 ext 205 between 9am and 5pm from Tuesday to Saturday.
