12-October-2017, 10:00 a.m., North Sikkim Highway:

Leaving the familiar Gangtok behind, we are on the road to explore the unfamiliar territory of North Sikkim. Having heard about the pristine Gurudongmar, a high-altitude lake perched at an altitude of 5212m (17100ft), we could not resist the temptation to visit this lake. It’s a two-day journey to the lake and so today we are traveling from Gangtok to Lachen in North Sikkim. I wonder why it took us all these years to come back here, but am glad we did – the greenery and the scenery of North Sikkim is captivating.

A nice day for traveling in the mountains; Photo: Swarjit Samajpati

Enchanting hamlets along the way; Photo: Swarjit Samajpati

Ooh the greenery; Photo: Swarjit Samajpati