Mid-range (Rs250-1000 per room night)
The main hotels are centrally located. The Nor-Khill (tel 3186/7), Paljor Stadium Rd has rooms, including meals, from Rs 750 single and Rs1150 double. The other ‘starred’ hotel is the Tashi Delek (tel 2991, 2038) on M.G. Road. It has a nice roof-top garden and rooms from Rs450 single without meals, and Rs800 with full board. Hotel Tibet (tel 2523, 3468), Paljor Stadium Rd, has some Japanese dishes on its extensive restaurant menu. Rooms from Rs350.
There are two comfortable and reasonably priced mid-range hotels run by Sikkim Tourism. These are Hotel Mayur on Paljor Namgyal Stadium Road (tel 2825, 2752) with rooms from Rs300, and the Siniolchu Bodge (tel 2074) outside Gangtok, near the Enchey Monastery, with rooms from Rs150.
Budget (under Rs150 per room night)
The cheaper hotels are Orchid (tel 2381), Kanchan View (tel 2086) and Sher-e-Punjab (tel 2823), all on National Highway: and Green (tel 2554) on Mahatma Gandhi Marg. All have rooms from Rs150 single and Rs200-250 double.
Accommodation is provided on the treks either in tents or tourist huts. At Pemayangtse, Hotel Mount Pandim provides a spectacular view of the mountain range.
EATING OUT
The markets of Gangiok Old Bazaar, Naya Bazaar and Ball Market have several eating places, offering low-priced food primarily made up of Tibetan and Chinese dishes. The larger hotels serve continental and Indian cuisines. The native brew is called change, and made of fermented millet seeds. This is mildly intoxicating and is drunk in great quantities.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Department of Tourism (tel 2064) on M.G. Road organises tours and can arrange car hire. Taxis are unmetered and rates should be negotiated before starting a journey. Sikkim Tourism has offices in Delhi, Calcutta, Siliguri and will be happy to help visitors with information, guidance as well as help in securing permits: at New Sikkim House, 14 Panchsheel Marg, New Delhi-110021 (tel 3015346); Sikkim Tourist Information Centre, 4 Poonam, 5/2 Russell Street, Calcutta 700017 (tel 296717, 297316); and at SNT Colony, Siliguri (tel 24602). There is also a Sikkim Tourist Information Centre at Bagdogra airport.
From Gangtok it is possible to obtain train and air-tickets. Train tickets can be purchased from SNT Booking Office, Gangtok (tel 2016), and air tickets from Jossi and Jossi, Nam Nam Road (tel 2592).
