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Gangtok - The Capital
& East Sikkim
Wreathed in clouds, Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim is located on a ridge at a height of 5500 feet. With a spectacular view of the Khangchendzonga, the town provides the perfect base for travel through the state. Once an important transit point for traders traveling between Tibet and India, it is today a busy administrative and business centre and presents an interesting mix of cultures and communities.
Although the town is now dominated by concrete buildings and other manifestations of modernity, pockets of tradition still manages to flourish with monasteries and monks coexisting peacefully with the latest international style trends.
Gangtok is a cosmopolitan town, which offers the tourist all possible amenities. Hotels are available in a range of prices along with a variety of eateries serving exotic cuisine. Shopping complexes, cyber cafes, nightclubs and pool parlours abound for those so inclined.
But inspite of all the offerings of the modern world, a sense of mystique still permeates the town, lent perhaps by the spell cast by prayer flags fluttering in the breeze and the startling beauty of distant snow peaks.
Gangtok may be suffering a little from the ills inherent in unplanned growth and the ever growing tourist industry, but it still manages to retain a fair measure of beauty in its surroundings with all its diverse elements melding into one richly flavoured experience.
Population 50,000 approximately
Area approximately 15 sq. kms.
Gangtok Guide Map
Places of interest around Gangtok town
Excursions
Sikkimonline.com
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