Quite aptly Sikkim was named Nye-mae-el by its original inhabitants – meaning “paradise”. And that it truly is: The rugged peaks, deep valleys, dense forests and raging rivers are a feast for every nature lover’s eyes.

Sikkim boasts lush forests interspersed with rice terraces and groves of bright rhododendron. Here and there you can find Tibetan Buddhist gompas with colourful prayer flags fluttering in the wind. Kanchenjunga, at 8587 metres the world’s third highest mountain, lies on the Sikkimese border to Nepal. There are several magnificent viewpoints to its peaks throughout the state.

The best season to travel Sikkim is from late September to mid November, April and May, as the winter months tend to get very cold and in summer monsoon hides much of the beautiful landscape. Throughout the year there are vibrant, unique festivals, to which visitors are most welcome.

Sikkim has only around 600,000 inhabitants and is an exceptionally clean state of India, the use of plastic bags is banned.