Bike Ride to Nathula Pass: The Most Enchanting Part of the Himalaya

 To learn more about the trade is done in Nathula, I was very keen to have a visit; so I decided a bike ride to Nathula pass. Bike rental in Siliguri made my journey more feasible,as I was traveling from Cooch Behar it was easy for me to opt for Darjeeling riders, the Bike hire in Sikkim. Nathula border was used as a silk trade route between India and Tibet.  A bunch of mules used to carry silk, gold, Tibet to India and take necessary basic essentials back to Tibet from India. Just after the relation between China and Tibet deteriorated the trade between India and Tibet was carried away by the Chinese troops.  In 1958 former Prime Minister of India engraved a stone called “Nehru stone” at that time guard of both the borders were quite enough and friendly. On certain days a week, they used to exchange mails and messages to each other.

Bike Ride To Nathula Pass: Must Visit Places in Sikkim

To a surprise, everything was running good between both the countries when in early 1962 the war broke out between India and China, whereas the fenced border of both the countries became silent. But in 1965 a fire broke out across the border because of a dispute around the location of the fenced border. In 1967 a major conflict took place here between the two countries and many lives were lost on both sides. Hence after that, you will find a major memorial constructed in honor of the Indian soldiers lost their lives. Then after old Silk Route again reopened on 6th July 2006 that was after some 44 years of closure, allowing limited trade between India and Tibet of China.

Before sketching the trip things you should Remember:

Before the visit, I learned more about Nathula when and not to visit. Surprisingly my GMT was on the right track. To be informed you have to keep some important things in your mind before the visit:

• To keep in mind Nathula is only opened 5 days a week i.e. from Wednesday to Sunday. Best time to visit Nathula is May to October i.e. because at that time it has a moderate temperature loitering between 10 to 15°C which is acceptable by a Human body. As winter here starts from November is unbearable between December and February with a temperature as low as -25°C and the road to Nathula is closed due to heavy snowfall during this period.
• As the oxygen level is too low so people can face breathing problems. Before the visit, it would be better to consult a Doctor and to be safe to carry Acetazolamide Tablets while visiting Nathula. If you are not confident about your breathing condition you should carry small Oxygen cylinders with you.
• As we know Nathula is a border protected area, so NRIs and Foreign Nationals are not allowed. As for Indians, they require a valid permit i.e. Protected Area Permit (PAP) to visit Nathula. Just for knowledge Chinese citizens and Bangladeshi citizens are not allowed to enter Sikkim. Then I was informed that I have to get it done from the tour operator as there are plenty of them but as I wanted to ride so I opted for bike rental in Siliguri. After short listing some best options,I opted for Darjeeling riders after reading about them.
• Don’t forget to carry necessary documents like Voter Card, Passport, Aadhar Card,2 passports sized photograph and most importantly don’t miss the valid License of yours. Applications for the permit is accepted in the morning and disbursed in the afternoon sometimes it takes a day to release. So keep in mind to apply for a permit one day in advance.

Nathula Pass: An Exciting Travel Tale to Bikers

So let me visualize the whole trip and my experience of the leisure trip of the Himalayan range. It was during the mid of September I started the journey from my hometown, Cooch behar and headed towards Siliguri by bus. On my way met a travel agent had a small conversation and he shared me the information about the agents who supply bikes on rent. He was very much sure about Darjeeling Riders who give certain options like bike rent in siliguri, Sikkim, Darjeeling and Bhutan.Though,as he was an agent I was not convinced by his gesture.

After the hectic journey of 4 hours I reached Siliguri. Took to manage some stuff took a dormitory in the Delhi Hotel situated in Siliguri Junction. Then tied my laces my headed towards the Darjeeling Riders, the bike hire in Sikkim and submitted my document copies that were my Aadhar Card, license and Photograph for the Nathula Pass. From numerous options of bikes, I opted for Thunderbird 350 which charged me Rs 1500/-. To inform an additional of Rs Read More