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Gangtok: It's the peak tourist season, a time when business for the locals is at its best, the economy looks up at its most buoyant. For tourism is what it almost entirely relies on. For Indian nationals from all over the country as well as the foreign tourist, Sikkim offers a culture and people, an atmosphere and feel, so distinct from anywhere else in the country, an ideal getaway from the heat of the plains.
The tiny Himalayan state of Sikkim, north of West Bengal, adjoining India's north-eastern border, is accessible from Kolkata by air up to Bagdogra, and a further 114 km by road via Siliguri to the capital Gangtok. Gangtok, literally the lofty hill, the state capital, as the name suggests, is settled on foothills facing the Himalayan range, having come up to cater to its tourists, give to them an experience of a lifetime and more. "People come here for trekking, things like that, see the mountains. I heard that the people are very friendly, very welcoming. It's a nice place to see and Sikkimese are great," said Nikki, a foreign tourist. "Sikkim is a very beautiful place. We have been here for two only days, but have enjoyed it tremendously. We have been to the restaurants and had superb meals. The only thing is that we haven't seen the mountains as yet because of the clouds. We hope that it clears and maybe we will be able to see it tommorrow, first thing in the morning hopefully," said Richard, another foreign tourist. With that clearing of the mists, it appears - the magnificent Kanchenjanga, the third highest of the world's mountains, at such close quarters too, as the crow flies, a mere 80 km away. To the locals, those lofty slopes girdled by glaciers have taken on the form of a deity. For the tourists, its sighting overpowers every other, the highlight of a trip that has this and so much to offer. "We look at Sikkim from two points of view, it's a land of peace and tranquility and is the Switzerland of the east because we have glaciers, the snow capped mountains and the third ice mountains in the world. So we have all the potentials that are available for the development of tourism and because of these potentials, our basic policy in development of the tourism sector is eco tourism," said Kharma Yechua, Secretary, Tourism, Sikkim. In this line, with over 600 species of orchids, Sikkim is a flower enthusiast's paradise. The National Research Centre of Orchids has a range of elaborate programmes running, bringing out new exotic hybrid varieties. Besides those in the wild and the sub-tropical forests, flower nurseries have a stunning range of orchids. This among other areas of eco-tourism has given Sikkim a place on the world map too. "We are giving special emphasis on orchids of Sikkim. So whatever you are seeing, we are giving maximum emphasis on orchids, because orchids have got good international as well as domestic markets," said TS Lechungpa, organiser, orchid flower show. Sikkim's cultural wealth, a mixture of five distinct tribes of the entire north-eastern region and Nepal, provide an added attraction. Buddhism has been the predominant religion here, and along with a Buddhist folk culture of its own, the architecture, paintings and other artifacts have been preserved. Sikkim was in the news recently for a sizeable grant from the Centre, 75 million US dollars, for further development of infrastructure. A tribute to the land, its culture and people. Nainital all spruced up (Go to Top) Nainital: Water sports, river rafting and boat rides are something that have attracted tourists in Nainital town for long. And with the onset of tourist season, boat makers have started renovating and decorating their boats with luxury coaches, flowers and other accessories to woo tourists. "The tourist season continues till May-June. It is in full swing, lot of tourists come. That's why repairing is very important. We do it every year...twice in a year. One is in April-May and second time in the month of October," said Lalit Joshi, a boat owner. The carpenters who carry out the repair work charge anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000 rupees. "We are mending our boats nowadays. Because it is tourist season in Nainital. It is a three-month season, April, May and June. So we have to mend the boats, we have to repaint the boats, and do oiling and greasing. We also decorate our boats to attract the tourists," said Raman Lal, another boat owner. Endowed with abundant natural beauty, the hilly state of Uttaranchal attracts a large number of tourists every year. The state witnessed 42 per cent growth in tourism in 2002. The number of foreign tourists visiting India jumped 11 per cent in the first four months of 2003. Some 939,072 foreign tourists visited India between January and April compared with 845,911 in the year-ago period. Despite the rise, India still accounts for just 0.4 per cent of the global tourism market. Jollybuoy: Jewels in the ocean (Go to Top) Jollybuoy Beach (Andaman): Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is fast emerging as a favourite tourist destination due to its pollution-free environment. Hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists throng the Jollybuoy beach to bask in the sun and surf the waters. The beach is situated at the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, one of the longest marine sanctuaries in the world. Foreign tourists said that they were enchanted by the silver beaches of Jollybuoy. "I would tell my friends this is a place that is not spoiled by tourists, where nature is so pure. They should definitely come here," said Grace, a tourist from Holland. "I like the fish here. They are my best friends ... the fish. I like swimming here in water. It is fun ... just fun," said Jayaguna, a tourist from Sri Lanka. Jollybuoy also offers a breathtaking view of coral reef and marine life. Glass bottom boats help the tourists take closer look at the underwater life. "This (coral reef) is fabulous, indescribable in words. It is like a rainbow inside the water. It forms like a jewel ... all sorts of forms. The colourful beauty is provided by the multi- coloured pieces. They provide you a dreamland inside the water. You have to see it to believe it. I have seen so many places, but no comparison with this place," said Dilip Das, a tourist from Delhi. Of the 572 islands in Andaman and Nicobar archipelago only two of them are opened for tourists - Red Skin and Jollybuoy. Nearly 80,000 domestic and 5,000 foreign tourists visit the Jollybuoy beach annually. India's tourism sector has been growing rapidly, becoming the largest foreign exchange earners after gems and jewellery and garments. -ANI |
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