Prepare a factfile for a hill station of your choice. Indicate the following in it:

 (i)                  How to get there  (ii) What to see  (iii) Where to stay  (iv) Cuisine  (v) Flora  (vi) Scenic view  (vii) Time of the year to visit  (viii) Importance.

Gangtok: the Bounteous Gift of Nature

(i)                  How to get there: Nearest Railway Station

-New Jalpaiguri (117 km)

Nearest Airport

-Bagdogra (124 km)

(ii)                What to see: Lingdum Monastery (murals and statues); Himalayan Zoological Park (home to Red Panda, Snow Leopard and Barking Deer); Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (rare Lepcha, Tibetan and Sanskrit Manuscripts); Nam Nang view point, stroll on M.G. Road; bird watching in the morning.

(iii)               Where to stay: Ideal to arrange a stay with a local person to enjoy the trip fully.

(iv)              Cuisine: Thukpa with aloo-chura is fantastic; Niguru with churpi and Gundruk with sinki are also worth trying. Don’t forget to treat yourself with a cup of Temi tea.

(v)                Flora: Abundance of rhododendron (the state tree), dendrobium the (the state flower), orchids, pines and eucalyptus.

(vi)              Scenic view: On a sunny day, one can watch Kanchenjunga with all its glory.

(vii)             Time of the year to visit: March- May or September – November

(viii)           Importance: one of the three ecological hotspots in the country.