Explore Pelling

Pelling sits at 2,150 metres in West Sikkim, on a ridge that faces directly northeast towards Kanchenjunga at 8,586 metres. The mountain is closer here than it appears from Darjeeling or Gangtok-on clear October and November mornings, the full south face of the massif fills the view from the ridge without obstruction from a foreground ridge. The Pelling Skywalk, a curved glass-floored walkway extending from the cliff edge above the Rimbi River gorge, gives a 360-degree view that includes both Kanchenjunga directly ahead and the river valley 250 metres below. Pemayangtse Monastery, 2 kilometres from Pelling at 2,085 metres, is one of the oldest and most revered Nyingma monasteries in Sikkim-founded in 1705 by Lhatsun Chempo, who is credited with the unification of Sikkim as a Buddhist kingdom. The seven-storey wooden architectural model of Zangdog Palri-the paradise of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava)-in the monastery's top floor is one of the most intricate religious artworks in the Himalayan region, carved by a single monk over years. Alike's complimentary monastery walk is with a Buddhist monk guide who can explain the iconography. Rabdentse, 2 kilometres from Pemayangtse, was the second capital of the Sikkimese Kingdom from 1670 to 1814. The ruins-stone walls, palace foundations, chortens, and a viewpoint offering the same Kanchenjunga panorama that the Sikkimese kings saw from their throne room-are one of the most evocative archaeological sites in the Himalayas. The site is accessible by a 15-minute walk through forest from the road. Most Pelling visitors miss it entirely. Alike's itinerary includes a guided Rabdentse walk. Khecheopalri Lake, 26 kilometres from Pelling, is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists-the lake is said to be so spiritually sensitive that no leaf is allowed to fall on its surface; birds catch them before they touch the water. The lake is at 1,700 metres in a forest bowl with prayer flags on every surrounding tree. The walk around the lake takes 45 minutes. Alike includes Khecheopalri as a half-day excursion.