21 Popular Peaks:
Baruntse ( 7220m ), Chamlang ( 7319m ), Chomo Lonzo ( 7818m ), Lhotse ( 8516m ), Machhapuchhare ( 6993m ), Makalu ( 8462m ), Mount Everest ( 8850m ), Nuptse ( 7861m ), Kanchenjunga ( 8586m ), Talung ( 7349m ), Rathong ( 6679m ), Kabru N ( 7353m ), Koktang ( 6147m ), Simvo ( 6812m ), Frey ( 5853m ), Kabru S ( 7318m ), Kabru Dome ( 6600m ), Kabru Forked ( 6100m ), Pandim ( 6691m ), Tenchenkhang ( 6010m ), Jupono ( 5650m )
1 High Passes:
Singalila Top ( 3700m )
1 Serene Lakes:
Kalapokhari ( 3012m )
4 Tranquil Rivers:
Gorkhey Khola, Ramam River, Siri River, Lodhama River
11 Beautiful Remote Villages:
Gorkhey, Bhareng, Gairibas, Meghma, Maneybhanjyang, Rammam, Srikhola, Sepi, Molley, Gurdum, Samanden
1 National Parks Or Forest Reserve:
Singalila National Park
10 Reasons Why The Sandakphu Phalut Trek Is A Must Do For Any Trekker
- The Sandakphu Trek offers a grand view of 4 of the Worlds highest 8000-meter peaks, namely Mt. Everest, Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Kanchenjunga. These 4 form the top 5 highest mountains in the World missing K2 which is the second-highest mountain and is in POK. Sandakphu Trek is one of the rarest treks which offer a view of such giant peaks all in a single frame.
- Widespread Panorama of 26 peaks: Apart from the 4 highest peaks, the Sandakphu Trek offers a Panoramic view spanning over 220 degrees covering more than 26 beautiful and coveted peaks of Bhutan, Sikkim, and Nepal. It starts from Annapurna in the West and the view ends up in Narshing and Chomolhari as we spin our heads further east.
- Sleeping Buddha From Sandakphu: The surreal view of Kanchenjunga and the Sleeping Buddha formation is unbelievable to your eyes and Mother Nature constantly tickles your imaginations with various other elements of it like clouds, the colour of the sky, the hues of sunrises and sunsets, etc. playing around it to help you to leave your world behind and walk into its dreamy world. It is formed by more than 17 peaks of the Kanchenjunga Family of mountains. Sleeping Buddha View Point from Sandakphu and Phalut is a unique speciality of this trek. no other trek offers the same in the entire Himalayas. You have to see it to believe it.
- Wild Life Sighting: The trail towards Sandakphu and that to Phalut and return till Gorkhey is under the deep cover of bamboo forest along with tall coniferous trees which makes it an excellent home to various wild like including big cats. Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Takin, Wild Boar, Himalayan Black Bear, Barking Deer, Yellow-throated Martens, Pangolins and sometimes even Tigers venture into this forest. The tall bamboo forest is also home to the exotic Red Pandas which are found in the forest of China, Nepal and the North East only. Though sighting them is difficult but many trekking on this route have sighted them, especially on the trail between Tumling to Gairibas through the deep forest cover, and between Kaiyakata to Kalipokhari.
- Excellent Opportunity For Bird Watching: The Singalila National Park is home to various species of birds and some of them are very rare and endangered. It's a paradise for bird watchers and photographers to capture some of the most colourful and beautiful birds of the Singalila National Park.
- Exhilarating Views Of Sunrise and Sunsets Over The Mountains and Valleys From The Top: This trek is all about Sunrises and Sunsets. Sometimes in Sandakphu, the entire valley down below is covered by deep layers of clouds making you feel on top of those clouds. The hues of dusk over the white clouds take you to a different world. Sometimes, this same pool of clouds makes the Sleeping Buddha look like a Floating Buddha.
- Peaceful Sight Of Kalipokhari - The Black Lake: Kalipokhari is a beautiful lake that falls on this trek route on the 2nd day of the trek. The name translates into 'black lake' and rightly so as the water of the lake appears black from the top when seen from a distance. The lake is a pious site for the locals and is marked by furling Buddhist prayer flags and a small Chorten (temple) beside it. The site of Kalipokhari is mostly foggy and mystic and is one of the most romantic destinations on this trek route.
- Unique Cultural Exposure: This region is home to the Lepchas, Sherpas and Limboos and their hospitality will be cherished for a lifetime. There's a lot to learn from them and since we stay in local homestays, it makes a door for the exchange of knowledge, which ultimately shapes your travel experience and overall personality.
- Experience India And Nepal On The Same Trek: This is a borderline trek between India and Nepal and it swings between India and Nepal multiple times. For 3 nights we stay in Nepal and for the other 3, we stay on the Indian side.
- Beautiful Remote Villages, Homestays And Delicious Local Food: We come across many villages on this trek route namely Gairibas, Samanden, and Gorkhey. Each one of them is unique and beautiful. The ambience and peace around these villages are something you will take with you, and will always crave for it after you complete the trek to Sandakphu and Phalut
Not many trek organisers arrange the complete trek covering both Sandakphu and Phalut. We suggest you should undertake the complete trek so that you won't regret it later. To understand why we say so, read our blog Why Phalut Is A Must-Do With Sandakphu Trek?