Author
Ajay Sharma
Ajay runs We Care Holidays from Gangtok. He has been planning trips across Sikkim, Darjeeling and Nepal since 2012 and still drives North Sikkim himself twice a season.
11 articles by Ajay Sharma
Destination GuidesYumthang Valley: flowers, Zero Point and what the valley actually looks like at 3,564m
The rivers running beside the road are glacier-clear and the rocky ridgelines above feel close enough to touch. Yumthang at 3,564m is North Sikkim at its most dramatic — and Zero Point, 20 km further, adds a different world again.
Destination GuidesPelling: Kanchenjunga views, upper Pelling hotels and what to do in 2 nights
Pelling is the closest you can get to an unobstructed Kanchenjunga view without trekking. No permit, no special access — just a clear October morning and the right room on the upper ridge. Here is how to plan it properly.
Destination GuidesNathu La Pass: permits, the 200-a-day limit and what to expect at the India–China border
Only 200 permits are issued for Nathu La each day. They are non-refundable if weather shuts the road. Here is how the permit actually works, why every operator goes here first, and what it feels like to stand metres from the Chinese army at 4,310m.
Destination GuidesGurudongmar Lake: altitude, permits, access rules and what to expect at 5,430m
We have taken more than 5,000 guests to Gurudongmar since 2012. Here is the honest guide — the 10 AM cut-off that turns cars back, why oxygen is mandatory, and exactly who should not make this trip.
SeasonsMonsoon in Sikkim: what actually happens from July to September
Yes, it rains. No, the state does not shut down. Here's what we see from our office window every monsoon — the landslide stretches, the quiet valleys, and why some of our favourite guests come in August.
Travel EssentialsAltitude sickness at Gurudongmar: what we tell every guest
Gurudongmar sits at 5,430 metres. That is a real number with real consequences. We've had to turn cars back more than once — here is the honest briefing we give before every North Sikkim trip.
ItinerariesSikkim & Darjeeling in 10 days: a real itinerary
Not a brochure — an actual day-by-day that works for families, couples and solo travellers alike, with honest advice on what to skip.
SeasonsBest time to visit Sikkim: an honest month-by-month guide
January is for snow at Nathang. April is for rhododendrons. July is for quiet roads and green. We live here — here is what every month actually looks like, and which one is right for your trip.
StoriesA morning at Rumtek: the prayer hour no-one talks about
Most buses arrive at Rumtek around ten. By then the best part is over. I got there at 5:30 one cold December morning — here is what that hour felt like, and why we now send our guests early.
StoriesWhy we don't do group tours
We tried it once, in 2014. A bus, twenty-two strangers, a fixed schedule. Nobody was happy — not them, not us. Here is what that trip taught us, and why every itinerary we build is still private.
Destination GuidesWhy October in North Sikkim is worth the wait
The monsoon has washed everything clean. The roads are clear. Gurudongmar is accessible. And the October light at 5,000 metres is unlike anything else in India.