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The Yumthang Valley or Sikkim Valley of Flowers sanctuary, is a nature sanctuary with river, hot springs, yaks and grazing pasture on rolling meadows surrounded by the Himalayan mountains in the
/ref> A tributary of the river Teesta flows past the valley and the town of Lachung, the nearest inhabited centre. Yumthang is closed between December and March due to heavy snowfall. There is also a hot spring in the valley. A forest rest house is the only permanent residence in the valley. During the spring months, the area blooms with rhododendrons, primulas, poppies, iris and other flora. During the summer months, villagers take their cattle to these heights to graze (a practice known as '' yaylag pastoralism''). In view of increasing number of tourists, there is possibility of
Tourists may travel from
File:Yumthang Valley, Lachung Sikkim.jpg, Yumthang valley, Lachung Sikkim
File:Yumthang Valley.jpg, Yumthang valley
File:Yumthang.jpg, Yumthang
File:North of Yumthang and the river.jpg, North of Yumthang and the river
File:Yumthang Valley snow covered.jpg, Yamthan valley covered with snow
Yumthang photos and reviews on tripadvisor.com
Yumthang photo travelogue with directions
Yumthang Valley Detailed Guide for Travellers
North Sikkim
North Sikkim (now officially named as Mangan District) is a list of Indian districts, district of the Indian states and territories of India, state of Sikkim. Its district headquarters is Mangan, India, Mangan. It is the seventh least populous d ...
district of Sikkim state in India. It is at an elevation of above msl at a distance of from the state capital Gangtok
Gangtok is a city, municipality, the capital and the largest populated place of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is also the headquarters of the East Sikkim district, Gangtok District. Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an e ...
.
It is popularly known as 'Valley of Flowers'
and is home to the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, which has over twenty-four species of the rhododendron
''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
, the state flower. The flowering season is from late February and to mid June, when countless flowers bloom to carpet the valley in multicolored hues of rainbow.Yumthang bloom season/ref> A tributary of the river Teesta flows past the valley and the town of Lachung, the nearest inhabited centre. Yumthang is closed between December and March due to heavy snowfall. There is also a hot spring in the valley. A forest rest house is the only permanent residence in the valley. During the spring months, the area blooms with rhododendrons, primulas, poppies, iris and other flora. During the summer months, villagers take their cattle to these heights to graze (a practice known as '' yaylag pastoralism''). In view of increasing number of tourists, there is possibility of
environmental degradation
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment (biophysical), environment through depletion of resources such as quality of air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the extinction of wildlife; an ...
in near future. Skiing is conducted in the valley.
Transportation by road
Tourists may travel from Gangtok
Gangtok is a city, municipality, the capital and the largest populated place of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is also the headquarters of the East Sikkim district, Gangtok District. Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an e ...
to Lachung (the nearest village where accommodation is available) by booking a full vehicle or shared one and stay over night. A direct journey to Yumthang is not feasible as roads are commonly foggy and it becomes dark very early around 5:30 pm. A trip to the Valley takes around two hours from Lachung, which is about 125 km from Gangtok.
Gallery
See also
* Valley of Flowers National Park in UttarakhandExternal links
Yumthang photos and reviews on tripadvisor.com
Yumthang photo travelogue with directions
Yumthang Valley Detailed Guide for Travellers
References
{{Sikkim Valleys of Sikkim Mangan district Ski areas and resorts in India