n spite of the modern structures, a visitor to the town can still experience the Shangrila aspects in certain pockets and enjoy its alpine environment. Tourists flow to Gangtok in large numbers, its strategic location, rich Buddhist tradition and rich cultural heritage providing a tempting insight into this stimulation.

A number of hotels have sprouted in Gangtok to accommodate the increasing number of tourists day by day. Enchey Monastery Hotels range from the most expensive and luxurious for those tourists who want to spend their stay lavishly and to the lower budget hotels for those tourist who are on the move. The hotels are well equipped and maintained so as to provide the tourists with the best services and keep them as comfortable as possible. Hospitality knows no bounds in Sikkim whether one drops into a wayside cottage or a luxurious hotel.

To say that every hilltop in Sikkim has a monastery will not be an overstatement. The Buddhist monasteries are repositories of artistic treasures. Enchey Monastery located at the northern end of the town of Gangtok is one of the most important monasteries of the twentieth century of the Nyingma order of Buddhism in Sikkim. It was constructed on a site blessed by the Lama Dhruptak Karpo, a revered precinct of many icons and religion artifacts of great veneration and antiquity. Young lamas are being taught at the monastery of the way of life of a Buddhist and are guided towards the right path. The monastery is a treasure house of wisdom passed from generation to generation. Its large prayer hall is full of images and vibrant murals representing the entire pantheon of Mahayana Buddhist deities. The monastery has one of the best views of the Kanchanjunga mountain range. A 24 km picturesque drive from Gangtok through some of the most picturesque areas around the town takes one to Rumtek Monastery. Located on the hill facing Gangtok, the Rumtek Monastery is the headquarters of the Kargyupa sect one of the oldest Buddhist-Tibetan sects and at the seat of its head Gyalwa Karmapa. With its beautiful traditional architecture, carved and painted woodwork, magnificent murals and treasures of manuscripts and icons, Rumtek is a splendid example of Tibetan monastic art in Sikkim.