North East Indiaheritage haveliElgin Hotels

The Elgin Mount Pandim

Name: The Elgin Mount Pandim
Address: Pelling

A heritage hotel on the ridge below Pemayangtse Monastery near Pelling, run by Elgin Hotels, with a lawn and rooms that face the Kanchenjunga range. It is the most characterful place to stay in West Sikkim and a short walk from the monastery.

Photo: flowcomm · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mount Pandim takes its name from one of the peaks in the Kanchenjunga group, and on a clear morning the whole range rises across the valley from the hotel's lawn. The building is an older hill hotel restored by Elgin, with wood-panelled rooms, Sikkimese rugs and a sitting room for evenings. Pemayangtse, one of Sikkim's oldest and most important monasteries, is a few minutes' walk up the hill.

From here, the ruins of Rabdentse, Sikkim's second capital, are a short drive and walk, and day trips reach Khecheopalri Lake, Yuksom and the Kanchenjunga falls. Dining is set-menu, with Sikkimese and Indian dishes. We book it for two or three nights and plan the dawn view as the first thing each day, before cloud builds from mid-morning.

Why we book it

Kanchenjunga views from the lawn on clear days
Walking distance of Pemayangtse Monastery
Heritage atmosphere rather than a new-build hotel

Questions travellers ask

Good to know

Can you see Kanchenjunga from Elgin Mount Pandim?

Yes, on clear days the Kanchenjunga range is visible across the valley from the lawn and from mountain-facing rooms. Views are most reliable from October to December and in early spring, usually at dawn and in the first hours after sunrise. From June to September cloud often hides the peaks.

How far is Elgin Mount Pandim from Gangtok?

Pelling is about 125 km from Gangtok, roughly 5 hours by road through Ravangla or Singtam. Bagdogra airport is about 135 km away, a 5 to 5.5 hour drive. We usually break the drive from Gangtok with a stop at Ravangla's Buddha Park or a tea garden.

How many nights should I stay in Pelling?

Two or three nights. Two allow the monastery, Rabdentse and one dawn view; three let you add Khecheopalri Lake and Yuksom and give a second chance at clear mountain weather. If Kanchenjunga is the main purpose, three nights is safer, as cloud can sit for a full day.

Journeys

Routes that stay here

North East India · 11 nights Sikkim's mountains and Meghalaya's hills Gangtok · Pelling · Shillong · Sohra (Cherrapunji) From₹3,70,000 pp

North East India · 7 nights Sikkim family holiday: Gangtok and Pelling Gangtok · Pelling From₹2,25,000 pp

North East India · 9 nights Sikkim: monasteries, Lachung and Kanchenjunga Gangtok · Lachung and Yumthang, North Sikkim · Gangtok · Pelling From₹2,90,000 pp

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