Ever been to Shangri-la? We have. It’s alive and kicking in Sikkim. Almost anywhere in Sikkim, outside a large town or tourist area, will do. We found our lost horizon in Darap, near Pelling. Two hundred year old houses growing out of the side of the mountain in which tiny people and chickens share their home with you is not something that happens every day. An afternoon getting high on hooch in the Himalayas is something to remember.
Limboo Lady With Necklace
Photograph: A lady from the Nepali Limboo tribe in Sikkim, with traditional nose-piercings.
Portrait Of A Limboo Lady
This is Phiprani, 61, a member of the Limboo tribe, who are a sub-clan of the Nepali people. Although of Nepali ancestry she lives with her family in her ancient family home in Sikkim, now part of India. Her piercings are typical of this tribe.