Pre-dawn drive to Thambi for sunrise

Your driver knocks at about 4:30 am. You climb into a cold SUV with a flask of tea from the homestay kitchen and set off up the loops in the dark, headlights swinging round one bend after another. Thambi View Point, at about 3,400 m, is only some 6 km above Zuluk, but the road takes 30–40 minutes because of the turns and frost.

At the top, stand at the railing facing west. On a clear morning between October and March the Kangchenjunga range catches the first light, and as the sun rises behind you the loops you drove up appear one by one in the valley below. Photographers want to be there 20 minutes before sunrise. Then many drivers continue a little higher to Lungthung for a wider view before heading back to Zuluk for breakfast or on to Nathang.

Bring your warmest layers: it is often below freezing at Thambi at dawn, even in October. The loops can be icy in winter, so trust your driver if he says it is not safe to go. Clouds hide the mountains more often from April to September. Indian nationals only, with the Silk Route permit. Check current status before you travel.