Sitting at an elevation of 2,150 m, beneath the serrated, perpetually frosted peaks of the Himalayas – including Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain – it’s a properly magical setting, thoroughly deserving of the long and winding journey you’ll inevitably take to get here.

The town of Pelling is a thin, two-kilometre stretch of mainly hotels, with not a whole lot to do except take in the views. A stay here is all about the surroundings, which (and we can’t stress this enough) really are something.

Waterfalls, centuries-old monasteries, Tibeto-Burman villages, farmlands, sacred lakes, hot springs, forests strung with Buddhist prayer flags, and the ruins of Sikkim’s former capital. The natural and spiritual bounty of Sikkim is all accessible here, and though there is some serious trekking to be done for those who want to, you don’t need to be a true-blue adventurer to see some of the state’s real highlights – much of it is reachable by vehicle, or on short guided nature walks and gentle treks.

There are Tibetan monasteries and Limbu villages enough to keep any cultural adventurer happy here, but if you’re after a bit more of an adrenaline spike, there’s mountain biking on offer, too.