India is a mini world. Wherever you go, you will find different india. Different languages, different dresses, different cultures, different traditions, different kind of climates etc. I feel like some of the indian states are too underrated.
True but all 'hill' states have a distinct flavour about them. Im from uttrakhand btw, but i find i can relate with nepalis, himachali, sikkim, Darjeeling etc. Mild natured, soft spoken people.
That was powerful to witness how excited the older man had become excited to be able to see the recent pictures you had taken of Tibet. That’s crazy how Tibet is so close but so far away for many of those people who reside within that part of India.
@@striker44When Tibet was part of China, India did not exist yet. For Sikkim, Ceded and exiled the king with troop? Invading a country to protect them? Russia can say that on Ukraine too. LOL.😢
Tommy, I am an 81 year old American. As far as the US, I am glad I lived most of my life before because I believe the US is on the way down. But, as far as the world, I wish I was young because there is so much of the world that I wish to experience. Thank you Tommy for another great video.
Your travel videos are the best on youtube. Never change your style of filming and editing. The slow pace makes everything feel more real and human and I love watching you interact with the people in the country and talk about the history of the place you're visiting. Keep up the great work dude!
Tibetans are truly peaceful and hospitable people, I'm very happy you paid them a visit and got to show us the reality they live in! Love your videos, much love from Bulgaria!
@@yoanitsa5059In the past, Tibet had been a serfdom, and religious nobles would make paintings and human skin drums from slaves' skin, and vessels from slaves' skulls. In order to show the sacredness of the religion, it is made of the skin of a young girl. It was not until Tibet became a province of China that this situation completely disappeared. ua-cam.com/video/JTwtxp6UHyw/v-deo.htmlsi=1TOVjolk_2fwXAsX
spent 5 years of my life in Sikkim from 2003-07. i’ve travelled and lived all over the country but without a doubt, this state is the most peaceful, cleanest and the most beautiful place in India.
@@arloogoobecause it was taiwans kmt, that first laid claims to these regions and mao just carried thrm over. Btw, Taiwan has still not retracted those claims. Anyways, i think the real reason is quite simple. Chinese CPC can use Taiwanese as spies. We already know taiwn, hongkong etc have enough chinese sympathisers.
More than one thousand Tibetans are living in Ravangla, Sikkim. We have Refugee settlements there. Anyway, so good to see my hometown. Thanks for visiting there and showing concern about Tibet.
I love how you connected with the family & older man! What a beautiful moment! They probably never ever would have expected a random American to have such a conversation. You're awesome! Best wishes from Chicago!
And to produce recent photos of his home village would have been a real joy for him. Gosh I've learned so much from Tommy and his worldwide in-depth travels at grassroot levels. We can now see the world as it is from the real level not some trumped up bias of many journalists. Thanks for the education mate. Bushyboy Oz.
That was a lovely, fascinating video for me. Thank you. I spent a month in McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh and met a lot of Tibetans (including a quick handshake with HH. DL) and made some Tibetan friends. I did some volunteer English classes with a couple of small groups of monks who were great fun, and I hung out a fair bit in a cafe eating (very nice) momos with quite a lot of other Tibetans. At that time, 2002, people I met included a lot of still fairly young Tibetans who were still coming across from Tibet then, as well as older people who'd left Tibet with or in the years following the Dalai Lama, too, and also different generations of those who'd been born in Dharamsala in whatever year since 1959 their parents arrived in McCleod Ganj from Tibet. There were people who'd come 40 years ago right up to some who'd been there just a year or two. I found Tibetans very 'multi-generationally' sociable, rugged, in a way, but quite gentle and warm-heared, not mean-spirited and with a good sense of humour, too. That month was one of the high points of seven months wandering around India I left McCleod Ganj festooned with Khatas around my neck... I'm not sure I've ever had so many people make a point of saying goodbye to me or coming to see me off like that ever. I was really sorry to leave... It's interesting that different generations of people who spoke in your video were quite or relatively comfortable & articulate in English - it was pretty much what I found where I was, and helped trigger this reminiscence (I also felt they displayed a similar warmth & engagement to what I experienced). I love the Himalayas... ps If you fancy a month wandering in Himachal Pradesh I can suggest a lovely itinerary around the state :) (No charge!)
What a beautiful, peaceful area. The people were nice, it's quiet, the whole place has this connected community vibe to it. It isn't perfect but I can see why people would be happy living here.
@@Shudh_desi_ghee Watch the entire video and you will see roman alphabets everwhere. As in Vietnam, the writing language has changed to roman aphabet. I wonder what is the story behind this. But I'll look for some info on google, about it.
No one could bring us around the world like you. Your knowledge is strong and your heart loves the world. I have learned more from you than from school in the USA. Your love for the world is obvious and you appreciate every moment in your travels. Thank you for sharing your travels and knowledge with us.😊
Hey Tommy, just wanted to show my appreciation for your videos, they are genuinely stunning. You not only showcase these beautiful places across the world indiscriminately of their international reputation, but you also showcase their culture, language and truly connect with the people. Since the commodification of airtravel, travelling the world has been more accessible than ever, but very few are the people that truly travel the world like you do. A shame, though these journeys of yours must be very taxing on many levels, albeit fullfilling on many more. It's a really great watch and 30 minutes fly by, thank you for keeping making these videos! I don't mean to oversell it when I say you're genuinely doing the world a service by documenting and publishing these.
Hey, new subscriber here. I just want to tell you that there's something in your demeanor that makes me connect with your traveling videos on a deeper level. The way you talk to people is very similar to the way I would talk, and the slow pace of every interaction is very relaxing. Keep up the good work my friend.
First time commenting. Been watching your videos for a long time. Appreciate your respect to everyone you meet. Love that you didn't risk being disrespectful by ringing the bell. I'm a fan.
Hey Tommy, I just want to say you're doing a great job with your videos. Thanks for all you do. It's also amazing to me how you learn multiple languages. Keep up the good work, I appreciate you.
Another really interesting and in formative blog. You really are a citizen of the World Tommy. Said it before and I'll sqy it again, best travel youtuber by a country mile... 👍
Bhutan has only 45 diplomatic allies in the world. However, Bhutan requested to establish diplomatic relations with China when it visited China in 2023, so it should soon become a diplomatic ally of China. But Sikkim was once a country, and the King of Sikkim went into exile abroad, and the ending was very tragic. Who caused this?
Thanks a lot Tommy for showing us Sikkim! As a Chinese, it is impossible for me to visit Sikkim due to the China-India relations, so it is really great to get a glimpse from your story. Something interesting is that as far as I know China was the last country to recognize Sikkim as part of India (2005). So when I was little and learning the neighboring countries of China, Sikkim was still one of them. Even an old globe in my home still has Sikkim on it as an independent state.
To visit Sikkim you will required restricted area permit ( RAP ) along with indian visa which is necessary for all foreigners visiting Sikkim However if you're Chinese citizen then it will get little more deficult, before visiting You must get a written approval from Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi before the Restricted Area Permit can be issued. It's not impossible but just quite harder for you!
@@LOL-em6kl Thank you for the information! I know theoretically it can be done but as I have learned from the experience of other Chinese travelers, none of them was able to get the permit in New Delhi. Probably we will have to wait until the first successful case shows up 😌
Wow i cant believe you're in india and especially northeast India were few tourist go. Sikkim you visited is one of the 8 states of northeast, you should explore the remaining ones too except Manipur (because of the turmoil)
@gogosmkkk5138what tibet was wealthy before ! A 2 century ago mostly wealth depends upon agriculture products and for your awareness Tibet is an cold desert there is no agriculture product how can wealth be transferred when it's never ever been there
My favourite youtuber is finally in my country. ❤ This procession is celebrating The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple inauguration. They are shouting “ Jai Shree Ram “ which translates to “ Hail Lord Ram”
It feels a bit like shouting Hindu slogans in a quiet Buddhist town just to upset the locals. Just like forcing a Protestant march through a Catholic neighborhood in Northern Ireland. We all know how that last thing turned out
As a south indian, we know very less about North East part of India. School textbooks never taught anything about those cultures. Since we always here about some bad incidents happen in those states, we are not even sure if it's safe to visit those states or not. I have seen those states in youtube. They are beautiful. Thanks to foreign youtubers for showing less known part of India
Bad incidents happen in Sikkim? Whether safe to visit?? How misinformed you are. Sikkim is 100 times safer than any southern state and May be 200 times safer than Delhi, UP
Chinese govt not allowed tibetans to talk to their relatives in India ..Nepal ..in any foreign country ...tibetans in Tibet blocks their relatives number ...
@@_Forsaker it's true nîgga. Chinese also follow our culture and history but they are brunch of betrayer's. Japan, Korea and China follow Indian sanatani culture and if you study history you will know that clearly. Without Muslims there have never been any religion ☯️ war . Our ancestors shouldn't have accepted Muslims 400 year's ago in today's Iran 🤦.
Atleast they are safe in India. If sikkim chose to be an independent country, China would attack them just like how they captured Tibet. Sikkimese people chose the right decision to be part of India.
@@firefly4784no. Tibet has been part of china less than 150 years. It was, in most of its history, a separate country from Han china. Only in yuan it was under china and was somewhat part of china under the manchu
Lol they are living in Sikkim which was occupyed by in d or either south Tibet which was also occupy so of course they have to act like giving but in reality they are living in their own place not india
The beauty of travel is sitting down for coffee/tea/beer with elderly locals. They truely enjoy the company, and are full of wisdom and life experiences. I always end up befriending the elderly everywhere I go. Many of them don't have living family, or if they do, they often are ignored by them. If you are respectful of their culture, almost always you will have great conversation. Language barriers are overcome pretty quickly if you spend a bit of time learning the local language, and often can find people to bridge the gap that are willing to hang out and chat.
Sikkimese here, you’ll find a lot of languages within Sikkim, and the closest one to Tibetan is Bhutia (not to be confused with Bhutanese), as the principal said we use the same script. Also in our language we call Sikkim lovingly Denzong (short for Beyul Demazong which means valley hidden in rice). The main people of Sikkim are Lepcha (original inhabitants of Sikkim), Bhutia, and Nepali. So you’ll find a lot of culture and traditions within Sikkim. The Buddhism we follow is also different from the other parts of the world, we follow Vajrayana Buddhism which is a form of Tantric Buddhism where our main figure is Guru Padmasambhava (the lotus born) or also known by our people as Guru Rinpoche (8:57 his figurine).
awesome people and convo, wow. thanks for doing these and travelling. its the talks with people and how we relate that I value most from your videos! (and I'm a history lover too, thats not bad)
Only rich Tibetan slave owners left China, maybe its not a bad thing they never see what current China is all about, so they won’t feel sorry and regreted.
@@merrick6484what about the monks that immolated themselves when china invaded tibet ? Were they slave owners? What about spiritual leader of tibet dalai lama ? Why is china trying to capture him?
Another fantastic video of a region and people I had such little knowledge of. Going to the less traveled regions is what I enjoy about your channel the most
Hinduism which we call sanatan dharam is the oldest religion in india and even Buddha is a Hindu and then he later got Nirvana in bodhgaya and the reality is Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism is a branch of Hinduism which we called "sanatan dharam" ( like a tree has it different branches that's how Sanatan dharma is )💕
He made a little mistake while interpreting the Buddhist history though. Buddhism was never wiped out from India, it originated from it. Kind of like a book from a library. Sanatana(which is wrongly called as Hinduism in the west) is a library of ways and beliefs, united as one philosophy in the roots. Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Shaivism, Vaishvism, and all these so called wrong "isms" which they do not even understand the meaning of, all originate from Sanatana. It is not division, it is specification. We believe in following the path and codes, best suited to our tastes, times and circumstances. but still bound by a sense of righteous honor(dharma). It is frowned upon to convert, even within the faiths of Sanatana, let alone to an Abrahamic faith, but not punishable since it is ultimately your choice and your life.
@@Aryan-nv9kd lol Buddhist were wiped out from India. The 1% Buddhist population thag India has today is because of these himalayan states like Sikkim, ladakh, arunachal pradesh which thankfully were never part of India in Past. Had it been in India then it would have face the same fate, By the way I am from sikkim. So please stop spreading crap about Buddhism. Please practice your Hinduism and keep your mouth shout on Buddhism
@@Aryan-nv9kd Buddhism did not originate in present-day India; the specific location is Lumbini within the borders of today's Nepal. The founder of Buddhism is Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha, which means "the awakened one." Siddhartha Gautama was born into a noble family and later abandoned a life of luxury to seek spiritual liberation and universal truth. After prolonged meditation and ascetic practices, he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, thereby founding Buddhism. 佛教并非起源于现在的印度，具体地点是今天的尼泊尔境内的蓝毗尼（Lumbini）。佛教的创始人是释迦牟尼（Siddhartha Gautama），也被称为佛陀（Buddha，意为“觉者”）。释迦牟尼出生于一个贵族家庭，后来放弃了奢华的生活，寻求精神上的解脱和普遍的真理。经过长时间的冥想和修行，他在菩提树下获得了觉悟，从而创立了佛教。
After the defeat of the Tibetans by the British, Gangtok became a major stopover in the trade between Tibet and British India at the end of the 19th century.[8] Most of the roads and the telegraph in the area were built during this time. In 1894, Thutob Namgyal, the Sikkimese monarch under British rule, shifted the capital from Tumlong to Gangtok, increasing the city's importance. A new grand palace along with other state buildings was built in the new capital. Following India's independence in 1947, Sikkim became a nation-state with Gangtok as its capital. Sikkim came under the suzerainty of India, with the condition that it would retain its independence, by the treaty signed between the Chogyal and the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
Oh wow. That old bridge and the huge Buda! I like when you show a map of the region. The older man and the guide were very nice. They had stories to tell. I bet they told their families about meeting an American
I am surprised that you did not talk more about the history of Sikkim as an independent state that had an American (Hope Cook) as the spouse of its ruling Prince. The reason that the monarchy fell and India finally took control are fascinating.
In April 1973, India openly sent troops to occupy Sikkim and forcibly took over all power of the Sikkim government under the pretext of internal turmoil. In May, the "Sikkim Agreement" was signed with Sikkim. In September 1974, the Indian Parliament passed a constitutional amendment to establish Sikkim as India's "associate state". However, the Indian government's desire for expansion was not satisfied. In April 1975, the Indian government once again brazenly deployed troops to Sikkim and forcibly disbanded the palace guards of the King of Sikkim. The Indian army completely took control of Sikkim. On January 29, 1982, King Pardon Dundup Namgar of Sikkim passed away in New York, United States, and Crown Prince Wangchuk Tensin Namgar ascended to the throne, becoming the 13th king of Sikkim. He declared India's annexation of Sikkim illegal After the Indian government annexed Sikkim.
@@明明-t9c I know its hard for Tommy to appear to criticize a country while he is there, I just thought that the Hope Cook angle would be interesting to Americans. Perhaps he will have more to say after his India visit is complete.
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and certain other regions in India are border states and have sensitive ecology, community, and indigenous local culture along with border issues with China. Thus, They are protected areas, so they need multiple documents to visit. In states like Arunachal Pradesh, even fellow Indian citizens who are non-indigenous to the state require an Inner Line Permit to visit
You were a stones throw away from my wife’s house when you were talking to Tsering. Pretty crazy to watch but I knew some day you’d swing by cuz you a real one. God bless bro safe travels out there.
I virtually travel the world with you. I so admire your work, and especially your knowledge of languages! After months of studying Spanish i still yet don't feel comfortable in my quest to vacation in Guatemala. One observation, not a criticism, the volume of your videos is all over the place. I constantly work to turn it up and down to keep content at a reasonable level. A small price to pay for the quality you produce, but thought to bring it up. Thanks for all you do!
India government put a lot of Nepal and India residents in Sikkim, their population organization has been severely changed. From the march in the video we also can see they took the flags with Indian gods instead of Tibetan Buddhism. This vblogger did show partial true, if we have the brains, he can’t fool us.
What are you saying bruh?? Budhism grew from Sanatan Dharm. They are not two different or distinct things. Try to understand the concept of "Inclusiveness", which is at the core of both philosophies. Indian govt. saved Sikkim from having the same fate as China Occupied Tibet.
The people are Indian Nepalese people from Sikkim not Indian people it's not India who did that they have always been coming in India to gain Indian citizenship so it's been happening since British times blame the British for that. While Nepal things that Sikkim is their land and even Nepal used to claim Sikkim ask a hyper nationalist Nepalese person they will still say that Sikkim is a part of Nepal. When the Nepalese are not even Natives their.
@@Roy1-ub9ijthe indigenous or natives of sikkim are the bhutias, the lepchas and limbus. Especially bhutia and lepcha because both are blood brothers by treaty
india is not just crowded cities like delhi and some part of mumbai there's a lot more calm places like kerala , north east india and north india including places like himachal pradesh , uk nd j and k
India, I have arrived! Edit: Sorry, my subtitle software left a weird slowdown in the editing in the tea plantation part, didn't catch it in time
I want to visit India so bad. I can’t wait to see what you get up to! Beautiful country
@sossboy8016 it's really not though not at all
@@sossboy8016lol
Indian as fuuuu.....classic!
cheap hotel heaven - perfect for a sabbatical !
India is a mini world. Wherever you go, you will find different india. Different languages, different dresses, different cultures, different traditions, different kind of climates etc. I feel like some of the indian states are too underrated.
Deep State runs motivated Propaganda against Bharat the World over
True but all 'hill' states have a distinct flavour about them.
Im from uttrakhand btw, but i find i can relate with nepalis, himachali, sikkim, Darjeeling etc.
Mild natured, soft spoken people.
Wow
Different types of food also
What is the nicest part to visit
That was powerful to witness how excited the older man had become excited to be able to see the recent pictures you had taken of Tibet. That’s crazy how Tibet is so close but so far away for many of those people who reside within that part of India.
@@HoZk-qy5ivpretty sure it's in India with indian citizenship
Sikkim was not part of India until India invaded it in 1970s.
@midong9299 it ceded to India to prevent china invasion like in Tibet.
@@striker44When Tibet was part of China, India did not exist yet. For Sikkim, Ceded and exiled the king with troop? Invading a country to protect them? Russia can say that on Ukraine too. LOL.😢
@@midong9299 Yunan region is integral part of India. Real China is far east near Korea border. Leave our territories. Free Tibet.
Thanks again, Tommy! What a wild place to see, good for you. May your next tea and bidi be on me.
Bidi.😂
@@martin96991haha babuchap bidi
Bidi 🌚
Ganja Ganja 🚬🚭🚬
Tommy, I am an 81 year old American. As far as the US, I am glad I lived most of my life before because I believe the US is on the way down. But, as far as the world, I wish I was young because there is so much of the world that I wish to experience. Thank you Tommy for another great video.
wow, love you😊 but US isn’t in decline
@@brucewong5737 Look what we have put up to vote on for president: Trump and Biden. Both are absolutely horrible.
@@jimgraham9450 there will always be nice guy after 4 years later.
@@brucewong5737 I hope so, but at 81 I take each day at a time.
@@brucewong5737USA on the decline compared to what it was 30+ years back.
Your travel videos are the best on youtube. Never change your style of filming and editing. The slow pace makes everything feel more real and human and I love watching you interact with the people in the country and talk about the history of the place you're visiting. Keep up the great work dude!
Tibetans are truly peaceful and hospitable people, I'm very happy you paid them a visit and got to show us the reality they live in! Love your videos, much love from Bulgaria!
和平？呵呵你知道什么叫“人皮唐卡”么？🧐
@@Cannoli_JJ какво имаш в предвид?
@@yoanitsa5059 在没被中国解放前，西藏那边最流行的就是农奴，如果你不清楚什么叫农奴可以参考沙俄农奴。人皮唐鼓就是用整张少女皮做成的乐器，演奏乐器给你们口里“平和”的人听的，现在中国博物馆还收藏着很多人皮唐鼓！另外藏传佛教还喜欢用人骨做乐器，尤其是少年少女的。🧐到现在西方社会还在污蔑中国所谓的“种姓灭绝”呵呵，真正在灭绝种族的是印度，现在印度北方邦靠近西藏那边发生了叛乱，印度官方光明正大的切段互联网导致很多讯息无法实时播报！其中一个导火索就是印度教信徒让一名全裸的其他宗教少女游行示威，但是这个新闻在youtube就查询不到。🧐
@@yoanitsa5059In the past, Tibet had been a serfdom, and religious nobles would make paintings and human skin drums from slaves' skin, and vessels from slaves' skulls. In order to show the sacredness of the religion, it is made of the skin of a young girl. It was not until Tibet became a province of China that this situation completely disappeared.
ua-cam.com/video/JTwtxp6UHyw/v-deo.htmlsi=1TOVjolk_2fwXAsX
@@yoanitsa5059it is a kind of ceremonial drum used in old Tibet that is made of human skin of a little girl
That episode really hit!! I think it was a top 10 Sabbatical.
Thanks!
Come to Nagaland Northeast India, you'll be surprised to know how the people and culture is so different from India@@SabbaticalTommy
@@SabbaticalTommy you're a chinese propagandist
Thanks! Very interesting video.
spent 5 years of my life in Sikkim from 2003-07. i’ve travelled and lived all over the country but without a doubt, this state is the most peaceful, cleanest and the most beautiful place in India.
Why Taiwanese is not allowed here? 😔😤
@@arloogoomaybe it's because they will start claiming it as it's own
@@arloogoobecause it was taiwans kmt, that first laid claims to these regions and mao just carried thrm over.
Btw, Taiwan has still not retracted those claims.
Anyways, i think the real reason is quite simple.
Chinese CPC can use Taiwanese as spies. We already know taiwn, hongkong etc have enough chinese sympathisers.
@gogosmkkk5138 if that is what they want, then yeah
@gogosmkkk5138 it is already free lol
Best wishes from Chicago! Thanks for taking us along these moments!
Thank you, Tommy. Amazing video as always.
I really enjoy all of your videos! Please keep them coming, but please stay safe.
Thanks for visiting Sikkim. It's rare to see foreigners in this state
Can Germans visit Sikkim without any problems with the security?
@@NiklazSchwarzschildGermans can't
@@NiklazSchwarzschildyep you can visit sikkim but not the north district of Sikkim due to sensitive border with china
Yes@@NiklazSchwarzschild
Really? It's rare? I am from sikkim and I see foreigners all the time. I have no idea what you are talking about
Thanks!
Thank you for another amazing video Tommy 😊
More than one thousand Tibetans are living in Ravangla, Sikkim. We have Refugee settlements there. Anyway, so good to see my hometown. Thanks for visiting there and showing concern about Tibet.
I love how you connected with the family & older man! What a beautiful moment! They probably never ever would have expected a random American to have such a conversation. You're awesome! Best wishes from Chicago!
Yes that was so nice and sweet of Tommy. The way the old man asked and looked at the photos of his old city was very touching.
@@premkudva he said he from village around that town
And to produce recent photos of his home village would have been a real joy for him. Gosh I've learned so much from Tommy and his worldwide in-depth travels at grassroot levels. We can now see the world as it is from the real level not some trumped up bias of many journalists. Thanks for the education mate. Bushyboy Oz.
if its an american family, they would have said its our private property sir, and if he still went inside they would have brought out guns to stop.
I could watch you and that elderly guy talk and drink tea for hours...Great videos man
“sorry girls my wife is very strick” had me dying 😂
She has become stricken. 😂🎉
Same ha ha 😂😂😂
Josie would be very upset.
a lot of truck and cab drivers in india have such quotes on the back of their vehicles, some are too damn hilarious
@@kidkinnu1993 we literally do the same stuff in the US, crazy
Its an integral part of India. And we are proud of it. Thats the ultimate reality and will be. We are proud of our Sikkim people and their culture.
你们政府花钱养他们，而你们自己国民还有那么多人饿着😂
Sikkim has the highest suicide rate in all of India. Why ???
And India itself has a high suicide rate. 🦉
The Sikkim people are Brahmins, while your locals are Dalits🤣🤣
@@xihuanyuai are you talking about yourself wang
@@xihuanyuaiMr xi is Look like phoo😂
That was a lovely, fascinating video for me. Thank you. I spent a month in McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh and met a lot of Tibetans (including a quick handshake with HH. DL) and made some Tibetan friends. I did some volunteer English classes with a couple of small groups of monks who were great fun, and I hung out a fair bit in a cafe eating (very nice) momos with quite a lot of other Tibetans. At that time, 2002, people I met included a lot of still fairly young Tibetans who were still coming across from Tibet then, as well as older people who'd left Tibet with or in the years following the Dalai Lama, too, and also different generations of those who'd been born in Dharamsala in whatever year since 1959 their parents arrived in McCleod Ganj from Tibet. There were people who'd come 40 years ago right up to some who'd been there just a year or two.
I found Tibetans very 'multi-generationally' sociable, rugged, in a way, but quite gentle and warm-heared, not mean-spirited and with a good sense of humour, too. That month was one of the high points of seven months wandering around India I left McCleod Ganj festooned with Khatas around my neck... I'm not sure I've ever had so many people make a point of saying goodbye to me or coming to see me off like that ever. I was really sorry to leave... It's interesting that different generations of people who spoke in your video were quite or relatively comfortable & articulate in English - it was pretty much what I found where I was, and helped trigger this reminiscence (I also felt they displayed a similar warmth & engagement to what I experienced).
I love the Himalayas...
ps If you fancy a month wandering in Himachal Pradesh I can suggest a lovely itinerary around the state :) (No charge!)
Another 2 minute old Sabbatical, you pop up right when I need something quality to watch.
(And then deliver)
Kick ass views and culture there.
The video felt a little disjointed at the begining but took a move cohesive direction as it went on so kick ass.
What a beautiful, peaceful area. The people were nice, it's quiet, the whole place has this connected community vibe to it. It isn't perfect but I can see why people would be happy living here.
"India is more than what you imagined" yeah you can say that again.
Can you tell more about that loction 7:30, given that all those buildings have roman letters instead of chinese or indian letters?
India is more than what you imagined
@@Fortapistone I don't know where you saw Roman letters.. but the place is called Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.
@@Fortapistonereal China is far east near North Korea border. Free Indian territory of Yunnan and Free Tibet.
@@Shudh_desi_ghee Watch the entire video and you will see roman alphabets everwhere. As in Vietnam, the writing language has changed to roman aphabet. I wonder what is the story behind this. But I'll look for some info on google, about it.
Nice .. with that approach you will make a lot of friends in India ...🙏✌
Thanks for doing this one Tommy!
Can’t wait to watch, you’re a language learning inspiration Tommy!
Now I hav a clue how India 🇮🇳 is,curtesy of Tommy!Best videos there.We say Asante in 🇰🇪
No crowds and beautiful scenery! Perfect!
No one could bring us around the world like you. Your knowledge is strong and your heart loves the world. I have learned more from you than from school in the USA. Your love for the world is obvious and you appreciate every moment in your travels. Thank you for sharing your travels and knowledge with us.😊
I love seeing how friendly everyone is!
Hey Tommy, just wanted to show my appreciation for your videos, they are genuinely stunning.
You not only showcase these beautiful places across the world indiscriminately of their international reputation, but you also showcase their culture, language and truly connect with the people.
Since the commodification of airtravel, travelling the world has been more accessible than ever, but very few are the people that truly travel the world like you do. A shame, though these journeys of yours must be very taxing on many levels, albeit fullfilling on many more.
It's a really great watch and 30 minutes fly by, thank you for keeping making these videos! I don't mean to oversell it when I say you're genuinely doing the world a service by documenting and publishing these.
Keep it up
29:06 sabbatical had an asian parent for a moment. so are you an engineer or a doctor?
r u married is permanent😜
Definitely enjoyed seeing the connections between this video and your last one. Both sides of the story!
Hey, new subscriber here. I just want to tell you that there's something in your demeanor that makes me connect with your traveling videos on a deeper level. The way you talk to people is very similar to the way I would talk, and the slow pace of every interaction is very relaxing. Keep up the good work my friend.
Hell yeah! New Sabbatical!!!
Huge upload, great way to end Friday night
We missed seeing you. Glad you are making videos again
I love your video!!! The authenticity!!! The vibes!! I’m tibetan here and thankyou for covering videos about Tibetans
First time commenting. Been watching your videos for a long time. Appreciate your respect to everyone you meet. Love that you didn't risk being disrespectful by ringing the bell. I'm a fan.
Hey Tommy, I just want to say you're doing a great job with your videos. Thanks for all you do. It's also amazing to me how you learn multiple languages. Keep up the good work, I appreciate you.
My favorite channel lately
Thank you for what you do!
Bro glad you came to india 🇮🇳
This was such a peaceful and easy watch.
Another really interesting and in formative blog. You really are a citizen of the World Tommy. Said it before and I'll sqy it again, best travel youtuber by a country mile... 👍
Fun fact is bhutan dont even recognise china and Taiwan 😂
Bhutan has only 45 diplomatic allies in the world. However, Bhutan requested to establish diplomatic relations with China when it visited China in 2023, so it should soon become a diplomatic ally of China. But Sikkim was once a country, and the King of Sikkim went into exile abroad, and the ending was very tragic. Who caused this?
@@will-213 if you read history all world belongs to know one 😊 dear chinas bot sàma
@@MrRoshan28 Unable to tell verifiable Indian history, using something else to cover up history?
@@will-213 why are giving misinformation too people 🙄 😑 china botsama
@@will-213why china so obsessed with sikkim
Thanks a lot Tommy for showing us Sikkim! As a Chinese, it is impossible for me to visit Sikkim due to the China-India relations, so it is really great to get a glimpse from your story. Something interesting is that as far as I know China was the last country to recognize Sikkim as part of India (2005). So when I was little and learning the neighboring countries of China, Sikkim was still one of them. Even an old globe in my home still has Sikkim on it as an independent state.
To visit Sikkim you will required restricted area permit ( RAP ) along with indian visa which is necessary for all foreigners visiting Sikkim
However if you're Chinese citizen then it will get little more deficult, before visiting You must get a written approval from Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi before the Restricted Area Permit can be issued.
It's not impossible but just quite harder for you!
@@LOL-em6kl Thank you for the information! I know theoretically it can be done but as I have learned from the experience of other Chinese travelers, none of them was able to get the permit in New Delhi. Probably we will have to wait until the first successful case shows up 😌
@@franciscochee1853 ok
LOL... Tibet itself is way different from Chinese civilization...Tibet n Tibetan culture is a part of extended Indic n Hindu civilization...
Yeah, I remembered we learned Sikkim as an independent country in school, called 锡金。
Wow i cant believe you're in india and especially northeast India were few tourist go. Sikkim you visited is one of the 8 states of northeast, you should explore the remaining ones too except Manipur (because of the turmoil)
Many tourists go to north east these days ig
That old man did make me sad also. 😢
Which old man. Timestamp?
@@De_Séchelles23:45
That he can't go back to his childhood home or sisters
@gogosmkkk5138 Xi xinpingpong is whiney the poo
@gogosmkkk5138what tibet was wealthy before !
A 2 century ago mostly wealth depends upon agriculture products and for your awareness Tibet is an cold desert there is no agriculture product how can wealth be transferred when it's never ever been there
Awesome vid man, this one hits
My favourite youtuber is finally in my country. ❤
This procession is celebrating The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple inauguration. They are shouting “ Jai Shree Ram “ which translates to “ Hail Lord Ram”
Sikkim was Tibetan race and was Buddhist country. Now it’s under india!, Nepali Hindu are from Nepal and Indians are from India. Love
Thank you for explaining
Is Tibetan people better living in china, India, Bhutan, or Nepal. Why not be its own country?
It feels a bit like shouting Hindu slogans in a quiet Buddhist town just to upset the locals. Just like forcing a Protestant march through a Catholic neighborhood in Northern Ireland. We all know how that last thing turned out
@@michaelsomething7674 the dirty hungriest hyenas and hungriest evil wild dogs comes to stealing our everything’s. Free Tibet. Get out of Tibet
As a south indian, we know very less about North East part of India. School textbooks never taught anything about those cultures. Since we always here about some bad incidents happen in those states, we are not even sure if it's safe to visit those states or not. I have seen those states in youtube. They are beautiful. Thanks to foreign youtubers for showing less known part of India
Bad incidents happen in Sikkim? Whether safe to visit?? How misinformed you are. Sikkim is 100 times safer than any southern state and May be 200 times safer than Delhi, UP
Huuuun!!! Things are bad only in manipur but not in whole North east region,,, 🤦♂️
North east people are very kind and I can say one of the most kind people. Truly patriotic and most proud Indians❤
What bad incidents?you never actually learn abt any place at school you have to visit them yourself..
Sikkim is best state in India bro.
Chinese govt not allowed tibetans to talk to their relatives in India ..Nepal ..in any foreign country ...tibetans in Tibet blocks their relatives number ...
liar
@@_Forsaker it's true nîgga. Chinese also follow our culture and history but they are brunch of betrayer's. Japan, Korea and China follow Indian sanatani culture and if you study history you will know that clearly. Without Muslims there have never been any religion ☯️ war . Our ancestors shouldn't have accepted Muslims 400 year's ago in today's Iran 🤦.
Atleast they are safe in India. If sikkim chose to be an independent country, China would attack them just like how they captured Tibet. Sikkimese people chose the right decision to be part of India.
India annexed Sikkim in the 70s. Sikkim was an independent country. While Tibet has been part of China for hundreds of years.
@user-mm7zi4ue7d free Tibet ccp bot
@@firefly4784no. Tibet has been part of china less than 150 years. It was, in most of its history, a separate country from Han china. Only in yuan it was under china and was somewhat part of china under the manchu
@@daxsimon5453𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚝𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚍, 𝚃𝚒𝚋𝚎𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝙴𝚖𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚊
join in a shit hole, how sick
love the commentary on top! please do more of that.
those Tibetans are such nice and gentle people. Thank you India for giving them a refuge, a place to call home
❤ from 🇮🇳
Lol they are living in Sikkim which was occupyed by in d or either south Tibet which was also occupy so of course they have to act like giving but in reality they are living in their own place not india
印度人侵略
@@蛙咖喱共 Chinese VPN user 😂😂
Tibet will be merged with India soon
The beauty of travel is sitting down for coffee/tea/beer with elderly locals. They truely enjoy the company, and are full of wisdom and life experiences. I always end up befriending the elderly everywhere I go. Many of them don't have living family, or if they do, they often are ignored by them. If you are respectful of their culture, almost always you will have great conversation. Language barriers are overcome pretty quickly if you spend a bit of time learning the local language, and often can find people to bridge the gap that are willing to hang out and chat.
You are a great human Tommy. Thank you so much for sharing
Sikkimese here, you’ll find a lot of languages within Sikkim, and the closest one to Tibetan is Bhutia (not to be confused with Bhutanese), as the principal said we use the same script. Also in our language we call Sikkim lovingly Denzong (short for Beyul Demazong which means valley hidden in rice). The main people of Sikkim are Lepcha (original inhabitants of Sikkim), Bhutia, and Nepali. So you’ll find a lot of culture and traditions within Sikkim. The Buddhism we follow is also different from the other parts of the world, we follow Vajrayana Buddhism which is a form of Tantric Buddhism where our main figure is Guru Padmasambhava (the lotus born) or also known by our people as Guru Rinpoche (8:57 his figurine).
@30:59 I felt the same thing Tommy 😢
Thank you for another great video, I truly appreciate every effort you put into making these videos 🤘🤘
Good one Tommy. Back to those random wholesome encounters ❤
awesome people and convo, wow. thanks for doing these and travelling. its the talks with people and how we relate that I value most from your videos! (and I'm a history lover too, thats not bad)
Another great video, Tommy! I learned so much. What wonderful people.
Tommy, spreading the Sabbatical of kindness and empathy. Kudos and joolay.
It was very emotional, but the old man was amazing about the situation and had a wonderful attitude about it. So inspirational and humbling.
Amazing video as always would love to visit that part of India. Looks amazingly peaceful!
Thank you 🙏 it was lovely to see that people still acknowledges the struggle of Tibetans. We love you❤
Only rich Tibetan slave owners left China, maybe its not a bad thing they never see what current China is all about, so they won’t feel sorry and regreted.
@@merrick6484ccp bot 😂 +20 social credits
@@merrick6484 2007 Chinese slave scandal
@@merrick6484what about the monks that immolated themselves when china invaded tibet ? Were they slave owners? What about spiritual leader of tibet dalai lama ? Why is china trying to capture him?
This.... was a great video, we appreciate your work and effort you do in every one you make. great job.
Really enjoyed this video!
Never change this personality, pace, editing style. No need to change it. It is so great you being yourself in this format.
Great video Tommy of a unique part of the world 🌎👍🏻
@7:28 Tommy,, you are walking away from the Momo's stop shop that you wanted 😂
Another fantastic video of a region and people I had such little knowledge of. Going to the less traveled regions is what I enjoy about your channel the most
Hinduism which we call sanatan dharam is the oldest religion in india and even Buddha is a Hindu and then he later got Nirvana in bodhgaya and the reality is Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism is a branch of Hinduism which we called "sanatan dharam" ( like a tree has it different branches that's how Sanatan dharma is )💕
Great video!
Hey ur finally here. Always wondered if you would visit and test your language skills here. Looking forward to your new adventures.
Sabbatical on Sabbath. Greetings from Brazil! Let's go man!!✌️
Love your work but thos video was too short for the area you covered!! I wanted to see more as I will probably never visit that country or territory.
Glad to have stumbled upon this video. The kinda content social media should be showing more often. Welcome to India!
One more reason to love my country Bharat (India) 🇮🇳
Proud of my diverse United Country 🏁
That's why I love UA-cam 📺
Thank you Sabbatical 🙏
He made a little mistake while interpreting the Buddhist history though.
Buddhism was never wiped out from India, it originated from it. Kind of like a book from a library. Sanatana(which is wrongly called as Hinduism in the west) is a library of ways and beliefs, united as one philosophy in the roots. Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Shaivism, Vaishvism, and all these so called wrong "isms" which they do not even understand the meaning of, all originate from Sanatana.
It is not division, it is specification. We believe in following the path and codes, best suited to our tastes, times and circumstances. but still bound by a sense of righteous honor(dharma). It is frowned upon to convert, even within the faiths of Sanatana, let alone to an Abrahamic faith, but not punishable since it is ultimately your choice and your life.
@@Aryan-nv9kd lol Buddhist were wiped out from India. The 1% Buddhist population thag India has today is because of these himalayan states like Sikkim, ladakh, arunachal pradesh which thankfully were never part of India in Past. Had it been in India then it would have face the same fate, By the way I am from sikkim. So please stop spreading crap about Buddhism. Please practice your Hinduism and keep your mouth shout on Buddhism
@@Aryan-nv9kd
Buddhism did not originate in present-day India; the specific location is Lumbini within the borders of today's Nepal. The founder of Buddhism is Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha, which means "the awakened one." Siddhartha Gautama was born into a noble family and later abandoned a life of luxury to seek spiritual liberation and universal truth. After prolonged meditation and ascetic practices, he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, thereby founding Buddhism.
佛教并非起源于现在的印度，具体地点是今天的尼泊尔境内的蓝毗尼（Lumbini）。佛教的创始人是释迦牟尼（Siddhartha Gautama），也被称为佛陀（Buddha，意为“觉者”）。释迦牟尼出生于一个贵族家庭，后来放弃了奢华的生活，寻求精神上的解脱和普遍的真理。经过长时间的冥想和修行，他在菩提树下获得了觉悟，从而创立了佛教。
@@Aryan-nv9kdabsolutely ✅
Current favorite youtube channel, safe travels!
After the defeat of the Tibetans by the British, Gangtok became a major stopover in the trade between Tibet and British India at the end of the 19th century.[8] Most of the roads and the telegraph in the area were built during this time.
In 1894, Thutob Namgyal, the Sikkimese monarch under British rule, shifted the capital from Tumlong to Gangtok, increasing the city's importance. A new grand palace along with other state buildings was built in the new capital. Following India's independence in 1947, Sikkim became a nation-state with Gangtok as its capital. Sikkim came under the suzerainty of India, with the condition that it would retain its independence, by the treaty signed between the Chogyal and the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
Oh wow. That old bridge and the huge Buda! I like when you show a map of the region. The older man and the guide were very nice. They had stories to tell. I bet they told their families about meeting an American
Glad to see you post on X, Tommy. Love your channel... great content.
Looks like Kolkata airport? Hope you make a Kolkata video next. Great video here in Ravangla, nice people you talked to.
I am surprised that you did not talk more about the history of Sikkim as an independent state that had an American (Hope Cook) as the spouse of its ruling Prince. The reason that the monarchy fell and India finally took control are fascinating.
You will clearly notice his bias reporting about china comparison to India.Typical western brainwashed by their echo chamber media.😂😂
In April 1973, India openly sent troops to occupy Sikkim and forcibly took over all power of the Sikkim government under the pretext of internal turmoil. In May, the "Sikkim Agreement" was signed with Sikkim. In September 1974, the Indian Parliament passed a constitutional amendment to establish Sikkim as India's "associate state". However, the Indian government's desire for expansion was not satisfied. In April 1975, the Indian government once again brazenly deployed troops to Sikkim and forcibly disbanded the palace guards of the King of Sikkim. The Indian army completely took control of Sikkim.
On January 29, 1982, King Pardon Dundup Namgar of Sikkim passed away in New York, United States, and Crown Prince Wangchuk Tensin Namgar ascended to the throne, becoming the 13th king of Sikkim. He declared India's annexation of Sikkim illegal After the Indian government annexed Sikkim.
锡金
@@GWC-h4t Imagine still wants to be enslaved by the white. Thank the Indians for bringing democracy to the land.
@@明明-t9c I know its hard for Tommy to appear to criticize a country while he is there, I just thought that the Hope Cook angle would be interesting to Americans. Perhaps he will have more to say after his India visit is complete.
Beautiful episode. Your really Good at this
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and certain other regions in India are border states and have sensitive ecology, community, and indigenous local culture along with border issues with China. Thus, They are protected areas, so they need multiple documents to visit. In states like Arunachal Pradesh, even fellow Indian citizens who are non-indigenous to the state require an Inner Line Permit to visit
Traveling in India and not knowing that Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism are all origin from India and not from Middle East.
I had tried to find something new hours ago, and it comes !!! Cheers !!!
You were a stones throw away from my wife’s house when you were talking to Tsering. Pretty crazy to watch but I knew some day you’d swing by cuz you a real one. God bless bro safe travels out there.
How come oldies speak good english there
@@WaMo721 Most of us can speak conversational English here. We're not all slums and thieves
@@WaMo721i wonder that too. Where did they learn? Is it a heritage from the colonial times?
Is it normal for husband and wife to have separate houses?
@@hracekkWe Indians although we have our own script and language, study mostly in English.
I really like your delivery. Clear, well-paced, informed and understandable communication.
I virtually travel the world with you. I so admire your work, and especially your knowledge of languages! After months of studying Spanish i still yet don't feel comfortable in my quest to vacation in Guatemala. One observation, not a criticism, the volume of your videos is all over the place. I constantly work to turn it up and down to keep content at a reasonable level. A small price to pay for the quality you produce, but thought to bring it up. Thanks for all you do!
He has yet to learn audio normalization after editing. A ten minute process.
Excellent as always Tommy..hello from Ireland 🇮🇪
India government put a lot of Nepal and India residents in Sikkim, their population organization has been severely changed. From the march in the video we also can see they took the flags with Indian gods instead of Tibetan Buddhism. This vblogger did show partial true, if we have the brains, he can’t fool us.
What are you saying bruh?? Budhism grew from Sanatan Dharm. They are not two different or distinct things. Try to understand the concept of "Inclusiveness", which is at the core of both philosophies. Indian govt. saved Sikkim from having the same fate as China Occupied Tibet.
The people are Indian Nepalese people from Sikkim not Indian people it's not India who did that they have always been coming in India to gain Indian citizenship so it's been happening since British times blame the British for that.
While Nepal things that Sikkim is their land and even Nepal used to claim Sikkim ask a hyper nationalist Nepalese person they will still say that Sikkim is a part of Nepal.
When the Nepalese are not even Natives their.
Thee real natives of Sikkim are a Sino Tibetic people like the Lepcha's people and their culture is pretty much very Tibetic.
@@Roy1-ub9ijthe indigenous or natives of sikkim are the bhutias, the lepchas and limbus. Especially bhutia and lepcha because both are blood brothers by treaty
Oh its my favourite UA-camr Tommy n wat perfect TIMING i could hAVE DONE IT BETTER MY SELF MY GOOD MAN. 🤧
india is not just crowded cities like delhi and some part of mumbai there's a lot more calm places like kerala , north east india and north india including places like himachal pradesh , uk nd j and k