Sikkim offers the magical feel of a Himalayan fairytale land. It is an amazing place of hidden valleys, mystical monasteries, snow-fed lakes and a mountain setting covered with flowers and forests. This former kingdom is home to three major population groups - the Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese - providing a colorful composite of cultures. Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world at 8,586 m, dominates the landscape and is revered as Sikkim's guardian deity. Sikkim is a state of India tucked in the Himalaya across Nepal's eastern frontier. It is crammed in between Tibet (China) to the north, Bhutan to the east and Darjeeling to the south.