Sikkim is situated in Eastern Himalayas spreading below Mount Kanchenjunga the third highest mountain in the world. The gigantic mountain walls and steep wooded hillsides are drained by torrential rivers such as the Teesta and the Rangit. The lower slopes abound in orchids, sprays of cardamom carpet the forest floor, and the land is rich with apple orchards, orange groves and terraced paddy fields. At higher altitudes, monsoon mists cling to huge tracts of lichen-covered forests, where countless varieties of rhododendron carpet the hillsides and giant magnolia trees punctuate the deep verdant cover. Higher still, approaching the Tibetan plateau, larch and dwarf rhododendron give way to meadows abundant with gentians and potentilla. Sikkim’s forests and wilderness areas are inhabited by a wealth of fauna, including extremely elusive snow leopards, tahr (wild goat on the Tibet plateau), bharal or blue sheep, black bear, flying squirrels and the symbol of Sikkim – the endangered red panda. The main draws for visitors are the state’s off-the-beaten-track trekking and its many monasteries. Pelling in West Sikkim is nestled at an altitude of 7,200 feet is popular for its spectacular view of mighty Himalayas and the Kanchenjanga range. Pelling's attractions include the local monastery, the rock garden and the imposing double-pronged Kanchenjungha Falls, the archaic quaint Singshore Bridge, the Chhange Waterfalls, the Khechuperi Lake holy to Buddhists and ancient Pemyangtse monastery.