Sikkim Homestay Tour
Sikkim Homestay Tour
Village tourism activities spread over all parts of Sikkim has plenty of exciting moments. Short hikes with cultural amalgamation together with nature blending provides ample opportunity to do a study. Home Stay Facilities are the main hub to start the day with a quest for rich biodiversity of the region. Rural accommodations are available mostly in family run Home Stays which provides very local food and simple stay. One can participate in the daily activities of the house hold, hike around the village, make a check list of birds, butterflies and some time one can attend rituals, weddings. One can partake in local food preparation for the entire family.
Village provides tranquil and peace atmosphere. Sikkim has home stay facilities in Bhutia, Lepcha, Nepales other houses. Village tourism has a very exclusive and extraordinary experience for most travelers. Exclusive itinerary can be made for about 10 days depending on the taste and the choices of travelers on the cultural front. Different communities extend services as per their cultures and customs.
SIKKIM HIMALAYAN HOMESTAY
Sikkim Himalayan homestay is an unforgettable experience and a great way to explore local culture and make new friends. Homestay of trekking is new concept of tourism in Sikkim and it is becoming more and more popular as it provide more opportunities to the trekkers to know and experience the local culture and life style and this type of trekking is economically cheaper comparatively with other type of trekking like camping trekking. Guests in the Himalayan homestay program stay with village families and eat meals prepared by the family, local villagers serve as guides so that guests can experience village life one-on-one. Cultural programs such as dances and singing can be organized to highlight local cultures and traditions.
Homestay operators strive to make visitors comfortable in every way. However you should keep the following points in mind to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Homestay hosts are trained to provide food and drinking water in a hygienic and palatable manner. Drinking water is boiled. However, should you have special dietary requirements, please let the homestay operator know in advance. Guest will be served traditional village foods unless they request otherwise. All homestay operators have been trained to provide clean furnishing and bed linens. If you require extra blankets or other items, your host will be happy to provide them. Many guests are apprehensive about the toilets facilities they will find in homestay.
All homestay operators have been trained to clean and maintain toilets so that they are acceptable to guests. Some homes have western-style toilets, however please keep in mind that many do not. Homestay operators will provide toilet paper for guests. The most important thing is to communicate your needs to the homestay operators and to remain flexible : villagers are as eager to learn about your life and your culture as you are about theirs.
DZONGU
Homeland to the Lepchas Rugged community,the original inhabitants of Sikkim. It borders the Khanchendzonga Biosphere Reserve and offers panoramic views of Mount Khanchendzonga (8,585m), the third highest summit in the world and the protective deity of Sikkim/Dzongu remote valleys and rocky peaks are home to rare fauna and flora that are endemic to the area. Dzongu is about 70km north of Gangtok and is 2 hours drive by jeep. This picturesque valley was formed by fast flowing glacier-fed rivers emerging from the Himalayas. The Lepcha people of this site are primarily animists and Buddhists. The area is very remote, and is surrounded by sharply titled verdant mountains that are stacked on top of each other at a forbidding angle. Many of the village trails pass through gorgeous, pristine forest dripping with mass and orchids. Because of the altitude variation of Dzongu, visitors can see warm sub tropical forests, temperate deciduous forests, and alpine zones in the higher ridges. The people of Dzongu are mostly engaged in subsistence farming and are very warm and friendly. Activities of Dzongu can include invigorating walks in upper and lower Dzongu to experience the thrill of crossing cane and bamboo bridges that pass over churning rivers. Birds watchers will delight at the rare and beautiful birds of Dzongu. Thundering water falls and dense pristine vegetation make Dzongu ideal for botanical chortens at its entrance and prayer flags circle the shrines. Every three years an important religious festival is held at Tholung Gumpa. Please note that visitors to Dzongu must obtain a Restricted Area permit to visit this region. You must allow a few days to make these arrangements.
KEWZING
A Traditional Bhutia Village Kewzing is a quite, traditional Bhutia village 8km from Ravangla in South Sikkim. The Kewzing Tourism Department Committee (KTDC) is a local community based organization that was formed to develop and promote responsible tourism in the area. Kewzing village offers magnificent mountain views and is an ideal place to experience the traditional Bhutia (Buddhist) way of life. KTDC makes arrangements for accommodation, meals and guided walks and can also organize cultural activities on request. Activities during your stay can include village hikes, and visits to the Bon, Doling and Mangbrue monasteries in the area. Nature walks pass through cardamom plantations, which are an ideal habitat for the rich diversity of birds found in the Kewzing area. The more adventurous can take an overnight trek to the remote and rarely visited Maenam wild life Sanctuary (3,200m) for a spectacular view of the mountain and the plains of North Bengal. We can also arrange sightseeing tours to Samdruptse (an enormous statue of the patron saint of Sikkim), Ralang monastery, Temi tea garden, a traditional paper-making factory, Rayong Sunrise point, or a fun-filled picnic day to the Rangit water world (a River Lake in the Rangit river). Tashiding and Pemayangtse monasteries, Pelling, and Khecheopalri Lake in west Sikkim are also accessible from Kewzing.
PASTENGA
Something for Everyone The idyllic village of Pastenga is located less than 70 minutes drive from Gangtok, yet it seems a world away. The village is an ideal retreat for anyone who would like to experience a sampling of traditional Sikkimese village life. Pastenga is the home to a unique community of animist Nepalis known as Kirat Rai as well as Bhutias and Lepchas. The rich farmland that surrounds the village has supported these diverse communities for hundred of years. The name Pastenga comes from the fact that many types of bamboo thrive in the forests that surround the village. The villagers of Pastenga have a particular use for each of bamboo. Visitors to Pastenga will be able to see traditional Bhutia and Rai houses that have remained virtually unchanged for 150 years, walk through cardamom plantations to visit a sacred waterfall, and observe daily village life. Guests can also enjoy a cultural show, which features Bhutia and Rai dancing and singing, and sample the delicious cuisine of the area. The village also features an help garden that contains medicinal plants common in the area. More adventurous visitors can leave from Pastenga to undertake a trek to Khedi, a remote site several days walk from Pastenga.
YUKSUM
Sacred landscape. Rich History and Bio-diverstiy Hotspot Yuksum which mean meeting place of the Three learned Ones is the first capital of Sikkim. The modern history of Sikkim starts from here with the consecration of the first King of Sikkim, Phuntsok Namgyal in the year 1642. The stone coronation throne in which the first king was consecrated is still there at Narbu Gang Chorten, Dubdi monastery, located on the hill top of Yuksam is the oldest monastery of Sikkim. Yuksum village (5840ft) lies in the western part of Sikkim. It is the base for trekking to the world famous Yuksam Dzongri Trail  which is located inside the Khangchendzonga National Park. The whole area from Yuksam to Mt. Khangchendzonga (the third highest peak in the world) is not only rich with biodiversity but it also considered as a Sacred landscape Here one can experience diverse vegetation types. The area surrounding Yuksum is truly a Birders Paradise having more than 250 birds species, 18 Species of Rhododendron, many species of medical herbs, alpine flowers and rare wild Orchids. Yuksum village have diversified Ethnic community like Lepcha, Bhutia, Limboo and Nepali. The rendezvous of culture can be experienced in the Homestay which is being promoted by ECOSS (Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim) and the local organization KCC. Yuksum is approximately 125 km from Gangtok. Many other important sites in west Sikkim including Khecheopalri lake, Pemayangtse monastery, Tashiding monastery, Hongri monastery and Khandu Shangphu hotspring, can be easily reached from Yuksum.
Starting at
:USD 715