During my week-long trip to Sikkim, I had intended to visit two places. One, Pelling, a mesmerizing little mountainous town with views of Mt. Kanchenjunga, and two… well, we hadn’t picked out the second one.
Darjeeling, Lachung, and Yuksom were a few of the options we had narrowed down on. But we ended up enjoying our stay in Pelling so much, that we stayed on for 5 out of the 7 days we had. The remaining 2 days were surely not enough to visit any of our picks, so we decided to drive back to Kolkata with a plan – “Let’s stop when we find a place beautiful enough to explore.”
RAVANGLA – A SLEEPY LITTLE HIMALAYAN TOWN
And so, that’s how we ended up in Ravangla, a place that’s not on a tourist’s map. The fact that it was on our route from Pelling to Kolkata meant that since we were still covering ground towards our destination. We could stretch our stay if we wanted to as we hadn’t driven off in another direction. We would still be back in Kolkata on time.
The roads wound around hill after hill like a sleepy snake. Sometimes, I’d see a lone old man sitting at the side of the road – and I’d wonder for a few minutes about where he came from, or where he was going. Until I saw a child, happily walking home from school – and wondered whether he would ever tire of views of these majestic mountains one day. It’s easy to get lost in thought while driving through places like Sikkim, Uttarakhand or Himachal Pradesh, and I’m often glad to have that little luxury of being able to sit in the passenger seat and daydream, without having to concentrate on the next blind turn or steep drop.
A wonderful find
It was some time during the trip when I was lost in thought, that I peeped into a little roadside dhaba… a mere split-second glimpse as we sped past. But what I saw there was enough for me to scream “stop the car” and get us to drive back.
Like a gateway to Narnia, this tiny dhaba had nothing but a sign saying ‘Fast Food’ placed outside, yet it revealed to us the most jaw-dropping panoramic vistas of the hills and valleys of Sikkim! The dhaba was built on sticks which were placed on a not-so-sturdy plastic sheet. Through the gaps in the plastic, I could see nothing but the tops of trees far below. Not the best if you have a fear of heights!
The dhaba, run by a single woman was done up beautifully – with curtains, colourful cushions and an assortment of furniture. Heck, it even had a cot to sleep on – how perfect for bikers who do inter-city rides! I cannot get over how gorgeous and simple the place was. Pictures just don’t do it justice – and the tea I sipped on there, in that magical place, was probably the most memorable one I’ve ever had!
THINGS TO DO IN RAVANGLA
That settled it – this was where we’d spend a day or two. We hopped in the car and then began our frantic Google Search for hotels or homestays in Ravangla. As I mentioned in my last blog post on Pelling, it was off-season, and so there were dozens of hotels to choose from, and since we were in Sikkim, it is a given that even the smallest and cheapest of places would be immaculately kept.
Soon, we narrowed down on The Barfung Retreat, and we made a quick call to find out if they had vacant rooms, while mentioning that we would check in at night. We didn’t want to waste the last hours of daylight in this place straight out of a fairy tale.
We drove around – observing the little shops, quaint wooden houses, and pink-cheeked children playing with sticks, before finally finding ourselves at the city center – a busy market with more traffic than we had seen all day! People seemed to be shopping for groceries, there appeared to be several schools that had just closed and the streets were full of kids dressed in smart sweater vests.
We made our way to Buddha Park of Ravangla, one of the most popular sights to see here. With every second place in the Himalayas having a giant statue, the novelty is kind of wearing off, to be honest!
Anyway, one must pay an entry fee to get in, but even from the road and from many parts of Ravangla, this massive 41m status can be seen. In the garden, piped music sets the tranquil mood, and as you enter the main sanctuary, a gallery displays scenes from Buddha’s life. An inner cylinder of murals contains holy relics from close to a dozen countries.
Apart from Buddha Park, there are a bunch of monasteries you can check out – Ralang Monastery, Doling Monastery and Bon Monastery to name a few. There are also tea gardens, a Shiva Temple and a sunrise point (also called Titanic Point) that you could visit if you have time to spare.
WHERE TO STAY IN RAVANGLA
We checked in to The Barfung Retreat that night and in the dark, couldn’t really tell how beautiful the hotel was. The rooms are like mini cottages with a balcony spanning one entire side. Extremely large and well-appointed with a massive bed, TV, mosquito repellent, bottled water, tea, and coffee amenities, and much more, it was completely worth the Rs. 1500 we spent!
The bathrooms were enormous and the entire place was spic and span! I’d recommend this hotel in Ravangla without a second thought! The room service we ordered for dinner was great too. and best of all, you can be assured of warm hospitality!
The next morning, I opened up the curtains to find that what lay behind was a floor-to-ceiling window! I was already so delighted by our room, but this was the cherry on the cake – soft sunlight flooding in and clouds that looked close enough to touch! We had a fantastic breakfast of Puri Bhaji and tea on the wooden bench and stools outside and set off for another day of exploring, before leaving for Kolkata.
This resort is on the outskirts of Ravangla, so there is plenty of peace and killer views, but no cabs, ATMs and other facilities that you may need nearby. If you book your stay here, its best to have your own vehicle, or book during tourist season when there are chances of better transport. A drive to the main road takes about 20 minutes, so walking there isn’t an option.
Hope you enjoyed this leg of my Sikkim trip! I hope to head back soon to explore another couple of cities – and more of North East India in general!
More food and travel stories coming up in a bit. Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram until then!