Chalamthang Homestay, South Sikkim, a home away from home

Chalamthang Homestay, South Sikkim

A home away from home

Also see: Chalamthang and Yuksam, a family tour of South and West Sikkim

Sikkim is known for its breathtaking views of Kanchanjunga, the third highest peak in the world. Places like Gantok, Pelling, Ravangla, Rinchenpong, etc offers great views of the majestic snow peak. No wonder they are always on the top of the priority list for tourist visiting Sikkim.

Chalamthang Homestay in evening

But the landscape of Sikkim is never restricted to Kanchanjunga alone meandering rivers, deep gorges, rolling green hills and high altitude passes forms an integral part of the Sikkim landscape.

The Machan at Chalamthang Homestay

So imagine a place in Sikkim offering a grand view of the meandering Teesta River thundering along the rolling green hills.

The scattered towns and villages dotting the lush green hill scape and last but not least the snowy landscape of the Nathula Pass.

Yes Chalamthang in South Sikkim near Singtam offers such a view and since there is no Kanchanjunga there is no crowd also.

So if you want to enjoy the amazing landscape of Sikkim minus the Kanchanjunga and the crowd come to Chalamthang Homestay. A couple of days stay will also double up as a home away from home and a friendship to last a lifetime.

Way to Chalamthang Homestay

Chalamthang literally means Orange Farm in Lepcha language. The Chalamthang Homestay is located on the edge of a hilltop with a panoramic view of the Himalayan foothill.

The views include the meandering Teesta River and the snowy peaks of Nathula and beyond.

The homestay is located about a hundred yards from the main road and a wide well paved trail leads yo to the homestay.

Don’t be worried the trail is short but broad and easy to negotiate. The homestay authorities also arranges for porters to carry your luggage.

Breakfast at the Machan, Chalamthang Homestay

The Chalamthang Homestay is a brain child of Amrit Sharma. In 2014 Amrit started the homestay under the Sikkim Chief Minister’s Homestay Scheme of 2013. Then only 29 Amrit, a MBA from Sikkim Manipal University, left his high profile banking job to start his own homestay.

Breakfast at Chalamthang Homestay, buckwheat roti, potato curry and sour curd

In 2014 it started with 2 rooms and a elevated viewing platform popularly known as the Machan. In the very first year it accommodated 500 + tourist.

There was no looking back in 2016 it received the best homestay award in Sikkim.

The following year it received the two star homestay rating from Sikkim Tourism Department.

In 2018 it received the ISO certification, thus becoming the first homestay in Sikkim to receive the prestigious certificate.

The third room followed soon after and two more are scheduled to be added before the tourist season of 2019 pujas kicks off.

Although in the last half a decade the Chalamthang Homestay have gone through a process of expansion the machan still remains the centre of attraction.

Lunch at the Chalamthang Homestay dinning hall

The elevated platform with a thatched roof of hay offers the breathtaking views of the mountains. Beautifully laid out with a centre table, sofas and chairs one can sit here for hours simply enjoying the beauty of the nature accompanied with cups of hot tea or coffee accompanied with freshly fried pokaras.

Lunch at Chalamthang Homestay. Rice, dal, mashed potato, fried brinjals, rai sak, paneer and oyster mushroom

Regarding food the Chlamthang Homestay serves strict vegetarian food and even egg is not on the menu list. But don’t be disheartened the amazing variety of veg out is sure to bowl out the hardest of carnivores.

A typical breakfast in Chalamthang Homestay consists of buck wheat roti or seal roti paired with potato curry and sour curd. In evening tea or coffee is served with onion pokaras.

The lunch and dinners are elaborate affairs with a choice of roti and rice accompanied with dal along with at least five vegetable curries and not to mention the array of home made pickels.

It usually consists of smashed potatoes, fried brinjals and rai sak. The curries consists of vegetable like potatoes, squash, gobi, paneer and churpi (local cheese).

Village tour of Chalmathang with Nisha and two of her friends

All the vegetables are organic and are sourced from the adjoining vegetable garden, which also consists of a plastic made green house.

The milk and the dairy products also comes from the domesticated cows. Apart from the rice, pulses, salt, sugar, tea and coffee everything is home grown or home made.

During our 3 nights stay at the Chalamthang Homestay Amrit was not there but his absence was not felt due to the amazing hospitality of his mother and younger sister Nisha.

Apart from village tour of Chalamthang the home stay is a lunching pad to visit some of the most popular tourist spots of Sikkim.

Nisha and her mother at machan, Chalamthang Homestay

Our itinerary at Chalamthang was as follows:

Day 1 (May 27): Day trip from Chalamthang covering Temi Tea Garden and Buddha Park, Ravangla.

Day 2 (May 28): Day trip from Chalamthang covering Tarey Bhir and Sandruptse (Char Dham in Namchi had to be dropped due to a political rally).

Day 3 (May 29): Village tour of Chalmathang before leaving fro Yuksam

Note: Chalamthang Homestay was part of a family tour of Sikkim, for details please see Chalmathang and Yuksam, family tour of South and West Sikkim

A panoramic view of the three rooms and machan of Chalamthang Homestay

Booking: For booking contact Amrit Sharma (9933367683). Booking can also be done through Koushik Banerjee of Supreme Travels (9830070515)

Chalamthang Homestay quick facts:

• Official website and tariff
• Chalamthang is not well connected by public transport, so do arrange your own transport. The homestay authorities will help
• It takes about 4 hours from Siliguri / NJP and costs about Rs 2500 in small cars and Rs 3000 in big cars. The cost may increse during peak seasons
• It is a strict veg homestay so it is best not to carry any non veg items. Even if you have non veg items like cake do consume them inside your room