Top holiday homes in Sikkim

It has been said, if you want to explore a new place, live like the local and eat the food that they eat. Hence, there can be nothing better than these home stays to discover Sikkim.

Bookman’s BnB with Café & Bookshop

Located 10 min away from MG Marg (the town centre of Gangtok), amongst clothing stores, restaurants, gift shops and many more, Bookman’s BnB with cafe & bookshop sits right above Rachna Books & Café Fiction, run by the same book-loving owner. This award-winning bookstore attracts bibliophiles from everywhere. It has even been described as THE place for all things that is contemporarily cultural in Gangtok! Guests can get 12% discount on books or 2 coffees/tea for the price of one and read on till they drift off to the literary planet.

How to get there: Shared taxis charge Rs 10 per head to Gangtok’s City Centre and Rs 20 per from the town. Pick up from the airport/railway stations are also available.

Home stay in Pelling

This home stay in Pelling is at an altitude of 2,150 m (7,200 feet). The town is located 10 km from the district headquarters of Geyzing. Just a few minutes’ walk from the helipad and the main road, this home stay offers a spectacular view of the Kanchenjunga – the highest peak in India and third-highest on Earth. Activities such as hiking, and exploring temples and monasteries amidst nature are best enjoyed in and around this quiet little town.

How to get there: Pelling is connected with a helicopter service, which connects Pelling with Gangtok on request.

Waterfall Homestay

Surrounded by sacred places – such as Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre, Golden Stupa, Ranka Monastry and Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies – Waterfall Homestay is an ideal place for meditation, yoga practice, reading, writing, bird and butterfly watching, botanical study, buddhist studies, Sikkimese traditional studies and the likes. You can even walk till the small village Bangathang to interact with locals. Another trail will lead you to Lepcha Village (Lepchas are the original inhabitants of Sikkim) called Ting Pem. After a further 30-min walk, you will Rey Mindu village, from where the Rey Mindu Monastry is just a 20-min uphill walk.

Temi House

Everyone deserves a little luxury! Temi Tea House is 1.2 km from the capital city, Gangtok. This spacious family-run villa is ‘truly a home away from home’. The garden and scenic views from the terrace gives the feeling of being away from the busy capital. Just 20 minutes away is the popular Mayfair spa resort and casino, where you can enjoy the nightlife. For activities during the day, guests can go to MG Marg for shopping and bar-hopping, Sichey Monastery, Tashi View point or a 2-hour ride to Tsongmo Lake.

How to get there: By road: Taxi is available from Siliguri town till Gangtok (appox. 4 hours), from NJP railway station (4 hours approx) and from Bagdogra airport (4 hours approx); By air: Sikkim Helicopter Service is available from Bagdogra till Gangtok, from where, it is about a 10–15 minutes taxi ride.

Mustard Seed Farm-Stay

This farm stay in Sajong, Rumtek, is 18 km from Gangtok. Facing the beautiful Gangtok valley, the Mustard Luxury Cottage has an attached kitchen for guests to cook their own meals. There is also a farm with chicken and fresh vegetables. It does not get more homely than this!

How to get there: By road: Pick up/drop can be arranged from Siliguri, NJP and Bagdogra on request. Guests can take a taxi till Gangtok. Book a local taxi from there to reach the farm-stay. By air: Helicopter service from Siliguri to Gangtok is available and a taxis can be availed till the farm-stay.