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RINCHENPONG

Rinchenpong is a small hamlet tucked in the midst of the undulating mountains of west Sikkim and is an ideal location to laze and experience the sounds of silence and enjoy nature at its best. Rinchenpong is nestled at an altitude of 1700 meter (5576 feet), though it is may not be as high as some of its neighbours in West Sikkim, but still Rinchenpong offers the stunning view of the snow-capped Himalayan ranges of Mt. Kanchenjunga and other peaks on a clear day. Rinchenpong is a well-known tourist spot of West Sikkim and is also a known pilgrimage site among the locals as Rinchenpong is home to two of the oldest monasteries of Sikkim namely Reesum Monastery and Rinchenpong Monastery. Rinchenpong has gained a lot of attention in the tourism sector both as a pilgrimage and scenic gateway. The village of Rinchenpong is mainly inhabited by communities like Lepcha, Limboo, Sherpa, Nepali and the like communities. The main source of livelihood of the locals of Rinchenpong are mainly based in farming, as around the village one will get to see numerous step cultivation farmlands or farms of terrace farming. The locals usually grow crops like turmeric, black cardamom, maize along with fruits like Kiwi, oranges and others. Apart from that with the development of tourism at Rinchenpong, many locals have also started to build up hotels and homestays in order to cater tourists with staying options. Rinchenpong along with Kaluk is a late expansion of West Sikkim. All around the village of Rinchenpong tourists can spot numerous species of high altitude floras namely Pine, Himalayan Alder, Chestnut, Magnolia, Rhododendrons, Cherry along with other species. The Rinchenpong – Kaluk circuit also forms an asylum for the popular Barsey Rhododendron Trek route. The most impressive part of Rinchenpong is its deep silence all around which occasionally gets debarred by the symphony of the chirping sounds of the birds those inhabit the village along with roaring sounds of the hard wind blows through the trees.

Places to visit around Rinchenpong:
Apart from being a calm village of West Sikkim, Rinchenpong also offers tourists with numerous spots of tourist’s interest located nearby.

  • Rinchenpong Monastery: Rinchenpong Monastery or Rinchen Chholing Monastery is the third oldest monastery of Sikkim built around 1772 and is perched on a hill top. Rinchenpong Monastery is home to a rare Ati Buddha statue portrayed in the Yab-Yum position that depicts a meditating posture which is embraced and straddled by a woman. Rinchenpong Monastery is also a part of heritage circuit tour of Sikkim. The periphery of Rinchenpong Monastery offers stupendous sight of the snow-covered Himalayan ranges along with that it is beautifully decorated with numerous prayer flags which form a perfect combination of ancient structure and nature.
  • Reesum Monastery: This is another ancient structure at Rinchenpong and is also one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim. Reesum Monastery is a wobbly old Gompa with peaceful ambience, naïve paintings and incredible 360 degree panoramic view of the mountain ranges. There is no motor-able route to Reesum Monastery, tourists need to avail the route by walking only and on the way tourists will encounter occasional collapsing Stupas (Tibetan stone walls with sacred inscriptions).
  • Rinchenpong Heritage House: The Heritage House at Rinchenpong was built around 1860 by the locals. This Heritage House is built in wood and stones only and was to host regular visits of a British Governor. The interior of this Heritage House at Rinchenpong reveals multi – cultural influences including wall paintings and wood carvings of the traditional Tibetan style.
  • Poison Lake: The Poison Lake (also known as Bish Pokhri) at Rinchenpong is an existing witness of the historical battle between the forces of the then Chogyal (King in a local dialect) of Sikkim and the invading British Forces. The Lepcha tribesmen of Rinchenpong used a concoction of unidentified herbs to poison the only water source of Rinchenpong. In turn half of the British forces were died and forced the army to retreat. This Poison Lake is located on the way to Resum Monastery at Rinchenpong.
  • Old British Dak Bungalow: An Old British Dak Bungalow is located on the top of a hillock at Rinchenpong which was visited by famous Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore and spent some time. It is also believed that during his stay at this British Dak Bungalow a piece of Geetanjali was written by him.
  • Rabindra Smriti Van: Rabindra Smriti Van is a viewpoint at Rinchenpong dedicated to the famous noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore and situated above Rinchen Chholing Monastery. This viewpoint at Rinchenpong is filled with numerous Rhododendrons and other seasonal flowers. It offers stunning view of the mountain ranges and surrounding valleys.
  • Kaluk: Kaluk is a quaint and peaceful village of West Sikkim located around 03 km away from Rinchenpong. The circuit of Kaluk – Rinchenpong are also referred as twin villages. Kaluk is mainly known for its surrounding views and resorts sprawled within the area to cater tourists with varying experiences.
  • Maggi Dara: Maggi Dara is located around 08 km away from Rinchenpong and is known for a monastery which is located here with splendid paintings of its walls making it one of the most visited tourist spot near Rinchenpong.
  • Sribadam: Sribadam is a forest village located around 11 km away from Rinchenpong and is famous for Phuntsok Choeling Monastery which is situated here. This monastery also features prominently as a meditation centre as well. Apart from Phuntsok Choeling Monastery at Sribadam, there are other attractions around Sribadam are Jor Pokhri and Woodpark Industry.
  • Hee Water Park: Hee Water Park or Hee Water Garden is located around 15 km away from Rinchenpong via Kaluk – Bermiok Road. In this water park at Hee Gaon tourists can enjoy some leisure time in the swimming pool or nature trail through the lush greenery. Here one can also witness the free flowing river, bee hive and eye catching Dharma wheel.
  • Chayatal: From Rinchenpong in a day trip tourists can visit Chayatal located around 20 km away from Rinchenpong. Chayatal in known for a natural lake set on the hill top with stunning view of the snow-capped Himalayan ranges.
  • Pelling: Pelling is a popular tourist destination of West Sikkim located around 46 km away from Rinchenpong via Pelling – Dentam Road. Tourists can either opt for a day trip to Pelling from Rinchenpong or can also make a night halt at Pelling which can be combined with Rinchenpong – Pelling tour.

Things to do around Rinchenpong:
Apart from visiting the local tourists spots located nearby, Rinchenpong also offers tourists with number of activities to experience.

  • Bird Watching: Among all other activities, Rinchenpong offers tourists and bird watchers with ample options of bird watching. The village of Rinchenpong inhabits by wide species of birds which are frequently spotted here.
  • Hiking: Rinchenpong offers tourists with ample options of hiking, as several walking trails are there through the village that goes to different directions. The hiking experience to the local monasteries of Rinchenpong or visit the nearby spots by hiking or trekking is an experience worth enjoying.
  • Village Trail: In a leisure day tourists can opt for a leisure walk by the village of Rinchenpong and meet the local people and get a deep insight of their day to day activities.
  • Relax in the lap of Nature: On a leisure day at Rinchenpong, tourists can opt to sit back on a chair and enjoy the surround landscapes along with the view of the snow-capped Himalayan ranges.
  • Visit Azing’s Farm: From Rinchenpong tourists can opt for a visit to Azing’s Farm located around 06 km on Rinchenpong – Reshi Road. Azing’s Farm is a model farm spread over 05 acres of area and is an example of horticulture model.

How to reach:

By Air: Bagdogra Airport is the nearest airport to Rinchenpong located around 130 km away via NH10. Bagdogra Airport is well connected by regular flight services with Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati. From Bagdogra Airport via Sevoke tourists can reach Rinchenpong. Vehicles services are available at Bagdogra Airport to reach Rinchenpong.

By Train: New Jalpaiguri railway station is the nearest rail head to Rinchenpong located around 128 km away. New Jalpaiguri railway station is well connected by regular train services with Kolkata and other major cities of India. From New Jalpaiguri railway station by hired vehicles tourists can easily reach Rinchenpong via NH10.

By Road: Rinchenpong is well connected by good road networks with Siliguri located around 124 km away (journey is around 05 hours by road). Tourists opt to visit Rinchenpong from Gangtok can avail two different routes. One is from Gangtok via Ravangla – Legship – Rishi – Rinchenpong road and the other is from Gangtok via Melli – Jorethang – Reshi Road. On both these road Rinchenpong is around 137 km away from Gangtok. Rinchenpong can be also visited from Pelling either via Dentam or via Legship Road.

Best time to visit:
Rinchenpong can be visited throughout the year. But the time of spring (March – April) is ideal to witness the blooming Rhododendrons along with other flowers. Winter is the best time to witness the snow-capped Himalayan ranges as the weather remains very clear, but the temperature remains cold. Summers are the best to escape the scorching heat of the plains along with that tourists can easily move around and visit different spots located near Rinchenpong.

RINCHENPONG NEST

Rinchenpong Nest is one of the best accommodation available on the valleys of Rinchenpong, West Sikkim. The hotel offers fully well furnished rooms suitable for guests those who likes to spend one or two days in calm and absolute silence far away from the madding crowd. The resort has its own in house restaurant facility offers varieties of cuisines for the guests. Rinchenpong Nest is a complete pocket friendly resort for the guests. All the rooms of Rinchenpong Nest are well furnished with attached bathrooms, T.V. in all rooms, availability of hot water. The host of Rinchenpong Nest are very friendly and of warm welcoming nature. The resort offers several activities to offer to the tourists like short trek, visiting to other places, availability of car for local sightseeing.

Room Tariff:
Deluxe double bed rooms @ 1650/-
Four bed rooms @ 2000/-
Suite rooms @ 2500/-
Package rate @ 1300/- per day per person (includes lodging and food).

HOW TO BOOK: Call us at 9831311606 , 9830381306 to get the current availability status or use the query form furnished below with all you travel queries and submit, we will call/ contact you directly.
Or, you may also directly book from our Kolkata office at: 8C Shanti Ghosh Street, Kolkata – 700003. Nearest Landmark: Manindra Chandra College and Shyambazar Metro Railway Station (Gate No: 3)