What beckoned us to Sikkim beyond its lush greenery, hills, and valleys was the state’s carbon-negative initiatives like massive afforestation and organic cultivation. In love with the Himalayas and pristine nature anywhere, my family of four was drawn to the bucolic charms of the state.
One summer, escaping the scorching heat of the plains and equipped with both rainwear and woollens, we alighted at the New Jalpaiguri railway junction. A three-hour drive through forested plains and up the hills led us to Shanti Niwas homestay in Burung near Sangkhola in east Sikkim. Our cottage perched on a hillock, overlooking valleys bordered by rolling hills.
Our host Rounak greeted us by draping white silken scarfs around our necks. It is a traditional way to welcome someone in regions that practise Tibetan Buddhism, and the white scarf is called khata. Next up was a delicious Nepali thali with dal bhat, tarkari (lentils, rice, and vegetables), chutney, and chicken curry. The homestay’s organic kitchen garden was bursting with seasonal greens.
We learnt that Rounak was from Siliguri. Burung, the ancestral village of his wife, has traditionally been home to a Nepali-speaking community. By evening, dark clouds gathered over the mountains and it started drizzling. Rounak invited us to the bamboo gazebo for a drink of tongba. “This is the traditional alcoholic drink of the Nepalis and is made from fermented millet,” he explained, pouring hot water over a fistful of millet in a bamboo mug. He let the liquid sit for five minutes and then dipped a perforated bamboo straw so we could sip the clear liquid. It tasted slightly alcoholic and a bit tangy.
この記事は Travel+Leisure India の May 2021 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Travel+Leisure India の May 2021 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Lunching In Leh
Turtuk, the last town of India in Ladakh, is having a culinary and hospitality renaissance, discovers Harsh Surti
The Medieval Charm of Elsinore
Elsinore, in eastern Denmark, is a charming city full of surprises, such as its interesting link to Shakespeare, discovers Ami Bhat
Natural Selection
In other parts of the world, natural wine production can be raw, wild, and a little messy. But a road trip through southeastern Austria reveals that, in a land where order and understatement reign, even the low-intervention bottles are elegant and refined.
Where the Wild Things Are
Uncovering Rwanda's natural treasures-and the gift of multigenerational travel
FROM THE VOICE WITHIN
A hit new season of a cult show, a brand new production venture, and a baby girl-it seems Ali Fazal is on top of the world right now. Amid a new parenting journey, the actor talks to SAMREEN TUNGEKAR about his travel persona, his instincts, and what feeds the artiste within him
MONSOON IN THE WILD
For nature lovers craving the lush serenity of monsoon forests, off-season safaris in national park buffer zones offer rare rewards and vital support to local economies, discovers Chandreyi Bandyopadhyay.
Ray of Sunshine
Getting diagnosed with life-threatening ailments can spell doom, but for actor Lisa Ray, it became a testament to her resilience. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2009, the former model maintained a positive outlook, blossomed into a vocal advocate for cancer awareness and support, and turned author with a book chronicling her story. In a chat with Bayar Jain, she gets candid about her journey of hope and healing
Championing Change with Conversations That Matter
Aditi Mayer is a responsible storyteller who likes to look at fashion through a lens of social and environmental justice. She tells Samreen Tungekar about how she manages her own mental health and wellness despite work that promotes positive change and requires mental bandwidth
Travelling Through Conscious Well-Being
In the ever-evolving landscape of wellness, where data meets intuition and science aligns with ancient practices, Deepak Chopra stands as a unique bridge between these worlds. Chopra talks to Dipali Patwa about how travel, when intertwined with wellness, becomes a powerful catalyst for personal transformation.
Transcending The 'Trend'
For Rimzim Dadu, the creation of a collection is about lending the pieces a timeless quality. Samreen Tungekar talks to the designer about her creative process, and how her travels intersperse with her approach to design