Kalimpong Village Retreat

A globe trotter himself, Mr Siddharth Chhetri owns this 12 acred property called "Kalimpong Village Retreat" (West Bengal, India) to give you a feeling of John Keat's poem "To one who has been long in city pent".It's vastness, it's serenity ,it's self-sufficiency soothe one's soul ,please one's mind and fill one's life. The rooms are comstructed in a scientific manner, the vegetables are grown in an organic manner and the smile of Suprina (Mrs. Chhetri) will definitely make one feel that you are more a relative than a guest. So far hospitality is concerned, this is more a home than a homestay. Far from the maddenning crowd of the city life , this homestay brings to you all the freshness of country living with all its natural and social attributes. It is so near to the Dist HQ of Kalimpong but so rural. from 12th Mile , Kalimpong just follow the down road and within 5 KMs you reach 'lower Echhey' and in lower Echhey ,after a Govt. aided Middle School named "Pashupati Jr High School" you get a huge temple called the "Shivalaya" and as you cross the temple periphery you may find Siddharth standing beside the road wearing a sweet smile to receive you if he is called up bit earlier. In the camp fire or during your leisure if you allow, Mr. Chhetri will share his experience of exploring different countries around the world with geographical and historical backgrounds. This is a rare opportunity for one who likes to gather first hand information and knowledge (Call it primary data) about this Globe. The memory of staying in Kalimpong Village Retreat will keep you freshened up for many days.

Genuinely off-the-beaten track locations are rarer than hens' teeth these days in India, but that's precisely what you have in Kalimpong Village Retreat. Run as a real labour of love by husband and wife team Siddharth and Suprina (with their adorable son, Vedarth), it's a gem of a find. Kalimpong district is far removed from the hectic scenes in Darjeeling a few hours drive to the west, with a much kinder climate conducive to growing all manner of fruits, flowers and vegetables. There are numerous interesting day trips to be taken, including visits to Buddhist monasteries and scenic drives to isolated waterfalls, but the real pleasure lies in kicking back at the comfortable, intimate property, enjoying the excellent and plentiful cooking (all produce grown locally), spotting exotic birds (with the help of budding ornithologist Vedarth) and strolling through the tranquil, welcoming villages that dot the surrounding hillsides. You'll need to be able to walk a couple of hundred metres up and down an incline in order to access the property, but the reward for that is true isolation. I didn't hear a car horn for four days.