Homestays are an integral part of tourism in Sikkim. From grand, heritage structures to traditional houses in remote villages, Sikkimese families have opened their doors, and their hearts, to travellers. This post is about our stay at the beautiful Mayal Paradise Homestay in West Sikkim.
MAYAL PARADISE HOMESTAY, SIKKIM / INDIA
My husband feeds me kiwis. The slightly oblong fruits, just picked from the orchard downhill, is cool and sweet. Stray notes of tartness kick my ageing teeth, but I keep eating, my mouth full of cool green flesh and tiny seeds. From where I lie in the sun, I can see the Kanchenjunga and its siblings rise like guardians on the horizon. Above me, fringed by shamelessly large poinsettias, the sky is the sweetest blue.
We are in Yangsum, 2 km down the hill from Richenpong bazaar, in West Sikkim at the Mayal Paradise Homestay. Mayal, in the local Lepcha language, means paradise and the homestay, built on the family stead, with its gardens of orange and kiwi, its scraggly orchids and poinsettias, buckets of succulents, beds of marigolds and roses, and beehives all facing the magnificent Kanchenjunga range is nothing short of paradise.
Also read: For a complete itinerary for a West Sikkim trip, see our Complete West Sikkim Travel Guide.
Run by Mr. Dawa Lepcha and his family, Mayal Paradise Homestay offers the finest of Sikkimese hospitality. It was in 2008 that the family first opened their home to travellers eager for a taste of local life; in 2013, Mayal Paradise was recognized as the best homestay in West Sikkim. There are five structures on the property: a kitchen, a dining area plus private quarters for the family, and three structures, including a traditional Lepcha house, that can accommodate 10-12 guests at a time. Dawa ji’s younger brother also runs a homestay a few yards away; larger groups can be split between the two properties.
At Mayal Paradise, meals are simple affairs. For lunch and dinner, you eat either rice or roti with a side of a bhaji, a vegetable preparation, and chicken or egg curry. In winter, the bhaji of choice is rai saag. Ashish, one of the staff at Mayal Paradise, plucks an armful from the garden. They are cleaned and shredded, then cooked with garlic and chillies. Squashes are cooked with potatoes and tomatoes, straight from the greenhouse and fantastically sweet, and tempered with a hint of nigella seeds. “In Darjeeling,” our host at Bookman’s BnB in Gangtok had reminisced one evening, “there was a momo seller who stuffed his momos with shredded squash. He would squeeze out the water, fry them just enough, and use them as filling. They would just melt in your mouth!” Chayote squashes are versatile, she told us. You can cook the stems as well as the roots of the plant. The root, as we later learn from Radha at the Daragaon Village Retreat in Darap, is eaten around Makar Sankranti.
Also read: Wondering what to do in Rinchenpong? Our Rinchenpong, Sikkim, Travel Guide has you covered.
Winter is also the season for cabbages and cauliflowers. The cabbages appear as pakoras and in the cold that punches you post sundown, they are delicious with a steaming cup of tea. Dawa uncle offers us some homemade grape wine and we sit by the fire and sip, the sweetness heady, the fruity notes embracing our throats, and chat about the beauty of these mountains. Dawa uncle, greying hair neatly combed at all hours, is like that uncle you never knew you had. We sit around the fire and he regales us with stories of a group that got too drunk and woke up the family and their neighbours in the wee hours of the morning after a group member sustained a minor injury and wouldn’t stop wailing for an ambulance. He tells us about his orchards, his kiwis and oranges, about the lone mango tree that bore fruit the previous summer, the apple tree that he had planted without much thought and that had grown into a svelte plant. “Why aren’t there more kiwi farms here? The fruits are magnificent!” we ask. “Who has patience these days? Plants need love,” he replies.
The next morning we catch him wearing gumboots and carrying a bucket of chicken feed to the coop behind the house. Adjacent to the coop is a greenhouse where Dawa uncle grows tomatoes and dalle khursani. Everything works like clockwork at Mayal Paradise: Dawa uncle goes about tending to the plants and trees, and the farm animals; aunty cooks for the family and the guests; and their elder son, Karma, takes care of housekeeping and reservations, sight-seeing requests and the like. We hang around on the lawn, unable to stop nibbling on kiwis and oranges, before setting out to explore Rinchenpong. We return to a pipping hot lunch: local paheli dal, more rai saag from the garden, aloo dum, omelettes, string bean and lopsi pickles, and a salad of the sweetest, sun-ripened tomatoes.
As we sit in the cosy winter sun, we ask Dawa uncle if he has thought about raising the tariff. INR 1000 per head, three meals plus evening snacks included, seems too low for a place that commands such a grand view. He says, “What could you possibly do with so much money? All I want is for people to come and experience the simplicity of life here. Yes, there are folks who ask travellers to pay to milk the cow or plant a bush. I don’t understand why.” There’s nothing fancy about Mayal Paradise. Yes, they have Western-style bathrooms and hot water and that’s about it. There’s no Wi-Fi and the network is botchy but we couldn’t care less about connectivity lying on the lawn watching the Kanchenjunga loom on the horizon.
Mayal Paradise Homestay: Review
For INR 1000 per person per night, you get an exceptional experience. If you are looking for luxurious pampering, this isn’t the place for you but if you are looking for generous hospitality, breathtaking views, and solitude, you must absolutely plan a stay at Mayal Paradise Homestay.
Also read: Explore Darap on a day trip from Rinchenpong. Here is a guide for you: Darap, Sikkim Travel Guide.
Mayal Paradise Homestay: How to Book
We contacted Dawa uncle (email us for contact information) and inquired about rates a month in advance. The rates vary between INR 1000 and INR 1500 per person per night depending on the season. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and evening snacks are included. They can arrange pick-ups and drop-offs from Siliguri. For other destinations, contact Dawa uncle.
Mayal Paradise Homestay: How to Reach
The homestay is located in Yangsum, 2 km downhill from Rinchenpong bazaar. Rinchenpong is 1.5 hours from Jorethang and around 4.5 hours from Siliguri.
Shared taxis to Rinchenpong and Kaluk are available from Jorethang. Dawa uncle can provide transport from Rinchenpong and Kaluk. If you are travelling from Siliguri, you can get on a shared taxi to Jorethang, then another taxi to Rinchenpong.
Reserved cars will cost you between INR 3000 – INR 5000 depending on the size of the vehicle.
Also read: Enjoy a good hike? The Hilley check-post of the Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary is just 60 km away. Read about our experience of Trekking in the Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary.
Being a Responsible Guest in Indian Homestays: Rinchenpong
- Sikkimese culture embraces simplicity and honesty. Guests should be aware of and empathetic to the values of the local people. Most of the homestays are not hotels or hostels but are, in fact, homes of the locals who have generously opened their homes for travellers. Leave the room and bathroom as clean as possible.
- Don’t litter. The lawns and flowerpots are not receptacles for cigarette butts. Keep your room and the surroundings clean!
- Smoking may be allowed inside your room but it is good to ask your hosts first. It’s a strict no-no in public and you may be penalised.
- Single-use plastics have been banned in Sikkim. Do not ask for one if you buy goods at the local shop.
- Subscribe to and encourage recycling. Ask your hosts about the local garbage disposal system.
- Be prepared for the occasional power cuts and the occasional non-availability of necessities like warm water.
- It is best to take clothing that protects you from the cold and rain, no matter which season you are going in. Your hosts may not be able to provide you with spare raincoats and umbrellas.
- Treat your hosts and their customs and belief with humility and respect.
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