Picturesque and charming, the nondescript hamlet of Okhrey in West Sikkim is the gateway to the famed Rhododendron Sanctuary. Every year from mid-March to May, scores of hiking and botany enthusiasts descend to this little village to experience the glory of the majestic rhododendrons that colour the surrounding forests in vibrant shades of red and pink. Everywhere you look, wildflowers greet you. Clear skies and pleasant temperatures add to the appeal.
Easier access to information means more and more tourists are flocking to this small village for a day or two of solitude. Many of the residents have opened their houses to tourists. The success of the homestay business is evident in the multi-storey houses, geysers and other electronic equipment, and a mobile tower near the local monastery. While the quality of living has increased, tourism has its drawbacks with littering being a major problem. Sikkim has banned single-use plastic and homestays urge guests to use refillable bottles but discarded packets of chips and empty tetra packs glare at you from the underbrush. Another major problem is the shift from local cuisine to food that is demanded by tourists. In a place where a dish like thukpa is a staple, you have to specially order it whereas Bengali-style chicken curry is everywhere.
The views are spectacular and the solitude rejuvenating but the onus is on us, travellers and benefactors of the local economy, to ensure that Okhrey continues to be a pristine hideout for nature lovers.
Also read: A trek to the Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary is a must do! Read our experience on the Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary Day Trek.
How to Reach Okhrey
Okhrey is 130 km from Siliguri and takes anywhere between 5-7 hrs to reach depending on the conditions of the road and the weather. A cab will take you anywhere between INR 4000-6000. Or, if you have time and can start before 9 am from Siliguri, catch a shared taxi from the SNT terminus to Jorethang or Sombaria and onwards to Okhrey. A bus leaves SNT for Jorethang at 10:30 am.
If travelling from Darjeeling or Gangtok, avail shared taxis to Jorethang, then onwards to Sombaria and
If travelling from Pelling, avail shared taxis to Sombaria and then to Okhrey. Shared taxis from Sombaria to Okhrey are infrequent. A reserved cab will take you around INR 700.
When to Visit Okhrey
Mid-March to May is the time when the rhododendrons bloom. Most visitors arrive during these months to hike in the sanctuary. The weather is cool and clear with daytime temperatures hovering between 12°C and 20°C. Don’t discount local thunderstorms though. We met with a hailstorm and were terribly underprepared to deal with it.
Skip the monsoons and return in autumn. From September to December, the weather is pleasant and the skies are bright and sunny and on a lucky day, you’ll be rewarded with dazzling views of Khangchendzonga. Winter is harsh with occasional snowfall in January and February. The roads remain open and if you are determined to brave the Himalayan chill, visit in the winter.
What to Do in Okhrey
There is not much to do in Okhrey and that’s the magic of this place. Walk around and take in the scenery and learn about local life. Or, go on a trek.
Do Nothing
Honestly, this is the best thing to do in Okhrey. Let the magnificence of the landscape calm you. Laze with a cup of a tea or a glass of rhododendron wine and stare at the beauty of the landscape ahead. Watch as clouds embrace the mountainside; watch as they disperse leaving sun-dappled patches on the rice terraces, on the dark woods; watch the shadows of clouds, the dancing of birds; watch the fiddle-head ferns stretch their scrolls or the rhododendrons shed their petals on the road. Read a book or don’t. Listen to music or don’t. Talk to people or don’t. Feed the dogs, play with them, tell them your stories. Feel the wind as it ruffles your hair, brushes your skin. Inhale the woodsy scent of the mountains. Listen to the mountains; listen to the self.
Go on a Village Walk
The best part of taking a long walk here are the dogs. They appear out of nowhere, furry and insanely cute, and follow you lovingly as you huff and puff up the slopes. Take the main road or pick one of the main staircases that cling to the steep mountainside and they will come wagging their tails to give you company. Most of them live in the villages where thatched wooden houses stand in sunlit patches. Hardworking folks toil in their tiny vegetable patches; the produce is cooked in kitchens warmed by firewood or supplied to the homestays that line the main drag.
We visited in spring when the entire village is bustling with a motley of brightly colored flowers. Petunias, zinnias, powder-flowers, wild roses, orchids, and of course, rhododendrons are everywhere. Bright yellow splashes of mustard pop here and there in fields of potatoes and broccolis. The climate is so conducive to plants locals plant them in little tarpaulin bags and leave them on their own devices!
You can get incredible views of the valley from almost anywhere in Okhrey. Little hamlets dot the mountain across it; at night pin-pricks of light shine like fallen stars on the mountain.
The air is so free of pollution it hurts to
Trek in the Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary
From April to May, the forests turn into a riot of red, pink, and white rhododendron blooms. Clusters of flowers hang from trees and fallen petals coat the winding trail. Besides rhododendrons, there are a variety of other sub-tropical trees including magnolias whose creamy white flowers bloom during the same time.
The 4 km trek to Guras Kunj from
A longer 5-day trek through the sanctuary will take you to Barsey and Uttarey. Get a local guide or book with Kipepeo, a company that runs sustainable trips in Sikkim and the North-east.
Also read: Plan a 2 weeks trip in West Sikkim with our Complete West Sikkim Travel Guide.
Hike to Ribdi
A 3.1 km walk along the picturesque mountainside will take to the small hamlet of Ribdi, the starting point of many a hiking trail. Visit the local gompa and explore the village. On Sundays, a local market is held here. You can buy fresh produce and yak cheese.
Visit the Ugen Thondroling Monastery
A steep climb up a long flight of stairs through Okhrey’s rhododendron park will take you to the local monastery. Small but charming, it was built in 1950 and follows the Nyingmapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
Eat Organic Vegetables
Everyone in Okhrey seems to grow and eat their own vegetables! Potatoes and broccolis grow in small fields made in clearings. Carrots, mustard, green peas, and onions grow in patches. Homestays serve farm-fresh vegetables cooked in very little oil and little to no spices. The food is comforting, and the freshness of the produce makes a tonne of difference to the dishes.
Try Lali Guras
Tangy and sweet at once, Lali Guras (called Buransh in Uttarakhand), is the local rhododendron wine. Pour it in a clear glass and it’ll be mistaken for fine rosé! A beautiful shade of raspberry pink, it comes in glass bottles priced between INR 300-400. It’s made with rhododendron flowers; the stigma and stamen are discarded and the petals boiled. Sugar syrup is added and the liquid left to ferment for a year or so. If you are interested in watching the process, come in late May and visit one of the many small villages that dot the region around the sanctuary.
Where to Stay in Okhrey
There are many homestays in Okhrey, most of which provide similar services like local food and hot water. Rooms are basic and electricity patchy at best but you will get good mobile reception for Vodafone and AirTel.
Sherpa Lodge
We stayed at Sherpa Lodge, run my M.N. Sherpa and his brother, Sange Sherpa. The wood-panelled rooms are basic but cosy. The rooms on the first floor have a common balcony which provides stunning views of the Himalayas. The last room on your right in the ground floor has a bathroom with a spectacular view. Food is served at a restaurant next door. Expect fresh vegetables, chicken and egg curries, bowls of steaming noodles, and local liquor including lali guras and Danny Denzongpa’s Hit beer. Sange is wonderful and will help you book cabs and plan treks in the area.
Kyilkhor Inn
Located across the street from Sherpa Lodge, the Kyilkhor Inn is a three-storey building offering glorious views of the mountains. Rooms are basic but neat. Like most homestays in the area, they serve food fresh from the farm to the table. Try some of the Tibetan items from the menu.
Royal Barsey Homestay
A flight of stairs from the main road will bring you to this homestay near the local monastery. Stellar view and a well-kept garden make for a lovely stay.
What to Eat & Drink in Okhrey:
Seasonal Produce
Few things taste as good as vegetables plucked fresh from the farm and cooked in little oil and spices. In the spring, expect potatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, carrots, green beans, and peas. Don’t forget to try local pickles; the tongue-numbing
Rhododendron Wine
Lali Guras, a sweet and tangy raspberry-pink wine brewed locally, is a must have on a visit to Okhrey.
Hit Beer
Danny Denzongpa’s hyper local Hit Beer is only available in Sikkim! Pop a bottle and sip as the sun sets in a brilliant crimson flourish on the wooded mountainside.
Noodle Soups
Slurp bowls of the global Maggi and the local Wai Wai noodle soups to warm your freezing bones! If you order in advance, your homestay might make you a steaming bowl of
Responsible Travel in India: Okhrey
Trust us, it’s not hard!
- Buying and selling of plastic mineral water bottles in banned in Darap due to its proximity to the ecologically sensitive Singalila National Park. Carry refillable bottles. Your hosts will provide you with filtered drinking water for free.
- Sikkim has banned polythene bags. Please do not carry any. If you have one, refrain from dumping it.
- In a bid to increase awareness for local cuisine, sell of processed and packaged food are banned during the Okhrey Ecotourism Carnival. At other times too, buy fresh fruits and local snacks instead of buying chips, etc.
- Garbage segregation is practised here. Ask your hosts for instructions.
- Please do not litter the pristine surroundings with discarded packets of food and soda bottles. Littering is a punishable offence with fines starting at INR 100.
- Smoking in public is prohibited in Sikkim. Please respect the local law.
- Ask before taking photographs of locals and local traditions.
Okhrey is one of Sikkim’s hidden gems, an offbeat location not frequented by many. Spend a day or week here, trekking around the countryside and learning more about the local lifestyle. Perhaps you might want to check out how rhododendron wine is made or what significance does the rhododendron flower have for the locals. Or, maybe you want to get your hands dirty and try farming. For the curious, these little mountain hamlets are books waiting to be read!
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