Sikkim’s natural landscape and the ethereal beauty of the mountains need no introduction. Amidst the lush greenery, bucolic weather and the hilly terrains, there are quaint villages where you can experience the beauty of Sikkim as well as enjoy Sikkimese hospitality. With mountains, forests, abundant wildlife, rich cultural heritage and cuisine, Sikkim is undoubtedly a great destination for travellers.
What makes travelling in Sikkim more delightful is that you can stay in beautiful homestays. We all know that Sikkim is already declared an organic state. Majority of the homestays in Sikkim follow the principles of sustainable tourism, having a farm where they grow vegetables organically. Eshab Homestay in Sribadam is one such eco-friendly homestay where the best practice of the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle are followed.
Eshab Homestay is located in the serene village of Sribadam, a serene forest village in West Sikkim. The place is known for the monastery that has a meditation centre. People from various part of the world are known to visit the meditation centre in order to achieve peace and calm in their lives. Blessed with rich natural beauty and abundant greenery, Sribadam is also a place rich in customs, traditions, culture and religious heritage, all of which are unique to Sikkim.
Eshab Homestay
Eshab Homestay is owned by a Bhutia family and a stay here can be a great way to experience the Sikkimese traditional lifestyle. The best part is that the owners totally understand the importance of sustainability and conservation along with preserving the traditional customs and architecture. And they have put that into practice too.
Accommodation
When we visited Sribadam, Eshab Homestay has 3 tribal huts for the guests to stay. These 3 huts are built following the traditional architecture of the three tribes of Sikkim - the Bhutia, Limboo and Lepcha. The houses are named Khim (the Bhutia traditional hut), Kaden-mo-lee (the Lepcha traditional hut) and Heem (Limboo traditional hut).
The accommodations are comfortable and also built separately, thus providing adequate privacy for the guests. The entire compound is full of different trees and flowering plants. Kesang, the host has maintained the gardens quite beautifully.
Food
There is an adjacent farm also where vegetables are grown organically and these form the ingredients of the meals you will get. Having said that, food is an important part of the entire experience of staying at Eshab homestay. They serve an elaborate traditional Sikkimese meal. Momos, gyathuk (meat or vegetable soup), cowrie (a winter soup made of wheat shells) and many more. The food is quite delicious and will leave you wanting for more. And to top it all, there is always the local rice beer, chhang or the millet beer (chee).
The homestay will provide you with experiences very unique to Sikkim. There is a traditional spa at the homestay also known as the Menchu (means medicinal water in Bhutia) experience. It is an ethnic hot stone bath and helps to soothe your nerves and relieve you of body ache and joint pains. The herbs used in the spa experience are cultivated in the herbal garden of the homestay. The water they use for the spa is fresh spring water. So, you can clearly imagine what a relaxing experience you will have at Menchu. Do remember that you have to inform the homestay 10 hours in advance if you want a Menchu experience.
Things to do in Sribadam
There are a lot of things to do in Sribadam. When you are not relaxing in the greenery and serenity of the homestay, you can explore the beautiful village.
Visit the Phuntshok Choeling Monastery
Phuntshok Cheling Monastery is known for its meditational practices that are popular not only in Sikkim, but also in Nepal and Bhutan. The monastery conducts meditation workshops in the month of June and July for 2 weeks. The monastery is also known for healing people from sickness and ailments.
Visit the Nyingmapa Palyul Dechen Gawellng Monastery
Another monastery in Sribadam, this place is known for the authentic Chaam dance held here during the month of December or January.
Explore the lakes and waterfalls
There are two natural lakes and one artificial lakes in Sribadam. Bhaishi Pokhori and Jhor Pokhori are the natural lakes and Tar Lake is the artificial one where you can take a visit. Bhaisi Pokhri is located in the midst of a dense forest. These lakes are considered as a sacred by the local people.
There are three waterfalls in Sribadam. Ask the locals and find your way to these beautiful falls.
Hiking and Trekking
The village has numerous small hiking routes through the forest that will take you to a monastery or the lake. If you are fond of nature, then take the village walk and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. You can also go for trekking at the Varsey rhododendron sanctuary.
How to reach Sribadam
The nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri. From there, take an auto to Siliguri. From Siliguri SNT Bus Stop, take a shared sumo to Jorethang. From Jorethang, you will get shared sumo to Sribadam.
The nearest Airport is Pakyong airport near Gangtok in Sikkim. From Gangtok, take a shatred jeep to Jorethang and then to Sribadam.
You can also fly in to Bagdogra. From Bagdogra, you can hire a car to Sribadam or reach Siliguri and travel further.
Best Time to Visit
You can visit Sribadam at any time of the year. However, in monsoons road conditions are a bit rough.
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