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Experiential Himalayan Farm Stays in India – PaliGhar

Origin

The ideals of community service and a deep-seated regard for family tradition stirred early in the mind of this young boy, while still at school. It was no big surprise that the need to safeguard and promote local heritage came embedded in his DNA as we trace a lineage back to an erstwhile ancestor bestowed with the illustrious title of ‘Rai Sahib’ by the British Government back in 1941 for his generosity during dire times.

What was a searing spark gradually bloomed into a flickering flame as Kabir traversed remote regions and lesser known cities across the country through 2007 while in the employ of a reputed travel company.  What struck him most during his travels was a stark realisation that the appeal rested in the fact that the local cultures were always given precedence to. These rural areas held on to their ethnic traditions in every facet of their daily lives giving the overall authentic character to the place itself.

That summer, Kabir returned to his hometown, Kalimpong a little wiser.

PaliGhar was thus borne out of an inherent need to preserve a family’s history, pay respect to the rich cultural flavours of their Nepali heritage while aiming to promote rural livelihood, protect local wildlife & provide education for the less privileged. With acres of ancestral lands to work with, the PaliGhar venture officially commenced in October 2015 and by January 2017 they opened their gates with a flourish.

Location

Approximately 3 hours of uphill drive from Bagdogra Airport along typical winding narrow roads will bring you to the hill-town of Kalimpong in the Eastern Himalayan foothills of West Bengal. Once a critical part of the famous ’Silk Route’, Kalimpong is now another bustling town perched on a ridge above the river Teesta. If you push just a little further and brave an additional 30 mins drive beyond main Kalimpong town you will notice the terrain blending into verdant terraced paddy fields surrounded by dark blue hills. Gradually the fields open into a village called ‘Echhey’ – a panoramic open countryside stuck in time.

PaliGhar – An Experiential Farmstay beautifully merges into the picturesque backdrop, awaiting with its bounty of natural offerings from this side of the Himalayas.

Hawa Ghar overlooking the cottage at PaliGhar

 

About

A holistic experience in its purest form, PaliGhar offers a buffet of experiential travelling like no other with its range of authentic farm-life activities, quaint trekking trails along the Relli River and remote villages. Amusing sights & sounds greet you at every nook and corner with friendly villagers eager to share a cup of tea or a familiar tale.

Set against the scenic backdrop of a rural Himalayan countryside, this place celebrates local craftsmanship and the abundance of unique horticulture and floriculture found only in these parts of the region. Rustic and rural lifestyle merges in this world to occasionally spring up contemporary surprises like a hidden picnic spot, renowned floral nurseries and a glimpse into the nearby Himalayan Trust for Natural History of Art Institute.

PaliGhar offers travellers 02 guest cottages inspired by the traditional indigenous style of Himalayan architecture. Designed to complement the surroundings, the building style involves the use of all familiar natural materials available in the area and is constructed by workers from the community. While one of the cottages comprises 02 guest rooms, the second one comes along with an in-house kitchen and a common dining cum living space.

In keeping with the feel of a genuine Farm-life experience the PaliGhar kitchen dishes out authentic local Nepali cuisines sourced from their own organic kitchen garden.

Be prepared for your senses to be assailed with a heady mix of fragrant homegrown rice and a plethora of fresh seasonal produce lovingly prepared with traditional combinations of local spices.

While their Lunch and Dinner are simple set-menu-affairs offering homely Nepali food, they maintain a comfortable continental theme for Breakfast with few thoughtful options of local fare for the occasional guest request. For the eager culinary enthusiast, the PaliGhar kitchen is happy to demonstrate a detailed ethnic Nepali cooking routine and share a secret tip or two to take home.

General Response

The PaliGhar team have been pleasantly surprised with the turn-over of guests so far. It has been established that age is no bar when it comes to experiential adventures for the discerning traveller in search of unadulterated outdoors and nature. From single woman traveller to families & friends and elderly people, the guest list boasts of a delightfully mixed clientele stream. It is also interesting to note that many of these guests have arrived at the region and zeroed in on PaliGhar as a destination itself. The average stay for a guest at PaliGhar appears to be 04-05 nights, during which every activity in the farm is curated to suit the mood of the traveller. Guests leave PaliGhar with rejuvenated minds, wholesome bodies and refreshed souls to dive back directly into their busy lives.

It is heartwarming and a common sight here to find parents familiarising their children with the goodness of farm-life and encouraging them to participate in outdoor activities during their stay.

While a few local travel agents support this homegrown venture, it has mainly been ‘by word of mouth’ and traveller recommendations that have made PaliGhar the Farmstay Destination of choice in recent times.

Connect with PaliGhar

You can log into the PaliGhar Website for more details or tune into their Instagram handle @palighar and Facebook page for regular updates & enquiries. PaliGhar reservations may be reached via Air BNB, Booking.com or TripAdvisor.

In the recent past PaliGhar has also had its fair share of social coverage and has featured in a few prominent travel journos, each brimming with their own version of the delight in store at this place. Take a look :

Outlook Traveller
Roots & Leisure
Imagine Travel

Tripadvisor has been abuzz with positive traveller feedback for quite a while and you can tap into the link below to read more:

TripAdvisor for PaliGhar

Thank you for reading!
Stay tuned to Sketchywanderer for more vignettes of hidden places and spaces. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this blog.

Urban Himalayan Homestays in India – Weaving lives, one ‘reyso’ at a time!

This spore of an idea spins its own tale in a quiet semi-urban rural area; at the outskirts of the hill-town of Darjeeling!
REYSO (‘a strand’ of spun yarn or wool) first threaded its way into what it is today, as the brainchild of a young working mother who had a keen interest to pursue her passion for ‘knitting’ and ‘crochet’ along with few of her friends.

 

A motley gathering of local womenfolk would come together with dreams to create and sell regional handicraft and gradually formed a small-time cooperative society by the name of Adarsh Kala.  However, afflicted by the lack of economic resources and structural planning this little-known society failed to thrive as an independent body,  but what it did was succeed in sowing the seed of a noble idea. Little did they expect that this ‘seed’ would eventually take root and grow into a social campaign called ‘REYSO’ a few decades later with the joint effort of a small team of like-minded individuals.

 

With a conscious effort and sincere passion to bring about a much needed social initiative, REYSO was registered as a society in 2014 and it started off with a small store.  Every Saturday since then, this store welcomes an excited conglomerate of local women here. Most of them are unemployed womenfolk from around the area and also includes a few financially impaired Tea Garden workers.  For them, REYSO offers not only a much-needed source of additional income but also a meaningful way to spend an afternoon with friends and like-minded associates over a cup of ‘Chiya’ (tea), while they deliberate over a new stitch or pattern for their latest knitting venture.

 

You can visit https://www.facebook.com/reysohandmade/or take a quick peek into the delightful world of authentic REYSO products on Instagram @reyso.handcraft.  Every item ranging from a crochet Tea-cozy,  a bedspread or cushion cover comes along with a guarantee to add colour and warmth to your personal space. Every REYSO handicraft that you purchase adds just another ray of hope for many in this local community. So, head over to their store if you find yourself in these parts during your next Himalayan adventure. A mindful souvenir and a cup of Darjeeling tea may just be waiting for you at the REYSO store.
Now, what is fascinating about this enterprise is that it does not just end here. Realising the potential of the abundant local natural resources and the appeal of simple rustic lifestyle for a world traveller, REYSO  recently opened the doors of their boutique urban homestay to a heartwarming response.
Imagine a private natural haven just outside the bustling town of Darjeeling and yet not quite in the rural villages and tea gardens? The REYSO urban homestay promises an interesting mix of experiences.  It is a mere 10minute drive from the main town of Darjeeling where you can easily rent a local taxi after which it is a 5minute walk along indigenous narrow lanes and steps. The location is perfect for those who love to walk and seek to experience the actual, non-touristy lifestyle of Darjeeling
Garden and main courtyard at Reyso Urban Homestay
The main courtyard with its plethora of local flora greets you warmly as it leads you to the Homestay that has been tastefully renovated into a traveller’s dream-stay in the hills.
You can take your pick of the room options from the  ‘Attic Suite which comes along with an attached bathroom and a balcony garden.  The ‘Family Suite’ has two adjoining rooms with a twin set in the second room while the ‘Backpacker room’ is another option for the traveller. The Family Suite and the Backpacker room have private bathrooms but they are not attached.
There is no television in the rooms and this offers a purposeful ambience to relax and unwind in natural surroundings. For practical reasons, wifi is available upon request.
The lounge serves as a Dining room for the Homestay and is common for all guests.  All meals are cooked in the main kitchen and the produce are mostly organic, sourced from local farmers.  The food is vegetarian traditional Nepalese and prepared with a mix of local ground spices that have a distinct flavour of their own.
In tune with the inherent motive to contribute towards local livelihood and promote Responsible Tourism, a range of handmade products are showcased at the REYSO Homestore too https://www.facebook.com/reysohomestore/
And just in case the serene environment, refreshing greenery all around and clean organic food inside manages to call out the artisan or the creative diva in you, head over to the Homestay’s small ‘Art Studio’ that is replete with basic paraphernalia for some craftwork or painting.  A fine water colourist himself, the owner, Ujjawal Chettri and his Homestay team look forward to encouraging travellers who share a passion for art, craft and music. The place indeed is an ideal retreat for Artists, Musicians, Writers and Photographers any time of the year.
The Homestay is very exclusive and caters to those who appreciate the concept of natural, responsible tourism. They are yet to link up with Travel agents and portals as the initial reviews have been very positive with guests directly calling to book through word of mouth.
For quick snapshots and reviews of REYSO Urban homestay tune into @reyso.urbanhomestay on Instagram.
Stay tuned to Sketchywanderer for more vignettes of hidden places and spaces. I would love to hear your thoughts & feedback on this blog.