Sittong is a popular place on the map of Sikkim and North Bengal tourism. Sittong is a vast area. In fact I didn’t know before that Sittong was divided into three parts. Sittong one, two, and three. We have chosen our homestay in Sittong two. I asked my destination designer Dipankar Da to suggest me a place to stay in Sittong. I have heard about Sittong homestay and sittong orange orchard for a long time but couldn’t manage to go somehow before. This time I was quite sure that I have to visit there. My destination assistant Northeasttravels is very proficient in these areas. They suggested me to go and stay in a secluded homestay in Sittong. The village is pretty small. The name is Lamagaon. Only 8 families stay there. Staying in a homestay which is in Sittong and near the orange orchard is a blissful experience for us. In this write-up, I am going to tell how to plan a magnificent trip in Sittong Lamagaon and how to book a room in the best homestay of Sittong, Lamagaon
This is a step-by-step guide to visit a lesser-known offbeat tourist destination in North Bengal.
Room Booking:
Sittong Lamagaon is a small village. Only eight families stay there and one of them has recently made a homestay. So advance booking is a must because most of the time the homestay rooms are sold out. So the spot booking may not be available here.
Car Booking:
Like most of the offbeat tourist destinations, sittong Lamagaon is far from the madding crowd. Share jeep is hardly available here. If anyone wishes to visit this place, he/she can reserve a car from NJP to Sittong. The cost will be approximately 3200-3500 and the small car 2800-3000. This may differ based upon the season and availability.
Distance:
The distance between Sittong Lamagaon and New Jalpaiguri is 32 Km.This is well connected with Darjeeling, Gangtok
Hospitality
Homestay owner’s hospitality was good enough. They were very friendly. They have only two rooms on their house premises. One room is bigger and another was not so big. That was ideal for solo travelers. The bigger room has a geyser in the bathroom. However, they always provide hot water on a demand basis.
We talked to the homestay owner and learned a lot about their lives and how sustainable tourism enhanced their lives as a whole. Check out the videos for more information.
Lama Homestay
Rs. 1450/per day per head including all meals (rate may vary depending upon the season and number of days)
Sightseeing places:
Sittong Lamagaon sightseeing places can be covered within a day. So for usual tourists, one night stay would be enough but for a nature lover, birdwatcher two nights are required.
Orange orchard
Sittong is famous for its’ orange orchard. This place has ideal soil and temperature for orange growth. Tourists come here to watch this beauty. Urban tourists appreciate the fresh fruit garden. The ideal time to visit Sittong is November to February. Ripe oranges in the trees can be found in between December end to January end. Tourists can enjoy the beauty of the garden, take photos. Oranges are not to be sold from the garden. If the owner gives permission then tourists can pick up the oranges that are fallen from the trees. They won’t use those anymore.
We came across an orange orchard in Sitttong where we took permission from the owner to pick up the fallen oranges. It was fun overall. Though most of the oranges were eaten by the insects or bats and we couldn’t use those. Sometimes if you are lucky, you may get lots of oranges as gifts from the owner.
Jogighat
Jogighat has a beautiful river bridge over the Riyang river. The distance is not too much. The ambiance is very nice. A continuous soothing sound of the flowing river will put your mind into the vastness of peace. This is a picnic spot for locals. They sometimes throw plastics here and there, but the place is not so dirty till now.
The bridge is made newly a few years back and decorated with religious colourful flags. The old broken bridge was there just beside the new one.
Monastery
The monastery of Sittong Lamagaon is a uniquely peaceful place to visit. It is the only one near Lamagaon.
Dowhill
Dowhill, Kurseong is a beautiful place to visit. The long massive trees and the thin sunbeam kissing the forest bed were actually a blissful thing to look at. However, this place is known as a haunted place. Adventurers love this place for its spooky fame.
Though we loved it and never find anything that could defame the place.
We went to Dowhill school which was nearby. This is a famous convent school and considered a sightseeing place. The building and architecture were quite impressive.
Mangpu
Mangpu has claimed different importance in the tourism map of Bengal with the help of its’ natural beauty and history. This place is famous for Chincona plantation. Chincona is used to cure Malaria fever. Dr. Thomas Anderson, Superintendent of Royal Botanical Garden at Calcutta, started his experimental trial for cultivation of Cinchona in the Darjeeling Hills and in 1862 selected the Mangpu hills for commercial cultivation. The Directorate of Cinchona and Other Medicinal Plants started functioning in Darjeeling in 1862, initially for growing Cinchona trees and to produce the life-saving anti-Malarial drug, Quinine, from its bark. Later, other medicinal or specialised plants were also grown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3p_MEhpYpM
The Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore visited Mangpu quite often between 1938 and 1940. He used to stay at the residence of his protége Maitreyi Devi, who was herself a renowned poet and novelist. Maitreyi Devi’s husband Manmohan Sen was at that time the director of the quinine factory in Mangpu.
The bungalow has now been converted into Rabindra Bhavan, a museum containing Tagore’s photographs, paintings, writings, and other paraphernalia. The museum also contains furniture that was designed and carved by Rathindranath Tagore. Maitreyi Devi recorded the stay of Rabindranath in her book Mangpute Rabindranath, the English translation of which is called Tagore By The Fire Side.
Food in Sittong Homestay
The homestay offered four square meals which are included rice, pulses, boiled or fried potato, egg curry as lunch, and roti or chapati with chicken curry as dinner. They offer bread omelet, puri sabzi, and momo, pakora as breakfast and evening snacks.
This is in general food choices in almost all the homestays of North Bengal. Generally, food is prepared by the owner or the helper and one can get the taste and smell of home every time. This is an important reason why people are booking homestay nowadays instead of a hotel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqn_cYe3XNg
Sittong itinerary
Day 1: Reach to Sittong homestay by car and after check in to Sittong homestay one can start sightseeing the places. Half a day should be enough for covering all the places.
Nights are quite chilly in winter. The vastness of the hillscape is very beautiful. No matter if it is day or night. We stayed there on a full moon night. No stars were visible but the total area was bathed with a bright soft white light. We felt heavenly.
Day 2: Sunrise in Sittong has a magnificent look. Our Sittong homestay which is in Lamagaon has a beautiful balcony view. We could enjoy the sunrise from the room through the window but stepping outside the room and enjoying from the balcony an awesome experience. The layers of the Himalaya look magnificent when they are kissed by the first ray of sun. The balcony was decorated with flowering plants and succulents. A tiny sweet black kitten was roaming around. After breakfast, one can start exploring the village and the forest behind. Birdwatchers or nature lovers can enjoy birdwatching around the sittong homestay. There is a false in the jungle which becomes impressive after the monsoon.
Birdwatching
Sittong Lamagaon is an unexplored birdwatching spot. It is not enlisted as a very popular Himalayan birding spot, but one or two full-day can be devoted easily for birdwatching. Here are some tips to find birds in Sittong Lamagaon.
1) Explore the jungles just behind the homestay. Those areas have huge potentiality. Don’t forget to look into the short branches and electric wires for warblers, tit, and Olive-backed pipits.
2) The dense forest towards the waterfall and bridge has many birds. Give some more time checking the branches for woodpeckers.
3) Sometimes Kalij pheasants leave their footprints in Sittong Lamagaon homestay premises. If you can wait patiently you can get them photographed near the village or inside the jungle.
4) Great Barbets and Blue Whistling Thrushes are pretty vocal in and around the sitting homestay.
5) Try finding Wagtails, Fantails, and Redstarts near Jogighat. Those areas are beautiful habitats for this species.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sce_WMVPQA
What we get here
| Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos) | 2 |
| Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) | 4 |
| Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) | 1 |
| Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis) | 4 |
| Great Barbet (Psilopogon virens) | 2 |
| Lineated Barbet (Psilopogon lineatus) | 4 |
| Speckled Piculet (Picumnus innominatus) | 1 |
| Lesser Yellownape (Picus chlorolophus) | 1 |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) | 1 |
| Green-backed Tit (Parus monticolus) | 2 |
| Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus speciosus) | 4 |
| Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) | 1 |
| Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) | 2 |
| Rufous Sibia (Heterophasia capistrata) | 2 |
| Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (Sitta cinnamoventris) | 1 |
| Blue Whistling-Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus) | 2 |
| Blue Rock-Thrush (Monticola solitarius) | 1 |
| Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) | 8 |
RECOMMENDATIONS
Camera – https://amzn.to/2XhA6Mr
Bird Book – https://amzn.to/3hSpX27
Binocular – https://amzn.to/3biStsq
Tour Operator
Dipankar Roy
Contact: +91. 8972247306
Website: northeasttravels.in
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