A Ridge Above the Clouds
Where clouds sleep in the valleys, prayer flags flutter on every ridge, and every morning opens with the snow-capped Kanchenjunga range. Stay in a handcrafted bamboo cottage, taste pure organic Sikkim, and live authentic village life.
About Chakung
Tucked away in Soreng District, West Sikkim, at around 4,500 ft, Chakung is a small mountain village where clouds sleep in the valleys, prayer flags flutter on every ridge, and every morning opens with a view of the snow-capped Kanchenjunga range.
It's still pure Sikkim — no crowd, no noise. Just terraced farms, bamboo houses, pine forests, old monasteries, and people who greet you like family.
The Chakung Difference
Chakung is not a stop along a tourist circuit. It is a quiet mountain ridge where the Himalayas meet the warmth of true Sikkimese village hospitality.
Kanchenjunga VistaFrom our homestay porch, you see layer after layer of blue Himalayan hills. Sunrise here is not just sunrise — it's a sea of clouds turning gold and pink. On clear days, Kanchenjunga stands right in front of you.
Slow Village LivingFarmers in the fields, children playing by the water channels, women weaving, elders telling stories by the fire. When you stay here, you don't watch village life — you live it.
Folk Songs & MonasteryChakung is a mix of Nepali, Lepcha and Bhutia traditions. You'll hear Nepali folk songs in the evening in festival time, see Sikkimese dance during festivals, visit our quiet Buddhist monastery where monks still play drums and chant at dawn.
Community & ReforestationPeople here plant trees together, celebrate together, cook together. That's why our guests always say — 'We came as tourists, we left as family.'
Go Fest · MTB · ParaglidingMTB, trail running, paragliding, camping during Go Fest. Ride mountain bikes across rugged ridge trails, run pine forest paths in thin mountain air, and soar over misty valleys.
Stay • Explore • Belong — an authentic village stay with sweeping Kanchenjunga sunrises, pine forest air, and organic home-cooked meals from our farm.
Other houses in Chakung, kept by friends in the village, will be listed here. Each one gets its own page.
Village Life Experience
It's not just a stay, it's a full village life package. From sunrise yoga and hands-on farming to Tongba tastings, Sikkimese cooking classes, bird-watching trails, and evening folk singing.
Stroll along peaceful hillside stone paths exploring old heritage homes, handcrafted bamboo structures, and terraced plots with local village elders who welcome you like family.
Step into terraced hillside fields for authentic mountain farming. Join village families in seasonal paddy planting, weeding, and corn harvesting techniques passed down through generations.
Greet the dawn from our open wooden deck. Practice yoga and quiet meditation as clouds drift through the deep Soreng valley below and Kanchenjunga turns brilliant gold.
Gather in a warm woodfire kitchen. Master traditional Sikkimese recipes — Gundruk (fermented leafy greens), Kinema, crispy golden Sel Roti, steaming Thukpa, and hand-pleated momos.
Taste Sikkim's iconic fermented finger millet (Kodo) beverage. Served warm in an artisanal bamboo flask (Tongba) topped with hot mountain water through an indigenous bamboo straw.
Walk down to Chakung Bazar for a taste of daily mountain commerce. Chat with local vegetable and spice growers, browse hill produce, and share sweet milk tea in glass tumblers.
Wander along silent pine forest paths listening for Himalayan woodpeckers, minivets, and laughingthrushes, or discover rare mountain butterflies along misty monsoon streams.
Follow the stone paths up to the nearby Buddhist monastery. Spin sacred prayer wheels in the crisp mountain air, listen to resonant horn calls, and witness peaceful morning monk rituals.
Celebrate the soul of Sikkim through traditional Sikkimese dance and spirited Nepali folk singing where guests and villagers sing and dance together as one community.
Participate in our collective community reforestation efforts by planting native saplings on the terraces, followed by dusk bonfires and stories beneath untouched mountain stars.
Eat
The restaurant and bar on this hillside. Dinner, a drink, and a small stage when there is live music.
Getting Here · Travel Guide
Chakung perches on an untouched ridge in Soreng District, West Sikkim at 4,500 ft. Accessible by scenic hill drives from Siliguri / NJP, Bagdogra, or neighboring mountain towns like Darjeeling, Pelling, and Gangtok.
Direct daily flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore & Guwahati. Pre-paid or reserved taxis drive up through Sevoke, Teesta, and Jorethang.
Major railway hub connecting all Indian metros. Private cabs or shared Sumos run frequently to Jorethang / Nayabazar, then a short climb to Chakung.
Easily combined with other mountain destinations: 50 km from Darjeeling (~2.5 hrs), 45 km from Pelling (~2 hrs), and 85 km from Gangtok (~3.5 hrs).
Oct – Dec for crystal clear Kanchenjunga sunrises; Mar – May for pleasant days, wild orchids, and rhododendrons.
Indian citizens need a valid Government photo ID. International travelers need a passport, valid Indian Visa, and free ILP entry permit at Melli / Rangpo.
4,500 ft elevation. Pleasant days with cool mountain breeze. Carry light woolens and a warm jacket for crisp mornings and star-filled evenings.
Airtel and Jio 4G receive reliable coverage along the ridge. ATMs are located in nearby Soreng & Jorethang; carrying some cash is recommended.
We can help arrange trusted local drivers and direct pickups from Bagdogra Airport, NJP, Siliguri, or Darjeeling.
From Chakung
Sikkim organic, grown on the ridge.
Besar · बेसार
Hand-harvested Sikkim turmeric — deep gold, intensely aromatic.
Sikkim turmeric carries GI protection. Grown without chemical fertilisers in terraced fields below the ridge, it has a higher curcumin content than commercially available turmeric. Dried and coarsely ground in village stone mills.
Kidney Beans
Small Himalayan kidney beans — slow-cooked, deeply flavoured.
The mountain variety grown in Sikkim is smaller and more intensely flavoured than plains rajma. Grown at altitude, they take longer to cook and develop a creamy texture. Naturally cultivated, sun-dried on rooftops across Chakung.
Bhatmas · भटमास
Roasted Sikkim soya — the ridge's everyday protein.
Bhatmas is eaten daily across Sikkim — dry-roasted with garlic and green chilli as a snack, fermented into kinema, or boiled into broths. Grown on smallholder plots and sun-dried on bamboo mats.
दल्ले खुर्सानी (Round Chilli)
Sikkim's rare round chilli — deep heat, floral warmth.
Grown only in the hill districts of Sikkim and Darjeeling, the Dalle Khursani is one of the world's hottest chillies with a GI tag from the Government of India. Sun-dried whole. Adds a smoky, fruity bite to pickles, curries, and noodle broths.
Phapar · फापर
High-altitude grain — gluten-free, nutty, ancient.
Phapar has been grown across the Himalayan belt for centuries. In Sikkim it is ground into dark flour for roti or roasted whole as a trail snack. Naturally gluten-free, dense with manganese and fibre. Sourced from ridge farms above 1,400 metres.
गुन्द्रुक (Fermented Greens)
Fermented leaves — the soul of a Sikkim hillside kitchen.
Mustard and radish leaves are wilted, packed into clay pots, and left to ferment for weeks in the cool mountain air. The resulting dried condiment is tangy, deeply savoury, and rich in natural probiotics. A GI-tagged product of Sikkim.
Kodo · कोदो
An ancient Sikkim grain — calcium-rich, slow to cook, slow to forget.
Kodo millet is the oldest cultivated crop in the eastern Himalayas. Rich in calcium, iron, and complex carbohydrates. Used in Sikkim to make the traditional fermented warm drink tongba, as well as nourishing porridge and flatbreads.
Pharsi ko Geda · फर्सीको गेडा
Sun-dried seeds from local mountain pumpkins.
West Sikkim grows a dense, deep-red sweet pumpkin variety. The seeds are extracted by hand, washed in mountain spring water, and sun-dried on wicker trays. Naturally packed with zinc, magnesium, and healthy oils.
