Shanvi Homestay Sittong

Shanvi Homestay Sittong is a small family homestay at Babu Khola, inside the Mahaldiram tea garden in Upper Sittong-II, on the Bagora side of Kurseong subdivision in Darjeeling district. It has three bedrooms for up to 10 guests, and rooms start at ₹1,300 per person.

Sittong is a cluster of villages spread across three panchayats rather than a single village. It is known across North Bengal for its winter oranges. The Mahaldiram end, where Shanvi stands, is the highest part of it, rising to about 6,000 ft, with tea gardens and forest all around. Mahaldiram leaf goes to the Jungpana factory near Kurseong. Come here for cool air, a quiet tea-garden road and evenings by the bonfire.

Shanvi is a homestay in the true sense: three bedrooms in a family house, with room for up to 10 guests in total. The room we list is the Quad Bed Room, which sleeps 4 at ₹1,300 per person. It suits a family or a group of friends travelling together. For a bigger party, ask us about taking more than one room.

Meals are not included in the room rate. Sittong has no restaurants to speak of, and nearly everyone eats with their hosts, so confirm your meal plan when you book. The nearest town with shops and cafés is Kurseong, about 24 km away.

From the Mahaldiram side you can reach the whole of Sittong by car:

• Orange orchards: in season from November to January, when the trees are heavy with fruit. Some orchards charge a small entry fee.
• Ahaldara viewpoint: in the Shelpu hills, a short walk of about 150 m from where cars stop. It looks out over Kanchenjunga, the tea gardens and the Teesta.
• Namthing Lake: about 1 km from the base of Ahaldara. It is a seasonal lake that fills in the monsoon and dries out in the other months.
• Sittong Lepcha Monastery: in Upper Ghalaytar, near Tham, and said to be more than 350 years old
• Jogighat bridge: a 74 m steel bridge over the Riyang river, opened in 2015, that links Mongpu with the rest of Sittong
• Mongpu: about 8 km from Sittong, where Rabindranath Tagore stayed and his house is kept as a museum
• Latpanchar: at the edge of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, and well worth a morning for birders

Closer to home, a walk through the Mahaldiram tea garden is reason enough to wake up early.

Shanvi is on the Bagora side, so most drivers come up through Kurseong. About 10 km past Kurseong on the Hill Cart Road (NH-110), turn right at Dilaram onto the Bagora road, and Mahaldiram is on that road towards Sittong.

• From Darjeeling: about 35 km to Sittong, around 1 hour 45 minutes, via Hill Cart Road and Bagora Road
• From NJP (New Jalpaiguri) station: about 64 km to Sittong, around 2 hours 40 minutes
• From Bagdogra airport: about 64 km, around 2 hours 40 minutes
• From Kurseong: about 24 km, around 1 hour 15 minutes

These figures are to Sittong as a whole. Shared taxis inside Sittong are rare, so book a car from the station or the airport.

October to November and March to June bring the clearest skies and the best chance of seeing Kanchenjunga. November to January is orange season. From late June to late September the monsoon brings heavy rain, thick mist and full waterfalls, with far fewer visitors.

• Check-in from 12 PM, check-out by 10 AM
• Meals are not included in the rate; arrange them with the hosts when you book
• Family-friendly
• Free parking
• Bonfire in the evenings
• Hill roads here are narrow, and some side roads are rough, so a local driver is a good idea