Dzongu

Another offbeat retreat at around 80 km from Gangtok, Dzongu village is like a welcome surprise. One of the quaintest places in Sikkim, this village is home to the Lepcha tribe. Since Dzongu has no hotels or inns, you get a unique opportunity to stay with the local folks, most of whom have recently started homestays. Other than a very different way of living and culture, Dzongu has a tiny monastery, hidden deep in the woods, hot water geysers, gushing waterfalls, a lake that is sacred to the Lepcha people, some short treks and old, rickety bridges that sway when it gets windy! You can also go on a one day hike to Keushong village, a place that seems straight out of some fairy tale, complete with a lake and flowery meadows. Dzongu falls in the buffer zone of the Kanchendzonga National Park, perched by the side of a wildly thrashing Teesta river, a fact that makes it quite untouristy. Dzongu is perfect for some alone time as well as for a family vacation.