Ravangla Tour

We started on 4th of November 2010, the night before Kali puja, jam stuck road before reaching to Sealdah and finally ..........the Darjeeling Mail, the most preferred destination ...NJP.......Yes this time Ravangla for a very short 3 days vacation (+ 2 nights), you know this year 5th, 6th and 7th are holiday.
Next morning Darjeeling mail was 1 hr late, but from Kolkata we got the car no. from Bappa (Mobile no.09832061216),actually he provided the car no. and driver's cell the day before.......he himself came to receive us and charged Rs. 2300 (Indica) for dropping us Hotel Menamla - I think the most balanced hotel in Ravangla. We started from NJP at around 9 A.M. All along, the Kanchanjunga remains with its mightyness with all other peaks.

Hotel Menamla is very attractively decorated with homely atmosphere. The two managers : G.S.Tanudeep (95932-79392, 94761-91661)- Front office & Pabitra Mandol (98302-24241)- Restaurant and travel (car booking)- they are very co-operative in nature. Room rent for Room No. was Rs. 1600 (with 25% discount, it became Rs. 1200)

We reached Menamla at around 13:30 hrs (1-30 p.m.)
feeling very hungry, literally rushed to the restaurant after bath, food was tasty.

After lunch, we climbed to the Rabong monastery (so many no. of steps), volleyball ground (soon, I will post the photos), Buddha park was under construction.

We were spell bound with the beauty of nature. In fact now I realise that November is the best period to come to the hills. Deep blue sky with snow laden peaks.

Next day (6-11-10) we booked a car (Rs. 1800) for sight seeing.

In the morning from our room itself (Room no. 302, 2nd floor), the whole range was glittering in the sunlight, the change of colour, from red to golden yellow ....... I can not frame this in a sentence..................it reminded me tiger hills......................... , but mind this is from our room only.

1) Borong river and Ralong monastery (1st half)
2) Namchi - lunch
3) Rock garden
4) Samdrapchi - Guru Padmasambhaba statue
5) Temi tea garden
6) Bio diversity park

We did not go to Handicrafts centre.

Next day (7-11-10), light stroll in the morning, relaxing, enjoying beauty of nature, then we started at around 10 A.M. to NJP, as in case of traffic jam some times it takes more than five hours. The maruti Omni took Rs. 2400.

Hello rbhattacharja,
I am leaving to darjeeling, gangtok and north sikkim on nov 13. Will be back on 23rd. Its a 10-day trip. I am bit worried now. the weather forecast in the websites predict rain and cloudy weather. In that case all the views and rain will make it difficult for our trip. Any help in this would be much appreciated..

Regards,
Lakshmi.

Dear Lakhmi

Don't worry, this period of time in the year, the sky will be absolutely sunny and you will be able to enjoy the beauty like anything.

During november possibility of rain is very few.

Even if it happens one day, the next morning sky - you won't be able to imagine also. In fact it happened when we went to Peling.

So get ready, for precaution always carry two nos. of umbrellas which will be helpful.

Dear all,
We are 3 friends planning to go ravangla in the last week of May this year for 2 nights. Our main aim is Mainam trek & Borong village. Can anyone give me some information about how the permit for the trek can be get & from where(is the route open on saturday?). I would like to know the route to Borong.
Will it be possible to visit the Ralong monastery by walking? How far is the distance from Ravangla?

Can anyone tell about the Mainam trek-about the toughness & beauty of nature.

I want some budget hotel fone nos.(around Rs. 500/600).
Thanking you all,
Ayan

thanks RB for the detailed report. I am planning to go to ravangla in the same time in November 2011 for 4 nights with my wife. Do you think this hotels will be good for two of us? How are the rooms? Do the geysers / heaters work?

About the village resort Mt. Narsing, i came across a number of negative pots, therefore am wondering if to try that at all.

I have planned to be in ravangla from 21/10/12 to 25/10/12.
Booked hotel "Queens Regency".
Anybody ..... any idea on "Queens Regency".