Samthar

Samthar village near Kalimpong, opens up a new way of life. Samthar is very beautiful soaking in the nature you get to know the different Bhutia and Lepcha communities staying with them. Project Awake & Shine’s samthar village tour is the creation of retired General Jimmy Singh, who heads Gurudongma Tours & Treks. Samthar is 80km from Kalimpong and overlooks the Kanchendzonga Peak. During Generals tenure of soldiering in the remotest parts of the Himalayas and with his 15 years experience in remote area tourism, he was convinced about the gainful employment in rural India. He also noticed the potential in integrated village tourism. In the Samthar plateau the Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepali villagers offer homestays, or you can stay at Singh’s Samthar Farm House. It provides an exotic locale for visitors. Visitors get to explore the untouched areas and the stay can remind you how sweet and simple life could be. Samthar is ideal for a walking holiday with several nature and cultural trails. As part of the village tour, you can even visit the local fortune teller or perhaps, help in the fields.

HOW to GET There: Gurudongma Tours does pick-ups from Kalimpong. The Samthar tour costs Rs 3,120 per person per night, including jeep, guide, accommodation and all meals. September to December and February to March are ideal months. Mail to gurudongma@gmail.com

Hodka

If mountain trails don’t really catch your fancy, how about moving to plains? Of the 36 villages developed first by the tourism ministry, Hodka near Bhuj, Kutch, is perhaps the most successful, having made its first profit last year. It’s also a striking example of participation by the local community. Located near the Rann of Kutch, Hodka has a rich crafts tradition. Its mud architecture is especially famous.”The village communities were very poor, tourism helped them survive”. Hodka’s conservative village community though didn’t want home stays. So it recreated a rural hamlet, the Sham-e-Sarhad resort, which offers both tented accommodation and mud huts and ghunghas. There’s regular plumbing and electricity too, and an amphitheatre for cultural performances. Most tourists take the two-day crafts village tour which covers eight adjoining villages like Ludia and Dhodha, famous for their embroidery, and Nirona, which is known for bell-making, Rogaan or painting on fabric and lacquer wood. Around 65per cent of Hodka’s visitors are domestic tourists. From their experience Hodka came to light as a fabulous and authentic experience. It’s like an oasis in the middle of desert. There are plenty of sightseeing options too. You can go to the salt desert in the Rann of Kutch nearby, or watch migratory birds at Chhari Dhand.

HOW to GET There

The season is from October to March. Hodka is 60km from Bhuj, the nearest airport and railhead. Accommodation with meals at Sham-e-Sarhad ranges from Rs 3,200in a ghungha to Rs 2,000 in a tent(both double occupancy).You can mail to hodka.in@gmail.com

Chilapata

At Chilapata Forest in the Dooars you can combine wildlife adventure with a taste of tribal life.
Chilapata is a natural corridor between the Jaldapara
Wildlife Sanctuary and Buxa Tiger Reserve."It supports lot of bio-diversity".Chilapata is home to various "tea tribes" from Chotonagpur and other tribes from Assam.Here there is no electricity.Many of the tribes had taken poaching but now tourism is helping to bring them into the mainstream.
The region has charmed even avid travelers.Chilapata's a beautiful place in the midst of nowhere.And it's wonderful to see how the villager's lives are transforming.You can opt a three-day package and stay at the Chilapata and
Mendabari Jungle Camps.Plus,there are home-stays in the villages too.Help tourism
creates participatory tours for instance,tourists can help guard the farms-your
Eco-guide will light up crackers to scare off the animals should you spot them.
You can trek or take a jeep safari through the forest or even take a cycle tour.

HOW to Get There:

The nearest airport is Bagdogra and nearest rail heads,New Jalpaiguri and New Alipurduar.The Chilapata tour costs Rs700 to Rs1,300 per person per day,including
meals,stay and guide.The forest is open from September to June.