Where Borong is and why people go
Drive down from Ravangla past Ralang Monastery and keep going along a narrow road that winds across the slope above the Rangeet, and after about 17 km and an hour you reach Borong: scattered farmhouses, terraced fields of maize and vegetables, cardamom under alder trees in the gullies, and a wide view west across the river to the hills of Gyalshing district. There is no market to speak of and no big hotel. That is the point.
Two things bring visitors. The first is the hot spring by the river below the village, known as Borong Tsachu or Cha-chu (tsachu means hot water in Sikkimese and Tibetan). The second is the village itself: a few families host guests in their homes, and a night or two here shows you the farming life of South Sikkim at an unhurried pace. Many of our guests combine Borong with Ralang and Ravangla, or with the homestay villages of Kewzing and Yangang nearby.
The hot spring and its season
Borong Tsachu lies on the bank of the Rangeet, a few hundred metres below the village. The usual approach is a drive of about 7 km from Ralang to the road head, then a downhill walk of around 45 minutes on a footpath; the walk back up takes longer, so allow time and carry water. The water is warm and smells of sulphur, and it collects in simple bathing pools beside the river. Many people in Sikkim believe it helps skin complaints and aching joints. We repeat that as local belief rather than medical advice.
The season is winter. From roughly December to February the Rangeet is low and clear, the pools are usable, and local families come to spend days or even weeks at the spring, staying in temporary huts and cooking for themselves; villagers sell vegetables to them during the season. In the monsoon the river rises and floods the pools, and by April the valley is hot. Ralang has its own hot spring, Ralang Tsachu, also visited in winter. Conditions vary year to year, so check current status before you travel.
| Month | Hot spring | Village stay | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec–Feb | Best: river low, pools open, local families camping | Good: clear, cold nights | Pack warm layers and a towel |
| Mar–May | Usable early, hot by May | Very good: flowers, farm work | Pre-monsoon showers from May |
| Jun–Sep | Closed in practice: pools flooded | Wet; paths muddy, leeches | Road slips possible |
| Oct–Nov | River still high in October, improving | Very good: harvest, clear views | Cardamom harvest season |
Hot spring etiquette and safety
The spring is a local institution, not a spa. Families have used it for generations, and you are a guest. A few simple rules keep it pleasant for everyone.
- Do not use soap or shampoo in the pools; wash elsewhere
- Bathe in modest clothing, and follow any separate timings or pools for men and women
- Ask before photographing anyone bathing, and in practice, do not
- Stay a short time at first; hot water at the end of a steep walk can leave you dizzy
- Anyone with heart conditions, high blood pressure or pregnancy should ask a doctor first
- Never bathe in the river itself: the Rangeet is cold and fast even in winter
- Carry all litter back up to the village
We turn this into a priced, day-by-day plan for your dates.
Village stays around Ravangla
Borong is one of several villages around Ravangla where families host guests. In each, you sleep in a clean, simple room in or beside the family house, eat what the household eats, and spend the day walking between fields, monasteries and viewpoints. Rooms are basic but warm, usually with an attached or shared bathroom and hot water by bucket or geyser. Expect about ₹1,200–2,000 per person a night with dinner and breakfast, a little more for lunch or a guided walk.
Kewzing, about 9 km from Ravangla on the road towards Legship, is the best known, with an organised group of homestays and a walking trail between monasteries; the village is known for a Bon monastery, one of the few in Sikkim, alongside Buddhist gompas. Yangang, a short drive east of Ravangla, is quieter, with farms, small streams and views down to the Teesta side. Borong is the most remote of the three and the one to pick in winter for the hot spring.
| Village | From Ravangla | Known for | Homestay, indicative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kewzing | ≈ 9 km · 25 min | Monastery walks, Bon monastery, organised homestays | ≈ ₹1,200–2,000 pp with meals |
| Yangang | ≈ 20 km · 1 h | Quiet farms, streams, village life | ≈ ₹1,200–1,800 pp with meals |
| Borong | ≈ 17 km · 1 h | Hot spring (Dec–Feb), wide river views | ≈ ₹1,200–1,800 pp with meals |
What a day in the village looks like
Mornings start early. You will hear the household before dawn: the kitchen fire, the cow being milked, the radio. Breakfast might be puri or roti with potato curry, or sel roti, the ring-shaped rice bread made for festivals and guests. After that, your host or a neighbour usually walks you through the fields, past the cardamom groves and orange trees, to a monastery, a spring or a viewpoint. In October and November you may see cardamom being picked and dried in smoky kilns.
Lunch and dinner are home cooking: rice, dal, seasonal greens such as ningro (fiddlehead fern) or squash shoots, a vegetable or chicken curry, pickles and gundruk, fermented leafy greens. Ask before you go if you need vegetarian food; it is easy to arrange. Evenings are quiet, with tea by the stove and early nights. Wi-Fi is patchy and mobile signal varies by network, which most guests come to enjoy.
Walks from the villages
Village stays are about walking, and each of these villages has easy and harder options. From Kewzing, a marked trail links the village's monasteries and viewpoints and can be walked in two to three hours at a gentle pace; your host will point out the start. From Borong, the walk down to the hot spring and back is the main outing, about two hours in all with time at the pools, and the farm paths along the slope give level strolls with views across the Rangeet.
Fitter walkers can use Ravangla as a base for longer days: Tendong Hill from Damthang, about 6 km and 2.5 to 3 hours up, or the lower forest trails of Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary, which rise behind the town. Ralang Monastery is a pleasant downhill walk from Ravangla of about 6 km, with the car collecting you at the bottom. In every case, start early, carry water and a rain jacket, and ask your host about the path before you set out, because village trails change after every monsoon.
Getting there and planning
Ravangla is the gateway. It is about 125 km and 4.5 to 5 hours from Siliguri, or about 3 hours from Gangtok. From Ravangla, a reserved small car to Borong costs about ₹1,500–2,000 one way, to Kewzing about ₹600–900 and to Yangang about ₹1,200–1,500. Shared jeeps run to these villages a few times a day, mostly early morning and afternoon; your host will know the times.
Plan at least two nights for a village stay, so you have one full day without a drive. A good four-night pattern is two nights at Ravangla for Buddha Park, Ralang and Temi, and two at Borong or Kewzing. Book ahead from October to May; homestays have only a few rooms each. Indian nationals need no permit; hotels and homestays collect the ₹50 per person state fee. Check current status before you travel.
Rules, fees, fares and road status change often. Check current status before you travel.
