Pakyong villages: Rolep, Rhenock, Lingtam and Padamchen

The district below the high road

Pakyong district was carved out of East Sikkim in December 2021, and most travellers know it only as the way to Zuluk. That is a pity. Between the Rangpo river in the south and the Zuluk loops in the north lie terraced valleys, cardamom under alder shade, river gorges and villages where homestays are still a side income rather than the main business. Nepali-speaking communities, including Rai, Chettri, Bahun and Tamang families, make up much of the population, with Bhutia and Lepcha households too.

For a trip, these villages solve two problems. They give you a low first night, so the climb to Zuluk and Nathang is gentler on your body. And they give you something to do on a slow day: river walks, birding, cardamom fields and village food. Here are the four we use most, with the practical details you need.

Rolep: a river village for slow days

Rolep is a hamlet tucked into the bends of the Rongli river, reached by a narrow road from the Rongli side. Houses and small fields sit on terraces just above the water, and the sound of the river is with you all day. There is not a list of sights to tick off, which is the point: people come to Rolep to walk the riverbank, sit on warm rocks, watch birds in the trees along the water and eat home food.

A handful of family homestays take guests, at roughly ₹1,200–2,000 per person a night with meals. In the warmer months the river pools invite paddling, but the current can be strong and water rises fast after rain upstream, so stay out of the main channel and never swim in the monsoon. Rolep works as a first night before the Silk Route, as a recovery night on the way down, or as the base of a quiet three-night village trip. Altitude sources vary; around 1,300 m is a fair guide, and it is warm compared with Zuluk.

Food in Rolep follows the river and the fields: rice from the terraces, seasonal greens, squash, homemade pickles, and sometimes fish when the family has a catch. Ask your host what grows in that month and you will usually eat it the same evening. Mobile signal is weak in the valley bottom, which most guests count as a benefit.

Rhenock: the old trading town

Rhenock is a market town close to the West Bengal border, on the old route that ran from Kalimpong through Pedong and Rhenock to Rongli and up to Jelep La. Traders and mule trains passed this way for generations, and the town still has the feel of a crossroads, with a bazaar, schools and roads branching to Aritar, Rongli and Rorathang. Today it is the main shopping and banking stop between Rangpo and the Silk Route; there are ATMs here.

Few travellers sleep in Rhenock itself, but it is worth a stop for a walk through the bazaar, a plate of momos and a look at the old houses. When NH10 is closed in the monsoon, the road from Kalimpong and Pedong via Reshi into Rhenock becomes the main way into this part of Sikkim, so you may pass through even if you did not plan to.

Lingtam: the first homestay village

Lingtam lies just above Rongli on the Silk Route road, and it is the first village most travellers pass after the permit office. It sits along the Rongli river, with forest on the slopes above, and a small cluster of homestays caters to people who arrive too late in the day to climb further, or who want a gentle first night. Being only about 8 km from Rongli, it is also convenient if you need to sort out paperwork in the morning.

Homestays here charge about ₹1,200–1,800 per person with meals. The river is close, the evenings are mild, and the climate is warm enough that you will not need heavy layers outside winter. Lingtam is inside the Silk Route permit area, so the permit from Rongli is needed even to sleep here. From Lingtam, Padamchen is about 12 km and Zuluk about 25 km up the road.

Padamchen: forest and a gentler climb

Padamchen, also spelt Phadamchen, is a small village at about 2,200 m between Lingtam and Zuluk, surrounded by mixed forest of oak, magnolia and rhododendron. The road from Rongli climbs steadily through this forest, and Padamchen sits roughly halfway between the warm river valley and the cold uplands. It is the village we recommend most often for a first night on the Silk Route, especially for families, older travellers and anyone arriving from the plains the same day.

Homestays here range from simple rooms to newer ones with attached bathrooms, at about ₹1,200–2,000 per person with dinner and breakfast. In April and May the forest around the village flowers with rhododendron, and in winter the nights are cold but rarely snowy. Zuluk is about 13 km and 45 minutes up the road, so you can reach Thambi for sunrise the next day, or go on to Nathang by afternoon. The red panda lives in forests of this belt; sightings are rare, and we never promise one.

Short walks from the village follow forest paths and old shortcuts between road bends; ask your host which are safe and in use. Early morning is best for birds, when the forest is busy with laughingthrushes, minlas and sunbirds.

Pakyong town, Rorathang and Rangpo

Three more names appear on most road signs in the district. Pakyong town, the district headquarters at about 1,400 m, is known for Pakyong Airport, opened in 2018 on a ridge above the town. It has had no scheduled flights since June 2024, so plan on Bagdogra (IXB) or NJP and check current status before you travel. The town itself is a pleasant stop with views over the Rangpo valley.

Rorathang is a small riverside bazaar at the junction where the road to Rongli and the Silk Route leaves the Rangpo–Gangtok route; drivers often stop here for tea. Rangpo, on the Teesta at about 330 m, is the gateway town where NH10 enters Sikkim from West Bengal, with a check post and the place where the Sikkim entry formalities for foreigners are checked.

How to use these villages in a trip

These villages are best treated as the slow parts of a bigger route. A few patterns work well:

• Silk Route from NJP: first night at Padamchen or Lingtam, then Zuluk, then Nathang, so nobody sleeps high on day one.
• Village loop of three nights: Aritar, Rolep and a day in Rhenock and Pakyong, no high-altitude permit stress.
• On the way down: a night at Rolep or Aritar after Nathang breaks the long drive back to NJP.
• Mixed groups with foreign friends: stay at Aritar, Rhenock or Pakyong together; only Indians go beyond Rongli.
• Monsoon trips: stay low in these villages and go up to Zuluk only on clear mornings, keeping flexible dates.