An evening with a Limbu or Lepcha host family

Wikipedia describes Daramdin as mostly Limbu and Lepcha, and the 2011 census found Limbu to be the first language of about 14 percent of people in what is now Soreng district, second only to Nepali. In a homestay here you are a guest in a working farmhouse. Rooms are simple, bathrooms may be shared, and meals are what the family cooks that day: rice, dal, seasonal vegetables, pickles, perhaps chicken or pork, and tea at any hour.

Ask questions and let your hosts lead. Limbu families may talk about the Mundhum, the body of oral tradition, about Chasok Tangnam, the harvest festival offered to Yuma Sammang, or about the Limbu script. Lepcha hosts may share their own names for the hills and rivers. Not every family wants to talk about history and religion with strangers, so follow their cue, and ask before photographing people, shrines or rituals.

Expect about ₹1,200–2,000 per person a night with meals, paid in cash. Book through us or ask in the bazaar; the district site lists several homestays. Bring a torch, a warm layer for evenings and slippers. In return for the hospitality, eat what is offered, keep noise down after dark and help clear your plates, as you would in any family home.