Value homestay · Darap
Daragaon Village Retreat, Darap
A community-minded eco homestay in Darap, the Limbu village 8 km from Pelling, offering farm walks, day hikes and home cooking. It won silver in the community homestay category of Outlook's Responsible Tourism Awards in 2017.
Photo: Sharada Prasad CS · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
A community-minded eco homestay in Darap, the Limbu village 8 km from Pelling, offering farm walks, day hikes and home cooking. It won silver in the community homestay category of Outlook's Responsible Tourism Awards in 2017.
Darap is a mostly Limbu farming village about 8 km below Pelling at around 1,800 m, and Daragaon Village Retreat is its best-known homestay. Guests eat with the family, walk through cardamom, maize and vegetable fields, and take short hikes to viewpoints and the Rimbi river. The property received silver in Outlook Traveller's Responsible Tourism Awards in 2017 in the community-based homestay category.
We book it for travellers who want to see Limbu village life rather than a hotel corridor, and for families with children who like farms. Rooms are simple but comfortable. It is close enough to Pelling for sightseeing and on the road towards Yuksom and Khecheopalri. Rates are a band per person with meals. Check current status before you travel.
Why we book it
What it does well
- Home cooking and farm walks in a Limbu village
- 8 km from Pelling on the Yuksom road
- Recognised for community-based tourism
Questions travellers ask
Questions about Daragaon Village Retreat, Darap
What is there to do at Daragaon Village Retreat?
Farm and village walks, help in the fields or kitchen if you like, short hikes to viewpoints and the Rimbi river, and evenings talking with the family. The retreat can point you to Limbu cultural experiences in the village when they happen. Pelling's monasteries and Khecheopalri Lake are an easy day out by car.
How far is Darap from Pelling?
About 8 km, or 25–30 minutes by car, on the road that continues to Rimbi, Khecheopalri and Yuksom. A taxi from Pelling costs indicatively ₹500–800 one way. Staying in Darap gives you a quieter night than Pelling while keeping the Pelling sights within half an hour.
Is food at Darap homestays vegetarian?
Home cooking usually includes rice, dal, seasonal vegetables, local greens and pickles, with chicken or pork on many days. Vegetarian meals are easy to arrange if you say so when booking. Ask to try local dishes such as gundruk (fermented greens) and kinema (fermented soybean), which are common in Limbu kitchens.
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