Value boutique hotel · Gangtok
The Hidden Forest Retreat
A family-run guest house in Middle Sichey, about 2 km from central Gangtok, set in roughly three acres of garden built around an orchid nursery the family started decades ago. Meals use produce from the farm. Good for garden lovers and birders who want calm near town.
Photo: waferboard · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
A family-run guest house in Middle Sichey, about 2 km from central Gangtok, set in roughly three acres of garden built around an orchid nursery the family started decades ago. Meals use produce from the farm. Good for garden lovers and birders who want calm near town.
The Hidden Forest Retreat is in Middle Sichey, on the north side of Gangtok, about 2 km from the centre. The family began an orchid nursery here around three decades ago, and the guest house grew up around it: about three acres of trees, bamboo, ferns, lilies and orchid houses. Birds and butterflies use the garden, and early mornings are worth getting up for.
Rooms are large doubles in a traditional style. Meals are cooked from fresh local produce, much of it grown in the garden, and the hosts can arrange a taste of chhaang (millet beer) for guests who are curious. Spring (March to May) is the best season for flowering orchids, but something is in bloom in most months. You will need a short taxi ride into town.
Why we book it
What it does well
- Orchid nursery and three-acre garden on site
- Home cooking from the family's own produce
- Quiet, 2 km from the centre of Gangtok
Questions travellers ask
Questions about The Hidden Forest Retreat
When is the best time to see orchids at Hidden Forest Retreat?
March to May is peak flowering for most of the orchids in the nursery and garden, with spring rhododendrons and magnolias around Gangtok at the same time. Some species flower in late summer and autumn too, so there is usually something in bloom. Ask the hosts for a walk through the nursery.
How far is Hidden Forest Retreat from MG Marg?
It is about 2 km from MG Marg in Middle Sichey, roughly 10 minutes by taxi depending on traffic. A local taxi ride costs about ₹150–250. Walking is possible but involves steep sections, so most guests use taxis to get into town in the evening and walk only in daylight.
Is Hidden Forest Retreat good for birdwatching?
It is one of the better places to stay in Gangtok for casual birding, because the garden and nearby forest attract common Himalayan species such as bulbuls, sunbirds and laughingthrushes. Serious birders combine it with a morning at Fambong Lho or Kyongnosla, which we can arrange with a local naturalist.
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