• Available Mid Jul to mid Aug
• Max Altitude: 1400 m
• Walking grade: moderate

Paddy sowing is the focal point of Himalayan village lifestyles. It is the beginning of the cycle to provide the family requirements of rice – the staple diet of the Nepali and the Lepcha people. Preparations begin as soon as the monsoon rains start. Terraced paddy fields, hewn by generations out of steep mountain sides are manually cleaned free of weeds and mud dykes and water channels rebuilt laboriously, to get them ready for flooding. As the rains flood the paddies, young men with pairs of oxen plough the flooded paddies, whilst the older generation of men folks level the ploughed paddies wielding hand held wooden leveling tools. This is followed by the women sowing the rice seedlings in regimented unison, singing whilst they sow.

Another group of women work in the family kitchen preparing a feast for the time when the days sowing is done. Whole families work together, mustering additional numbers from the community on a cooperative basis. It is hard work but the ambience is that of a community picnic.

This tour is set up to enable visitors to witness the entire ritual of paddy sowing and to participate to the extent desired

Day 01

Your tour starts when you arrive at  at Bagdogra Airport. A Car with driver will meet you and drive you 110 Kms in 4.30 hrs to the remote Himalayan village of Samthar. Alternativly you can be picked up from Kalimpong to drive 80 Kms in 04 hrs. In either case it is a scenic journey through the Himalayan foot hills with its river valleys and forests.  Dinner & overnight Stay at Samthar Farm House, hosted by retired Indian Army General "Jimmy" Singh.

Visit www.gurudongma.com> Sikkim & Darjeeling> Samthar Farm Houss for more info.

Day 02: 

You will be introduced to your hosts and move into the village home-stay at the Nepali hamlet of Gairi Gaon or the Lepha homestay at Kabi. Click here to read details about the village and host family at Host Hamlet fact file.  Today you will take a walking tour of the village visting families in their homes and fields. In the evening a session of Nepali and Hindi songs and Bhajans ( devotional songs), as you join the family “ puja” ( prayers) invoking blessings for the paddy crop. . Overnight at the home stay

Day 03:

Walk down to the paddy terraces and watch the men working at preparing the terraces for flooding. You will see and may participate in the operation of scrapping and weeding, rebuilding dykes and water channels, as also getting the seedling ready for transplanting. Overnight at the home stay.

Day 04

Get up early to join the women folk as they make preparations for the sowing feast. Latter join the family and community members for the actual sowing of the paddy terraces, followed by the sowing feast in the late afternoon. Overnight at the home stay

Day 05

A day to relax, visit the Awake & Shine pre School, and take a guided walk to other parts of the valley. In the evening songing and dancing with the local folks. Overnight at the homestay.

Day 06

Choose one of the following options:-

Option 01: Drive to  Siliguri or Bagdogra in 4.30 hrs

Option 02: Trek down to Teesta Valley in 03 hrs. Cross river on hand pulled ropeway and drive to Darjeeling ( 2.30 hrs) / Siliguri ( 02 hrs) / Kal;impong ( 01 hr) /

Option 3: Drive to Kalimpong in 3.30 hrs.

TOUR ENDS