Hilltop Rabong Resort — Hotel in Sikkim

PROS: Isolated place at the top and edge of the hill overlooking the mountains and valley below! Very scenic, serene and kind of spiritual place (other guests can be loud to spoil that though) Full of flower plants that makes the air aromatic all the time Hospitality is very very very good as the owners take personal interest. However, not sure of the service quality when the owner is not present as there is limited staff of 3 for its five rooms. Even the junior staff may not be dressed up etc like in 3-4 star hotels but kept a smiling face and were very warm and took great care (again not sure if that was because the owner was present, but I feel they would be that ways otherwise also) Proper working geyser with nice hot water available 24hrs The property and the rooms were very clean and decently arranged They provided with car parking and stay for the driver free!!!! Brilliant arrangement for a very small property of just 5 rooms! The food is brilliant be it veg or non-veg. Basic but tasty and it works for the limited purpose of stay in an isolated place. For non-vegetarians there are ample options and for fish lovers - they have padba, pomfret, hilsa, etc etc!!!! (They need to ensure slightly more hygiene for all and seggregation for vegetarians. Though the owner did show extreme level care while instructing his staff to make veg first and then non-veg etc) The owners stay in a separate unit attached to the hotel and are locals with lot of knowledge about the place. So in case of any emergency or otherwise, they are approachable and can help in planning things out There was lot of even pre-checkin interest as the owner called up couple of times to understand where we coming from, who all are there, which car, whether we would have lunch, etc etc. This experience I have never had even in any of the 5 star properties till date!! They even put up a brilliant bonfire!!

CONS: 500 mtr inclined sloped private kind of road that is not properly made so cars other than the likes of Innova, Xylo, Jeep, etc cannot reach and would need extremely skilled drivers. During rains, extremely risky to use that road. Not possible to even climb that keeping the car down with all luggage etc so ensure carrying a powerful car or else inform hotel manager in advance for some arrangements It's in a small place like Ravangla and then again isolated from the town by 500-1000 meters so families with old people or kids who may need emergency medical assistance should avoid NOT A 3-4-5 STAR PROPERTY so requesting future guests to keep expectations low on property built out. It is at best a motel with a great view, hospitality, cleanliness and good food. We opted for a stay in Ravangla to break our long journey from Pelling to Gangtok and for that limited purpose a 1 day stay was good. After reaching we felt, we should have stayed an extra 1-2 days to absorb that isolation and serene natural beauty. There was a honeymoon couple staying there for 5 days!!!! For middle income class families, this is a great great spot and for those above this category, it would be okay for those who can do away with the luxuries Blankets become messy as blanket cover not stitched to the blankets inside so it all kind of crumbles inside We did not feel cold given that the entire unit is insulated well with wood, floors insulated properly with layers and blankets worked well but would be better if there were heaters in rooms (am sure owner would have provided had we asked but better to keep in rooms anyways) Over time, would be better if the accessories, decorations, the manicuring of the gardens, the pavement, etc and everything could be made slightly better in their finishing. While not expected to have expensive things but whatever is done be made more crisp and better finishing to bring that perfection to go with their great location...

Exploring the Unknown always enthralls Human imagination as it always impresses an indelible memory! Ravangla was a destination unknown to us till one of my colleagues mentioned to me while I was wondering for a site of recluse. And one more tip from him- if Ravangla,then only HILLTOP! I argued -why only Hilltop? He smiled and say- You won't regret in your life! So, I zeroed into Hilltop. We booked it via Booking. com. We kept our itinerary limited as we were looking for a badly needed break after 2.5 yrs of pandemic woes! After landing at Bagdogra, we were greeted by our cool and cheerful Mr. Pasang who graciously invited us to his Wagon- R and drove skillfully to Peiling first.After enchanting ourselves with the beauty of Peiling and Kanchenjunga, we proceeded to Ravangla. Here I must interrupt and introduce you all to someone - Shri SAYANTAN BANERJEE- a perfect bengali GENTLEMAN, extremely cordial,brotherly, helpful and bubbling with energy. Right after we came in contact with him after booking, he had been keeping in touch and providing useful tips about our journey... be it train reservations /flights/bus services. The moment we reached at Hilltop....there he was... with his gallant team...beaming with a generous smile on his face. Within moments, we felt as if we had shifted from our previous home to our new home! Everone was so cheerful and cordial. I was introduced to Shri PREM RAI, whom I found out to be an epitome of hospitality and vigour. We were checked in ina flash... and we found ourselves into our DREAMROOM...Yes...dream room it was...as the spacious room had such impressive wooden decor.. There was no artificial furniture as such. And the moment, the curtains were drawn out...we were speechless... As there was almost 180° panoramic view of the Himalayan Splendor, right in front! All our journey tiredness vanished in a second! After freshning up, we were escorted to the dining hall, where our table was laid out by Renuka di, a perfect gracious hostess with an evershing innocent smile! The food was simply mindblowingly tasteful - the magic been cast by Ck(aka Jackie bhai), Shambhu bhai and Jeet bhai. Kamla di was an evercheerful entity whose presence could be felt everywhere. My son mingled with them as if he knew them for years...he had a fantastic time as he played, galloped, climbed,jumped and made merry with all his new friends! The campus is strewn with lovely flowers and trees with nicely maintained pavements. The watchtower was a bonus as we could walk up now and then and gasp at the nascent beauty of Mother Nature! We chatted on all topics with Sayantan da over the bonfire, to our heart's content! As per the advice of Mr. Pasang, Sayantan da and Prem da, we visited to Temi's tea garden and Buddha park. I have floated videos of both the places in my Youtube blog ( Rejuvinator 73. (kindly visit aand grace with your comments)! Those few days felt like a pleasant dream. Farewell was quite heart-wrenching as we didn’t feel like leaving. We hugged each other and parted. Never before have we ever felt so attached as it was here! Hilltop shall always remain etched in our memory as a dream of ecstasy!! Hats off to the entire TEAM...

Extremely mixed feelings about this place.

Pros: Stunning views, undoubtedly one of the best in Rabangla. Good service and food in general. Not cheap, but definitely not pricey either.

Cons: Location!! The place is actually at a hilltop with uphill climb for more than a kilometre. The uphill, if it can be called a road, is horrible. General 4-wheelers wouldn't be able to go up with passangers and luggage. Ours was not able to, we had to climb up, including my parents and in-laws, all near 60 or 60+. Absolutely no arrangements from the hotel either. They didn't even inform us of the same, though we talked and confirmed that we will be traveling with aged persons nearly 2months in advance. Severely unprofessional and lack of responsibility! Though finally, after much haggling the caretaker arranged for an extra car, for us to come up/go down with multiple trips. This whole fiasco really dampens the experience of such a wonderful place.

Additionally, beware of leeches. The whole garden, the uphill road is full of these. Maybe some even inside the building. Though the caretaker vehemently denied the same (bit stupid, given out of a group of 8, 5 of us had one or more encounters with the leeches even after being careful and he could see that)!

In all, bit of a hassle, but would be manageable if you are prepared. Definitely worth visiting post making necessary...