PaliGhar (Homestay/Farmstay) Kalimpong — Hotel in West Bengal

Our stay at PaliGhar was awesomely relaxing and full of memorable little events. We stayed here for 6 nights but every day brought some new experience for us.

The rooms are built in a traditional style using traditional materials. The bamboo and mud walls structure is cool during the day and warm during the nights. The hosts are very particular about not using any chemicals like pesticides so the whole environment around this place is really eco friendly. Yet the amenities and toiletries and the bathroom setup is very neatly done and maintained. You get to see a variety of birds on the property. There are two cute local breed dogs that are very friendly with the visitors. On our last day they were there to see us off right till the end of the road.

The hosts, Kabir and Ahana together cover the two pillars of hospitality very well - Great Food and Personalized Attention. The food has both, the local Nepali Newari cuisine and also Continental, Tibetan cuisine. We appreciated their PaliGhar Khana on multiple occasions, which was a healthy mix of local veggies greens and black dal served with rice. On one occasion we had the Tibetan bread Tingmo which was something new for us. The continental spread with baked veggies in cheese sauce, mashed potatoes, baked chicken, and a tossed salad with home baked herb bread was my personal favourite. All meals invariably and informally included a short engaging conversation with Kabir over Ahana's special secret mix herbal tea, which gave us nice tips on the next activities we planned to do.

While staying at PaliGhar, the recommendation is to explore the surroundings of this farm stay rather than try to go for far off site seeing. The place is in the middle of lots of village trails that go through the wilderness, through farms and backyards of the locals. One gets to see the livestock pens and cow sheds belonging to the locals that stay in the neighbourhood. Kabir takes the visitors around on these pretty walks and shares trivial details about the things that one gets to see. There is a short hike that goes through these village trails, down to the Relli river bed, and that is a location not to miss, with a small natural pool for a cool afternoon splash. Another short hike takes one to Pudung Farms nearby, which has some adventure activities like ATV rides, a bird aviary for visitors, and a restaurant that they call PFC (Pudung Fried Chicken). This place also houses a local Lepcha School, which is an interesting concept school in itself to explore.

PaliGhar is the best place to engage in healthy activities and be treated to awesome lovely food and...

Palighar has for us been more than a farmstay. It has been an experience unlike any other.

The property is situated at a distance of around 8 kilometers from the city of Kalimpong and in the midst of farming communities in Lower Ecchey. Ahana and Kabir have painstakingly created an extremely comfortable farmstay in the countryside.

Ahana’s expertise in whipping up authentic nepali and bhutanese cuisine, especially by using the ingredients grown on their farm is a testament to the quality of food as well as being true to the oft-quoted term of being ‘farm-to-table’.

The farmstay, we believe, also held our appeal because of our personal individual interests in experiencing living in the actual countryside, away from the din of the cities and towns. That being said, the approach road to the farmstay [for the last 100 meters or so] is bumpy and unpaved, however that should not take away from the comfort and the lovely food that the farmstay does provide.

We also decided to take a hike down to the Relli river. Kabir’s affable nature throughout the hike and his insight into the people of Kalimpong and its surrounding villages was extremely informative and left us with a wonderful experience from the trip.

Our experience at Palighar can be summed up with a simple conclusion, we stayed and experienced a part of Kalimpong, as one would, if they had stayed with family and friends. Lastly, we would also like to thank Sanjay Dai for his magnanimous smile and helpful nature in working alongside Ahana in serving us delicious meals throughout our stay at...

Highly Recommended!!! We went to Palighar from Delhi in the December of 2022. Such a wonderful way to explore the country-side! The property is well kept, well stocked; the rooms are rustic and yet comfortable. We were worried about spending peak winters in mud-houses, but one heater was more than enough to get us through. The beds are ultra-comfortable. Property owners Kabir and Ahana will make sure you will not want for anything when it comes to comfort. They stay on the property and are extremely approachable. Our first day Kabir asked us about our interests; he is always ready with an itinerary to suit your mood of the day. And even if it is to laze in the sun, they have a well-placed hammock that gives you a view of the farm and nearby hills. The highlight for us was a walk through the Haat Bazaar (ask Kabir and Ahana to take you to local eats, you won’t regret it!), the hike down to river Relli (we never realised we’d be hungry by the time we reach the river, but Kabir came packed with the best sandwiches) and the village walk (Ahana might as well be the Yellow Pages of Kalimpong!). The food was excellent (give the local food a try—its made at home under Ahana’s supervision), and Kabir will give you small nuggets of information regarding local food preferences, influences and traditional versions. For me and my husband the biggest takeaway was Kabir and Ahana’s hospitality; they are warm, perceptive and eager to make you comfortable (within reason—its a farmstay, after all!). Would we go again? Definitely! Are we recommending it?...