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Falls and Waterfalls of Sribadam, Sikkim

Solo Trip to Sribadam Village in Sikkim

With every step I, having a stick in my hand and backpack on my back, could hear the dry leaves getting crushed. It was like walking in a jungle alone, though Google was showing a village here. After every 50 meters my brain was releasing some warning hormone, but my heart beating a little faster said keep walking. The adventurous side of me always won! To make things better (or worse) it was a cloudy day and rains was predicted. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard someone shout, “Hey you?”. Before I could process who and where he was, I was just happy to hear a human. “What you doing?” That was all the English words he knew. I showed my camera and kept walking. After an hour of internal battle, I was welcomed by the sound of a water fall and there was a massive waterfall in the middle of a pine forest. Heaven!! Such unexpected views are the best. Soon after it started to pour heavy. Put on my raincoat, walking briskly, jumping over muddy patches, slipping at times but somehow managed to be back to civilisation. The fall and waterfalls of Sribadam, a quiet little village with stunning views of the valley in Sikkim.

And then there was a roar of a lion – only in my head though
Oh you beauty! A hard earned view

How did I get here? Having booked my tickets in the excitement, and without much (any) planning, I landed in Bagdogra with the aim to reach Sribadam. Even the people at the shared taxi stand did not seem to know about Sribadam. That was scary and exciting! As guided by the homestay’s owner, Kesang, I boarded the Sumo to Jorethang. The ride from Siliguri to Jorethang is picturesque with the killer – Teesta river following  along side the road. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we got stuck in a terrible traffic jam. It was a looong line of cars. People started getting off, some drinking tea, others debating over what could have happened. All of a sudden we heard a huge splash. A piece of the road had fallen in the Teesta river because of a major landslide. We had to take a detour to reach Jorethang, a 4 hour journey would now take over 8 hours. My co-passengers weren’t too pleased, but I was super excited as we now would pass through small villages and beautiful tea gardens. What better!! It was almost 9pm by the time we reached Jorethang. And Sribadam was still an hour away. I had to trust human beings and got on a car with some strangers going in the same direction. It was dark, the mobile signal was poor and could hear the dogs barking when I was told to get off at Sribadam. I so prayed that the homestay was legit and they did not ditch me! I was welcomed into the house with a lavish dinner. A hard earned meal for the day!

A magical layer of fog over the deadly Teesta river flowing along the road to Jorethang

Independence Day Celebrations in rural India. I woke up all excited to see how the village actually looked. It wasn’t very populated and was super green and clean. I overheard some speaking about the independence day celebrations in a nearby village. Excited by it, I decided to experience it. Being a holiday there was no public transportation, so the only way to reach Soreng was to hitchhike. An elderly person heading to the same festival agreed to take me along after some questioning. I expected a handful of people to gather and sing the national anthem, but it was like a festival here. A huge field was decorated, and hundreds of people, young and old, shouting and cheering rushed towards it. It was a happy jolly environment with everyone singing and dancing, eating ice creams, and carrying the Indian flag in the laps of the mountains of Sikkim. I on the other-hand was looking so off the place and under dressed with my black rain pants and camera that the district collector himself approached me. They are not used to having tourists. Happy, he introduced me to all the prominent people in the area, including the police head. (I was definitely safe now!) The function had cultural performances, a football match and the goosebumps giving national anthem to the sound of small waterfalls to give a calming background music. All of these taking me back a decade to my school days, the same emotions and excitement. To head back to Sribadam a local policeman helped me hitchhike with a young couple. The guy had driven 200kms to meet his girlfriend and there I was sitting in their car!

Independence Day celebrations at Soreng

Homestay or home? Kesang, his brothers, his sister and his father treated me like their family. Literally. From sharing family problems to making sure I eat that extra helping of rice 3 times a day. They eat only what they grow, so the food is super fresh and really well made. In my 5 day stay, the quantity of food I used to have increased drastically. Kesang himself being very enterprising, keeps on thinking of ways to improve and help the guests. It’s the perfect spot to relax, read a book, write or just introspect. If not, walk around to neighbouring villages to explore the unexplored or just play football with the monks.

Monks playing cricket in Sribadam
My room at Eshab Homestay in Sribadam

Sribadam village. In all four directions you head you’ll find something to cherish. I was lucky to go during the monsoons, because of which I could witness a lot of waterfalls, a lot. From the one hidden in the pine forest, to the ones flowing through a forest. Waterfalls and the sound of the water hitting the rocks was so peaceful that I would enter a parallel universe in my head. One of things which is always the focus of my travels is interacting with people, but on this travel I could meet and have conversations with very few people. The most people you’d see is at 5-6 in the morning to collect milk, else the village is very sparse. If you keep walking on the highway, there are multiple sheds built and those were “my” spots. The view, if the clouds did not cover it would be exceptional. The place to be in to click pictures or get lost in thought. For me this was the time to reflect on the year and focus on what makes happy.

Along the highway in one the sheds with the sound of the waterfalls
On one of the trails to explore Sribadam and surrounding villages

Makaibari Tea Estate. Life goes on and you can’t (don’t want to) be at a place forever. As hard are goodbyes with a promise to return, that exciting is the road ahead. After standing in the middle of the highway for an hour I finally found a shared Sumo to Jorethang and then to Kurseong. Reading about a homestay program to increase the income of the tea workers, I decided to stay for a night in Makaibari, Kurseong before heading back home. It was right in the middle of a village amongst the tea gardens. Sipping the best red tea sitting in the tea gardens was the perfect end to this journey!

Enjoying the perfect Darjeeling tea from Makaibari homestay

 

Loved the contrast of the beautiful hills covered with fog, but a difficult path
Beautifully made houses, though very sparse.
All houses and shops in Sribadam are decorated with beautiful plants
Shamelessly hitchhiked with this couple.
The most fresh food I had in a while
Waterfalls and the hills, summed up Sribadam
The Makaibari homestay in Kurseog is in a village inside the tea estate there
Children dressed in traditional attire for the Independence Day celebrations in Soreng
Monks playing cricket in Sribadam village
One of the artificial lakes in Sribadam
Kids performing a cultural dance at the event
The people are very conscious to keep the place clean
The clouds keep on playing hide and seek with the hills and the mountains
At homestay in Sribadam with “my family”
Watch the clouds and the thoughts dance

Everything else you need to know

Stay in Sribadam Sikkim

Eshab Homestay is the only answer if you are planning to go to Sribadam. All thanks to Kesang (reach him on Whatsapp/call +917872893020) for starting this, and letting us explore his lands. It’s a homestay with beautifully built Sikkimese huts and fresh food. I’d highly recommend Makaibari homestay on your way in Kurseong near Darjeeling for a splendid stay in the tea gardens with the tea workers.

Transport in Sribadam Sikkim

The closest town to Sribadam is Jorethang and if you fly in, you land at Bagdogra and can take the shared Sumo to Jorethang and then to Sribadam. Shared Sumos are the most convenient (read cheap) way to move around in Sikkim. Very frequent and connects even the smallest of villages in the region, though you might have to squeeze in a little.

Food

I did not explore a lot of options as the food cooked at the homestay was so delicious. Everything they eat is grown around. So prepare yourself for the most fresh food you’ll have in a while.

Expenses.

The homestay costs about Rs. 1200-1500 a day for a double occupancy bedroom and breakfast. You are supporting a family in a rural village of India, it’s all worth it 🙂

Traveling in a quaint little paradise where you get peacefully lost in the lap of nature.