Text and Photos : Norbert Trehoux
Dzongu is located in the North West of Sikkim. Established in early 1960s, this territory has been reserved for the Lepcha community and borders the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve.
Dzongu’s elevation ranges between 800m and 6,000m above sea level. The area has panoramic views of Mount Khangchendzonga (8.585 m), the third highest summit in the world, and has a particularly rich fauna and flora that is endemic to the area.
The Lepcha people are the only residents of Dzongu, and are considered the indigenous people of Sikkim. Of Buddhist culture but with their own variations in practice and beliefs, the Lepcha of Dzongu have generally lived in relative isolation, primarily dependent on subsistence agriculture and the cultivation of native cardamom. Unfortunately, over the past few years the price of cardamom has fallen drastically. As a result of reduced incomes, younger Lepchas have migrated to urban areas including the capital Gangtok, leaving an increasingly elderly population in Dzongu.
The idea of the ecotourism project was born from the desire of a group of Lepcha youth who had concerns for the upcoming younger generation of Dzongu. They were keen to explore alternative opportunities for the educated youth that would provide avenues for self-employment within Dzongu and in the process help the Lepcha community to protect their vanishing identity. The idea of ecotourism as a means of conservation and economic development was further developed and supported by the Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS).
To begin the work in Dzongu, partnerships were forged with NGOs, local authorities and representatives of Dzongu. Several community consultations and awareness and training programs were conducted for the local residents. The extensive community mobilization process has brought about some changes in the thinking of local people and positioned them to conduct tourism that is locally operated and where benefits can accrue to all levels of the community.
In Dzongu there are 8 to 12 Homestays where accommodation and food are arranged for all the visitors. Homestays provide following services :
# A clean comfortable room with electricity or candle.
# Sleeping arrangements with clean bedsheets
# Traditional (Lepcha) local meals are served in a homely
style with boiled drinking water
# A clean bathroom with toilet attached
Getting to Dzongu :
Dzongu is well connected with roads and it is approximately 70 kms away from Gangtok and its a three hours drive. Dzongu can also be approached directly from Siliguri via the Singtam road, travelling 153 kms and taking about five housrs. The nearest Airport is Bagdogra in North Bengal, and Railway station is New Jalpaiguri.
Prices
All prices are made up of the following charges : base rate (given to the Homestay Provider), 10% of base rate (collected by the Dzongu Ecotourism Committee) and 25% of base rate (collected by the Dzongu Travel Agent). The prices have been agreed to by all participating groups and individuals.
• Accommodation - Rs 175/person
• Food – Snacks – Rs 40/person, Breakfast - Rs 90/person, Lunch/Dinner – Rs 280/person
• Local Guide – Rs 340/day (1-4 person group), 550/day (more than five persons)
• Cultural Event – Rs 1350/show (1-4 person group), Rs 2025 (more than five persons)
• Transportation – Reserved Full Jeep from Gangtok to Tingvong return to Gangtok– Rs 2970
How to Book a Dzongu Himalayan Homestay :
All visitors must book through a registered Travel agent from Dzongu : no-one can visit the area individually. The Travel Agent will take care of all permits and other formalities. Bookings should be done a week in advance if you are in Sikkim, and earlier if you are overseas.
Contact
Mr. Sherap LEPCHA, Secrétaire Général du DETC
Tragopan Travels (IND)
Development Area, Gangtok
737101, Sikkim, India
Tel. : 00 91-3592-226162
Mobile : 00 91-98320-46882
Email : sherap@rediffmail.com
Mr. Renzino LEPCHA, Secrétaire d’ECOSS, l’ONG partenaire.
Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS)
Below Fellowship Church, Gangtok 737101, Sikkim, India.
Tel. : 00 91-3592-229183
Mobile : 00 91-94341-44144
Email : ecoss@sikkiminfo.net
Internet : www.sikkiminfo.net/ecoss
www.himalayan-homestays.com
Language : English