Did you hear about the ancient priests (Rishi-Munis) who used to meditate near the gushing rivers or beside the falls? Reshikhola (or Rishi Khola) is such a wonderful small valley situated on the bank of the river Reshi in the lap of eastern Himalaya. This small village is situated in the Kalimpong subdivision of Darjeeling district in West Bengal.
The sound of the flowing river is actually so soothing that anyone will fill the bliss within himself if he or she sits for a moment nearby. Don’t you want to experience such ecstasy within!
The name Reshikhola derived from the river Reshi. “Khola” means a small stream of the river in the Nepali language, which is the local language of this hamlet.
The calmness of this area enriched by the mystic sound of river Reshi, and interrupted by the chirping of birds is mesmerizing in one word. It should be an ideal destination for you to dissolve yourself in the lap of mother nature.
So what are you waiting for!! Come to Reshikhola and enjoy this pristine natural beauty of this Himalayan valley in its purest form, far away from the city’s madding crowd.
Let’s have a look into some necessary information about this place below for your convenience.
Geography of Reshikhola
Having an altitude of 2000ft. from the sea level, this most beautiful, picturesque village is the last border village of West Bengal, in this area. The other side of the Reshi river is in the state of Sikkim. ReshiKhola is 37Km away from Kalimpong and very near to Pedong.
This place is located amid the dense forest and long-bladed grassland beside the thin gurgling stream of river Reshi. This place is generally used as a halt and camping ground in the bank of the River, for the tourists opting to visit “The Silk Route”.
Weather and Best Time to Go Reshikhola
The following are brief details of the weather at this small valley. The best time to visit this place is Summer.time.
Summer
Summer remains pleasant at this place. The weather remains less humid and temperature varies around 18°C to 30°C in this area. You will fill a breezy environment around, which will be ideal for your traveling purpose.
You will also be amazed by the colorful flowers around which comes to full bloom during April, May to mid of June. Also, the great attraction of this place, Rhododendrons, start blossoming everywhere at this time. The mountain ornaments itself with vibrant colors at this time which will really be a treat to your eyes.
Various species of enchanting birds will fill your heart with joy at this time.
Monsoon
The months of July to August remain rainy season at Reshikhola. Frequent rains make the place muddy and the weather remains cloudy. As the road conditions become poor at this time it is not advisable to visit this place during monsoon time.
Winter
From December to February, the season of Winter reigns at this place. It is chilling cold at this time. The temperature varies between 8°C to 15°C at this time. Snowfall is common here at this time. It offers a different beauty to the travelers at this time. The sky remains clear and the snow-clad views of the mountains will put your mind in a thoughtless state.
How to Reach ReshiKhola
Though it’s a small hamlet in the bank of river Reshi, it is well connected to the other parts of India by Rail, Road, and Air. Following is a detailed description of the route to reach this valley for your convenience.
By Rail
If you choose the Railway then you have to get down at the nearest railway station New Jalpaiguri (NJP). Outside the station, there are a lot of vehicles like shared cabs, taxis, cars and buses to take you to your destination.
It is around 112 km from NJP and at a distance of 101 km from Siliguri. you can take your rented car from Siliguri too.
It will take around 4 hrs to reach Reshikhola by car from NJP through Kalimpong. Reshikhola is easily accessible from Alagarh(21 km) and Aritar (26 km) too.
By Air
If the airway is your preference to reach this place then you should book your ticket up to the nearest Airport, Bagdogra (IXB). Reshikhola is at a distance of 104 km from Bagdogra.
From the airport, you can rent a car or take shared cabs to reach your destination. It will take around 4hrs to reach Reshikhola from Bagdogra.
By Road
You can reach Reshikhola from Siliguri by any hired vehicles via Rhenak of Sikkim. Also, you can take the way to reach this spot from Kalimpong via Pedong. Shared jeeps are also available from Kalimpong to Rhenak. It will take around 4hours to reach the place from Siliguri.
The nearest town is Renock which is around 7 km from Reshi.
The road journey will naturally be most enjoyable because of its picturesque hilly view and lush greenery. The road trip will cover the pristine views of Sevoke, Kalijhora, Rambi, Kalimpong, Lava, and Pedong. Also if you are in Gangtok, Reshikhola would be at a distance of 90 km from your stay.
For your information, you have to keep 2 copies of your photo, address proof and identity card (Passport, voter’s id, etc.)with you, for Baba Mandir and Changu lake visit over the road of Silk Route to obtain the entry permit.
Key Tourist Attractions in ReshiKhola
Nature is the best attraction of this awesome valley, located in the bank of Reshi River. You can enjoy the beauty of mother nature in its purest form in this camping valley.
The blissful gushing sound of the stream of Reshi and the enchanting birds will fill your heart with an inexpressible ecstasy and you would feel the meditativeness within. The night sky is so much starry that if you lie down on the ground under an open sky, you would find yourself such a small one under this vast universe, that you will really feel thoughtful.
The thin crisscrossed stream of Reshi River in the moonlit night looks like a silver necklace under the starry sky, lying on a green carpet without much care.
You can do bathing in the crystal clear water of the river and also can go for light trekking around the rocky valley. Rock climbing is another adventure activity you may like to do in this serene beauty. You may also enjoy fishing in the clear stream of the Reshi river in your vacation mood at this place.
If you have some more time to explore the nearby wonderful sightseeing, you should not miss the following must-see tourist attractions in your itinerary.
Aritar
This is a mesmerizing hilly valley and an isolated place in East Sikkim. The pristine scenic beauty of this place will fill your heart with bliss. It is also well-known for the breathtaking beauty of nearby Lampokhri Lake.
You can reach this place after having around 1 hr drive from Reshi Khola.
Lampokhri Lake or Aritar lake
This is one of the oldest natural lakes in Sikkim. This picturesque lake is located at an altitude of 4600ft. From the sea level and a paradise for the wanderers.
You can also enjoy boating in this natural lake. It is the highest lake in Sikkim with a boating facility. It is also around an hour’s drive from Reshikhola.
Pedong
It is the nearest town from Reshikhola and takes around an hour’s drive from your stay. The beauty of this place lies in its lush greenery and Kanchenjunga viewpoints.
Walking aimlessly through the dense, green as well as thrilling pine forest is itself a blissful adventure. You will also be mesmerized once you find the snowclad peaks of Kanchenjunga along with other ranges in front of your Eyes.
Pedong belongs to the oldest towns in historic Silk Route, having an altitude of 5000ft. It will welcome you on the way of Kalimpong Algarah road.
The must-visit spots in this beautiful hillside are Damsung fort, Pedong Monastery, Tinchule viewpoint, Riksum viewpoint, etc.
You can also have a walk to the nearby enchanting villages named Sillery Gaon and Ichhe Gaon. These 2 hamlets are worth to explore for their mesmerizing scenic appearance and whispering pine forest.
Hotel Accommodation: Places to Stay in ReshiKhola
Reshikhola, being a virgin riverside small hamlet, offers a little amount of handpicked hotels and resorts, in its lap.
All the accommodations are situated in the bank of the river Reshi. It’s really worth to stay here. The gushing sound of the flowing river will, of course, let you feel the blissfulness within.
The following are some of the nice accommodations in the valley of Reshi Khola.
Rishi Eco-Tourism Resort
This is one of the best resort in this valley, just beside the stream of Reshi river. The nature around this stay will offer you a rocky, riverside, gushing welcome, once you reach there.
The connectivity is also very good for this resort as pending is only 13 k.m from here. You will also be awestruck by seeing the Trout fish cultivation in this nature camp. This is one of the main attractions of this camp.
As a pocket pinch info, the room tariff starts from Rs. 900/per head per day for double-bedded rooms in this resort.
Reshi Retreat and Farm House-
This is another awesome Riverside cottage stay in this area. This farmhouse provides 4 cottages and 2 rooms with attached bath and toilets. It’s more likely a homestay in this valley, where you will be provided with home-cooked foods and on-demand BARBECUE too. If you request the manager they might help you to arrange bonfire too in the bouldery riverbank.
Here you have to pay the tariff, which starts from around Rs.1,200/ per head per night. Though the tariff is a bit higher, it seems worthy to stay in these nice cottages for its serenity and scenic beauty.
Reshi River Resort-
This is a well maintained 2 storied resort in the lap of boulders and rocks, laid in the Reshi riverbank. The well lit, well-maintained hotel rooms with its commendable cleanliness will really be a pleasant experience to stay with.
The tariff fort staying here starts from Rs.1200 onwards.
Important Points to Consider Before You Go
As this place is a small valley beside the river Reshi you won’t find any shops in this place. So it’s advisable to carry the following necessary items with yourself.
Food And Drink:
You should drink only bottled water here. Otherwise, you may also carry your water from Pedong or Siliguri. Since this place is plastic-free and also has no shops around so its better to carry dry foods like biscuits, chips, dry fruits, fruits, etc. with you, for your convenience.
You will also not be able to buy Foreign Liquors or Alcohols in Reshi.
Health Precautions:
You should carry the necessary medicines too with yourself as there are no pharmacy shops in Reshi. So it is advisable to carry a medicine kit having all basic emergency medicines for diarrhea, fever, cough, and cold, etc. Also, carry the first aids like band-aids and an antiseptic ointment with you.
You will find the nearest health facility /medicine shop at Pedong or the nearby town Rehnock.
Card Payment & ATM:
When you are coming to stay in a hilly hamlet like ReshiKhola you cant think of the payment through Credit or Debit Cards. These are not accepted in Reshi. You won’t even find an ATM in this area. So it is very much advisable that you should carry cash for all your transactions.
Mobile Phones
Though all the major network covers Reshi, sometimes dor various reasons signals are not strong enough here. So it is advisable that you would carry at least 2 SIM cards of different service providers.
Reshikhola, the small picturesque hamlet, beside the mighty gushing stream of Reshi, is a worthy place to spend some time in peace. The place is not much popular till now to the tourists. So the virginity of this beautiful place is still intact. Some more accommodations are getting built here as the popularity of this place is increasing rapidly.
Don’t think much and also don’t wait till the time when this place also would lose its virginity, by being the most popular one. So in your upcoming holidays, pack your bags and plan a great trip to Reshikhola, with your beloved friends and family.
Get more information: Slik Route
Also Read: Sillery Gaon; Complete Travel Guide For You