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Ravangla

The meandering roads lined with the alpine greenery and mountains with their arms wide open to welcome you is what Ravangla has in store for you. As you come closer, the mountains get gigantic and clouds seem closer. Being located at a height of 7000ft, you can have a panoramic view of the entire place. This small town located in the southern part of Sikkim is a common destination for travelers. With scenic beauty wrapping the place, Ravangla tends to fulfill your needs to get a glimpse of nature. Nature is at its best here.

Whether it is about the locales or the list of tourist attractions along with the adjoining places, the place never fails to charm you with its spectacular beauty. The beauty of tea gardens, whimsical settlements, dreamy waterfalls, and ancient monasteries will leave you thinking about whether it’s real world or some kind of Fairytale Island. Not yet completed, like the jaw-dropping view of Himalayan peaks will leave you speechless.

The place has a lot to do and words are too less to describe its splendor. Let us, therefore, have a look at the many attractive places that you can see here.

Places to Visit in Ravangla

Namchi:
This is a tiny town along with South Sikkim’s district headquarters. The place is also popular as Namtse and is one of the most developed destinations in Sikkim. You will always find this place mentioned everywhere in the list of South Sikkim tourism.

The name of the place means “Top of the sky” and since being located at an elevation of 5,500ft, you can feel like touching the sky with rising in the mountains. Moreover, the scenic locales and Buddhist Monasteries are the attractions of this place. Locals call this place as the cultural hub of Sikkim and as a result, you can find a range of cultural tourists here. Moreover, you can acquire great views of Kanchenjunga and Rangeet valley from here. This is also a place for adventure seekers as trekking is a common activity.

Buddha Park:
You can reach this destination by walking as it is located at 1 km distance from Ravangla bus stand. The beautiful Buddha Park is situated in the southern Sikkim also popular as Tathagata Tsal. The park is maintained and is one of the major tourist attractions in south Sikkim.

As the locale says, this famous Buddha Park was built in between 2006 to 2013. This park features a massive statue of Buddha which is 130 foot in height. During Lord Gautama Buddha’s birth anniversary in 2006 and for celebration, this place was chosen to Lord Buddha’s installation. The place invites a lot of Buddhist pilgrims and also offers a divine experience to everyone. With the properly landscaped area in the park, this place has an ample walkway, space to enjoy and hardens along with great surrounding.

Ralang Monastery:
Located at a distance of 10km, this monastery is a known Buddhist monastery. The place belongs to Kagyu sect and is one of the holy monasteries in entire Sikkim and a place for pilgrimage. The ancient Ralang monastery was constructed in 1768 AD by 4th Chogyal of Sikkim. As per the legend, when fourth Chogyal came back from pilgrimage, it is said that Karnapa performed the traditional blessing. This is how the monastery got popular and known for being a sacred monastery in Sikkim.

This is the newly constructed one but the original monastery is situated at another 3km distance from this one. The roads are quite difficult and hence trekking becomes the only way to reach the place. Since the way becomes harder for the seniors, this place was again built here to be able to reach by everyone. The Tibetan architectural style of the monastery is a great thing to see here.

Temi Tea Garden:
Located at a distance of 20 km, the Temi tea garden is a great thing to see in the south Sikkim. This is an amazing tea garden situated in the southern Sikkim. This is considered one of the amazing tea gardens in India.

This tea garden was established back in 1969 and covers a huge area of 440 acres. As per the history, this tea estate was initiated by the last king. The original saplings are taken from Darjeeling and are known to produce great tea in the entire world. This is the only tea garden producing 100 metric ton make use of organic methodology. The mesmerizing view of tea plucking and tea processing is worth watching. March to May is the best time to reach the garden.

Bon Monastery:
Bon Monastery is located at 6 km distance and is also a non-Buddhist monastery. It is built in the Kewzing village also popular as Bon Yung Dung or Bonpo Monastery. This monastery is the only place that belongs to Bon Sect.

Amidst the serene ambiance, this Bon Monastery aids in offering a spectacular view of the valleys and hills in the south Sikkim. The monastery is built in an Indo-Tibetan style along with properly decorated with spectacular paintings. Housing 20 monks, you can also be hearing mantra enchanting drum beats and much more.

Rayong Sunrise Viewpoint:
The Rayong Sunrise Viewpoint located at 9km from Ravangla is a great place to watch the place. You can find this viewpoint on your way to the Temi Tea Garden is one of the popular viewpoints and among the known tourists’ places.

Situated at an elevation of 6700ft, you can get an amazing glimpse of Chola Range and Sangalia Range. Not only it attracts the tourists but also it is the photographer’s paradise. When the sun rays fall on the ranges, you can find the peaks brightening with the rays. Some of the common ranges are Mount Jopuno, Mount Narsing, Mount Rathong, Mount Kabru, Mount Pandim along with other Himalayan ranges. Apart from the natural surroundings, this sunrise viewpoint is also a point of the trekking trail.

Meanam Hill:
Maenam Hill located at 12km from Ravangla in another popular destination. Not only it is a place for attracting the tourists but also it is a popular destination for adventure seekers. Being located at a height of 10,300 feet, the hill offers an unmatched view of the Mt. Kanchenjunga. You can also get a panoramic view of the rugged hills and richly forested areas. Even if you are lucky, you might find the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills.

For the adventure seekers, this is a great trekking site. One can start the trek from 7000ft and go to a range of 10,500ft higher. The 12km of trek takes 4 hours to go up and another 2 hours to come down. Make sure you are ready for it as the trek is steep enough.

How to Reach Ravangla

By Rail: The nearest railway stations to Ravangla are New Jalpaiguri (NJP) and Siliguri Junction, about 123 km and 118 km away respectably. Both railway stations are connected to all major cities in India by express trains. After arriving at Siliguri or New Jalpaiguri, road journey is the only option to reach Ravangla.

By Air: Bagdogra Airport (IXB) is the nearby airport to Ravangla, about 129 km driving distance via Jorethang. After arriving at the airport, follow the road journey to reach Ravangla.

By Road: Ravangla is well-connected by road with Gangtok, Pelling, Namchi, Yuksom of Sikkim and also Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri, New Jalpaiguri, Bagdogra of West Bengal. Shared jeep is not very common to reach Ravangla, and it is advisable to book a shared jeep before 2:00 pm, otherwise you have to reach at Namchi or Jorthang first and then change the cab for Ravangla. A reserved cab is available with a cost of Rs. 3,000/- to Rs. 3,200/- from Siliguri NJP to Ravangla and it will take 4 hours and 30 minutes to reach. From SNT bus stand in Siliguri, you can get a bus service to Ravangla- one at morning and the other bus deported from Siliguri at noon.

With the many attractive places to visit and trekking spots, this invites avid visitors. This is a world of beauty and greenery that invites people from the different corners of the world. With the many tourist destinations and sightseeing, Ravangla tends to become an ideal destination for travelers.

So just get your tickets booked and never miss a chance to spend time in this mesmerizing location.