Okhrey – Dentam Alpine Cheese Factory – Singshore Bridge – Skywalk Pelling – Naku Pelling
Goodbye, Okhrey 🌄
Our morning begins with a scrumptious, home-cooked breakfast lovingly prepared by Mrs. Sherpa, our warm and gracious host in Okhrey. She even packs sandwiches for our journey ahead — a gesture that perfectly reflects the hospitality we experienced here.
We truly fell in love with Okhrey — its quiet charm, crisp mountain air, and the warmth of the Sherpa family’s cozy home. But as all beautiful stays must, this one too comes to an end.
At 9 a.m., we set off for Pelling, our destination for the day.
A Detour Through Shribadam
En route, we pass through a quaint village called Shribadam — our driver Tashi’s maternal hometown. He stops to meet his mother and family while we wander through the sleepy hamlet, soaking in its simplicity and stillness. It’s moments like these that make road journeys special — when travel becomes personal.
Dentam Alpine Cheese Factory 🧀
Our next stop is the modest yet fascinating Dentam Cheese Factory. Inside this small unit, we get a glimpse of the cheese- and butter-making process.
We purchase their famous Gouda cheese and freshly made unsalted cow’s milk butter — and what better place to enjoy them than right there? Mrs. Sherpa’s packed sandwiches taste even better layered with local cheese. Simple food, unforgettable flavor.
Singshore Bridge 🌉
Standing over 100 meters high and stretching about 240 meters long, Singshore Bridge is the highest bridge in Sikkim and among the highest in Asia.
A true man-made marvel, it offers breathtaking views of the deep gorge below — if you dare to look down. (I absolutely did not.)
The thrill intensifies when strong winds sweep across the bridge. I cling tightly to my husband’s hand, refusing to let go, while my boys dash fearlessly from one end to the other — much to my rising anxiety!
Thankfully, my ordeal ends quickly, and we return safely to our vehicle.
Pelling Skywalk
About 5 km ahead lies Pelling, though the winding mountain roads take us another hour and a half to reach. Our first stop here is India’s first glass skywalk.
The entry fee is modest (₹50 for adults and ₹25 for students), but the experience is priceless. Adjacent to the skywalk stands the towering 137-foot statue of Chenrezig — the embodiment of compassion in Buddhism. His name means “the one who looks with unwavering eyes,” symbolizing eternal watchfulness and mercy.
We have lunch at around 3 pm at Pelling and proceed to our next homestay “Khi Gha Thang” (means peaceful home). It’s a beautiful homestay run by young civil engineer Jordan and his family, in Naku village on the outskirts of Pelling. We are given a wooden cottage. Built at the edge of a little cliff, overlooking the valley and a trail that goes down to another little hamlet. A pretty garden with a swing, a campsite, wooden benches and a wooden tent too.
Khi Gha Thang
As the weather has been so far, it starts to get cloudy post 3 pm and we simply relax in the room and explore the outdoors and enjoy the serenity. Pelling is at an altitude of 7,200 ft and our homestay, Naku, is at a lower altitude compared to Pelling. Post 6 pm, it’s thundering, lightning, and we order chowmein, momos, and sprout salad for dinner. Jordon’s mother is an excellent cook and post-dinner, we enjoy a couple of hours without any electricity.
We sit in the verandah of our cottage and gaze at the stars. In Mumbai, we barely are able to see stars in the sky. Here we try to locate the Great Bear Constellation, The Orion, etc. We spot the North Pole successfully and in this process of star gazing, we realize there is a stream of light coming from the top of a mountain in form of a Buddha figure. It then occurs to us it is the same ‘Chenrezig’ we visited earlier today. True to his name, he is actually looking over and protecting us humans endlessly. With the blessings of Buddha in our hearts, we blissfully and peacefully end the day hoping for clear skies the next day for our further journey.
- Summary –
- Pelling altitude – 7,200 ft, Pelling – Naku distance -20 mins
- Total distance driven today – 110 kms
Khi Gha Thang
- Khi Gha Thang – Pelling Homestay Review
- Rooms – Highly recommended – We had opted for a family cottage, good clean spacious room, good view of Kanchenjunga from the room. One double bed and 2 single beds. comfortable bedding and blankets, a little armoire for clothes, TV in the room, a tiny lobby with chairs. A very big outdoor garden with swing, tables, barbeque (camp fire) area.
- Food – Excellent, package included only breakfast (Aloo Paratha, bhaji, momos, tea, coffee).
- Location – excellent if you are a nature lover, direct view of Kanzhendzonga peak, located at outskirts of Pelling in Naku village, near Lamathang.
- Contact person – Mr. Jordon Sherpa
day 4 – Pelling sight seeing darap village – Rimbi – Yuksom
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