Best Homestays in Latpanchar
Several homestays have sprung up at Latpanchar as the tourist footfall started to increase... in fact, Sittong as a whole has become a great tourist destination, and Latpanchar is part of Sittong-III Panchayat. Latpanchar being a bird watchers' paradise and part of the higher stretches of
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, visitors get to see excellent birdlife as well as animal life here. Almost all homestays here will organize guides and local tours.
Below are some of the most popular homestays in Latpanchar.
Ashray Homestay
This is a very pretty two-storied house owned by an ex-Army person Mr. Jagat Thapa. He and his family stay downstairs, while all the guest rooms are located upstairs. There is a separate stairway from the side that leads up to the upper floor. One of the great features of this homestay is a running balcony upstairs... all rooms get to access this common balcony and get excellent views of the hills and nature around.
In fact, you can also see a part of the famous
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary from the balcony itself. The local monastery can also be seen from here.
There are double and triple bedded rooms. The rooms are simple but very clean and well maintained. All rooms have attached bathrooms that are fitted with geysers and western style toilets.
The balcony has a section which is quite wide... this is where you can plan to have your meals and enjoy the views. However, it can accommodate 6 to 8 persons at a time. They serve Bengali style cuisine (veg and non-veg). A typical meal plan would include the following:
BED TEA: Black tea or coffee | BREAKFAST: Puri, sabji, tea or coffee | LUNCH: Rice, egg curry, mixed veg, dal, salad, papar | Evening Snacks: Veg pakora and tea | DINNER: Rice/roti, chicken curry, mixed veg, papar. The homemade food is prepared by the family and is fresh and delicious. And their hospitality is unforgettable. The homestay offers a very reasonable rate per person per day which includes lodging and all meals.
Mr. Thapa is an extremely courteous and a knowledgeable man. He can guide you about the birdlife, locally spotted numerous butterflies, wildlife and as well as nature treks and sightseeing tours around Latpanchar. He arranges local guides for trekking, local sightseeing and visiting the wildlife sanctuary which is about 5kms away. He can also arrange for car pickup and drop at NJP or Bagdogra Airport at reasonable rates.
Contact Information
Phone: +91 8101554318, +91 9609939432, +91 9476134255,
Hornbill Nest Homestay
This is a three storeyed lodge run by Padam Gurung and two of his friends Prem Chandra Rai and Sunil Chettri. All very jovial, friendly and courteous persons, but most importantly very simple in nature. Although the formal name of the homestay has been changed from Cinchonest to Hornbill Nest, there is no board anywhere to identify the lodge. So how will you find it?
Once you reach Latpanchar, just ask anybody for Padam Gurung's lodge, and all locals will point you to the right direction. And once you reach the neighborhood, you can not miss this prominent building by the roadside.
This is a home stay and no way a luxury accommodation. There are two 3-bedded rooms, one 4-bedded room, two 5-bedded rooms and one 6-bedded room, which are basic but reasonably clean and most importantly having attached western style toilets. There is no TV in the rooms neither a geyser in the bathrooms. But they do provide simple immersion rods for heating up water.
Tripple bedded corner room
Rooms are however quite large and spacious. The corner rooms have extra windows, adequate sunlight and nice views. While all rooms are quite clean, there is a problem of damping on the walls.
The common veranda in front of the rooms is a great place to view the mountains ahead and the
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. The view of sunrise from the balcony is something to be cherished.
The narrow road in front winds down towards the forest. It becomes a boulder road in a while and then goes for a 5km stretch to enter the sanctuary. Most who stay at the lodge here, would walk for this 5kms to visit the forest and see wildlife. You can also take a jeep up to the forest entrance.
View from the common balcony
The kitchen/dining room is located downstairs at the ground floor. This is where you will need to come down and take your meals. Ladies of the family are in charge of the kitchen. They prepare simple food (both veggie and non veg). A typical lunch or dinner meal would include rice, daal, sabji, papad and chicken or eggs.
Padam Gurung and his family actually stays at the ground floor. They take personal care and will chat with you as you dine and make you feel at home. They also offer all help and information about the area including birding and animal life. They have guides to take you to the sanctuary if you so need.
Kitchen/dining room at the ground floor
The lodge operates on a per person rate which includes all meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks like pakodas & tea in the evenings and dinner). The rates are reasonable. They can also set up a few tents.
The Cinchona Hospital (just in case you need some medical attention) is located right across the road and a dispensary is located right next to the lodge.
From Left: Padam Gurung, Sunil Chettri, Prem Chandra Rai
Contact Information
+91 94759 59974 | 90641 34198 | 94755 57225 | 94753 95313 | 94345 63434
Note: They are not too efficient with emails and therefore do not expect a quick response.
Latpanchar Homestay
Located near the community hall of Latpanchar, this two-storied house is run by the Subba family - Sangita and Sabir Subba and both are perfect hosts... always with a charming smile and ready to help making you feel as part of their family and ensuring that you never feel away from home.
There is an array of flowering plantations in front of the house. They have double and triple bedded rooms which are simple but clean and have windows with nice views. Rooms have attached bathrooms with western style toilets and fitted with geysers so that there is no dearth of hot water in cold days.
There is a separate dining room. Food prepared is Indian (both veg and non-veg) and will perfectly suit the Bengali travelers. Typical meals include the following dishes:
Breakfast: Bread, Chowmein, Luchi, Momo, Bed, Tea
Lunch: Rice/Roti, Chicken, Mixed Veg, Dal, Alu Bhaji, Salad
Dinner : Rice/Roti, Egg Curry, Mixed Veg, Dal, Alu Bhaji, Salad
Snacks: Tea & Pakora
This homestay also operates on a reasonable per person per day rate which includes stay and all meals. They also arrange for local sightseeing tours on a vehicle... just let them know a day in advance.
Contact Information
Mobile: 8350067716 | 9434855447 | 9475254923 | 8512988297
Latpanchar Hornbill View Homestay
This pretty looking homestay is run by the wonderful couple Manoj and Geeta Tamang. Apart from the cozy homestay with lush greenery around and a lovely lawn full of flowering plantations, another remarkable experience here would be the generous hospitality of the couple.
The homestay is surrounded by many trees and sometimes right from your room or the lawn you can see the Rufous Necked Hornbills that come and sit on one of these trees. You can of course see a plethora of birdlife right from this homestay. You get lovely lawn as well as forest views from here.
There are essentially two cottage type rooms and the rooms are designed in a unique duplex style which is rare in a place like Latpanchar. There are two double beds in each room. Although the amenities are basic, but the rooms are clean and cozy. Rooms have attached bathrooms with western style toilets, hot water is available as well... but like most home stays in Latpanchar, there is no TV in the rooms.
Homemade food is excellent and yummy. Like most other homestays, they too offer stay here on per person per day rate which includes all meals. They also organize local tours, hikes, etc. There is car parking in the premises.
Contact Information
Phone: +91 79089 47371 | +91 70636 27497
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Visitors' Reviews/Comments
Shreeya Bhowmik (November 2018)
We stayed in a homestay called Namaste Latpanchar and here I must say few things about the owner Anmol. He is an MSW student from Biswabharati and started his homestay from last year probably. It is located close to cinchona plantation of Latpanchar and also close to Padam Gurung Homestay. The home stay is clean and provides great hospitality. Owner Mr. Anmol Rai and his family are very helpful and will guide you throughout your stay.
Tanumoy Das (May 2018)
I went to Latpanchar during October, 2016. I stayed at Padam Gurung's homestay with my family. It was well maintained and organized by Padam Gurung and his family. Ahaldhara view point is the best scenic place of Latpanchar where you will get breathtaking view of Himalayan ranges (Mt. Kanchanjungha). Latpanchar is a paradise for bird watchers. You will definitely find different species of Himalayan birds while trekking through forest.
Bijoy Sen Gupta (January 2017)
It was such a wonderful experience at Latpanchor (Padam Gurung's Lodge). We reached there at about 12pm on 15th January, 2017. I felt really fortunate enough to get the contact number of Mr. Padam Gurung. He was very friendly person I have ever met. With a very friendly discussion with him, I came to know that he is a teacher by profession. He explained me everything about cinchona plants, how to make quinine medicine etc. The view from the Lodge was so enchanting that I cannot explain. I just fell in love with the mountains that was visible from my room. Though, we reached late, Padam Gurung's wife called us for the lunch. At 5 pm, we went to Ahaldara for Camp Firing. On the next day, we went to Mahananda Wild Life Sanctuary. That place was awesome. Thank you very much Mr Padam Gurung for organizing such a wonderful tour for us. The cost is quite affordable.
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