Enjoy the Tranquility of Hills at the Bamboo Retreat
The hills of Gangtok, with their serene, majestic vibes have always attracted the minds of travel enthusiasts from far and wide. They have taken up a prominent place in the travel map of India thanks to beauty and the amazing hospitality of the hotels like the Bamboo Retreat Gangtok.
The hotels and resorts of any place are of utmost importance to tourism. It is the hospitality of the staff and the local people that make a traveller feel like coming back to this place time and again. Resorts like the Bamboo Retreat Gangtok are the best choice in this part of the country. The resort has garnered immense popularity in the past few years thanks to the comforts, the hospitality offered and the numerous facilities that it has laid out for its esteemed guests. The location of the place is perfect too, so tourists will have no difficulties in finding the destination. This one is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after resorts in Gangtok.
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Bamboo Retreat: Location
The location of the place is nothing short of breathtaking! The views that greet you in the morning when you open the windows of your room will make you feel like your trip to Gangtok has been totally worth it. The resort is situated on a hill slope that is surrounded by terraces of paddy fields. It is also surrounded by beautiful bamboo groves and lush tropical forests.
The Bamboo Retreat Gangtok is situated at the Ranipool Rumtek Sang Road which means you will need to drive for around 30 to 45 minutes from the main centre of the city to reach the location. This location is extremely beneficial if you are in the hills for the recovery of your health or to escape the buzz of the city and spend some quiet time alone. By staying at the resort, you are far from the bustle of the main centre and yet not so far that you cannot reach it when you want to.
Bamboo Retreat Gangtok: Look and Feel
The look and feel of the resort is one of its top winning points among the tourists coming to the place. The panoramic view of the Nathula-Himalaya from the rooms and the dining area is just the beginning of the wonders of the place. Each of the rooms has been carefully crafted with much thought and care. The best part is that the rooms have been decorated and adorned in keeping with the themes of Feng Shui. There are several styles of the room that you can take your pick from and each of the room is perfect in its own accord.
There are three rooms representing the element earth namely Mandarin, Amber and Ginger. The element metal is represented in the rooms named white pearl, magnolia, and Silver. The rooms named bamboo and turquoise are the representation of the element wood. Fire is represented in the room named red coral. The element water is represented only in the Blue poppy room of the Bamboo Retreat Gangtok. Each of these rooms is also coloured in one specific colour scheme in keeping with the theme. The spacious rooms with all the luxuries laid out near your hand will make sure you are at the zenith of comfort.
All the front facing rooms on the first floor and the apartment on the third floor have balconies. If you are looking for suggestions on which room to book among this plethora of amazing choices, fret not as it all depends upon the number of people you are taking with you and your purpose of visit. For instance, the third-floor apartment named Emerald is perfect for the honeymooners and those who come with families. There are a kitchen, living room and bathroom all present in this apartment. If you are a small group of just two to three people, you can take the Eco room on the ground floor. The resort is completely a no-smoking zone, and smoking is only allowed in the balconies or outside in the garden.
Bamboo Retreat: The Delicacies on offer
Whether you eat to live or live to eat, food is an important part of any travel. When a place leaves a bitter taste in the mouth with its culinary offerings, you would not want to come back to it. The Bamboo Retreat Gangtok understands this and strives to bring only the freshest of the hand cooked delights to its guests. The in-house restaurant can sit more than thirty people at one time thanks to the large garden-area attached to it. The idea of east meets west is best represented at the exquisite food that is served at the resort.
There are some things that you must know when you set out to eat at the resort. The first thing is the fact that they will never serve you stale food. The variety of food maybe numerous but it is all freshly prepared in a home-cooked style with emphasis on the use of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and spices. And as far as the cuisine is concerned, the options are endless. Take your pick from Sikkimese, Chinese, Indian, Tibetan or Italian dishes. In fact, why stick to one cuisine when you have so many options. While you are staying at the place, go for a different cuisine each day and give your palate something unique each day.
The resort also strives to give the authentic taste of the local cuisine to the guests. The Sikkimese cuisine is a beautiful amalgamation of the food cultures of Nepal, Lepchas, and Bhutan and it is all more than just momos and thukpa. There are several local snacks that are made with unique ingredients like fried corn and bitter gourd. Exotic vegetables like the lily flower, nettle, mustard leaf, and fermented soya-bean are put in to give you the taste of the original cuisine of the land.
Besides, the fresh sauces and the scrumptious cookies on offer will make your foodie heart happy and joyful. If you opt for the local dishes, they will be served to you in the traditional manner as well. So, for the Lepcha cuisine, Nepali or Bhutia cuisine, you will get it served on banana leaves.
But don’t let all these discussions on local cuisines make you feel that the restaurant lacks in any way when it comes to western dishes. The Italian specialties like spaghetti, gnocchi, and pizza are also made in the traditional oven of the restaurant. The homemade dressings and delicious salads are all the accompaniments that are made in the restaurant itself. The special daily lunch is served from noon till 4 pm. If you are a group and want special items like tandoor, you will need to pre-order at the restaurant.
The reflection of the native culture is also seen in the sitting arrangements and décor of the place. The furniture is traditionally low-seating and made mostly of the cane. The Lepcha and Bhutanese style clothing has been laid for the table sets and curtains. The wall decorations of the resort are made of cane and bamboo items sourced from Sikkim and other regions of Northeastern India.
Bamboo Retreat: Facilities Offered
The facilities of the Bamboo Retreat Gangtok do not just end at providing beautiful rooms and delicious food. The resort believes in taking overall care of the guests to ensure their all-around wellness. So, the facilities have been laid in great grandeur to ensure that it is a memorable experience for all. Here is a list of facilities that you get while at the resort.
Treks and Walks
The resort organizes several treks, hikes and walks in the vicinity of the region. Exploring the area by walking is the best way to gain insights into the local culture and lifestyle. There are several small mountain villages that dot the area around the resort. Take a walk through these villages with our guide beside you and experience the simplicity of the mountain way of life. You will discover many exotic plant and butterfly species, colorful orchards, and sprawling greenery of the agriculture fields. The Sikkim that you will see this way is the Sikkim that very few people get to see on all of their tours to Gangtok.
It hardly takes half a day if you want to visit the nearby monasteries like Rumtek and others. The walking trip to the nearby villages is also a matter of half a day. If you want to go for full day trekking trips from the Bamboo Retreat Gangtok, then Tinjure trek is your best option. Let the guide from the resort guide you along the quaint and pretty villages and jungles while you breathe in the freshness of pure mountain air.
Trips with a Twist:
There are several trips around the city that are organized by the resort, but these are not the usual trips that you expect to get at a hill station. These are all trips with amazing benefits attached to them. Take for example the day trip to Gangtok where besides the normal sightseeing experiences are coupled with beauty treatments at best beauty parlors, movie watching sessions, visit the local nurseries and discussion with Buddhist spiritual head.
The same thing can be said about the trip to monasteries from the Bamboo Retreat Gangtok where the local guides from the resort will not only take you to the magnificent monasteries of Sikkim but also tell you all about the religious murals and other symbols associated with the culture. Ask away all your queries to the spiritual leaders of these places or to the guide who is with you. They will never tire of answering your questions. You will even get to attend the prayer session on any one of the monasteries.
An array of Interesting Workshops:
There are a number of workshops that are organized at the Bamboo Retreat Gangtok with the help of local instructors. One of the most popular ones among them is the meditation and Buddhist learning workshops. Spiritual experts give a discourse on the important Buddhist philosophies and help you to relax through meditation. You will feel that all of the day’s tiredness while away from your body when you sit through these workshops.
If you are interested in cooking, you can take up the cooking workshop that teaches you the making of scrumptious Indian and Tibetan delights like curries, momos, thukpas, and more. For the enthusiasts of painting and weaving, there are separate workshops organized for those as well. Try your hand at the mandala paintings under the expert supervision of the local instructors. There are language classes too that teach you the basics of local languages like Nepali, Hindi, and Lepcha.
It is simply amazing that you not only take back memories from the pretty hill station and the Bamboo Retreat Gangtok, you also take back a special set of skills to amaze your folks back at home. This will not remain as just another one of your trips but in fact the very best of all the trips that you have taken.
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Bamboo Retreat
- How to book a stay at Bamboo Retreat?
There is the official website of the hotel that offers all the facilities of booking and payment. You can pay them by card or bitcoins but make sure to pay a week in advance. You can contact their helpdesk for further details.
- Is a Doctor on Call available?
Doctors are always available on the premises at all hours of the day. You need to inform the helpdesk beforehand about your ailments so that they can have some level of preparedness.
- Does the Hotel offer Transfers?
Pick up and drop facilities are offered by the resort if you contact their front desk and request that to them beforehand. They will even offer to book cars for nearby travels.
- How can one enroll in the Workshops at Bamboo Retreat?
You will be informed beforehand about the workshops ongoing in the resort. You can inform the desk about the ones you want to enroll in and fill in the relevant forms. You will be informed about the timings of the workshops.
