KEWZING VILLAGE HOME STAY
Kewzing village is located off the Gangtok - West Sikkim state highway, a regular tourist route. It is approachable by road from the highway up to the village. A fairly close cluster of houses the village has all basic infrastructure like electricity, water and phone. The villagers belong to conservative Sikkimese Bhutia community. The area holds good potential for nature based activities for the tourists – hikes, soft treks, sightseeing, river picnic, bird watching etc. Household have one or more member educated up to at least high school. Many young boys and girls are completing education and will require sources of their own livelihood.
SF mobilized the local community to form their own organization. Consequently the Kewzing Tourism Development Committee (KTDC) was born. Trainings and workshops were conducted to build capacity of the local community to design products and services and operate to supplement their household income. Products include village hikes, hikes to the Doling and the Mangbrue monasteries through the cardamom plantations, bird watching and botanizing, in natural habitat or a tough day or overnight trek to Menam peak (10,500 ft) for a spectacular view of the mountains and an early morning sunrise. Other sightseeing tours to the monasteries at Ralang, Temi tea garden, Rayong Sunrise point or a fun-filled picnic day to the Rangit Water World, a “River Lake” in the Rangit river, can be undertaken by vehicle. Tashiding, Pelling, Pemayangtse, Khecheodpalri in West Sikkim are also accessible from Kewzing.
The Kewzing Village Homestay project has since taken off. Tourists can participate in the daily or seasonal chores of the family or pursuing special interests in birds, plants, flowers etc or even just to spend a few days of relaxation and feel what it is like to live the life of a Sikkimese villager. Accommodation is in simple comfortable rooms with clean toilet facilities. Tourists now enjoy the warmth of Sikkimese hospitality with wholesome local food served from the family kitchen.