Reshikhola – An elixir for rejuvenation

 

Mr. Basisthadeb Dasgupta traveled to Reshikhola along with his friends & family members. He shares his travel experience with Tours & Foods.

I had kept my eyes closed. Listing to the gurgling sound of the stream in front of me. It was like a jingle with multiple soundtracks. The Sound of cricket. The Sound of birds. The Sound of wind passing through the jungle & and may others I could not identify. After some time, I felt I am absorbing it. The Jingle was getting inside of me. Refreshed me. Rejuvenated me; at the same time intoxicated me.

And then I opened my eyes.

The vision in front of me was so organic. So Palpable. I was sitting on a rock just beside the River Reshi. Each and every nerve of my body was in a relaxed mode. I could feel that. I turned my head around. I found so many rocks, apparently lying here and there in an unorganized state. But there is a loveliness in disorganization.  A friend of me called my name…. Yes, a hot cup of tea would be perfect.

The Place:

We were at Reshikola. A place on the bank of river Reshi. “Khola” is a Nepali word, which means “small stream”. This river acts as a border between two states, West Bengal, and Sikkim. Located 37 kilometer from Kalimpong this place can also be reached directly from New Jalpaiguri railway  Station. The distance is 110 Kilometer. It takes 4 hours to reach there. Some tourists also come here from Pedong, which is very near to Reshikhola. Our car stopped at the highway. We had to walk down to reach the place

Rocks and boulders were scattered on the bed of river Rishi. Children of our group were moving around and having fun. One has to be very careful.

The place is totally surrounded by forest leaving some vacant space around the both sides of the river bed. So there is a feeling of isolation. It takes some time for a person from city to get accustomed to this sudden change. But after some time the feeling of association with the nature slowly takes shape.

What so see:

This place is ideal for a picnic. The best thing one can do here is – “do nothing”. Don’t even a picnic. It’s best to just walk around. The gushing sound of the river always accompanies you.  The bridge on the river is made of bamboo. Small and slim. Very minimalistic in its appearance.

We crossed the bridge. Walked into the forest. Rocks were spread here and there. Not a smooth road for walking. I enjoyed the difficulty in our movement. A whistle-like sound of the jungle became louder.

On our way back I saw this bird sitting on a rock by the riverside. I felt bit jealous.  Unlike the bird, I am here for a single day only.

Where to stay:

A luxurious hotel or a  5 star resort is definitely a misfit for this place. The ambiance makes you say no to all hi-tech modern amenities. A good home-stay is exactly what you need. Rooms with basic facilities. You get attached toilet. Home cooked food. What more you need?

 

We stayed at Reshi Retreat and Farmhouse. They have one unit with two rooms and four single room cottages. There are other Home-stay facilities available. Please don’t expect variation in the menu card. But the food provided was testy.

The place where we had our food was unique. An open dining room!!! We enjoyed our food as no walls separated us from nature.

Take pictures:

A little girl from our team asked me “ Why don’t we have a stream like this just beside our home?”. I smiled as I was searching for an answer. She then told me “if only I could take this Reshi River with me!”. I replied “take lots and lots picture of Reshi River”.

Yes, this is perhaps the best thing one can do apart from sitting idle. There were quite a few colorful flowers.

The Bonfire at night:

The sun went down. Twilight  morphed into evening. The gurgling  sound of the steam was still there. In the darkness, it became more prominent. The jungle surrounding us was echoing a composite sound that differed from what it was in the day. A bonfire was arranged.

We sat together for evening gossip. The boy from “Rishi retreat” was telling stories about the occasional visit of Bear. I don’t know whether they were true or false. But I enjoyed listening to them. The gleaming light of Bonfire coupled with cold and darkness had set the perfect mood for stories.  The cook had already informed that we were going to have Chicken Curry, Chapatis, Vegetable & Salad at dinner.

Life really lives here!!!

Please Note:

Other Home-stay facilities

• Pakriti Echo Retreat
• Reshi River Resort
• Pakriti Echo Retreat

Pick & Drop facility from NJP station and Baghdogra airport provided by Home-stay owners.