Chumbi Mountain Retreat and Spa is a must visit when you land at Bagdodara. It's got an amazing view to Kanchanjunga mountain peak. The rooms are luxuriously beautiful with a warm ambience and a special mention Mr. Ugyen and his family for looking after us so well and totally spoiling us. A Huge shout out to the staff too as they were very forthcoming and helpful with a smile.
Your trip to Sikkim is incomplete if you've missed out on this place.
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We stayed @ the Chumbi Mountain Resort from 5-6 Nov 2021. Excellent location. Very passionately, tastefully and thematically done interiors depicting the mountain life, some rare photos, sculptures and artefact. Very good food, service and range of 5 star amenities, a surprise mini-theatre. Above all, we loved the view of Kanchenjunga from the resort deck ! Worth a visit and stay.
After the grueling 5 hour journey from Gangtok, a relaxed feeling passes through you as the hotel comes into view.
We stayed for one night. It was a very good experience. The location, the ambiance and the facilities were amazing. The staff as well as the owner showed great hospitality, were soft spoken and very cooperative. The rooms were huge, and had a scenic view of the kanchanjungha peak. The food for us made typical jain meal and extremely delicious
I visited the Chumbi Mountain Resort and Spa in mid-October with my family. The ride to Pelling was scenic, although bumpy, and provided copious photo ops. My initial impression of the architecture of the hotel that looked like something straight out of a movie was that of a likely renovated ancient palace. However, a conversation with the owner, Mr. Ugyen Chopal proved me wrong. I was surprised to find that every style and architectural element was carefully procured and arranged to give an accurate historic impression of Pelling's culture.
The Rabdentse Suite where we stayed deserves special mention. The walls were covered with historic photographs, and even mundane items were delightfully handpainted in various hues and ensconced various traditional design elements. The room also boasted of a magnificent view of the Mt. Kanchenjunga. The housekeeping and other staff did every bit to make our stay hospitable with their prompt and courteous service. The Sikkimese thali served on our last night at the resort was an absolute delight to the senses (my favourite dish was a local pork preparation whose name I forget). The meal began with a ceremonious offering of a local millet-based alcoholic drink. They also offered a vegetarian version to my sister, and were in general accommodative of varying dietary choices.
The library maintained in-house was small but eclectic, offering varying perspectives of the region. I thoroughly enjoyed the view from the library. I also found the gym stocked with modern equipment required for my fitness requirements, although needing a bit of maintenance. This is a place I would highly recommend to my friends and family.
My stint with travelling in Sikkim is not something new. However, my visit to Pelling and stay at the Chumbi Mountain Retreat and Spa remains incomparable to any trip I've taken in the region. I would attribute this firstly to the proximity of the property to the enchanting Mt. Kanchenjunga and secondly, the peaceful and natural surroundings that provided much-needed respite that I was looking for, far from the madding crowd of busy urban life. The property exudes a unique aura of history, culture, architecture and mysticism combined, and is well maintained. The staff deployed were amiable and attended to their every task with utmost care and a smiling face.
The cuisine had a unique Sikkimese touch with continental and North/South Indian choices as well. I was surprised to learn that the organic vegetable garden within the property supplied most of the produce we ate during the course of the day. Walking around the garden during my early morning walks with my children were also soothing and refreshing.
Not only was Mr. Ugyal Chopen a warm and welcoming host, but his exposure to filmmaking and the photographs of visiting eminent personalities hung around the hotel, including from Hollywood and Bollywood, made way for insightful conversation. I was surprised to see a well-equipped amphitheater within the premises, which allows guests to enjoy rare-to-find documentaries and movies, aparted from being tastefully decorated. The unforgettable and enjoyable stay I had at Chumbi will always make this a special place and compels me to visit this property over and over again. Highly recommended!
A gruelling ride from Bagdogra airport later, we ascended the mountain roads and reached the sleepy town of Pelling in what is said to be one of the best times to visit Sikkim, smack in the middle of October, right after the rains had subsided and the valley readied itself for incoming winters. I felt the tiredness drain out of me as we caught a rare glimpse of the Mt. Kanchenjunga by night, and were welcomed warmly into the Rabdentse Suite (named after the ancient palace, which now lays in ruins) specially arranged for by the owner Mr. Ugyen Chopal, an energetic and knowledgeable man whose passion for his hotel, aesthetics, culture, history and cinema was reflected in every element of the building and it's premises, meticulously sourced from around the world to offer a unique experience (including wooden engraved panels from the East and timber ageing techniques from the Jama masjid area of Delhi) . This is a place where the customer really is king, while utmost care is taken to respect and preserve the sanctity and culture of the region, considered to be sacred.
The buffet breakfast and dinner offered several choices from various cuisines (North/South Indian, continental, local). Morning walks around the resort were an absolute delight. The staff, under the direction of Mr. Chopal's daughter were extremely courteous and attentive to our every need. She arranged for me to spend my day in the in-house library when the call of duty (unexpected work) arrived. I found it well-stocked and informative, apart from overlooking a scenic and peaceful vista. The bar too offered a unique ambience and a wide variety of alcohol and food. Additionally, the property also boasts of an amphitheatre, a spa, a gym, and an organic vegetable garden.
We found ready help with all our sight-seeing queries around Pelling and were able to enjoy our visit to monasteries and the palace ruins better as we were better equipped with our knowledge of the region that we received at the resort. The authentic Sikkimese thali at the end of our stay was a scrumptious experience. Overall, the stay at Chumbi Mountain Retreat was an absolute delight and one that I would love to revisit over and over again!
