Aritar Gumpa and a village farm walk

Aritar Gumpa is the village monastery, a calm compound of prayer flags, prayer wheels and a painted assembly hall. It is not a large or famous monastery, which is part of its appeal. Visit in the morning or late afternoon, walk clockwise around the building and the prayer wheels, and ask before taking photographs inside. If a ritual is under way, wait at the back or come back later.

From the monastery, walk on along the village lanes. Aritar's farms climb the slopes in terraces: maize and vegetables, patches of large cardamom in the shaded gullies, and orange trees that turn the hillside bright in November and December. Sikkim declared itself a fully organic farming state in 2016, and many families still farm small plots for their own kitchens and the local market. Your homestay host can point out a good loop, or send someone along.

Wear comfortable shoes and carry water. Ask before walking through fields or photographing people at work, and keep to the paths. In winter, buy oranges from the farmers if they are selling; in spring, look for fresh greens and local pickles to take home. Back at the homestay, the evening meal will likely include what you walked past in the fields.

Cost: Free · donation welcome