Culture and history · Kolakham
A farm day with a Rai family in Kolakham
Spend a morning on your host family's farm: cardamom under the trees, maize and potato terraces, cattle and the kitchen garden. Then help in the kitchen and learn how gundruk and pickles are made.
Kolakham was a farming village long before it was a homestay village, and most families still farm. The Rai, one of the Kirati peoples of eastern Nepal and the Darjeeling hills, are the community most associated with the village; by local account they founded it. Ask your host if you can spend a morning with them on the land.
Depending on the season you might see large cardamom growing in the shade under trees, maize and potatoes on terraces, broom grass on steep slopes and a kitchen garden of squash, greens and chillies. In October and November there is harvesting and drying; in March and April, planting. Cattle and goats are part of most households, and you may be asked to help carry fodder.
Back in the kitchen, learn how gundruk, fermented and dried leafy greens, is made in winter, and how chilli and radish pickles are prepared. These visits are informal and depend on the family's work that day, so ask, do not insist, and leave a tip or buy some cardamom if you have taken up their time.
Cost: Included with homestay · tip welcome
Questions people ask
Good to know
Can I stay with a local family in Kolakham?
Yes. Most stays in Kolakham are family homestays, with rooms beside or inside the family house and meals cooked by the family. Rates are about ₹1,500–2,200 per person with dinner and breakfast. Ask when booking if the family farms and is happy to show guests around.
Who are the Rai people?
The Rai are one of the Kirati peoples of eastern Nepal, Sikkim and the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills, with their own languages and traditions, such as the Sakela dance. In Kolakham, local accounts say Rai families founded the village, which is why it is also called Rai Gaon.
What is gundruk?
Gundruk is a fermented, sun-dried leafy green, usually made from mustard, radish or cauliflower leaves in late autumn and winter. It is cooked into a sour soup or pickle and eaten with rice. You will find it in homestay kitchens across the Kalimpong hills.
Also in Kolakham
More things to do
Viewpoints · 2–3 hoursChangey Falls below KolakhamKolakham · Small entry fee · car ₹800–1,500 return
Viewpoints · 1 hourKanchenjunga dawn from a Kolakham homestayKolakham · Free from your homestay
Treks and walks · 3–4 hoursForest-edge walk into Neora ValleyKolakham · Guide ₹600–1,000 · park fees if entering