The local story
A village on the forest's edge
Dhotrey grew up as a forest village on the eastern flank of the Singalila Ridge, where the reserve forest that the British bought from the Sikkim Durbar in 1882 meets a strip of farmland. Families here have long lived between the two: growing potatoes, maize and vegetables on the cleared slopes, and gathering fodder and firewood from the forest under rules that tightened once Singalila became a sanctuary in 1986 and a national park in 1992.
For trekkers, Dhotrey was for years a quiet back door to the ridge. Instead of the long walk from Maneybhanjan via Chitrey and Meghma, a steep forest trail climbs from the village straight to Tonglu. As the Sandakphu trek grew busier, families opened homestays, and Dhotrey became a destination for people who want the forest, the birds and a short climb without the crowds of the main route.
