Food · Barsey
A homestay night in Okhrey below the sanctuary
Stay with a farming family in Okhrey or Hilley, eat a home-cooked hill dinner by the kitchen fire and get a jeep or an early start up to the Barsey path. Warmer and more social than the hut, and the money goes straight to the village.
Okhrey is a farming village on the road up to Hilley, with houses scattered across terraced slopes of maize, potatoes, vegetables and large cardamom further down. A number of families here, and at Hilley and Sombaria, run homestays: a spare room or two, often with an attached bathroom, sometimes with a small sit-out facing the hills. It is a quieter, warmer base than the trekkers' hut, and hosts know the bloom, the weather and the drivers.
Dinner is the reason to stay. Expect rice, dal, a seasonal green such as mustard leaves or nettle, a potato or squash dish, pickles made with local dalle chillies, and often a chicken curry or a dish with soft churpi. Breakfast might be puri, roti or sel roti with tea. Some homes offer chhang or a local spirit; there is no pressure either way. Tell your host about food needs when you book, because shopping happens in Sombaria or Jorethang.
Ask the family to arrange the morning ride to Hilley if you are not driving, and settle the fare in advance. Homestay rates in this area run about ₹1,500–2,500 per person with dinner and breakfast, indicative, and are paid in cash. Rooms are simple and nights cold, so hot water may come in a bucket. Book through a known agent or a phone number you have confirmed, and avoid big-group noise late at night; these are working family homes.
Cost: ₹1,500–2,500 pp with dinner and breakfast
Questions people ask
Good to know
Where should I stay for Barsey: Okhrey, Hilley or the hut?
Stay at the Barsey hut if the dawn mountain view is your priority and you can handle basic, cold rooms. Choose a homestay in Hilley if you want the shortest walk next morning with a warmer bed. Okhrey and Sombaria suit families and those arriving late by jeep, with easier road links and more homestays, but you need a car to reach Hilley.
How much does a homestay near Barsey cost?
Indicatively ₹1,500–2,500 per person per night, including dinner and breakfast, in Okhrey, Hilley or Sombaria in 2025–26. Lunch and packed meals cost extra. Rates rise slightly in bloom season and over the October holidays. Pay in cash, since there are no ATMs nearby, and confirm what is included, including hot water, when you book.
What food do homestays near Barsey serve?
Home-style Nepali hill food: rice, dal, a seasonal green such as mustard leaves or nettle soup, potato or squash curry, pickles and often chicken or a churpi dish. Breakfast is usually roti, puri or sel roti with tea. Vegetarian meals are easy to arrange. Tell your host about allergies or strict diets ahead, since the nearest shops are a long drive away.
Also in Barsey
More things to do
Treks and walks · 3–4 hours returnHilley to Barsey through the rhododendronsBarsey · Sanctuary entry fee, roughly ₹50–150; g…
Viewpoints · 1–1.5 hoursSunrise over Kanchenjunga from the Barsey ridgeBarsey · Free once you are staying at Barsey
Wildlife and birds · 3–4 hoursBirding and wildlife on the sanctuary trailsBarsey · Entry fee plus guide, about ₹1,500–2,500