Rellie, Jan. 29: The DGHC has inaugurated new lodges here to offer tourists the experience of living in a Gorkha village.
Named Traditional Gorkha Village, the lodges will feature two living quarters and another unit consisting of a dining room and a kitchen.
“The lodges have been built to replicate the look of ethnic Gorkha homes. It will provide a window into the local culture,” said Bimal Gazmer, area manager of the Kalimpong DGHC tourism department.
Plans are being made to serve local cuisine to the tourists staying in the lodges.
The Gorkha Village is estimated to have cost around Rs 15 lakh.
The lodges will be built using local construction material like straw and boulders. Certain innovations have been made for the convenience of visitors, including the installation of modern equipment in the kitchen and rooms.
The lodges can accommodate eight persons.
Local people and tour operators, however, are not sure whether the new lodges will help to boost tourism in Rellie.
“The huts are not economically viable. These type of destinations usually appeal to visitors who come in large groups. The two lodges are inadequate for such groups. It would have made sense if there were five or six more huts at the location. That would have enabled us to push the concept,” said K.K. Gurung, a Darjeeling-based tour operator.
The DGHC tourism department said building the lodges, was the first step to promoting Rellie.
“We will first see the response of the tourists who come here before taking a decision on building more lodges. We are also planning to improve the infrastructure and make the roads better,” Tamlong said.
Tamlong also said if the concept proved to be a success private entrepreneurs were likely to set up similar lodges in the area.
Tourism in Rellie is also likely to benefit from the new road to Kaffer and Loleygaon being constructed by the DGHC.
“Once this road opens, tourists will prefer to travel to Loleygoan and Kaffer from Rellie as the route will be much shorter than the existing one,” said Tamlong.
