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Literally
meaning the Big Pass, Lachen is home to the Lachenpas,
northerners belonging to the Bhutia community of Sikkim. The
forefathers of the present day inhabitants built the hamlet
along the grassy mountain slopes in a magnificent natural
setting against a backdrop of imposing snow capped peaks,
glaciers and rock cliffs. The village today is in a
picturesque valley amidst mixed conifer and Rhododendron
forests.
Located at an altitude of 8838
feet, about 120 km from Gangtok, Lachen is believed to be
one of the most scenic village in all of Sikkim. Nearby
villages of Rabom, Chaten, Talem, yakthang, Kalep, Samdong
and Thangu from a lager part of Lachen.
Foot trails to Mt.
Kanchendzonga and Mt. Sinolchu the most beautiful peak being
at your doorstep in Lachen
The doorstep of the Apple
Orchard Resort, that is built of wood and stone, locally
available construction materials, the Apple Orchard Resort
with eleven spacious deluxe rooms with all modern amenities,
could in itself be the sole reason of the visit to Lachen.
Owned and managed by
karma & Chopel ,
the exquisitely landscaped resort is set amidst a real apple
orchard where you could be plucking apples while you roam
around the ample space that is an integral part of the Apple
Orchard other attractions.
lachen Valley stretches out
you, as you step out from whichever room you are in as every
room opens out into the garden and a splendid view of the
waterfalls encrusted mountain opposite appears.
More in tune with nature than
being just eco-friendly, the Apple Orchard, is a resort that
blends in with the scenic splendor, enveloped as it is by
the pristine forest at its upper reaches and its stone
cobbled walk abouts
Even the residential buildings
are kept aloof from the more commercial aspects of the
resort and you will find that the dining area, the
reception lounge and lobby are housed in a separate
building.
Facilities
Room Has
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Rooms have heaters.
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Hot water bags are standard.
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Tea Coffee maker.
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In house generator.
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Epabx Phone in all rooms .
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Separate Dinning/Lounge.
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Geysers in all rooms.
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Rooms have eco-friendly wooden flooring
and paneling
Services
The view opposite is
of a hill/with waterfalls. Above the hotel the space is a reserved
forest Ani Lakhang below. Every mother of the house becomes a member of
the Ani Lakhang When a new bride enters the house, Local design,
Eco-Friendly, Apple Trees in and around the premises-five fruiting
trees-200 trees freshly planted, walk about prayer wheels rotating Manis
on the right side as you enter.
It took us 4 years to make this dream of making a
resort in Lachen possible. We nurtured it like its a part of us. We take
care of our resort like its our own home. Because the entire resort is
supervised by us so we can assure you that you will feel like you are at
home.
We invite you to come and enjoy the peace & quiet,
and wonderful mountain views from our family run resort in Lachen on the
beautiful valley of the Sikkim Himalayas.
We hope your visit to Sikkim is memorable and we
look forward to meeting you soon at Apple Orchard Resort in Lachen.
Places of Interest
Take a stunning
mountain drive along the Tibetan Plateau to Gurudongmar, the biggest
lakes in Sikkim and Tsho Lhamu the source of life line river Tista which
is a day tour from Lachen.
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Guru Dongmar
lake: Situated at a height of 17,100
feet on the Tibetan plateau, it truly is a pearl in the desert. It is
the largest lake in Sikkim and a very holy one for the Sikkimese and
Buddhists alike. No visit to North Sikkim shall be complete without
visiting Gurudongmar Lake The lake is supposed to have many healing
powers and it is also believed that the lake shows the future of
person if he is pure and sincere.
From Thango you can enjoy a visit to Chopta Valley which offers the
wonders of river meandering and its here where you can actually walk
over the frozen river during winter. It is the summer residence of the
nomadic Lachenpas , till a few years back the entire village would
migrate from Lachen to Thangu during the summer months but now due to
a more settled life few herders come to Thangu. Located 30 kms. from
Lachen at an altitude of 13,000 feet the valley completely opens out
over here to lush green meadows conducive to cattle food. During
summer and monsoon the entire place is dotted with flowers of all
kinds giving the appearance of a gigantic flower basket; quite a few
varieties of rhododendrons, primulas and wild flowers can be observed
from May to September. It also serves as a base camp for trekkers to
Muguthang and Lashar valley.
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Chopta valley:
Wonders never cease in North Sikkim with each
turn, each valley, each rivulet trying to out do the other in the
scenic beauty that it offers. Few places come close to virgin of
appeal of Chopta Valley ( 13,200 ft ). Just a 10 minutes drive from
Thangu, this valley provides one of the few accessible places in
Sikkim where a visitor can actually walk over the frozen river. The
riot of colors during spring belie this aspect, though.
As the spring starts the whole valley becomes carpeted with beautiful
alpine flowers which gives flowers from early April and beautifies the
valley up to July, and then the Sky opens up for beauty landscape, you
will find yourself lost in the hills of snow capped mountain and
finally the valley gets replaced by snow from December and remains
covered upto late March.
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Deothang /
Alexzendra David neel cave : This
beautiful valley situated between Kalep village, near Thangu is a two
hour walk from Kalep. On top of the mountain there are two caves which
have been used by monks for meditation purpose since centuries. The
first Rinpochi, Lachen Gumchen Rinpochi [Nawang Kunzang Yosher] stayed
in the upper cave and meditated for 13 years. Just below this cave
there is another cave where the famous French explorer and
spiritualist Alexandra David-Neel meditated under the guidance of
Gumchen Aphur Yogden, from 1914 to 1916.
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