In case you’re wondering if we got arrested in Kalimpong, no. This is a hat tip to what took us to the town. We came to know about the place thanks to Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss, and one of the key characters in the book is a retired judge, who, by the way, was disdainful of Indians and ate chapatis with a knife and fork. Anyway, that’s why, even with folks staring at us, wondering why anyone would take a photo of this, we just had to. 🙂
Stay @ Kalimpong
We paid a fair premium for Mayfair, especially since our room was priced higher because of a Kanchenjunga peak view (it was cloudy all the time we were there, so no view) but can’t complain. It’s a splendid property in which you can carry out your own treasure hunt discovering history, culture, and spectacular views.
Our first room was spacious and had a great view, but we discovered that it was right below the kitchen! That meant, being a light sleeper, I was woken up at 5AM by the clanging. We shifted rooms and the second, though slightly smaller, was nothing to complain of. You can sit for hours gazing outside. The town and valley playing peekaboo thanks to clouds. When I wasn’t doing that, I was indulging in my guilty pleasure – 80s/90s/2000s Bollywood movies. D usually conspires against a TV in the room, but this time I got lucky.
And it wasn’t just the room, the entire property is just enchanting. In any other place, I’d have found Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs kitsch, but somehow it fit right in. Each building has a name and a history attached to it. The one on the bottom right has played host to several historical figures including Nehru.
The library is exquisite, because it isn’t just books, but artefacts from a different century – from maps to cameras to typewriters, it is an absolute treasure trove for anyone who is into these things.
And if you still need things to do, there’s water, an ancient land machine and lovely sky views.
Eat @ Kalimpong
We only had breakfasts and one dinner at Tiffany, Mayfair’s main restaurant, and it probably wouldn’t be my go-to place for a meal. It’s pricy, and the food is only so-so. I have to admit that between the tablecloth and the instrumental Bollywood music, it was almost like stepping back to restaurants in the 90s. Some lovely nostalgia. The service is also very pleasant and know how to take care of guests.
They also have a cafe called Mamma Mia. We went in because it looked very gram-friendly, and it was. But there were so many places we needed to try that we couldn’t make space for eating here.
Another place we didn’t manage to spend time at was their bar, which too has a fantastic history and teaches us that alcohol can save lives too!
Our first lunch was at The Shire Bistro, which turned out to be the cafe at a homestay. It’s a short walk from Mayfair. If you don’t mind a limited menu, this isn’t a bad place. We liked the Kothey momos and loved the hot soupy Gyathuk. Perfect for the weather.
Our favourite meal though was at Nom Nom Bakery And Korean Cafe, which used to be Cafe Kalimpong earlier. A very happy ambience, smiling and helpful staff, a wonderful night view of Kalimpong, and most importantly, excellent food.
We tried the Korean Kimchi Ramen, Tori Teriyaki Don, and the Japanese cheesecake, and loved everything. There is enough in the menu to visit at least 2-3 times without getting anywhere close to bored.
OTOH, Aam’s courtyard was a disaster. That was mostly thanks to the person who took our order. She was clueless, bungled up most of the simplest things, and to top it all, was giggling all the while! We tried some local pork and pasta, and both left us dejected! I have to wonder how a lot of these restaurants manage to get a 4.5+ rating on Google!
We actually went into Cakes and Crumbs thinking we’d have something to drink, but they didn’t really have anything worthwhile. The Biscoff cheesecake wasn’t bad.
Our final meal in Kalimpong was at Art Cafe. Pretty place with a great view, and we were lucky enough to see mist rising, even as the city lost power for a few minutes!
While the decor was great, most of the items in the menu were unavailable. So we made do with what we could find. D liked her hot chocolate.
My recommendation is to ignore Google mostly, and walk around in the vicinity of Big Will Mart. There are a few restaurants in and around it, and I have a feeling they are better than the ones we tried, barring Nom Nom. There is also the Kalimpong Local which I heard good things about.
Things to do @ Kalimpong
You could walk around with a minimalist agenda and come across views like this.
If you need a driver to take you around (and airport trips), call Suman.
Graham’s House and the 500 acre property is an institution worth a visit.
Classic boarding school feels. Entry is restricted to specific times in the evening. We caught kids at play after their school hours.
Delo is the tallest place in Kalimpong. Again, simply walk around, and if the clouds aren’t hanging around, the views are breathtaking.
At the Buddha Statue and Park, we caught dogs doing things to advance their number, and Buddha being offered Parle G. I took a photo just to ensure it wasn’t an altitude-induced mind-bender.
At the Durpin Monastery, we were in time for the evening prayer, and one child monk was in charge of shepherding everyone in with a gong. Monks were strolling in late, with tea mugs, and altogether it reminded me of college.
Walk around the busy streets and drop in at Big Will Mart (the photo on the right). It’s apparently a little new so our driver wasn’t exactly sure where it was. Google Maps though is accurate.
Kalimpong is quaint little town with a leisurely place. You have a great view at every other corner, and you could simply sit and gaze at it. As with many places in India, squalor and splendour exist side by side. I’d have recommended it as a consideration for retirement, but realised the nearest hospitals are about 2.5 hrs away. That would mean that when it comes to things like a heart attack, the only way would be up!
But yes, heavily recommended for short term inner peace. 🙂
And that’s a cloud wrap from Mayfair!