Hotel Summit Iillium Review
Exploring east India in itself is a delight but what makes this even more exciting is when you stumble upon a gem that is yet unexplored in its natural state. One such gem we found on our trip to the east is Kalimpong. A small hill station set between Gangtok and Darjeeling this place has retained the charm of being untouched by tourists.
Here in this piece of heaven we stayed at a charming boutique hotel called Summit Lillium. I am always weary of staying at a chain hotel but this place surprised me. From the second we arrived the staff was very accommodating and friendly. We were a family travelling with an infant and they were understanding enough to give us adjoining rooms. Being a hilly area here you will find that most hotels are not like the traditional where the lobby is on the ground floor and rooms above. Here lobby was located on road level and rooms below. The restaurant is attached to the lobby and the terrace view from the restaurant is absolutely breathtaking. You would want to sit there for hours and never leave while you enjoy all the delicious meals the restaurant has to offer.
The rooms are spacious and offer the same stunning views of the valleys and hills as the restaurant above. On a clear day you can see the snowcapped tips of Kangchenjunga. Unlike a few other hotels we stayed at this place also offers in room heaters, good for those chilly days.
The main attraction of Kalimpong is the Asia’s largest cactus nursery, which is a stone’s throw away from this hotel. I am a cactus and succulent enthusiast and so this was perfect for me as I could just walk from the hotel after breakfast and be at the nursery.
Apart from the nursery you can also visit the science center which is located close to deolo hill , an interactive museum explaining the science not only for kids but also enjoyable for adults. Outside the museum is a park area where one can have a picnic or relax and watch the paragliders taking off from nearby deolo hill. The science center also has a dinosaur park which the tiny tots will enjoy visiting. From there we headed to a Buddhist monestary which is absolutely stunning and serene temple. Again we were happy that all these places were only a short distance from our hotel.
In the evening the market area is worth exploring. Since it was only 2 kms from our hotel we ended up going there several times and exploring the local goods and antique shops. You can find a lot of good tibiten art work and antiques in this market.
If you have watched the Kareena Kapoor starrer thriller Jaane Jaan is set in Kalimpong, however they only show you a small part of it. There is so much more this place has to offer and definitely worth exploring.