Holumba Haven

Top choice


A unique and utterly charming property combining a nursery and a family-run guesthouse, Holumba is located amid sylvan settings a walkable 1km below town. The spotless, comfy rooms are arranged in cosy cottages spread discreetly around the lush orchid gardens, and good homestyle meals (preorders only) are available in the sociable dining room.

Owner Norden is a great source of information on local hikes and trips.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Nurseryman’s Haven

Nurseryman’s stocks over 200 orchid species from the Kalimpong–Darjeeling region and is worth a visit to view its blooms that are exported worldwide (best…

2. Pine View Nursery

0.45 MILES

Horticulture fans will want to visit Pine View to gaze at its extremely photogenic collection of 1500 cactus species.

3. Lepcha Heritage Museum

0.54 MILES

This offbeat collection of Lepcha treasures could be likened to rummaging through the attic of your grandfather’s house (if he were a Lepcha elder). A…

4. St Teresa’s Church

0.56 MILES

A fascinating missionary church built in 1929 by Swiss Jesuits, St Teresa's was constructed to incorporate designs from a Bhutanese gompa. The 12 wooden…

5. Shanti Kunj

0.68 MILES

Walk down to Shanti Kunj to view its greenhouses full of interesting plants from begonias and cacti to anthuriums and araucaria-tree seedlings. Bulbs of…

6. Macfarlane Church

0.72 MILES

This handsome 1891 church was severely damaged by a 2011 earthquake, when pinnacles from its tower came crashing to the ground. After renovations, the…

7. Himalayan Handmade Paper Industry

1.16 MILES

Visitors are welcome to drop into this small workshop to see traditional paper-making processes, from boiling and pulping of the local argayli (daphne)…

8. Thongsa Gompa

1.28 MILES

A short distance below the junction of RC Mintri and Rishi Rds is this charming Nyingmapa-school monastery, also known as the Bhutanese Monastery. The…