Ravangla town — the pass town with a Tibetan settlement and mountain views
Ravangla, or Rabong, a small town in South Sikkim at about 8,000 feet: its mountain views, the Tibetan settlement, birds, spring flowers and the Maenam trek.
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Ravangla
Ravangla, South Sikkim: the 130-foot Buddha statue at the Buddha Park, Ralang Monastery and the Tibetan settlement, with measured road times and the views.
Ravangla, also called Rabong, is a small town in South Sikkim at about 8,000 feet, between Namchi, Pelling and Gangtok. Wikipedia says Kanchenjunga, Pandim, Siniolchu and Kabru are among the peaks seen from it, and that the trek into the Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary begins here.
The main sight is the Buddha Park of Ravangla, about 1 km from the town, where a 130-foot copper statue of the Buddha was consecrated in 2013. Ralang Monastery, a large Kagyu monastery, is the other major stop, and the town itself has its Tibetan settlement and its views.
The nearest working airport is Bagdogra, about 127 km and 201 minutes by road on our routing, and the nearest main station is New Jalpaiguri, about 119 km and 197 minutes away. From Delhi it is about 1,473 km by road, with 17.5 hours of free-flow driving, so most visitors fly or take a train to the Siliguri area first. Read how to reach Ravangla and when to visit. Copy the one-day plan.
Photos: Joydeep (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Masum Ibn Musa (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Plans that include this
All Ravangla itineraries →Going together
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Places worth the drive
Ralang Monastery, Ravangla — a large Kagyu monastery of thangkas
Ralang Monastery near Ravangla, South Sikkim: the Kagyu monastery rebuilt in 1995, its thangkas, the older Ralang Gompa beside it and the Pang Lhabsol festival.
Buddha Park of Ravangla — the 130-foot Buddha above South Sikkim
The Buddha Park of Ravangla, or Tathagata Tsal: a 130-foot copper Buddha built from 2006 to 2013, with a lake, museum and meditation centre near the town.
On the map
Open the Ravangla map →The places a Ravangla day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
All articles →Things to do in Ravangla — the Buddha Park, Ralang, the Tibetan settlement and Maenam
Things to do in Ravangla, South Sikkim: the 130-foot Buddha at the Buddha Park, Ralang Monastery, the Tibetan settlement, mountain views and birds, and Maenam.
How to reach Ravangla — from Bagdogra, New Jalpaiguri, Gangtok, Namchi and Pelling
How to reach Ravangla, South Sikkim: Bagdogra 127 km, New Jalpaiguri 119 km, Gangtok 68 km, Namchi 30 km and Pelling 41 km by road, with measured times.
Best time to visit Ravangla — rhododendrons in spring, clear mountains in autumn
When to visit Ravangla, South Sikkim: orchids and rhododendrons in April and May, clear mountain views in autumn, winter snow up high, and the monsoon roads.
Nearby destinations
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Questions people ask
How do you reach Ravangla?
The nearest working airport is Bagdogra, about 127 km and 201 minutes by road on our routing, and the nearest main railway station is New Jalpaiguri, about 119 km and 197 minutes away. Wikipedia says state-run buses run from the South Sikkim district headquarters, and that taxis are available on private or shared fare.
What are the best things to do in Ravangla?
See the Buddha Park, with its 130-foot copper statue, and Ralang Monastery, a large Kagyu monastery with a collection of thangkas. Walk through the town and look for Kanchenjunga on a clear morning, and ask about the trek into the Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary, which begins here by Wikipedia's account.
When is the best time to visit Ravangla?
We have no weather table for Ravangla. Wikipedia says orchids and rhododendrons bloom in April and May and that the upper parts of the town sometimes see snow in winter, but a mountain view needs clear sky. Our best-time guide uses the nearest station we have figures for and says so.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.