Ravangla town — the pass town with a Tibetan settlement and mountain views
What it is
Ravangla, also written Rabong, is a small town in South Sikkim at about 8,000 feet, between Namchi, Pelling and Gangtok. Wikipedia reads the name as three Sikkimese words, for wild sheep, a rearing place and a pass. The trek into the Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary begins here, and the Buddha Park of Ravangla lies just north of it.
Photos: Masum Ibn Musa (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Masum Ibn Musa (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
The view
Wikipedia names Kanchenjunga, Pandim, Siniolchu and Kabru as major peaks seen from Ravangla. A view needs clear sky, so mornings are the usual choice, and cloud can hide the range for days.
Flowers and birds
Wikipedia says the upper parts of the town sometimes see snow in winter, and that in April and May the area is ringed with flowers, orchids and rhododendrons among them. It lists the verditer flycatcher, blue-fronted redstart and white-browed fantail among the common birds, with laughingthrushes, babblers, cuckoos and hill partridges in the forests around, and says the rare satyr tragopan can be seen.
The Tibetan settlement
A Tibetan community lives about 1 km from the market, in seven camps over 328.5 acres, with about 1,300 people, a primary school, two monasteries, offices and a health clinic. Wikipedia says Ralang Monastery lies six kilometres from the town. We have no verified visiting rules for the settlement.
Combine it with
The one-day plan takes the town with the Buddha Park and Ralang. Read things to do in Ravangla and when to visit Ravangla.
Plans that include this
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Nearby places
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Questions people ask
What is Ravangla known for?
It is a small hill town in South Sikkim, at about 8,000 feet, between Namchi, Pelling and Gangtok. Wikipedia names Kanchenjunga, Pandim, Siniolchu and Kabru among the peaks seen from it, and says the trek into the Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary begins here. The Buddha Park lies nearby.
What does the name Ravangla mean?
Wikipedia reads the name as three Sikkimese words: wild sheep, a rearing place and a pass. The town is also written Rabong. We have not checked the etymology beyond that one source, and local spellings vary on signs and maps.
Is there a Tibetan settlement at Ravangla?
Yes. Wikipedia says a Tibetan community lives about 1 km from the Ravangla market, in seven camps over 328.5 acres, with about 1,300 people, a primary school, two monasteries, offices and a health clinic. We have no verified visiting rules, so ask locally and be respectful of a living community.