Moonbeam Farm Stay
Moonbeam Farmstay is located in Nim Busty, Tunglabong, 20mins ride (4kms) from the nearest town of Gorubathan, in Kalimpong District. The name Tunglabong is derived from the Lepcha word Tung-Lo-Buk, which in English means "TapiokaPlant", The Lepcha tribe at first while they settled in this place saw in abundance of Tapioka growing in this region, so they named this place Tung-Lo-Buk, wgich further modified into Tunglabong.
Moonbeam Farmstay, originally is an Ancestral Home, villagers in the surroundings also refer it to as "Thulo Ghar", ( In Neplai it means "A Big House" ), it is located in the middle of Upper Tunglabong and Lower Tunglabong, so it always has a lot of villagers visiting the place, from kids to elders to village pet animals. We have kept the tradition of our Lepcha Ancestors alive, from farming to maintaining our Culture, we strive hard to maintain our roots and install a feeling of love and importance of our Culture to our new generation kids.
In our farm we are basically doing a Multipurpose Project of Agricultural farming and Animal rearing. We also grow pure organic Darjeeling Tea and organic veggies and food crops in the farm area.
The farm is trying to go Zero-waste and looking forward to implement Permaculture principals in the farm. We are trying to live a Sustainable and regenerative way of life and find ways to sustain our roots, which seems to be the need of the hour.
We have formed a group of ten ladies, aming towards empowering our women,who make herbal medicines, herbal soaps, coconut oil and also supply pure organic honey.
The nearest places from our farm are Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Nepal, Bhutan, Siliguri, Dooars.
To qualify as a volunteer one has to stay for a minimum of 7days and can extend to any period of time further and has to work in the farm for 4-5hrs a day, and they need to pay for the food, i.e: INR 500/head/night. The volunteer works include all the works we have in the farm, like cooking, watering the flowers/veggies, working in the greenhouse taking care of the veggies, working with the animals like feeding and cleaning, making hand made Tea etc.
INR 500/head/night, 7days stay compulsory, can extend after 7days and need to work 4-5hrs in the farm.
Farm Owner
Hi, I am Farden Lepcha and I run Moonbeam Farmstay. I have completed my schooling from Kalimpong and Darjeeling and have graduated from Calcutta University. From working in NGO's, in private sectors, to preparing for competitive examinations and flying to Dubai to work, i ended up in my ancestral farmland growing my own food and also growing organic Darjeeling tea and so after few years i started with the farmstay. I prefer life in a village surrounded by nature, growing my own food, peaceful and simple life. I love to meet new people and host them and let them spend a good time in our farm and make them feel comfortable and create memories.
I have great interest in farming, permaculture, classical hatha yoga, meditation, reading books, listening to soothing music, driving 4×4 vehicles and spending time admist Nature and forest.
I would be your happy and always ready to help you host.
I have my two aunties living in the farm with me, they are my father's elder and younger sisters and they are also there to guide you, if you need any help and yes share awesome old lepcha stories and they speak fluent Lepcha language, they can teach you as well.
We have our cook daju Mr Dilliram Chettri, who is our farm's head chef. He has a lot of interest in cooking and he cooks in all big ceremonies in the village, while cooking here and there he had moved to Kolkotta to expand his knowledge, interest and experience in cooking and worked in may other indian cities as well but now he has been tired of working far away from his home and family, so now he works in our farm. He is a awesome gardener as well and he loves working with flowers as well and above all he a very good human being and not to mention, has magic in hands in terms of cooking. He will be more than happy to help you and serve you.
Along with me, my aunties, our cook Dilliram Daju, we have with us Ongden Lepcha (Saila daju) and his wife Nimkit Lepcha, they take care of our cattle and our food crops and Ongden Lepcha aka Saila daju is a loves music and sings and plays various instruments and he also is a Lepcha Bungthing (A Healer and does various pujas of the Lepcha tribe), and his wife is also expert in farming and cattle rearing and everyone in our farms are expert in musroom ( recognising which one to eat and where can we find various mushroom). They would be always happy to help you anytime in the farm.