Rishyap also pronounced as Rishop is a magnificent Lepcha hamlet nestled in the Kalimpong Hills. At an elevation of 8100 feet above sea level, the village is quite adjacent to Lava and just about 28 km distance away from the heart of Kalimpong town. The mysterious quiet forest of Pine, Birch, Fir, and Orchids with soothing path following the chirps of birds and the splendid view of the majestic Kanchenjunga has captivated the minds of many travelers visiting Rishop to spend a great holiday amidst the lap of Mother Nature.
Apart from the great panorama of Kanchenjunga, a visitor can also see the Sikkim, Bhutan, and Nepal mountains including Jelep la from Rishyap. Nathula, the famous Into-Chinese border that has been opened up for trade, is also visible from here. From the year 1998, Rishop successfully emerged as one of the finest tourist destinations in the region which was just an inaccessible hamlet with very few households before. According to the local myths and ancient legends, the Ri in the name Rishop stands for mountain peak whereas shop means age-old trees in Tibetan.
Rishyap has some of the finest sightseeing attractions in and around it. The worth visiting ones are as mentioned below:
Rishop is far away from any modernized town. As a result, the only mode of accommodation here is the homestay. Local villagers are welcoming and they provide most of the basic amenities to its guests. Visitors will get a western bathroom, view room, hot running water, neat and clean rooms for their comfortable night stay.
The best time to visit Rishyap is during the months of mid-April to Mid-July. These are the summer months here in Rishyap when the temperature ranges from 10° Celsius to 20° Celsius. Because of this kind of temperature, the weather stays soothing, the sky remains mostly clear and the rhododendrons are in full bloom.
However, due to its high elevation, winter is quite chilling here when the temperature ranges from 0°C to 7°C. The months of autumn (October to November) is another great time to have a Rishyap Tour. Just like summer, the splendid view of the entire Himalayan range including Kanchenjunga can also be enjoyed during this season of autumn. On the contrary, having a Rishyap Tour during the months of Monsoon (July to August) is not recommended because of the frequent landslides.
Darjeeling
The Batasia Loop
Darjeeling Ropeway
Darjeeling Toy Train
Dhirdham Temple
Ghoom Monastery
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
Lloyd's Botanical Garden
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park
The Rock Garden
Tiger Hill
Kalimpong
Kurseong
Mirik
Lava
Lolegaon
Kolakham
Changey Falls
Neora Valley National Park
Sonada
Charkol
Manebhanjan
Sandakphu
Rohini
Sukna
Rongtong
Ramdhura
Icchegaon
Sillerygaon
Pedong
Rishikhola
Siliguri
Chota Mangwa
Bara Mangwa
Lamahatta
Latpanchar
Tinchuley
Lepchajagat
Rishyap