Village walk to the poison lake
The walk is more about the village than the lake. Lanes wind past houses with flower-filled porches, orange trees, cowsheds and terraced fields. In autumn you may see large cardamom being harvested and dried over smoky fires. The pond itself is small and still, edged by trees.
Go with your host or a villager who can tell the story of 1860 in their own words, and point out the crops, shrines and old houses on the way.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
Is the poison lake still poisonous
Local people say they do not use its water, and it is best treated as off limits. There is no scientific record to confirm whether anything harmful remains after more than 160 years. Do not drink from it, swim in it or let pets drink. Enjoy it as a historic spot.
Is the 1860 poisoning story true
A British force did enter Sikkim in 1860 and withdrew from Rinchenpong, and a larger expedition followed in 1861, ending in the Treaty of Tumlong. The poisoning of the camp's water is told strongly in local memory and in some accounts, but numbers and details vary. Treat it as local history passed down by villagers.
When do oranges ripen around Rinchenpong
Sikkim mandarins ripen from about November to January. The orchards around Rinchenpong, Kaluk and the Rangeet valley turn orange in late autumn, and you can buy fruit straight from farmers. Ask before picking anything. Yields have fallen in some years because of disease, so supply varies.
Also in Rinchenpong
More hours to plan around
