What began as a family home—quiet, lived-in, and deeply rooted in the hills of Yangtey, West Sikkim—called the “Yangtey Kothi” slowly opened its doors to our guests, not as a commercial space, but as an extension of our home.
A place where life moves a little slower, conversations linger, where meals are unhurried but shared with care, and where the quiet spirit of the hills remains untouched.
It honours the memory of Rinzing Namgyal, often referred to as the Malling Kazi/Malling Athing of North Sikkim—an explorer, educator, a man of remarkable vision for his time and as we fondly remember him as our grandfather to our father also named after him Mr. Rinzing Wangyal Kazi.
In the late 19th century, he worked across the eastern Himalayas as a surveyor and guide, mapping remote regions long before they were widely known.
As early as 1884, he had already begun charting routes across Sikkim, Bhutan, Tibet, and beyond, becoming one of the first to complete a circuit around our mighty Kangchenjunga.
He later served in Darjeeling for over two decades in the field of education and was a pioneer to introduce western education in Sikkim, before joining the Survey of India, where his work contributed to the early geographical understanding of this region.
In 1899, he was a trusted guide to British explorer Sir Douglas Freshfield during the historic “Round Kangchenjunga” expedition.
Beyond exploration, he was also a builder of communities. In 1903, he laid the foundations of what is now the town of Mangan, shaping it as an important junction in North Sikkim. His legacy continues to be remembered there even today.
