Explore East Sikkim's Cleanest Village

In 2023, the Sikkim government recognised the Lingtam–Phadamchen Gram Panchayat Unit as the cleanest village in the entire state. It took first place in the category along with a cash award of ?5 lakh.

Drive through Padamchen from the resort and you'll notice something unusual: no public dustbins are lining the roads, and yet almost no litter. Open bins overflow, attract stray animals and send rubbish blowing into the forest. So the village handles waste at the source instead. Homes, shops and homestays sort their waste, and it is collected and processed before it ever reaches the roadside.
 

The change began in 2017. Local leader Dawa Chhoden Bhutia brought together 17 women from the village to form a group called Swachhata Sahayogi. They went from house to house, explaining segregation and collecting waste. Slowly, a chore became a shared habit.

Today the group runs a Material Recovery Facility, where collected waste is sorted before trucks take it away for recycling with support under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the village has also set up a dedicated plastic waste management unit to handle the plastic that tourism brings.
 

Padamchen, Zuluk and Voyage Glenz Resort all sit within the Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected forest stretching from about 5,700 ft to over 14,000 ft along the Bhutan border. Its oak, fir and rhododendron forests are home to the red panda, Sikkim's state animal, along with Himalayan black bears, musk deer and many bird species. Keeping Padamchen clean helps protect this fragile wilderness.
 

Padamchen makes an easy half-day outing from the resort. Set out early, when the mist is lifting off the forest, and walk the quiet village lanes. Keep your binoculars ready for birds along the forest edge. Stop at a local shop or homestay for tea, and ask residents about their clean-village journey; they're proud to share it. You'll be back at Glenz well in time for lunch.

To keep Padamchen the way it is, a few simple habits help:
 

Voyage Glenz Resort sits in Padamchen, a short drive from the Zuluk Zig Zag road. That makes it an easy base for exploring the village, the Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary and the high-altitude wonders of the Silk Route, from Thambi View Point to Nathang Valley and Kupup Lake.

The places we operate in are what make every stay special. Padamchen's story is a reminder that tourism and conservation can grow together when communities lead the way. When you stay with us, we invite you to travel lightly, explore mindfully, and leave the mountains as beautiful as you found them.