I made the journey from Kurseong to Mirik by shared sumo locally called as Syndicate in this region. In Mirik, I stayed at Haamro Ghar Homestay and I highly recommend them if you are planning to visit Mirik. Sumendu Lake is the highlight of this tiny town that is spread around the lake that also boasts of a monastery.

A Journey in Photographs of Two Days in Mirik

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We left at 1130 am from Kullu, after a hearty meal of rajma chawal and made it to Jispa by about 3 pm after a stop for shipping orders of my book ‘The Goodness of Strangers’ from the Post Office in Manali. There was a slight chill in the air as it was the first week of October and we were well prepared with our winter jackets. The landscape was still green as we crossed Solang Valley and after we emerged past the Atal Tunnel it was a completely different ball game in Lahaul. A cold breeze welcomed us and it was clear that it was going to be super cold in Lahaul valley with the wind chill as it seemed to have already started snowing on the high mountains.

We paid the SADA development fee that is being levied on all non-local vehicles for entering Lahaul and moved towards Tandi and Keylong. The autumn colours of Sissu were not at their best this year; yet with the popularity with instagram tourists it was a crowded stretch. We were flexible with our place of stay in either Keylong or Jispa but were keen on finding something with ample open spaces for us to walk around. Since there was plenty of sunshine still left in the day, we made a consensus and decided to go till the PWD Rest House in Jispa and see if they had rooms. Anyway, we would cross the other prospective options in Keylong – Jispa on our way to the PWD Rest House as it was located at the fag end of Jispa town.

The caretaker was around and recognised me from a previous visit. He said that the PWD Rest House has only two rooms and that one room is already booked for a night but both the rooms are available for the next day. We quickly asked him to book both the rooms for the next day and to show us the room available. He recommended to us to book the room and that he would put extra mattresses and since it was a cozy carpeted room, we would be well served. We agreed and requested him to check if the booking for the previous room was cancelled so that we would get both the rooms. We were quite pleased as the rooms came with an attached washroom and had a working geyser.

It felt a little funny to be spending two days in Lahaul acclimatising even though we lived in Kullu Valley. We figured that since the plan was to spend a few nights in Merak village at about 4400m, it was best to spend a few nights at 3000-3500m to minimize the chances of AMS. The wind chill in October in high-altitude areas is a killer and therefore we wanted to get used to the cold in Lahaul before the super cold of Merak. Jispa already had the feel of a deserted town where the homestays and restaurants were closing for the season and we were thankful that a lone eatery was open near the PWD Rest House. The said eatery was also going to close down in the next few days and we felt lucky!

The original plan was to head to Zanskar now that the road via Shinku La / Shingo La / Shinkun La was well and truly operational; stay a night in Padum and then move to Leh via the dirt trail route that passed through Zangla, Lingshed, Singge La and Sirsir La to end up near Photoksar and join the highway at Wanla. Since we did not have many days in hand, it was ultimately decided that the long route via Zanskar might turn out to be extremely tiring and that it was better to head to Ladakh via the Manali-Leh highway only. Local news in Lahaul also indicated that vehicles were only allowed to cross the Darcha check-post after 9 am because it had started freezing on some sections of the road to Zanskar as well as Leh.

We spent a nice two days in Jispa soaking in the abundant sunshine and enjoying the autumn blaze of Lahaul Valley. It was a memorable meal at one ‘The Climber’s Café’ in Keylong Bazaar and the nearby dhaba also made fresh food so there were no complaints. Nights were freezing cold but it sort of prepared us for even colder temperatures in the next few days.

We had a nice cup of chai and left for Darcha at about 8 am with a plan of having breakfast at one of the dhabas in Darcha while waiting for the check-post guys to wave us through after 9 am. When we reached Darcha, there was a newly constructed dhaba / restaurant just before the police check post and we decided to stop there. Funnily enough, there was no need to wait till 9 am and the road to both Zanskar and Ladakh was open for vehicular traffic. We were still in two minds with regards to taking the longer route via Padum and Singge La to reach Leh and even put Padum as our destination in the diary of the police check post officer.

The dhaba owners were from Rarik village and told us that while the road to Padum was in excellent condition; the road via Lingshed-Singge La was in fact a dirt road with a few tricky and frozen sections that would take us over 10 hours to reach Leh from Padum. Before we finished our cups of black tea, the deal was sealed and as we walked back to the car – I remembered to ask the police officer to change our destination to Leh instead of Padum in the check post register. The road past Darcha felt like a breeze and we quickly started ascending to Zing Zing Bar and towards Baralacha La.

It was a clear day and based on our previous autumn trip to Leh last October, we were keen on staying in the region of Hemis/Thiksey this time around. We made good time on the road and despite leaving quite late crossed Sarchu around noon. The weather was absolutely clear and there was nary a cloud in the deep blue sky. It was a fine day as we crossed the flat land past Sarchu and the aquamarine waters of the Tsarap Chu were flowing beneath us in the valley below. It felt like pin drop silence at over 4200m, and we stopped for a while to admire the views and the pristine colour of the water.

We opted to not stop for a snack/lunch/tea at Sarchu since we were not feeling hungry and continued towards Pang. The dustiest stretch of the entire Manali to Leh road was the road from Sarchu to Pang. There were a few sections with single lane traffic that caused mini traffic jams with a number of trucks lined up on both sides. It was sudden hunger that compelled us to stop at Pang – Pang looked like a fancy avatar of the grimy ramshackle dhabas from a decade ago! It was close to 2 pm and the eatery where we stopped was almost out of food – the lady was only able to serve one plate of semi-cooked dal and rice among the four of us.

Anyhow, I have never liked Pang and the feeling was reinforced when I tried to go to pee. There was a lake sort of water body visible behind the multiple dhabas and no prizes for guessing what the stench was like! Our friends went to another dhaba for some chowmein noodles and were quite surprised that most of the eateries in Pang also doubled up as accommodation options in the night. I was mildly shocked to know this since Pang is at an altitude of some 4600m, it is not pleasant at all to stay at this altitude without being properly acclimatised. Authorities should look into this in the light of the rules for tourists to acclimatise before heading to Pangong Tso/Changthang and other high-altitude areas of Ladakh.

We were happy to bid goodbye to Pang and start our ascent to the other passes viz. Lachung La and Taglang La. The road was in excellent condition and it was mildly surprising to see snow piled on both sides of the road at Taglang La. Of course the outside temperature was freezing and a deathly cold breeze blew. We tumbled down the pass and crossed the dhabas of Debring and I saw a faint road leading to the left side to a nomadic settlement – Kharnak. I was supremely interested in Kharnakpas and their weaves like challi, pherri, tsug-dul, tsug-den and more made from yak wool, sheep wool and the likes.

In no time we were at Rumtse and ogled at the varied hues of the mountains that were enhanced with the evening light and the rich autumn colours. We crossed the pretty looking hamlets of Miru, Gya, Lato and made a mental note of staying at one of these three villages on our way back. A night stay here would considerably reduce our single day travel time on the return journey enabling us to leave early and still reach Kullu Valley before dark. It was close to 5 pm when we crossed Upshi; the Indus river was a pristine shade of blue while the autumn colours were a shining yellow.

We had started to keep an eye out for signboards of homestays since the idea was clear that none of us wanted to stay in Leh. Hemis quickly went out of the reckoning since we crossed the diversion after crossing Upshi. With no extra help from google maps, we decided to take the right turn to Thiksey monastery and were certain that there would be a number of homestays there for us to stay. The time was around 520 pm and the sun would soon go behind the mountains. We decided to ask a young kid on the road about a homestay and he indicated to us to take a right and we would find Goltuk homestay. He didn’t seem very confident about our choice though and suggested that there was a nice hotel nearby that would be better for us.

Nevertheless, we thought lets see this Goltuk homestay and then figure our options. We took a right and saw a signboard for a homestay and asked a lady who was walking on the street and it turned out to be her home! She showed us the rooms and while the price mentioned was also ok, the rooms did not come with an attached washroom and that prompted us to ask if there was another homestay nearby that might perhaps have rooms with an attached washroom? She suggested another homestay just around the corner and we sought about finding that. It was duly spotted after a short walk and while we liked the open spaces and the garden, the host was missing and there was no one who could show us the rooms!

In the meanwhile, the light had started dwindling and it would soon be dark within a few more minutes. The cousin sister of the host came to our help and called the aunty to come with the keys of the rooms so that we could figure our possibility of a stay. At the outset, she said that we could only stay for 1 day because there was a festival planned for the next evening at a neighbour’s home. She also said that one of the washrooms had a water problem. We liked the rooms that both came with a clear and direct view of Thiksey monastery and agreed on a reasonable price for 2 days and promised her to cooperate with the meals if she could not find time for cooking! Simple breakfast and dinner was included in the offerings of the homestay.

The homestay had only two rooms and one was on the first floor and the other one was on the ground floor. Aunty at the homestay seemed to have had troubles in the past with Indian guests who were happier with mainland food rather than trying local Ladakhi food and therefore she tried to make us stay for only 1 day. I don’t blame her for her thought process because I have observed lately that the boundaries between a homestay and a hotel are blurred and happy-to-please hosts simply don’t know how to turn down demands laid out by guests. It appears sometimes that some folks stay at a homestay primarily due to the comparatively cheaper price and then take undue advantage of the hosts’ kindness by laying down demands as per their whims and fancies.

I’d say the demands / whims and fancies might be justified at a hotel but not at a family run homestay. Hence, the lady was initially wary of us but was quite calmed with our mention of living in Kullu Valley. Little did she know that we were actually looking forward to freshly cooked Ladakhi dishes and since the homestay also had an adjoining kitchen garden in the farm, most of the produce would be fresh and homegrown! Aunty gave us a quick round of tea as a welcome drink as we put our bags in our respective rooms. We ogled at the beauty of the after-sunset colours with snowy peaks in the backdrop, even as stars began to shine in the brilliant high altitude Ladakhi sky and the yellow shaded poplars stood tall in the rapidly intensifying cold while the timeless Thiksey monastery watched the proceedings quietly on the other side.

We unpacked our bags and kept the home baked zucchini teacakes and the apple cakes out so that we didn’t forget to savour them. On a thoughtful whim, we cut a generous slice of both the cakes and presented them to aunty in the kitchen. Aunty and her cousin sister warmed up the cakes and took them for the entire family to taste! We were so glad they loved it and thanked us for getting them a taste of homemade bakes. As part of the homestay culture, it is a nice thing to do to break the ice.

Our joy was multiplied upon seeing that Thukpa was being made for dinner! We entered the kitchen and traditional dining area lined with Chogtse tables and thanked aunty for rustling up thukpa at such short notice. She replied that making thukpa was no trouble at all and all she had to do was pick fresh produce from the farm. The flat noodles used in the thukpa were locally produced in Leh. We sat and gazed at the traditional cookware and collection of utensils in the sitting area. Aunty served us thukpa in the traditional bowls and I liked it so much that I had three helpings! I think it was then that aunty must have realised that we were indeed going to turn out be amicable guests who knew how to stay at a homestay.

Aunty told us that next day’s dinner would be a little difficult for her to make because of the evening function and suggested that we could dine at the nearby Chamba Hotel that always served excellent food in Thiksey. We told her not to worry and that we will manage. Our plan for next day was to head to Leh for lunch and get the car washed as well.

It became colder as the evening progressed and after the drive we chose to relax in our rooms. The sight of the dimly lit dwellings on the base of Thiksey monastery was calming. We called it a night and tried to sleep early so that we could wake up at 6-ish and perhaps walk to the monastery for the morning prayers.

It was a cold, cold night and the modern quilts and blankets were no match for the hitherto traditional warmth of the homestays. I had a mild headache and even though we had spent a good 2 nights in Lahaul acclimatising in the same altitude and temperatures – I was a bit surprised by the same. We had carried our tea masala and ginger and aunty was more than happy to let us make our milk tea. It felt nice as the sun was out and we went to the first floor balcony to enjoy our tea. We made an extra cup for aunty as well and she was so happy with the result that we let her know the secret of the magic masala as well!

The fun of living amidst nature has no parallel and we laid out a carpet and sat in the garden. Aunty said there would be basic omelette and khambir (local Ladakhi bread) for breakfast and that it would be served at about 9 am in the open canopy in the garden. The canopy lent a very Italian vineyard feel to the setting as it was covered in green with black kidney beans vines and had a sturdy wooden table and chairs beneath it. Of course the icing on the cake was the sun shining brightly on Thiksey monastery, making it an impeccable setting. Aunty’s sons were up as well and we met them too. Breakfast was served at 9 and it was fun to dig into the tiny muskmelon grown on aunty’s farm. We thanked her for letting us try a homegrown muskmelon as we were totally unaware about them growing in Ladakh!

We sat and lounged in the sun for a while but quickly realised that the direct sunshine was too much to handle and funnily enough my mild headache persisted. It was time for a hot water bath after the rigours of the road journey on the previous day. The room felt quite cold and we quickly figured that the room on the ground floor would receive sunshine only in the latter part of the day. Anyhow, I sat outdoors after the bath and was reminded of the classic conundrum in Ladakh – it was hot in the sun and still felt very cold in the shade, especially with the breeze blowing. In a few more minutes, it was time for us to head to Leh.

When we mentioned autumn colours, the elder son suggested to us to go to Matho monastery if we wanted to enjoy the full splendour of the fall/autumn colours as it was located at a vantage point. He was also kind enough to share the route by road as the route suggested by google maps had a bridge repair issue and was closed for the time being. It was a longer drive but the stunning autumn colours in Matho village and then on the way to the monastery were surreal and we were delighted to have come that side. We chose to walk back to the village from the monastery and also tasted ripe but very sour seabuckthorn berries after some locals’ insistence!

After a good part of more than an hour spent in Matho village, we continued on our way to Leh. As we had expected, the autumn colours were not as pronounced as they were in Matho. On the way, we came across a small scale industry drying seabuckthorn to make it into a pulp. I was keen on buying the pulp and even got the contact of the lady in charge of the processing, but it turned out that seabuckthorn pulp uses a lot of preservatives otherwise it spoils pretty quickly. Even though the price offered for the seabuckthorn pulp was almost half of what we get in Lahaul valley, I ended up not buying a bottle since it involved a detour to Chuchot village and there was nobody to guide us.

We were keen on having a nice meal in Leh and tried to make a reservation at Alchi Kitchen but it turned out that the Leh branch of Alchi Kitchen was closed (like it was a year ago!) and they were taking reservations for a meal in Alchi! With the change in plan, we had to find parking space at Rabsal Parking near the main bazaar and then walked to Tibetan Kitchen. It was progressing to a funny scene as Tibetan Kitchen turned out to be closed for the day; Bon Appetit felt like a confusing walk as our friends were already super hungry. So we spotted the signboard for Summer Harvest – saw a few locals come out of the restaurant that validated the eatery and decided to have our lunch there!

I still had a niggling headache and while I kept trying to forget about it, there was no denying that I was not at my 100%. The food at Summer Harvest was satisfactory and some dishes turned out to be excellent. We paid the bill and now it was about 230 pm and all of us went our separate ways. I went sauntering in the market on my customary walk and meeting my old acquaintances if they were around. The car had to be taken for a wash before we head to Pangong Tso / Merak village the next day. So, everyone had roughly 1.5 hours before we decided to meet up on the main road near the circular bazaar in Leh. It was very hot during the day and quite dusty with all the endless construction everywhere near the main road.

It was a sort of aimless walk for me – I bought some Saspola apples, drank a glass of the sugarless apricot juice at Dzomsa, tried to (unsuccessfully) buy a chogtse table, met with a known shop owner to check if they had a surplus bundle of Zanskari spuruks, perused the circular market for the indigenous black peas (shrannma or nagshranma) and bought a kilo, tasted some chhurpe, wondered what was the black cake called skotse and largely marvelled how far Ladakh has come in terms of tourism. Tourists from the cities were buying an average variety of dried apricots for astronomical prices without bothering to check the quality and taste. I never heard the name Halman (fine variety from Turtuk and the villages around the Dah-Hanu area) when I was in the bazaar.

I used the washroom at the fancy looking café opposite Dzomsa and figured that Leh had well and truly arrived on India’s tourist circuit with a bang and for raw experiences it was essential to travel to some remote locations still untouched by tourists. As soon as I got free, our friends arrived and we sat in the car. While waiting, I spotted the gentleman who was the orchestrator of the great hitchhiking escape from Diskit to Leh in a winter snowstorm. I quickly ran out of the car and after confirming he was indeed the same person – thanked him for the kindness and gifted him a copy of ‘The Goodness of Strangers’.

I was overjoyed at this unexpected meeting and wondered about possibly gifting copies of the book to some other kind folks in the Changthang region who were responsible for the experiences detailed in a few chapters of the book. We started on our return journey back to Thiksey since we were very keen on spending the evening in the farmstay-homestay. Our tummies were filled for the time being but the issue of eating dinner outside remained. We enjoyed a nice evening gazing at the colours in all the directions while my nagging headache continued prompting me to rethink if I was prepared to go to Merak inspite of this minor struggle.

In the evening, aunty was dressed up and ready to go for the evening ceremony of the nearby party. The sound of drums and revelry started coming from the direction. She asked us what were our plans for dinner and I told her that we had a heavy lunch outside and that we would be happy to eat a light meal. Aunty anyway had to cook food for the family so she asked us if we were happy with with simple pulao and we told her pulao was exactly what we needed! She quickly rustled up a cooker and all the farm grown vegetables went in it resulting in a delicious and light pulao / masala chawal. All four of us thanked her wholeheartedly for the extra effort because we were mentally prepared to go to Chamba Hotel for dinner!

I think it was then that I made up my mind that in the two days spent here, we had not even gone to Thiksey monastery and just running off to the cold of Merak didn’t sound very appealing. The added charm of seeing the autumn colours along the road via Chang La to Changthang and on the return via Chumathang was not enough to wean me off the thought of staying longer in Thiksey. It would be no fun if I didn’t feel better after reaching Merak as well. I was certain that it was not AMS since I had no issues in breathing but it was a constant mild headache. After dinner, it was decided that our friends would leave for Merak after breakfast since it would take about 6 hours from Thiksey and we would stay put at the same homestay. We decided to meet near Upshi at 3 pm after 3 days even if our phones didn’t work and we were not able to communicate.

We slept early and I made a mental note to myself to check the oxygen level if the headache persisted the next day as well. I was also keen on waking up early for the 6-30 am morning prayer at Thiksey Monastery but was also aware that we had two more mornings at the homestay. Aunty had already confirmed that we could move to the upstairs room and she would be happy to host us for 2 more days. It was a relaxed morning and I felt very nice to be able to soak in the sunshine with the perfect masala chai. Our friends left early after a quick breakfast of toasted bread and butter and when aunty asked us if we wanted traditional Ladakhi butter tea & khola or bread + butter for breakfast – we opted for the traditional option. She was pleased with our choice and laid out a carpet in the garden.

Out came two traditional goblets that were made from a specialised metal and two wooden baskets with barley flour and another with buckwheat / whole wheat flour. She mixed some homemade ghee and sugar and put the different flours in different goblets and then poured the salty butter tea on top. We mixed everything with our fingers and made the flour into small balls to eat. It tasted delicious and we told aunty that we had eaten this as khola earlier at Yuthok Homestay. We enjoyed cups of butter tea with the khola and finished off our breakfast in no time. Aunty also cut a tiny watermelon grown on the farm and we totally loved it!

After a while, the direct sunshine became too much for me and I chose to sit on the chairs but the headache had already returned. We are keen on walking around Thiksey and enjoy the magic of the autumn yellow of the poplar trees. After partially enjoying a walk under the canopy of the yellow trees on the side of the road, we decide to turn back because there is no fun in inhaling the toxic fumes of the trucks that are in numbers on this road. While coming back, I get my oxygen level checked at Hotel Chamba and it came totally fine and we quickly deduced that my headache is due to the exposure to direct sunlight. I had forgotten to carry my sunglasses to Ladakh.

We got back to the homestay and enjoyed the warmth of the mansion-type room on the first floor. I lay down for a bit and slept and instantly started feeling better. Now that the reason for the headache was largely clear, it was decided that I borrow my partner’s sunglasses and try to never look directly into the sun. We head back to the restaurant at Chamba Hotel for lunch and the food turned out to be super delicious. It is a place run by the monks and the restaurant cook/staff was from Jharkhand and made excellent food. We sat in the shade and really enjoyed the time spent here. We set out for a short walk post lunch and explored the by-lanes of Thiksey.

The library looked very appealing and was managed by the monks. We stepped inside and saw a few young students study in the warmth of the indoors. The book collection was massive and there was even a tea/coffee machine for visitors. There was pin drop silence and we quickly realised that the Thiksey library might just become our new favourite place while we stayed at the homestay. I was immersed in reading a historical book on undivided Ladakh when I received a phone call and had to go out. The outdoors had a sprinkling of blooming flowers and there was even a cute café in one of the corners. We wondered if the café would be a great hidden find when it was open during the summer.

When it was close to 5 pm and close to sundown, we decided to take the long walk via the road to Thiksey Monastery parking and while I gazed at the views on the other side – my partner climbed the stairs to the main monastery to find the exact timing of the morning prayers. The autumn colours in the direction of Leh city appeared to dazzling in the mellow evening light. I started feeling a bit cold with the evening breeze once the sun went down and opted to walk back via the road route. There were a few monks also going for their evening walk while chanting prayers and it felt nice to be in calm company.

My partner came back via the shortcut path through the stairs and we ended up meeting near our homestay and continued the walk. The sky was painted in orange and pink hues and with the moon peeking out from behind the barren mountains presented an unforgettable sight. We savoured the ethereal beauty of Ladakh for as long as the light lasted and then aunty presented us with another piece of information that made proceedings even better! She was cooking purple cabbage momos for dinner – the cabbage she had just picked up from the kitchen garden. Aunty and uncle were supposed to go to the party at the nearby family’s house and therefore aunty said dinner would be ready by 730 pm.

We were ecstatic to hear that as early dinners were a habit for us and also the fact that aunty said that she had got a bottle of local chaang for us to drink! The momos along with the fresh chutney turned out to be so delicious that we polished off the entire container of momos that aunty had made for us. We thanked her numerous times and told her that these were some of the best momos that we’ve ever had. We walked under the open skies for a bit and appreciated the moonlight. The room was cozy and much warmer than the downstairs room and that meant we slept peacefully.

The view of the sunlit Thiksey monastery first thing in the morning was the icing on the cake. We had the absolute pleasure of doing nothing but just went through the morning with basic stretching, yoga and meditation. After a relaxed hour or so, we went to make chai and also gave a bit of the chai masala powder to aunty. In return she gave us a packet of seabuckthorn tea and a sapling of the wild mint growing in their farm. We had a quick breakfast and then decided to go sauntering around to some places recommended by aunty’s younger son as he had by then realised that we were happy to go anywhere quiet where we had less chances of encountering other tourists!

We went to the road and found a ride after walking for a while. The army guy was from Bikaner and dropped us to the viewpoint past Stakna monastery. It was a memorable view of the aquamarine waters of the Indus River with the autumn yellow of the trees and Stakna Monastery with an array of snowy peaks in the background. The sun was shining with full force and after some time we had to find a shaded space to wait for the ride back. On some sections, we walked under a shaded canopy of trees and absolutely loved the raw feel of discovery. We were unable to find the park suggested and ultimately after we found a ride we were dropped at the Thiksey monastery diversion.

The restaurant at Chamba Hotel came to the rescue and we ate our lunch in the supremely relaxed setting and also made a mental note to eat there before we left for Upshi, the next day. We head straight to the library after lunch and spent a good 2-3 hours reading. I wondered in my mind how travelling is all about being flexible and the joy of these offbeat things can only be felt, and not spoken. Since tomorrow would be the last day for us in Thiksey, we walked back to our homestay and made sure of not wandering around here and there so that we could wake up early and go to attend the morning prayers at Thiksey monastery.

Aunty asked us whether we wanted rajma chawal or chutagi for dinner and we unanimously voted for chutagi! It was an early dinner as by now aunty had figured that we ate by 7 pm. The chutagi was super yummy and we thanked aunty for the incredibly delicious food. My headache had miraculously almost disappeared and we attributed it to the sunglasses and the strategic decision to not walk with the sun directly facing me. Next morning, we woke up very early and walked the stairs of Thiksey monastery in the chilling cold. The prayers started a bit late than what we were told but the feeling of calm was so beautiful, that we sat through the entire hour long ceremony. Thankful to the monks to have plied us with multiple helpings of butter tea.

At the homestay, while packing I found that the half kilo meetha karela vegetable from Kullu Valley had not been used and I asked aunty if I could make it for everyone. She was pleased at trying this exotic looking vegetable. We ate it with the local khambir bread in a magical setting under the green vine and a view of Thiksey monastery. It remains a classic memory from this particular trip to Ladakh where the objective became to relax at the homestay in Thiksey.

Later in the afternoon, we said our thanks and goodbyes to the family and started walking to Chamba Hotel for lunch. It turned out that they had just closed for the season and in the absence of any other options we decided it was better to get to Upshi and find a nice eatery there. It made sense to reach Upshi early so that our friends did not have to wait when they returned from Merak via the Chumathang route. We were lucky to find a ride within no time of standing on the road. It felt excruciatingly hot in the harsh Ladakhi sun and when we stepped inside the stunningly beautiful interiors of Rigo Restaurant in Upshi, the old memories of eating food at dusty dhabas in Upshi were washed away.

Ladakh has truly changed – for better or for worse, that only time will tell but it is still possible to have new experiences with homestays like the one in Thiksey leading the way in showcasing local farm life in Ladakh at a reasonable price. The onus remains on us visitors to embrace the life lived by the locals – after all thats why we travel ‘To become a local in every place we visit!’

We met with our friends at 330 pm in Upshi, and drove straight to picturesque Lato village on our way back. Next day, it felt like deja vu when it started snowing as we crossed Taglang La and once we crossed Baralacha La and reached our home in Kullu Valley – aunty from the Thiksey homestay called next day and told us that it had snowed and the Manali – Leh highway was closed for traffic.

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On our last night in the forest cottage in Kasar Devi, we were invited for a bottle of wine by our only neighbours. It was a poignant moment when the lady remarked that they had also come to Kasar Devi for a few weeks or months and in the present day it had been 18 years of them living in Kasar Devi! We had decided to stay on in Kasar Devi and celebrate Holi festival with the family of the cottage owner and in retrospect I can safely say it turned out to be an unforgettable holi celebration. I began the difficult task of trying to find a personal cab from Kasar Devi to Delhi, at a reasonable cost. We gathered that the Volvos to Kullu-Manali were operational from Delhi and I decided to tackle one problem at a time and to just focus on the returning to Delhi part.

I got lucky with my search and we reached Delhi safely in a Toyota Innova that drove the almost 400 km distance from Kasar Devi to Delhi for only 4000 Rupees. The 5-6 days in Delhi felt quite troublesome after spending the previous months in Kasar Devi without a mask. I quickly started my research of getting out of Delhi by calling the private Volvo guys and figured that since most of the buses were going empty, it would be prudent to choose a weekday to leave for Kullu Valley. We went out sparingly in Delhi and it was quite cumbersome to go around with the stringent mask wearing and constant talks of Covid-19 in the air. In the meanwhile, a wonderful development came by. Rajeshwar bhai wasn’t keen on random folks staying for a few days at his homestay and we decided on a mutually agreeable price for staying at Yuthok Homestay (his Home).

I was keen on leaving from Delhi at the earliest and my Volvo guy had promised to book me in a bus that had hardly 5-6 passengers thereby reducing the risk. Anyhow, the bus idea never came to pass and we left for Kullu in a car with a friend. This was by far the safest way of travel at that time and we left from Delhi early on Saturday morning in the first week of April and made good time. We had chai at home and only stopped for a late breakfast/early lunch (or brunch, if you prefer) somewhere on a bypass near Chandigarh. It was a Punjabi dhaba by the name of Lovely Dhaba and the food turned out to be incredibly tasty and freshly made.

We ordered paneer and aloo pyaz paranthas made in a tandoor and served with a dollop of fresh white butter, I had also asked for dall to go with it and a freshly made green chutney was also served. We were all quite hungry and figured that it made sense to eat a heavy meal and just stop later in the afternoon for a chai. We relished the food with gusto and asked for seconds; and even requested for a glass of lassi. The lassi turned out to be super amazing and was given in a true Patiala glass. I went and thanked the owner at the end of the meal. I made a note of the approximate location in my mind to make sure of eating at the same Lovely Dhaba whenever I crossed this region next time in a self-driven vehicle.

The weather had already become quite hot post noon and we were relieved to be beginning the ascent to Bilaspur. The road was fairly empty and we entered Himachal Pradesh without any checking or testing and paid the entry fee of INR 40. We would periodically roll down the windows and take the fresh air in to make sure we don’t get very tired. At around 230 pm, it was decided to make a short stop and we got lucky when a sugarcane cart appeared to our left under the shade of a big tree. The young kid at the cart made fresh sugarcane juice for us and seasoned it with fresh mint and lemon.

It turned out to be a welcome break to stretch our legs and we resumed our journey again and felt the sun mellow down a bit. After crossing Mandi, we took the recommended Kandi-Kataula road and loved the scenic landscapes. The air started getting colder as we ascended to Kandi, it was delightful to see the rhododendron flowers still in bloom. A solitary shop near Kandi had freshly made rhododendron juice and we tasted a glass each. The rhododendron juice was also available for sale and I bought a bottle of the concentrate for some 220 Rupees. It was a lot more expensive than the one we had recently bought in Uttarakhand which was for only 100-120 Rupees.

Also read : Raison to Jana hike

It was about 5 pm and we were enjoying the landscapes on this single lane road which was a far cry from the dust of the main highway to Manali. We joined the main road near Bajaura and made quick time to finally make it to Yuthok Homestay in Raison at 7 pm. It was almost dark and Thakur bhai was there to welcome us, with a mask of course! I had called him to update about our location many times during the day and he knew we were super hungry and were looking forward to dinner! We put our bags in the cottage and I immediately searched for my jacket. It was mildly cold and the weather felt like a welcome change from the hot winds of Delhi.

We were all quite tired and after freshening up and sitting in the open for a while, went upstairs to the dining table once the food was ready. Everyone said our hellos to the family and Nilza (Rajeshwar Thakur’s 6 year old daughter) came and said hi to us as well! Dinner was simple yet hearty and was served in vintage kansa plates and matching utensils. We thanked the family for letting us come from Delhi and assured them of our safety since we had not met anyone from outside in the last 2-3 days. The meals at Yuthok Homestay were always freshly made (mostly with farm grown vegetables cultivated by aunty herself) and were so varied and delicious that I ended up gaining 5 kilos over a period of 5 months!

It felt colder as the evening passed; we chatted with Thakur bhai after dinner and kept a safe distance from each other in the open garden. After all this is exactly how Covid-19 was spreading when people were not taking the simple precautions. After a short walk in the orchard, we went to the cottage and slept. It was a feeling of contentment and safety; of being relieved to get away from the danger zone also known as Delhi. We had reached our intended destination without any untoward trouble and whatever happened next with regards to the closing of the state borders would not matter.

The Cottage – Yuthok Homestay

We slept blissfully and all the effects of the long journey were forgotten next morning. We took the bigger and warmer blankets since it was still quite cold. It felt like proper spring weather and the days felt nice and pleasant in the sun and a jacket was always required. A lot of effort was required to get out of the cosy blanket in the lovely cottage when it was morning. A part of the cottage was the vintage building that housed Dorje Yudon Yuthok, a lady of Tibetan origin. She lived here in the 1960s for a couple of months and paid the family in 2 vintage carpets from Tibet! That, in short is why the place has been named Yuthok Homestay.

The cottage itself is a huge space and is nicely made and tastefully decorated. On the left side, there are many windows that see a waterfall from afar and in the front a solitary window opens to a view of the green orchard that is also owned by the family. The sound of the waterfall is a constant music to the ears! There are numerous settees in the cottage with a reading/writing table in one corner. The low seating arrangement is embellished by traditional Buddhist carpets and became the preferred space for us to sit and work, and chill after evening. There are two extra single beds on the left side and a cupboard for long term stayers to keep their stuff. The beds are made from walnut wood and it feels very nice and homely to live in this cottage.

There is a big television in the cottage which comes in handy when we wanted to watch movies on a big screen! Even though the whole idea of a television doesn’t sound appealing at all; the fact remains that it is fun to cosy up on cold afternoons and evenings and watching a movie is a great mood changer. The cottage door opens to a chorten and a tall prayer flag (Darchog) which is the highlight of this home. There is also a small garden with chairs and a table where the chorten is located and a colourful array of different flowers also grow in front of the cottage. The chairs are setup with a view of the waterfall on the other side of the road and the table is two tree trunks kept together. It is a nice mix of modern and rustic and would soon become our favourite spot.

I thank Rajeshwar in the morning and he says long term guests minimize the chances of infection so this arrangement suited them as well. I went to the kitchen and made chai for us; aunty gave a small kettle which kept the tea super hot. The floor of the kitchen was quite cold and I made a mental note to wear socks in the morning from now on. The sun came from behind the mountain at about 8 am and the it surely felt nice and warm. It is a very happy and peaceful vibe with the chorten and we sit on its step to soak in the sunshine.

The aroma of shukpa (dried juniper) pervaded our nostrils and put our happiness quotient on another level. After all we were in a Buddhist home and aunty had put the dried juniper on coals from the tandoor bukhari. It is akin to a traditional ritual when we burn these herbs for good spirits and clearing the energy from the house. The smell is very sweet and aunty loves it when we tell her that we love the aroma of shukpa. She tells us she will hang the small utensil near our cottage from next time onwards so that we can enjoy the fragrant aroma!

We enjoy the chai and then spread our yoga mats in the open space. The filtering sunlight is just about perfect to make sure it is warm enough to get in the yoga mood! The sound of a waterfall from the other side of the road is nice as a background music; not too loud and not too soft – just right to indulge less in conversation and more in listening to the sounds of nature. Breakfast time at home is 9 am and we rush to fill our tummies. Normal work-days for work-from-home and as a freelancer with less assignments coming for travel writing I had decided to focus more on my art and craft platform ‘Indiocal’.

The network at Yuthok Homestay is excellent and it is a welcome change to have proper network after a few months of barely manageable internet connectivity in the forest cottage in Kasar Devi. That, plus a proper postal address with India Post services meant I could actually get stuff delivered from artisans across India to Raison, Kullu and the big size cottage meant I had ample room to experiment with photography for these products. Even though that meant I would spend less time on my blog and maybe put the publishing of the book on the back burner but then life doesn’t work according to plan and this seemed to be the way forward.

2020 hadn’t turned out to be a great year financially and I am glad in retrospect that it didn’t, as it enabled me to start the craft platform where I am able to work directly with the artisans to make a difference at the grassroots level. At Yuthok Homestay, I laid out the soft sheep wool blanket that I had procured from Uttarakhand and converted it into a rug. It looked nice and provided a cosy feel with the cold temperatures.

Spring in Raison, Kullu Valley

After gently easing into a sort-of routine during the weekdays; we were ecstatic to be able to feel the joys of spring on short walks in Raison. Rajeshwar bhai and Nilza led us to their surrounding orchards and to make us more familiar with walking trails in the vicinity. We were spellbound with the sight of blooming flowers in shades of purple, pink, yellow, white and red while every inch of land was covered by grass. It was an otherworldly experience to notice the bare pecan nut tree bear the first leaves and progress to get so dense so as to become the regular shaded space once the weather turned hotter in June.

The nearest walk led us to a path that was surrounded by greenery and had a shaded canopy; it was to quickly become the most desired escape whenever we wanted to go somewhere. Since it was complete lockdown across India and Himachal Pradesh was no exception, we were not supposed to go out of home.

This is when we realised the full joys of living at Yuthok Homestay in Raison; and life in Kullu Valley in general. With the limited population that Kullu Valley has, it seemed that the Police didn’t really have to resort to being strict. We had ample space in the orchard to sit and work and could go for walks whenever we liked. Of course, the presence of us outsiders was a bit disconcerting for the locals at first but they soon realised that we lived in Raison and did not pose the ‘outsider’ threat of coronavirus.

There were still apple blossoms blooming on the trees that grew on a higher altitude and it was a pleasant surprise to come across those on random walks. We tried our best to stay in the little bubble that we had at Yuthok Homestay and had to carefully choose our conversations as every other phone call seemed fraught with terrifying news with the pandemic raging across India.

We weren’t missing eating out at all courtesy of the special meals being made almost everyday by Sangey bhabhi (Thakur’s wife) and then aunty took over once bhabhi went to Manali. The secret to the incredibly tasty food was the fact that aunty grew vegetables like potatoes, onions, garlic, broccoli, zucchini, peas on their farm space and everything was cooked fresh. Over the course of 5 months, I gained about 4-5 kilos! Among the traditional Lahauli dishes served at Yuthok Homestay were shunali(Lahauli pasta), tingmo, momos, thukpa, siddu and patrode (Kulluvi dishes). I had never really been a fan of Tibetan food till now but then this was the first time I was actually living with a family long-term and they used atta rather than maida.

A most joyful accompaniment to these dishes would be fresh chutney made on a stone silbatta with whatever fresh was available at any given time. Once work time was over, there would be days when we would play sequence (board game) with a glass each of Morpheus Xo. The secret recipe for the chutneys was fresh garlic and onion leaves, one dry rhododendron flower, some pecan nuts (from the family tree) and the masala magic of the stone silbatta!

From someone who would almost always say no to momos, I transformed into a momo-lover gorging on paneer momos at Yuthok that are the best in the entire world! Whenever it rained, Rajeshwar bhai would entice us with tales of Thukpa (or Trultu Tsati) being soul food for cold evenings. Over the course of 5 months we realised it became cold in the mountains at a moments notice and that it would become just the perfect weather for thukpa! I had taught Nilza the art of jasoosi (is there really an equivalent word in english for aimless jasoosi) by observing the goings-on in the home and kitchen and giving us the news about what was being made for dinner.

There was no going to school for Nilza and her two cousins who lived in the adjacent home; and all three of them would create quite a ruckus. Aunty had warned us beforehand to not let the 3 of them together in the cottage; Nilza’s antics were the maximum we could manage. As Nilza became more familiar with us, she would come unannounced and demand to play her favourite songs so that she could dance! Sometimes she would announce that all of us had to dance together and that would become like the funniest sight ever.

When bhabhi had gone to Manali; the onus of Nilza’s classes was to be shared by everyone (including us) since uncle and Rajeshwar bhai were getting busier in the orchard. These little things made us feel like a part of the family when we organised a small outdoor lunch for uncle, aunty and had a gala time with a cool breeze blowing under the shade of the pecan nut tree!

We were four of us at Yuthok; our friend had joined us just in time when the lockdown began in Delhi and he was quarantined for 3-4 days to make doubly sure we were not responsible for inadvertently jeopardising our surroundings. When the cases in North India were rising, it was a cause of concern in Kullu Valley too; and the local village festivities were halted as well. Only after the worst of the pandemic was over, then the villagers congregated once for an important matter to be discussed for a decision to be made by the devta.

In a theme common across India, making traditional dishes involved a lot of effort in making and thats one of the prime reasons everybody wants to stick to making dal, chawal, roti, sabji everyday but thats not the case at Yuthok! When the number of guests is less; there are more chances of a traditional dish being made. Aunty’s persimmon pickle is legendary and after relishing the pickle with gusto for 3-4 days; aunty safely hid it to save it for the other guests who would visit later in the year. To not feel left out; there was ample supply of pear pickle, peach pickle and lingdu pickle – when the season of lingdu arrived.

After 2 odd weeks of getting acquainted with Raison, we started going to the nearby orchards with a dhurrie and yoga mats and sat under the shade of the apple trees to make it a ‘work from orchard’ afternoons. Invariably, Bella (neighbour’s dog who usually was at Yuthok) would accompany us and it would result in a very happy time with never a dull moment.

After a week or two; we realised that it was possible to go out from 10 am to 1 pm and that enabled me to dispatch the pending orders of Indilocal via India Post. The lockdown was said to be quite strict and we heard stories that tourists caught violating the covid norms were penalised with novel ways of punishment; manning traffic lights! Repeated offenders were supposed to serve in hospitals as a community service. I didn’t bother to verify the news and had to be content with the fact that we could always go sauntering on the village paths through the orchards. We were supposed to stay clear of the main road and now that everyone in the village knew we were living like locals, there was no apprehension for them as well.

At Yuthok, breakfast would be served at about 9 am; lunch at around 2 pm and dinner at 9 pm. I had taken over the duties for morning and evening tea since the masala chai made by our friend proved to be too hot for everyone! It was still quite cold in the end of April and aunty had suggested I take tea in a kettle to make sure it didn’t get cold by the time we ended up drinking it. In the evening, it would be lovely to play games like chupam chupai, pakdam pakdai, musical chairs and tippi-tippi-tap with al four of us, Nilza and the two cousins. It took us back to being kids and we would fall and some of us would cheat to try and win and our bodies would pain from the falls; but now as I write this after almost a year of the experience – I am reminded what a wonderful time it was!

Me and Nilza would play saanp-seedi (snakes and ladders) and although Nilza would try her best to make sure I won some of the games; I would lose miserably and she soon got bored of winning! We tried carrom once or twice but it was a no competition as I was far superior and then the carrom board was nowhere to be seen for the next 4 months.

Yuthok Homestay family had numerous orchards and one of them was located higher up in the mountains. They had also kept a cow there and we would have a bounty of milk products like paneer, curd and heavenly ghee! The paneer and churpi (used in thukpa) at Yuthok is home-made and that is the secret ingredient for the incredibly tasty and fresh feel. As soon as spring arrived, aunty had sown peas, garlic, onions, chillies etc and within no time we would be assisting in harvesting fresh peas in May.

A juice bar, ‘LPS’ was within walking distance for us and whenever we felt bored, we would take a walk to drink apple/plum/pear juice in the serene environs of LPS. It is quite interesting to observe human behaviour; we are able to find joy in small things if we are unable to undertake big tasks for pleasure.

As the days turned into weeks and then into months; it became a sort of a Friday evening ritual for us to walk through the fields of Raison to then go up to one Harihar sweets shop in Chatanseri to pick up piping hot samosas with their (now famous) green chutney made with coriander, green chillies and fresh mint leaves. We would rush back to the path of the orchards and sit somewhere overlooking the road to enjoy the samosas like there was no tomorrow. Once, we were also able to convince bhabhi and aunty to send Nilza with us and even though she thought the green chutney was too spicy – even now we fondly remember that time when the simple joy of eating samosas made us look forward to Friday evening!

Since we knew it wouldn’t always be possible to go to LPS every time we wanted a juice fix; we had got a crate of seabuckthorn juice. It proved to be a refreshing drink post lunch as the weather was at its warmest at about 3 pm and made for an excellent cocktail mixer later in the summer. We shifted places with the weather; earlier we would seek sunshine while having tea in the open air seating in the garden just outside the cottage; and then as the months passed we would seek shade whilst sitting on the chorten or even relaxing on the swing located under the pecan nut tree. Evening time almost always meant surreal shades and hues in the sky on cloudy and stormy days.

Just a week before the actual lockdown started, we would sometimes venture to Naggar to a particular café for their delightful cheesecake. The cheesecake love affair only lasted for a few days as the extra-smart owner once served and packed stale cheesecake for us and upon me telling him – ‘It was less than perfect and that it created trouble for everyone’s tummies’ said that the cheesecake was perfect and that maybe we didn’t get the right taste! Needless to say we have never entered the said café again inspite of an entire year of now living in Kullu Valley. After an year, we have learnt that the safest bet for simple and fresh cheesecake in Kullu Valley is at Valentino’s where all of Kullu seems to come at-least once every week.

Tingmo (steamed bread) at Yuthok are usually served for breakfast with a seasonal vegetable. They are nice and plump; made with atta and steamed to perfection. These tingmo’s are a far cry from the blobs of maida that are usually served in restaurants in the name of tingmo. One of the times while enjoying tingmo, I remark that I would like to get a tee-shirt with ‘I love Tingmo’ written on it! One of the days when it has rained and the weather is even nicer, we go walking to the Beas riverbank on the other side of Raison. Our days here are characterised by morning yoga where sometimes Nilza would join us.

I had carried some pulses and herbs from Uttarakhand and those came to create a good change at Yuthok. There was black bhatt ki dall and jambu masala; bhabhi made the bhatt ki dall so nicely that even the Uttarakhandi locals would have been surprised with the perfect taste! Kullvi folks aren’t exactly known for their taste buds in terms of sweet dishes and although I had known this; the feeling was reinforced and after trying the sweets at Chandralok once or twice, I figured it was easier for me to occasionally make a sweet dish. It was by a stroke of luck that I had carried black rice and since it is savoured in small quantities, I was able to make black rice kheer thrice for the entire household. After all, the ghee was excellent and the milk was full fat cream – all it required was slow cooking and the black rice kheer turned out to be quite awesome, with a nutty flavour.

Early morning yoga with Nilza was the funnest; she would first take one of the mats and copy all the yoga poses nicely. She would giggle and make everyone laugh while the meditation session was on. She would continue with her antics and create some new exercises and poses. Sometimes for breakfast, there would be bhaturu’s stuffed with green soybean (grown on the family farm). One of the weekends, our friends created painted artwork and a signboard for Yuthok Homestay. In the meanwhile, Nilza was not to be left behind and painted some pine cones. I tried a paint brush for the first time in my life and painted something on a stone! The LPS juice bottles made for nice planters and after getting painted in a light shade of blue looked very nice.

Once when we had gone for a drive, I had spotted a board ‘Salasar Dhaba’ – Sikar wale and immediately called the phone number. The owner was from Shekhawati itself and one day we decided to surprise the Lahaulis with Rajasthani food and drove to pick dal bati churma from Salasar dhaba. It kept raining intermittently & then remained stormy for 3-4 days, subsequently leading to snowfall in Manali in the end of April. On the same weekend we ended up going for a day hike to Kaisdhar accompanied with Rajeshwar bhai; there was snow on the hike and the last climb to the top of Chambagarh was quite an adventure. The views of the snow clad mountains were epic and the packed lunch felt like a nice picnic in the green meadows of Kaisdhar.

When the fruits were ripe, it felt like an everyday feast. First came the plums, then the apricots and peaches; then the pears, then apples, and followed by kiwi and persimmons. Ice-cream making was fun and the lucha plum jam received a great response from readers and followers across India.

From eating rajma chawal, to going on drives to the impeccably green Lug Valley, to playing sequence, gorging on siddu with chutney & ghee, picnics in the orchard house of the Thakur family, to asking Nilza for strawberries from her farm, enticing aunty to make her special kadhi pakora, watching the pecan nut tree turn from leafless to shade giving in the summer heat, going on ice-cream and juice walks in the ’10 day summer’, reading vintage books from Rajeshwar bhai’s collection, eating broccoli paranthas, going on riverside picnics, gossiping with aunty, uncle, Thakur, bhabhi and Nilza, making sorbets and ice-creams and being adventurous enough to start eating ice-cream with aunty in breakfast – Yuthok Homestay started feeling so much like home that we figured that we could live forever in Kullu Valley and have ultimately started living in a home only 4 kms from Yuthok!

Living at Yuthok provided me enough spaces for impromptu shooting for indilocal products like rugs & dhurries, paintings etc. At first the joy was in seeing flowers bloom, then it was to observe the weather transform from spring to summer and then progress to lush greenery in the monsoon. Finally when we left in September, it was the fag end of the monsoon and autumn chill was the predominant feel in the weather.

‘You can check out, but you can never leave.’

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We had spent most of the anxious post-March months at home in Jaipur; only heading out to Delhi and Himachal for around 4 weeks in September-October. Most of our travels otherwise were around Jaipur in the form of staycations and drives. It had started to feel boring being back in Jaipur and once Diwali celebrations were over, we started making plans in our head to leave for the mountains. The ‘where’ seemed like a sacrilegious question, and was left alone for the time being.

Read more on Kasar Devi :

Aimless Wanderings in Almora

Alternative Living in Kasar Devi, Almora

In December, when we learnt that there was no compulsory negative Covid test report required for entering Uttarakhand, it felt pre-ordained that we head to Dehradun to stay at our friends’ home there. Further, detailed enquiries meant the information that folks arriving from Delhi were being made to undergo a compulsory Covid Test at the border. Since we were not keen at all on getting a Covid test done, we decided to hire a cab directly from Jaipur to Dehradun and made sure it was a RJ number.

We spent a nice two weeks in Dehradun and on a random whim ended up staying a couple of days in Landour when we went for breakfast to Hathipaon, near Mussoorie. After breakfast, it was just decided to hike up via the jungle path to Landour and since we had covered almost 16 kilometres, it only seemed prudent to end up staying in Landour! The weather was very cold and temperatures were in the negative but we loved the walks galore and it felt as if we were ready to travel in the old style (of course with precautions).

It was a memorable Christmas feast in Dehradun and we were 7 of us travelling in 2 cars from Dehradun to Kasar Devi, next day. We had decided to take the long but beautiful winding route from Garhwal to Kumaon – the Karnaprayag-Gwaldam to Kasar Devi route. The biggest challenge was to figure out a safe place to stay on the road, and accordingly we left at about 8 am from Dehradun. It was decided to stay at one secluded place on the way to Gauchar.

It was a forgettable night stay to say the least but we left very early for our final destination Kasar Devi in Kumaon and luck started smiling on us. As we crossed Karnaprayag and were on the Gwaldam-Almora road, it was still quite early in the morning and for the first time in our lives (seemingly) we took a u-turn to end up at a dhaba eatery that we only noticed after going ahead.

The dhaba eatery turned out to be just the perfect spot with a flowing river and served freshly made incredibly tasty paranthas with veggies and dall. It felt as if our trip was already off to a great start. We met an internet acquaintance who was kind enough to give us chai with a grand view of Mt. Trishul. I was excited to see the fabulous looking bamboo baskets when our car crossed Gwaldam Bazaar and made a mental note to buy them if we were in Gwaldam again.

We drove and drove and passed different parts of Kumaon and were in Kasar Devi at around 330 pm. Since it was intended as a week long stay, I had decided that accommodation was best at a secluded place and I had in mind exactly the place that fulfilled the requirements. We were in the jungle and the place of stay wasn’t exactly luxurious but had an element of rustic beauty to it. There was a fireplace in every room to keep the cold at bay.

We enjoyed our aimless walks in the jungle and our evenings with the fireplace. It was fun to wake up to a view of the Himalayan peaks somedays as we practised yoga and meditation on the terrace. When it was time to go back, we realised we were mentally prepared to just continue living here and told our Dehradun and Delhi friends the same. The weather was cloudy and continued being so as everyone else except us left on 2nd January 2021.

There were a lot of factors involved in the shifting to the mountains. On our travels, we had always wondered what it would be like to live in one place. Now that ‘work from anywhere’ is a reality and it is possible to live this life, if we didn’t try it now, there might never be a better time to do it. We have not really decided how long we will live here, but it is just an experiment to see how it feels to actually live in the mountains.

We were hoping to be shifted to a warmer cottage on the 2nd but that didn’t happen and on a cold and gloomy day we decided to get dropped to Almora with our friends who were headed to Ranikhet. It was meant as a quick stop to buy the necessary stuff that we would need to start living. Almora Bazaar is closed on Sunday and that necessitated our going on a Saturday because we didn’t want to leave our shopping for essentials for too late.

It was a cloudy and gloomy day and felt very smoggy. We got dropped off on the Ranikhet road around 3.5 kms from the Almora Bazaar and got a ride in a camper after walking for a bit. The camper dropped us close to a set of stairs from where we reached Almora market after huffing and puffing for about 15 minutes! On the way, I realised that I had forgotten my mask and the first thing that we did after reaching the market was to buy a mask!

We figured that it made sense to buy some basic supplies and rations like oil etc since we were planning to ‘live’ here. If I’ve forgotten to mention it earlier, our cottage came with a kitchenette and there was a gas and the required utensils too. We also asked the owner to start giving us 1/2 litre daily milk that came straight from their cows that someone owned in the extended family.

Day 1

Vishal Mega Mart

Whenever we showed anyone in Almora our list of things to buy, they would invariably ask us to go to Vishal Mega Mart. Even though we were keen on buying stuff from the usual small shops in the bazaar, we figured it was easier to go to Vishal Mega Mart and buy the things we need in one place. Plus they had some massive discount scheme going on! We finished our shopping for masalas, rice, cups at around 3 pm and were super tired and hungry as well. I could only buy an upper warmer at the Neva shop since they had no lower in my size!

We bought towels to be used as a table cover and a curtain from one of many khadi shops in Almora Bazaar. Also bought a bottle of Morpheus XO brandy for 900 Rupees since I was told that it is a nice remedy to be used in small quantities as medicine to combat the cold.

We must have looked rather funny with the bulky looking bags but still decided to have a late lunch rather than rushing to our home in Kasar Devi and being hungry. It was a simple meal of bhatt ki churkani and mandua roti at Joshju’s Restaurant in Almora and we were glad to speak to the owner, Siddharth. We requested him to ask one of his staff guys to book the 2 front seats for us in the shared sumo because it might possibly be the last sumo of the day to Kasar Devi.

Almora Rasoi

While roaming in the heritage area of the Johari Bazaar, we had come across a utensil shop and picked some antique stuff in brass from him. The owner was a middle aged uncle and remarked that his kids had started a small venture in the lockdown, Almora Rasoi. He gave a packet of the tea masala made by Almora Rasoi for 30 Rupees for us to try it out. I spotted Almora Rasoi’s signboard near the shared taxi stand and met one of the young owners. He told me that everything they made was in desi ghee and I tried the makkhan bada and it really turned out to be amazing.

Almora is quite warm and when we get back it felt frighteningly cold in the cottage. We light a fire in the evening itself and make hot chocolate from the homemade mix that we had bought from Prakash Ji’s shop in Landour. We feel satisfied and accomplished having done most of our required shopping. We figured that we could make a list once we shifted to our actual cottage.

Day 2

Woke up to a drizzle. It has been raining since morning, not too much but enough to make it very cold and seemingly impossible to get out of bed. We have breakfast at our host’s home at 9 am and go back to our room. There is no chance of yoga on the terrace. It stops raining for a bit and we venture out to see the clouds in the forest that we are.

We light a fire at about 11 am and declare that it is a day to chill and relax and that we should celebrate our having gone to the market a day earlier. It is a cozy bed and I’m able to concentrate on reading a book after what seems like a long time. At about 1240 pm, we feel very sleepy but decide to not get too lazy and make lunch.

Lunch is sautéed whole french beans, carrots, and capsicum. It turns out to be super yummy and I am so happy with myself. We have received our first container of the fresh cow milk in the morning and the cold day means we make a round of hot chocolate. It turns out to be an epic lunch idea, especially in this Ruskin Bond – kind of weather!

To let go of our lethargy, we decide to go for a walk in the woods but have to opt against it as it starts raining as soon as we step out. We finally go to the terrace for network and stand in the sheltered part and download a movie or two! I also put out some social media updates.

It is surreal to notice the clouds and mist float around the trees in the near and far distance and how the mountains have been invisible for the last 3-4 days. I almost wonder if visitors to Kasar Devi feel what the fuss is all about if they come for a 2-3 day visit and don’t get a view of the mountains.

The day ends early and it is dark when we get back to our cottage at about 530 pm. There has been no electricity all day and we are lucky that the cottage has a single charging point that works on an inverter. At 7 pm, we go for dinner. Amazing food menu – mushroom tomato soup, dall, vegetables, chapati and rice. We chat up with our host about the possibility of snowfall next day if it continues raining. We continue the fire post dinner and sleep early because it will be cottage shifting day tomorrow!

Day 3

Our hearts are beating wildly in anticipation of shifting to a permanent cottage today. I am feeling wonderful after a good night’s sleep and the day begins nicely inhaling the fresh aroma of petrichor once we open the cottage door! The weather appears to be shifting between cloudy and sunny and it is fun to notice the small battle that the sun finally triumphs in! It is not raining anymore and we decide to not wait forever for the shifting of the cottage and go out for a walk and do our work.

Tara General Store, Papersali

We set out after breakfast to head to Tara General Store in Papersali to buy eggs and other basic supplies that we were unable to buy in Almora Bazaar. Tara General Store is like an all purpose hub in the region; as everyone gets their Amazon deliveries and other necessary stuff delivered there. There are also other shops nearby and it makes for a nice walk once you are familiar with the jungle paths.

It is a great day for a walk because the jungle has all kinds of pleasant smells today as the sun is shining brightly now after the spell of rain. The view of the Himalayas is clear and we wonder how the mountains decide to reveal themselves once the weekend tourists are gone.

We buy a tray of eggs at Tara General Store and are surprised to know that there is hardly any stock in the usually burgeoning shop. We cannot even find brown bread or atta maggi (not that we actually eat both of them) and even the vegetables don’t look fresh at all. I am happily surprised to see nice looking local avocados being sold for Rs. 30 per piece.

Tara Ji tells us that since there are hardly any long-term tourists staying in Kasar Devi right now, he has decided to take it slow for the time being. There’s another shop selling boutique stuff owned by a brother of Tara Ji, and that uncle tells us of a jungle path to reach our cottages! We thank him for the same and tell him we always want to avoid taking the road.

We have a peek around the other shops too and are able to buy a nailcutter and a locally made bamboo basket. It is around noon and we take the jungle path to go back; and come across pretty looking homes. Some of these homes are homestays too and there are a few cuddly looking dogs barking at us strangers!

We spot many malta trees (local oranges) and the stark orange colour is especially pleasing to the eyes. It is around 1 pm when we get back to our new ‘home’. The cottage hasn’t been emptied yet and we make a quick lunch.

We go up to the terrace for better network and to enjoy some sun. Our host tells us that the cottage is empty now (finally) and that it is being cleaned. We are excited to hear that and after a quick bath start packing our stuff in different bags so that we can shift quickly. We finally start shifting our bags at about 4 pm once the room is cleaned and the floors have been wiped clean.

We have also got our leftover wood in two lots. We unpack and arrange our stuff in the shelf. Once the basic stuff has been done, I make tea and it is a super happy feeling to drink in the new transparent cups!

This cottage already feels much warmer than the previous cottage! It has wooden flooring. We think that we might not even need to light a fire here. We setup the kitchen and put the fridge to good use by switching it off and storing rice and different dals in it.

It is time to test the internet speed and figure the best way of working here. This cottage opens to a small terrace where there are 2 chairs and a table. It is pretty cold outside and we will be able to sit outside according to the timing of the sunshine.

It is a lovely feeling to have shifted here in daylight because otherwise it might have just felt very gloomy to have moved here in the dark. We decide to give a load of clothes to wash the next day. Have dinner at 7 pm and thank our host for giving us a warm cottage! Since internet speed is manageable here, we watch a movie after dinner and call it an early night.

Hilans

We come across the Hilans outlet while checking other shops after Tara General Store. Buy bhatt ki dall, red rice and local mandua biscuits from there. These are all local foods of Uttarakhand and have immense health benefits in addition to providing warmth in the winter months. The prices at Hilans are a bit higher than the market but the quality is better too as the grains are sorted and there are less chances of stones in the pulses.

Day 4

It is our first morning in the new cottage. The alarm is set for 715 am but it feels very cold in the morning and I end up snoozing the alarm. I finally wake up 15 minutes later and see clouds in the sky after pulling the curtains. A round of nicely made tea and we are up and running with the new life.

We go to the bigger terrace at about 815 am and practise yoga and meditation. The view of the Himalayan peaks is absolutely clear and we give our clothes for a wash as we head for breakfast. It is oats porridge, milk and fruits for breakfast. It is indeed a very cold morning and the temperature is easily in the negative as we start work at about 930 am.

The sun comes at around 10 am on our terrace and we scramble to put the chairs and shift our position with the sunshine! At lunchtime, make rice and light stir-fry onions, tomatoes, spring onions, beans, capsicum and mix in rice. It turns out super yummy. I call it a case of beginner’s luck! We are pleased with how life is turning out here and sit and eat outside in the sun. The sunshine continues till around 2 pm and we decide to go for a walk in the jungle post that.

As we are about to leave, I see a message from The Farmhaus saying that our freshly baked atta bread is ready. We are supposed to pick it up from their house which is about 25 minutes walk from our place! It is the best part of life here and as simple as it gets when you walk through a dense pine and mixed jungle to pick up freshly baked bread! We are amazed to see their blue and white house with 2 cute dogs and the aroma is tantalising. We are given mandua cookies to taste and love them!

On the way back, we lose our way and wander around in the jungle for a bit. It turns out we were on the right way and finally make it back to the cottage at about 330 pm. We have decided to make sure that we go for a walk in the jungle everyday; otherwise whats the fun of living in the middle of nature.

After working for some time, it is time for chai and I marvel at the view of the snow clad Himalayas from the glass window – Mt. Trishul, Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba are among the prominent peaks visible from here. It is a majestic sunset and I see the peaks light up in different hues of orange and pink and then funnily enough I see the clouds roll in.

Dinner time is fixed at 7 pm and we relish the food laid out on the table. There is yummy tomato soup, avocado salad, dall, vegetable, chapati and rice. We chat with our host, spiritual chants playing in the background. The weather seems to be changing and the electricity goes. Thankfully we have a solar powered light in our room and we light up a fire in the fireplace to make it feel cosier. The wind is rushing through when we are about to sleep and it begins raining.

Day 5

It is fun to hear the pleasing sound of raindrops on our tin roof. It rains all night and there is a big downpour when the alarm for 715 sounds. I pull the curtains hoping to see a whiteout! It is still sort of dark and the surroundings are cloudy and misty. I feel like I’m in a Ruskin Bond movie! The rain finally stops after some time. There is a spider in the room and our host helps with it!

There is no electricity but thankfully everything is charged. The rain returns after breakfast. It feels bitterly cold in the absence of sun. I wonder if it continues raining, then maybe it might snow in the night. Lunch is omelette and bread and the bread turns out to be totally amazing. Invite our host for evening tea, he’s here at 430 and it is a lovely time! The electricity finally comes just in time and we put all our devices for charging lest there be another power cut!

I use the locally made gloves while typing on the laptop. I’ve sourced them and other local woollen products for my arts and crafts platform Indilocal. Otherwise it feels too cold and the teeth chatter. We decide to light up the fire everyday post-dinner only; since its not safe to leave the fire on while we are not in the cottage. I am trying to complete a blogpost and decide to work post-dinner too. That is one of the biggest challenges of a freelance life, since you have no boss – it becomes difficult to decide how much work to do.

Day 6

The weekend comes and like villagers we dress up and are super excited to go to Almora Bazaar for our weekly shopping of groceries! I also have to ship some orders for Indilocal. I wanted to find out a proper shop to buy local produce and I am able to locate it in the old Almora market. We buy local garlic, gahat ki dall and other herbs and spices. Tibetan ladies sell jambu and gandrayani and we buy small quantities to be used in food.

Now that we have completed almost 2 months of living in Kasar Devi, let me compile some highlights from the memories :

• Seeing a deer in the forest. A curious deer came by and stood still as we blended in the surroundings of the jungle. It skipped, jumped and disappeared. The joy of seeing a deer in the wild is simply inexplicable.
• Simple joys – Sitting in the sunshine, watching a flower bloom, drinking fresh cow milk, of being in nature, breathing fresh air, waking up to the chirping of birds, yoga and meditation, making flower vases with nature’s bounty, dewdrops on leaves, watching the Himalayan peaks.
• Learning to cook Kumaoni food – bhatt ki dal, red rice, gahat ki dall, jhangora, jambu masala.
• Learnt how to light a fire – with a fireplace in the cottage and winter in its full force, it was essential to keep a fire going in the evening to feel cosy and warm!
• Working from anywhere – Courtesy of a cotton dhurrie, we have worked from different places in different forests depending on our need for sunshine. We just need to find a nice flat land to spread the dhurrie.
• Working with the local women folk around villages of Almora and shipping hand made and hand knitted woollen products across India through @Indilocal
• Become a part of the community – Now, wherever we go in the nearby regions, most locals know us and share conversations with us.
• Watch winter transform the forest in spring. From leafless trees to seeing fresh shoots appear everyday.
• Endless walks in the forest, with dogs for company. Appreciating the urban pleasures whenever we go to Almora Bazaar to buy groceries.

And thats how life is in Kasar Devi.

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Read from the epic 2015 trip to Kumaon :

Attending a Kumaoni Wedding in Kumaon

Alternative Living in Kasar Devi

I had no plan of where to go next and a stroke of luck meant I was sitting in a camper before it got dark. The camper guy mentioned he was going to Sitlakhet and I remarked I’d love to go there! It was already semi-dark when the camper had given me a ride and we crossed Sitlakhet in pitch darkness. That day the camper guy recommended that I should just get back to Almora and stay there for the night and then figure my plans with a fresh mind. This was in 2015.

In 2018, I’d read about Nayalap and thought about a visit to Sitlakhet. The visit would only materialise in 2021 when we are living in Kasar Devi. It is the month of January when we embark on a four day visit to Sitlakhet. From Kasar Devi, the road first descends to Kosi where we cross the Kosi river and bridge and take a left towards Sitlakhet.

We have left at about 930 am and the views of the Himalayan peaks are a bit hazy from Kasar Devi. As we near Kosi, the haze increases with the appearance of the Kosi river. We ascend crossing the sizeable village of Khoont and at one of the turns the full splendour of the Himalayan peaks is visible. Nayalap is located 3 kms before Sitlakhet in a hamlet by the name of Salla Rautela.

I am overjoyed with the view of the Himalayan peaks but the haze is back and my joy is short lived. We reach Nayalap earlier than expected. Nayalap offers luxury camping (glamping) and we meet the owners Tanuja and Anindya. It is nice and sunny in the open sit-out and the first look of the property is captivating. We are ushered into the luxurious setting and keep our backpacks inside.

We chat for an hour or so while enjoying the nice sunshine and decide to hike to Sitlakhet bazaar by a jungle path. The distance by road is only 3 kms but it makes sense to walk when you are in a nice forest breathing clean air. We first walk past the village of Salla Rautela and then start our hike on a lovely jungle path that has a winding ascent all the way till Sitlakhet.

Sitlakhet – An Introduction

Sitlakhet is a tiny hamlet in Kumaon, Uttarakhand. It has a few shops in the one street market and is located away from the main Almora – Ranikhet circuit. It is an offbeat destination and has been popular with the travellers of yore due to the vintage Forest Rest House in Sitlakhet that was built in 1873 by the British. Sitlakhet is rich in flora and fauna and the hills and jungles around the village are said to house more than 100 species of birds.

The hiking trail to Sitlakhet is well marked and passes through a mixed forest of pine, oak, deodhar, rhododendron trees, and also crosses an educational institution on the way. We also meet a few locals on the hike and exchange greetings. The sun filters through the trees and makes it a pleasant experience with the breeze staying away. We reach Sitlakhet bazaar in about 30 minutes and continued towards the FRH after a short peek at the market shops.

Forest Rest House Sitlakhet

The Forest Rest House (FRH) in Sitlakhet was probably built in mid 1860s and is located on a hillock that is at a distance of around 500 metres from the main Sitlakhet Bazaar. There’s also the KMVN TRH (Tourist Rest House) which appears just before the iron gate of the FRH. In front of the Forest Rest House, there is a small green meadow which would be a perfect picnic spot on a clear day when the Himalayas are visible. Some of the prominent peaks that can be seen from Sitlakhet are Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, and Panchachuli.

The Forest Rest House in Sitlakhet is a beautiful old building and has an enviable setting. We are unable to see it from the inside, as it is undergoing repairs with the wooden floors in the rooms being replaced. I could only have a peek from the window and saw that the interiors were charming and there are fireplaces in the rooms and the dining area as well.

Sitlakhet Bazaar comprises of a few shops selling necessities, a cute-looking post office, a pharmacy, a blue coloured tea stall, a local dhaba making samosas, and 2-3 hotels providing basic accomodation facilities. We continue on our jungle walk after visiting the FRH and a dog accompanies us from FRH Sitlakhet. It is around 4 pm and we are surprised to see a rhododendron flower blooming; even though it is only January.

It is a surreal sight to see an acacia tree in bloom, in an alluring shade of yellow. We are walking in a dense forest and the evening light makes the surroundings look even more beautiful. After a while, we reach a flat grassland and see some holes dug for water percolation by the Forest Department. It is a leisurely downhill hike thereafter to reach Naila village and come back to Nayalap. There is a small bakery in Naila village and it is fun to see biscuits and other products being made.

Salla Rautela – A Typical Kumaoni Village

On one of the afternoons at Nayalap, I am accompanied by Tanuja and Anindya to take a walk around the Kumaoni village of Salla Rautela. It is an old village and the houses are spread across the valley. Salla Rautela is a typical Kumaoni village with pretty houses, mostly barren fields, dwellings with heritage value with carved doors and windows in likhai craft, exquisite door and window frames, and a few vintage houses made from stone can also be seen.

Some of the designs on the door and window panels are quite exquisite, while one can spot a few dilapidated, crumbling homes too. Some of these homes are locked, presumably to return later while some seem to be locked forever. I experience a feeling of unparalleled joy upon seeing a field of daffodil flowers (nargis flowers) blooming in one part of the village. Their scent is light but memorable and I wonder if it is available in bottled form.

Palayan – Migration in Uttarakhand

When I turn around, my eyes are facing a bakholi (a common village home) of 9 houses, which is a huge structure in a crumbling condition. 2-3 homes out of the 9 are in dire straits and the walls on the lower floor are already collapsing. Some of the home owners have shifted closer to the road and have built a home there.

The fields that the villagers own are mostly left uncultivated. The reasons are manifold – water issues, monkeys and pigs destroying their crops, young generation doesn’t want to farm anymore, everyone wants a job. Since jobs in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand are few and far between, the youth ultimately ends up migrating to the cities in search of work and slowly the families move out of the village preferring to live an ‘easier’ life.

There were also a few glimmers of hope, I saw one traditional Kumaoni home being rented by a Nepali family with kids playing in the courtyard and another one with pretty doors rented by a couple from Bageshwar. Most of these doors and windows are painted in different colours, predominantly in shades of blue although I also spotted some green ones too.

On the informative walk, I was pleased to be shown tiny holes in the walls of houses that were meant for bees. The entry and exit would be controlled by the house owner ensuring a small quantity of real honey. Next day when I went again, I met 2 brothers sowing potatoes in the fields; they were planning to tie a dog near the field so that the monkeys wouldn’t dare to come near the crop.

We sat near the nargis flowers (daffodils) and said our namastes to the local women carrying fodder for animals. The aipan designs outside homes were especially beautiful but it was a little sad to see a number of the homes locked. Apparently, the locals had moved out and migrated to the cities. Salla Rautela village has about 90 homes and around 40 of them had already migrated leaving some of those locked homes and some of the others crumbling.

Nayalap

Tanuja is a local from the Kumaon region and was concerned with the mass exodus of the Kumaoni youth towards the cities. That was the idea that gave birth to Nayalap; the word migration in english is palayan in hindi. Palayan read backwards is Nayalap – and that is what Tanuja and Anindya aim to do with Nayalap is to start the reverse migration and bring back Kumaoni youth back from the cities. Nayalap also endeavours to convert old Kumaoni houses into homestays and give a sustainable earning model to the locals by way of tourism.

Nayalap is a boutique luxury stay consisting of 4 glamping tents, that are spread out from each other for privacy of the guests. If I have to summarise Nayalap in a nutshell – there are multiple pristine hiking trails in the jungle, luxury camping (glamping) in the midst of nature, gorgeous furniture with pleasing interiors, warm electric blankets, excellent food with Kumaoni dishes, use of the local sheep wool blanket Thulma, evening lights of Almora and the moonrise when the moon appears red. They employ local Kumaoni staff from the nearby villages.

The weather is hazy which is unusual for the winter and that means we have a clear view of the mountains for just one day. According to the locals when the views are clear, the sight of Himalayan peaks from Sitlakhet is surreal. The luxury tents at Nayalap are set on platforms and have a jungle feel as there is ample space for each of them surrounded by trees and they are not cloistered together which is usually the case with luxury tent properties. What that means is that we wake up to the sounds of birds. Evening bonfires with home made ginger wine are welcome with a dazzling view of the stars in the night skies.

Furniture – Every tent is equipped with a dining/work table with ample space for 4, and a comfortable contemporary settee lined with gorgeous cushions. Side tables, a rack for keeping bags, a clothes hanger, and a vintage looking cabinet. Flooring is bamboo mats woven by local artisans. Choice of teas is excellent, bottles of green tea, masala tea and coffee are kept and a strainer is given. The tea mugs look custom made and feel very pretty. Curtains are in the form of bamboo blinds.

Even though it is thick in the middle of winter, the temperature is comfortable inside the tent even after it gets dark. The heater does its job and we have dinner on the table in the tent itself. A happy surprise is the electric blankets and we turn them on 30 minutes before getting in the bed. That means the bed is nicely warm and coupled with the thulma blanket, it is a cosy night’s sleep.

The dining area has 3-4 tables and is set amidst trees, surrounded by succulents, other flowers and greenery and has a rustic yet welcoming feel. There is one table kept in the open space that receives the maximum sunlight and is the preferred place for breakfast and lunch. The small verandah outside each tent comes with a portable small table and mobile chairs (quechua). The tents itself have white curtains on all sides on the exterior. Inside the tents, the white curtains can be drawn to separate the living area from the bedroom part to make it a more intimate space. We had carried fairy lights to make it look more warm and cosy and homely!

The mobile network and internet connectivity at Nayalap is excellent and they also have wifi. There’s also a dog at the property by the name of Ludo. It is refreshing to see school kids every morning as they cross through the open area to go for their tuition. One can see easter egg decorations and pine cones painted in the open space. Nayalap’s natural feel brings out the artist in visitors and proof of that is in a watercolour painting gifted by a guest. It can be seen outside the kitchen wall.

At Nayalap, their food offerings are varied and are a nice mix of Indian, continental and Kumaoni food – Thatwani soup (black in colour) made of 3 beans, bhatt ki churkani, bhatt ka dubka, bhangjeera ki chutney, sana hua nimbu, bhaang ki chutney, jhangore ki kheer, salad of thatwani, aloo ke gutke, gahat ki dall, mooli salad in mustard oil, gaderi ki sabzi, mandua ki roti, fresh paneer made in the village, pumpkin soup. In short, every meal felt like a feast and they customize the food according to the guest’s preferences.

The staff from nearby villages has been trained well and food is served hot in fine serving vessels with accompaniments like ghee, raita, salad and local Kumaoni salt. I quite liked the innovation with the mandua halwa and gaderi toast. During breakfast time, there was a choice of fruits everyday, and fresh made juice or milk shake and a word of appreciation for consistently excellent masala chai.

A Day Trip to Ranikhet – Walks in Ranikhet

The distances in Kumaon are small, and that meant we decide to explore Ranikhet on a Saturday! We leave from Nayalap at about 11 am and totally enjoy the drive amidst the thick forests and minimal traffic. On the way, Tanuja pointed out a jackal right in front of us – then we realised it was a pair of jackals, and multiple steppe eagles on the road. There might have been a dead animal in the vicinity as we see more steppe eagles on the next turn.

We cross Majkhali and drive past the Army Golf Course and reach Ranikhet Cantt. after an hour or so. It is somewhere close to the Nar Singh Stadium where we start our walk. We climb a short set of stairs and arrive at a point to see the first dwellings or barracks where the English soldiers first started living. It is an Army Cantt. area and there’s a temple in front of the KRC (Kumaon Regiment Centre) woollens workshop in an old Church.

KRC Woollens

I had heard about the wonderful initiative of Kumaon Regiment Centre Woollens but had never expected to see a Church being converted to a workshop. It felt quite an amazing idea to maintain the church and preserve the heritage! There were about 20 looms installed in the interiors and a signboard which detailed about the variety of shawls and woollen products made at KRC Woollens. I met a guy from Pithoragarh here and he told me about the variety of products made here.

The shop section of KRC woollens was located in another Church which was hardly a five minute walk from the first Church. There was another smaller workshop in the second Church and we had to rush to the shop since it was about to be 1 pm when the staff would shut shop for their lunch break. We entered at 1250 pm and were happily surprised with the excellent quality of stoles, mufflers, jackets, tweed cloth, shawls and other woollen products. There were also handicrafts in traditional Kumaoni designs made by war widows.

The best part was that prices were fixed and the staff was ok with us seeing the products even when it was 5 minutes past 1. I kept the solitary shawl aside (to see later) when the staff actually wanted to go for lunch. There was also knitted stuff, and AWWA Asha cards, some SOS cosmetics and also Purkul Stree Shakti products.

Heritage Walk in Ranikhet

We begin our walk in the Cantt. area in Ranikhet and lose the main road. It is pleasing to walk in the dense greenery and we cross Rani Jheel from where the gently ascending trail begins. We cross a few crumbling and dilapidated Churches on the way; Canossa Convent School, and the walking trail ends at Ranikhet Club. We are happy to amble under a verdant canopy of deodhar, walnut, chestnut, oak, pine and cypress trees.

Ranikhet Club is a regal building established in 1884 and is located on The Mall Road. The dining room, bar, interiors with fireplaces, rooms overlooking expansive patches of greenery and a lawn tennis court are wonderful spaces. I really like this part of Ranikhet and it surely must be the quietest Mall Road I have ever visited!

Ranikhet was a summer establishment for the British since the late 1860’s before it became home to Kumaon Regiment after independence. Since Ranikhet is a cantonment town, construction is not permitted and that ensures Ranikhet doesn’t look like a concrete jungle like most other popular hill stations turn into. In the present day, it is a mountain town dominated by the Army Cantonment area that gives Ranikhet its unique character.

We continue walking on The Mall and are transported back in time with Army Guest Houses, old lampposts, rhododendron trees in bloom (in January!), heritage hotels, old estates and bungalows, and the air smelling of eucalyptus trees. It is quite refreshing to see a fresh growth of greenery in the dense jungle, a testament to how strict Ranikhet is with regards to the tree cover.

We go to Chevron Rosemount – which is a nice heritage property. The garden is a great place to sit with cast iron chairs, and the immaculately maintained lawn makes for a great lunch idea in the winter sunshine. Since we are carrying an elaborate picnic lunch setup with us, we continue our explorations of Ranikhet.

Even though The Mall Road walk is on a road, there is no car that passes us by in the 4-5 kilometres walk. The road joins the main road at West View Hotel and we see a signboard that Nehru also walked here. We set out for a picnic lunch near Chaubatia and find a secluded sunny spot under the pine trees. It is around 330 pm and the breeze blowing is already quite cold. On our way back we cross the Jhula Devi Temple lined with bells.

There are a number of hiking trails in Ranikhet and we spot the jungle paths in the Cantt. area and also near the West View Hotel and Jhula Devi Temple. Ranikhet seems like a lovely town for a longer stay!

We spread the dhurrie and unpack the bamboo basket. It feels like a treasure hunt as I am not aware of the menu. My joy knows no bounds when I am served delicious methi puri, black chana, jhangora (barnyard millet) khichdi, spicy pumpkin with jakhiya, and the signature Nayalap chilly pickle. It is akin to a feast and after trying to click the perfect instagram shot, we dig in! The food is yummy and the picnic setup is perfect.

If you are in the region, I highly recommend exploring Ranikhet with the Nayalap folks! It is a perfect way that Ranikhet should be seen, on foot.

We begin our return journey from Ranikhet and cross the majestic evening sights in Majkhali. A surreal sunset seems to be brewing and we catch glimpses of the valley view on our return. We stop at a bamboo artist near Sitlakhet – he is a gifted guy and makes excellent stuff from bamboo. Nayalap works with him and you can buy products handcrafted in bamboo like a magazine stand, coasters, fruit box, lamps etc from their website.

Hike to Syahi Devi Temple

The Nayalap folks had saved the best for the last! On our last evening – we start our drive at around 330 pm and reach the parking place ahead of Forest Rest House by around 415 pm. There are three different trails to go to Syahi Devi temple, and all of them are well marked. We decide to take a round hike by walking on one trail and coming via a different one. It is quite interesting to know that the locals have named some of the houses – Bhutan, Singapore, Nainital courtesy of the connection that these house owners have with these places!

The trail to Syahi Devi temple passes through dense pine and oak forests. The temple is located at an altitude of approximately 2300m. There is a nice opportunity for birding enthusiasts here and the trail is accessible throughout the day. On the way to Syahi Devi temple we also came across many fruit orchards for which Sitlakhet was well known at one point of time. On a clear day it is possible to have a majestic view of the Himalayas and see all the way till the mountains of Nepal.

Tanuja shows us lichens growing on trees in an upper part of the trail, lichens usually grow in cold areas with zero air pollution. For the uninitiated, lichens are also used in Hyderabadi biryani. After crossing one fence, we enter someone’s private estate and spot rosemary and local tea leaves growing. Some locals inform us that they practice mushroom farming, and one house even has an essence making unit.

We continue to the temple and cross a few houses located on the sides of the hill that comprise Syahi Devi village. There are young kids playing basketball in surreal evening light. The forest department has put nice signboards on the nature trail, and a signboard at the temple informs us that Swami Vivekananda meditated for 4 days at Syahi Devi Temple. We pay our respects at the temple and sit for a while.

The Syahi Devi temple is locally revered and surprisingly looks newly built. The house adjacent to the temple seems quite old and the door frame there has been carved in stone itself. There are a few shops selling religious paraphernalia and also a few houses of the residents. The locals believe that Syahi Devi temple was built more than 200 years ago.

It is time to be enthralled by the magic of nature – We witness a surreal sunset from a high ridge that is a 10 minute walk from Syahi Devi temple. The sun is setting behind the hills, and we have hot tea in thermos as we savour the sight of the sun going behind the mountains. The after-sunset colours are also very nice but since it would get dark soon, we start our hike back through a different trail. It is all downhill and we make it to the car in good time.

We cross Bora Estate, and Pine Cliff Youreka Camp, a property – Anant Rasa and some more recently built cottages. The way downhill is pretty easy and passes through a stunning dense forest and we reached the car in semi-darkness.

How to reach Sitlakhet?

Distance of Sitlakhet from Ranikhet is 30 kms. Distance from Sitlakhet to Almora is 36 kms. Shared sumos and buses ply for Sitlakhet from both these towns. If direct buses/shared taxis are not available, then Kosi is the junction from where shared taxis to Sitlakhet will be available. From Delhi, reaching Sitlakhet will take approximately 10 hours.

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We woke up early in the morning and reached to the bus stop (at 7 am) which was hardly 5 mins from Newa Home (where we stayed, recommended by a friend). There were 4-5 buses and all of them were headed to either Pokhara or other tourist-friendly destinations. I noticed that 3 of the buses were bound for Pokhara. Our aim was to catch the bus which would leave the earliest.

Also read : A Day in Misty Kurseong

We were 4 of us and knew that since it was off season, there was plenty of scope for bargaining on the bus ticket price. A guy approaches us from the Kathmandu-Pokhara Air Conditioned bus, scheduled to leave at 730 am and quotes a price of 800 per person. After checking that the seats were in the middle and not the rear, we agreed a final price of 600 Nepali Rupees per person.

There were many foreigners in the bus and were rushing the bus to leave on time. The bus guy took us aside and told us there’s still 15 minutes for us to start our journey and that we can eat something if we want. We were hungry and found a small local eatery serving tea, sell roti with chickpeas. The bus leaves on time and is almost full. We hope to reach Pokhara by 130 pm as the distance from Kathmandu to Pokhara is only 180 kms.

It begins drizzling after we cross the sizeable city of Kathmandu and we are stuck in a massive traffic jam around 930 am. We are reminded of India a decade or two ago with the chaos of the traffic jam with no news of its resolution. The progress is painfully slow and instead of reaching Pokhara at 130 pm, we have just reached a lunch place set by the river!

The restaurant-dhaba is an expensive place, with buffet lunch for NPR 300 per person. We are hungry and have no choice but to eat; the spread is excellent though with salad, papad, noodles, dall, rice, and 2 vegetable curries. The sitting area is shaded and we eat well considering it might be our only meal of the day. It is sweltering hot and humid and we are grateful for having chosen an air conditioned bus over the faster but non-ac maxi shared taxi instead.

We are ecstatic when the conductor announces that we have reached Pokhara at about 4 pm. The bus parking is at an almost inaccessible place full of slush, leading to a gaggle of taxi operators quoting astronomical prices. We made our way out of the area and immediately found a taxi for NPR 200 that dropped us close to Phewa Lake. Our aim was to find a reasonably priced place to stay in Pokhara.

I hadn’t done any research and entered a lane full of guest houses and were able to finalise a nice place for 1200 NPR for 2 rooms. It was a family run place with some open spaces; the bathroom was shared but since we there were only 4 of us – it was no problem at all. The young guy at the reception was happy to fill our bottles with filter water and that really saved us a lot of money!

Phewa Lake

After having done all this in less than an hour, there was still plenty of time left for us to stroll to Phewa Lake. There was a temple at the start of the entry point to Phewa Lake I was mightily surprised to see some geisha-like tourists there. It was nice to know that there were no entry charges for the entrance to the lakeside.

It felt like a festive atmosphere as we strolled on the walking path around Phewa Lake. Many local families were out for a picnic with their kids. Colourful boats occupy centerstage in the lake and with the sun setting with the mountain view, made for a pristine sight. I enjoyed clicking photographs of the serene setting.

To the right of the walking path, there were restaurants and cafe’s advertising fast foods, snacks, juices, offers on drinks and beers! Prices of the restaurants were quite high because this was a proper tourist spot. Sunset on Phewa Lake seemed like an especially popular time and there were also some street sellers grilling fresh meat and selling ‘sekuwa’. It felt like a wonderland, full of happy people with smiling faces.

We continued walking on the path and sat whenever we felt the urge to enjoy the views fully. There were 2 people/4 people boats and we saw few tourists enjoying their time boating in the lake. The ticket counter had rates for the same which seemed quite reasonable. Some hawkers were also selling freshly prepared corn on cob. The cafés located farther away look prettier and some of them are playing live music to entice the passersby!

Some of the prettier looking cafés are full of foreigners – they are on the other side of the lake and have calmer sitouts, mellow lights, relaxed music and cheap beer! It is a joyful atmosphere with impromptu guitar and singing sessions. We start having hunger pangs with the lunch feeling like a distant memory now!

The air is still pretty humid and we are thankful for the breeze without which it would have been quite sweaty on the walk. The sunset is stunning and while we debated about sitting at one of cafés and enjoying beer (150 NPR for San Miguel beer), we ended up being indecisive and walked to the main street before it got dark. Many guest houses and hostels for backpackers. Advertised food joints serving different variety of food; Tibetan, Vietnamese, Chinese, European.

Free-wifi is advertised prominently; it reminds me of backpacker friendly tourist destinations in India many years ago where wifi is a popular way of enticing international tourists. We come across a stunningly beautiful restaurant by the name of Byanjan – done up in gorgeous blue and white colours but it turns out to be super expensive when we check the menu! We sit on the upper floor of a nearby restaurant and sip draught Sherpa beer and eat excellent Margarita Pizza.

The staff recommends an authentic Nepali restaurant for dinner nearby, one Fewa Thakali Bhanchha Ghar. We enter the eatery and are pleasantly surprised to see it is fully occupied with local families. The interior sitting space is in a traditional style, walls are in maroon and white with low tables and cushions laid out on the floor. We find a solitary empty table on the roof and grab the same!

The food turns out to be excellent; served in brass plates. We were recommended momos made with buckwheat and a thali which was full of greens that had a unique taste. The prices are reasonable too for the excellent and authentic variety of food and the Thali costs us NPR 300. We thank the staff and go walking on the streets of Pokhara.

There are cyclewallahs as fruit sellers roaming on a cycle with a juicer and offering fruits like pineapples, avocados, mangoes, banana, oranges etc like a mobile fruit market on wheels! Its fun to see them stop wherever they see foreign tourists. Pokhara is a busy market with many souvenir shops. We enter a shop selling Tibetan singing bowls, and it has a wide and staggering variety. The singing bowls make a serene and calming sound but the handmade ones are priced very high (medium sized ones at NPR 1500) and we choose not to buy anything for the moment.

We walk back to our guest house and are relieved that the weather has turned cooler with the recent rain. It is decided to head to Begnas Tal next morning as my friends Jai & Prerita are staying there and highly recommend the area. Sleep comes in no time with the tiredness of the bus ride!

I had spotted the bus from Pokhara to Begnas Tal and found that the starting point of the same was from Phewa Lake itself! So, we woke up in the morning, had chai and an early breakfast and got ready quickly to leave in the bus bound for Begnas Tal. The ticket is only 60 NPR per person and we are the only 4 people in the bus when it starts from Phewa Lake! It is a comfortable bus and will take around an hour for the 25 odd kilometre distance to Begnas Tal.

We call Jai after the bus drops us in Begnas Tal. He explains the directions to get to a place called Sanu Lake on D Water. A local street festival is going on in Begnas Tal, we are delighted to see the dances and the ladies all dressed for the occasion. We keep walking across Begnas Tal lake, cross a small hillock and arrive at the beautifully located Sanu Lake on D Water.

Sanu Lake on D Water in Lekhnath

It is a pristine scene, with not a soul around and calm, placid waters of the lake. There are blue and yellow coloured boats in the water and with the surrounding green hills look very pretty. We meet with Sanu and check the rooms and agree on the price. It is a gorgeously located guest house with rustic tables set in an open sit-out very close to the lake.

Sanu tells us that some of the rooms are blessed with views of the Himalayan peaks when the weather is clear. Kayaking is also possible in the lake and Jai has already told me about the fantastic swimming experiences possible here. Relaxed opera music is being played and reflections of the nearby mountains in the water look enchanting. We fix the prices with Sanu @800 NPR per room including breakfast.

We only plan to stay for a night here as Jai & Prerita are going to be moving to a higher area in Pokhara itself and we plan to see that region too! We walk out and spot some nicely located tiny eateries near the lake, it is a surreal setting for sure. Some of the walls at Sanu Lake on D Water are painted with graffiti and they also have life jackets available for for swimmers. Jai calls and asks us to come to the village where a festival is being held in the fields!

The rice fields are submerged in water and youngsters are happily singing and dancing in the muddy water over some funny looking competitions! Its very humid and we find a shaded corner to protect ourselves in the harsh sun. Locals are watching the proceedings and it is an especially funny scene to see foreigners rolling in the mud too!

I decide to try a bread at a small bakery and it turns out to be delicious! Jai & Prerita take us to a home run eatery near Sanu Lake on D Water. We order thalis and the family sets about the task of making everything fresh. Food takes a lot of time to appear but is well worth the wait when it does. Rice, fried potatoes, dall, vegetable, curd, chutney and salad and the puri sabji is excellent too.

It is the World Cup 2019 and today is England vs India; Jai leads us to an open air space with an expansive view of Begnas Tal and a television screen. We happily drink Nepali beer (300 NPR per bottle) like Gorkha and Everest while playing UNO. Jai is mostly interested in watching cricket and all of us take turns with the match too! It is a supremely serene setting. We go back in the evening after an early dinner of chowmein at a small eatery nearby because the food at Sanu is quite expensive!

We watch India losing the cricket match under the stars on the roof with Jai’s VPN connection! There is no electricity for a few hours and it is blissful to enjoy the stars overhead. We all go for a short swim in the lake in the darkness when Jai insists it is an unbelievable experience!

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It is a comfortable sleep with the breeze blowing and next morning we enjoy the tea and breakfast sitting by the lake. The sun is out and we jump in the water to enjoy the blissfully cool lake! Tranquil setting with live guitar playing, a traveller is playing and singing. Breakfast is roti, potatoes, egg bhurji and fruits.

We check out and Sanu’s true colours are revealed when Jai & Prerita try to settle their bill! He has apparently charged them for beers that they never had. We have been charged princely prices for bananas and fat rotis that he has served in the name of breakfast which he had included in the prices earlier! We somehow end the matter without a fight and pay up (nodding to ourselves that we had correctly judged Sanu’s cunning character but had still let him work his charms on us.)

Dinesh House Deorali & Robin’s Nest Deorali

We walk to the market in Begnas Tal and book 2 small Maruti Altos to drop us to Deorali area, an uphill climb of 3 kms. Pay 150 NPR each cab, very reasonable. We get down close to a temple and continue walking to reach Dinesh House (where Jai’s room is booked for 2 weeks!). There are no spare rooms at Dinesh House and we check out the nearby Robin’s Nest. The woman in charge there shows us the rooms and even though they are not very well ventilated, the weather is mild and we agree on a price of INR 600 per room including breakfast.

It is a relaxed evening and we play UNO in Jai’s spacious room with a balcony at Dinesh House. Prerita orders our thalis too at their in-house kitchen. We go to the roof to catch the sunset amid the surreal evening skies. We enjoy a few chilled beers in the evening as the clouds turn stormy and bring rain in the night. We have an excellent dinner at Dinesh House, thanks to Jai & Prerita.

We come back to Robin’s Nest and it starts pouring down as soon as we are in our rooms! The electricity goes with the sky thundering intermittently and it continues raining for a good two hours. We sleep well and wake up to the the best sight of our trip (or life?!)

The skies have cleared and the majestic Annapurna range is visible from our balcony. Our guest house, Robin’s Nest is perfectly located for this view and we lounge around on the hammock and take in the surreal sight of 8000 metre peaks in clear view! Jai and Prerita also join us and tell us that we are very lucky to see this sight in the monsoon month of July. We enjoy the show for an hour or so until the clouds decide to come back.

After breakfast, we have a shower and decide to walk around the area. It has progressed into a hot day with the sun out in full force. We visit the nearby Deorali temple and are stunned with the majestic wood carvings. The entrance to the temples in Nepal is very ornate and artistic. I am especially glad to come across a non-touristy local temple in a real village.

It is afternoon time and we are all hungry with all the aimless walking around in the humidity. We come across a small eatery run by a lady and ask her if she can make noodles with mint chutney and vegetables? She says it will take time as everything will be freshly made. We are pleased with the answer and decide to wait and help her in making it! The noodles take around 45 minutes to make and turn out to be the most delicious noodles of our entire Nepal trip.

We go back happily to Deorali and witness the cloudy skies in the evening with the beautiful landscape and the views of Begnas Tal lake. It is time for another round of UNO and dinner at Dinesh House. It rains in the evening making the proceedings cooler. The food is delicious again and we also watch another World Cup cricket match in progress. We decide to drop all plans for Muktinath or hiking in the Pokhara region and plan to get to Kathmandu next day(Bhaktapur.)

The cloud cover is heavy in the morning and the mountains are not clearly visible. We have tea and breakfast with the greenery glistening in the brief period of sunshine. In an hour or so, when the clouds part a gap in the clouds reveals a dazzling array of peaks! It is like a goodbye photograph from Pokhara as we are going to leave in some time.

We all leave for Pokhara first for a pizza treat (losers in the UNO game) and decide on Roadhouse Café as the venue. See some souvenir shops selling Shaligrams. The pizza is ok-ok and we eat cake and pastries for dessert at another nearby place. Say goodbye to Jai and Prerita and thank them for a lovely time!

We decide to go by shared maxi cab while going back. We are quoted 600 NPR per seat but the intense competition between the cabs works and we get into a maxi cab for 400 NPR per person! They are faster than a bus but non-aircontioned. Thankfully the weather is good today and we have reasonable space in the maxi cab!

We reach Kathmandu at around 8 pm.

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We reach Bathad at 3:30 pm, the atmosphere is gloomy and it is raining heavily here. Directly go to Thewa Ram Ji homestay where I had stayed earlier in Bathad. As soon as we agree on the rate etc, we put our bags inside the rooms of the homestay and Mahi and Thakur take the next step of taking the gypsy and going back on the road to Gushaini. Thakur has already identified a safe parking spot around 3 kms before reaching Bathad.

It is located a few turns away on a lower altitude and has least chances of the road getting snowed out and we getting stuck.They come back to Bathad by bus. It would later turn out to be a brilliant idea! The crazy weather means that snow is imminent and bad weather means that more snow can result in road closure.

Thewa Ram Ji is not there and has turned the homestay into even better rooms with beds and geysers in the bathrooms. Thewa Ram Ji’s wife agrees a price of 2200 Rupees for the 5 of us including food. We tell her we may stay for either 1 day or 2 days depending on the weather.

We have been allotted 2 rooms. The layout of the rooms has vastly changed from last time around and both the bedrooms have been converted into 4 bedded rooms. I find it a bit odd, since a double bed would have been just perfect. I wonder if small groups had started coming to Bathad prompting Thewa Ram ji to take this step of putting 4 beds in the rooms.

One of the rooms had become especially devoid of space with both the beds put together. The sheets and blankets are clean though, and the room looks spic and span! We have a quick round of ginger tea in this nice and cosy setting. It has snowed recently in Bathad and as it is raining right now, all the snow melt has created little streams on the road.

We are all very happy with how the day has progressed and how it has led us to see some surreal scenes with fresh snowfall! A round of pakoras is made to celebrate the evening at around 5 pm. There is a drinking den that also doubles up as a dhaba in the basement and I randomly meet an acquaintance from Tirthan Valley on the road when I step out to get the pakoras!

Thewa Ram Ji’s wife seems to be a little mean and refuses to make pakoras. Ajay bhai volunteers and makes the batter and masala and helps in frying the pakoras. I have already offered the homestay guys a little extra money for the pakoras if thats the matter. Anyhow, we enjoy another round of chai as it starts getting dark after the pakoras have settled in our stomachs.

The weather also starts getting quite cold as the wind picks up. I heave a sigh of relief when I see Thewa Ram Ji arrive at around 6 pm. He asks us about our well being, recognises me and exchanges pleasantries. Thewa Ram Ji is a jovial fellow and takes us to the top floor of the house; there has been a bukhari installed in the room.

He quickly lights up the tandoor and tells us to sit and chill here, and that dinner will be served in this warm room! The top floor setting is magnificent, there is also more space shaped like a loft with a mattress spread on the floor. It could be a fantastic place to sleep in the summer! Earlier this top floor space was made like a conference room and Thewa Ram Ji was quite pleased when I showed him a picture of the same from 2 years ago!

I have stayed at this homestay earlier and experienced Thewa Ram Ji’s exemplary hospitality and kindness. I remark that the recent refurbishments have made the homestay into a luxurious place to stay and he is very happy to hear this! The bathrooms are especially well done and the hot water courtesy of the geyser is nice in the bitter cold.

When I had come to Bathad (pronounced Batahad) earlier in the summer, we had walked along the road and pristine Falachan Nallah to Thewa Ram’s village Galincha some 4-5 kms away. Galingcha village is especially pretty as it is located on a sort of ridge in a flat valley with pretty golden fields and wooden homes. The locals invited us for tea in one of the homes here.

Back to the present in snowy Bathad in winter – Thewa Ram Ji offers us a drink and we also share some of the alcohol we have carried with us. After an hour or so, he asks his son to serve dinner in this cosy room itself. We protest saying it is too much work and that we can go down to eat but Thewa Ram Ji insists that it is better that food be brought here in casseroles and we eat it in the warmth of the room.

He tells us the reason it is this cold is that since the Falachan stream flows quite close to where we are and it is nearly frozen. As always, dinner is super tasty. It has been served in brass plates, with regal looking old brass glasses too. There is something inexplicable about mountain food, the simplicity and freshness always ensures a memorable dining experience.

Thewa Ram Ji is a kind soul. His smile and friendly demeanour is especially pleasing and makes everyone feel welcome. Mahi, Thakur, Ajay and Sharon all love the homestay and the way in which food is served on this top floor. We chit chat for a bit and decide to walk out on the road and see some stars as it is quite dark in Bathad. The night skies are absolutely fabulous as we walk to the other side where there is no light pollution.

We go back to our rooms at around 9-930 and decide to call it a night. It is blissfully silent in Bathad and the mellow sound of the stream flowing by feels like music to the ears. The blankets are nice and warm and we fall asleep in no time in the cozy setting. It is a whiteout when we wake up at 630 am in the morning. The snow seems to be coming down in droves.

A blanket of white is seen everywhere as we sit in the vantage sitting space and enjoy the framed views from the homestay. The snowfall is definitely more heavier than in Shangarh and we are ecstatic. When the flurries become a little slower, chai is served to us in big glasses! I have asked for the big glasses so that we have more chai to drink in this impeccable setting.

From the balcony window, it is a surreal sight to notice the snow flurries coming down and smoke from a nearby chimney rising up. I click this memorable frame hoping that it comes out well in this okay-ish light. We eat some biscuits with the chai so as to keep the hunger at bay. It is quite early in the morning and we don’t want to trouble Thewa Ram Ji’s wife with the cooking just now.

It stops snowing at around 9 am. Breakfast is discussed and decided to be a mix of aloo and pyaaz paranthas. We tell Thewa Ram Ji to keep the paranthas ready and start walking on fresh snow to the other side of Bathad village – in the direction of Galingcha and Mashiyar village. The snow here is much deeper than it was in Shangarh just today morning.

Mahi and Thakur have gone speeding ahead, running and sliding like little kids in the snow and disappear within no time. Me, Ajay and Sharon on the other hand have come out with the intention of truly enjoying a slow walk and enjoying the feet sinking in the snow! We carry on walking slowly enjoying the fresh sights and the crunch of snow beneath our feet.

Snow is hanging on bare branches of trees even as the sun starts showing up across the valley on the other side. The views on the other side of the Flachan stream are simply stunning, white landscape with a cute wooden hut visible with the stream flowing by. It is a dream come true for people like us from the plains; there is snow on stones making it feel like an otherworldly landscape.

Clouds come and go. Enjoyable sights. Delight walking in fresh snow, and it doesn’t get any fresher than this! We continue walking till 10 am and decide to turn back at that time. A few locals have started coming from the villages in the opposite direction and it is fun to wave to the kids and make happy conversations.

The snowfall means that our purpose of visiting Bathad is fulfilled and that we should be making plans of returning from here and going to a different place, different valley in Himachal Pradesh.

We are sure that Mahi and Thakur won’t take too long even if they decide to visit one of the far off villages like Galingcha or Mashiyar. We are back to the homestay before long and the weather is starting to clear completely.

The paranthas are kept ready for us in a casserole and are served with pickle. We have our fill as all of us are quite hungry after the walk in the snow. A local Himachali dance is happening in the street in Bathad and we see glimpses of it from the window of the homestay.

Mahi and Thakur also come back by the time we are getting done with our breakfast and packing. Even though we don’t have a plan for the day, since we have seen the landscape in fresh snow – it is decided to leave from Bathad today itself. After they are done eating, we haul our backpacks, pay Thewa Ram Ji and start walking from Bathad.

The traditional song and dance performance is still being held, we watch it for some time ; walk across the bridge of Bathad and see that the sun is fully out now. We are walking in bright sunshine on the other side of the bridge. Snow glistens on the roof of houses. It will all start melting soon and create streams and slush on the road.

We reach the bus stop at Bathad where a few locals are gathered, they say that the bus should come soon. Mahi and Thakur get a ride so they leave to take the gypsy. We start walking on the road too and sit in the gypsy when Mahi and Thakur come back. We have been invited by Thakur to stay at his orchard home in Raison. Mahi has some work at home so we drop him at Larji so that he can go back to Sainj.

It has also snowed in Gushaini but not much. Thakur takes us to 10-11th Century Bajaura temple on the way to Raison. There is lots of traffic on the highway near Kullu and we are there only by 5. Decide to eat dham at Sapna Sweets. We have a flexible plan to leave for Naggar-Jana village or Rumsu Village the next day.

Also check : A Snowy Sojourn : Shangarh in January

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All of us reach Aut on 19th January 2019. I had boarded a Volvo from Delhi while 2 people of the group were arriving from Dehradun and our Thakur friend had driven in his gypsy from Raison. Aut had turned dusty and was very unpleasant due to the road widening project going on the National Highway – 1 which passed right through this town. It seemed like the whole town’s layout had changed and I could barely recognise it from only a few months ago.

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We have tea and omelettes at the small shop in the new Aut Market Bus stand. We drive through the cold and bare landscape to reach Sainj first. Our friend Mahi meets us here as we continue towards Deori village. We hike up to our first destination at Upper Neahi village which also happens to be Mahi’s home. Snow is scattered in some parts of the trail where there is no sunshine. Since we have our own mode of transport in the form of Thakur’s gypsy, we make good time and reach the homestay around 10 am.

The mountains in the far distance are full of snow and glisten in the sunshine and look especially pretty with the blue skies in the background. The usual green landscapes and open grounds of the summer were nowhere to be seen and the colours had turned bleak and drab. The weather forecast hadn’t exactly turned out as predicted and we decide to hike up to Shangarh the next day.

We have a round of tea and are excited about eating rajma chawal for an early lunch. Around afternoon, the weather starts to change and blue skies give way to clouds. The sun is nowhere to be seen and when we go for a walk at around 2-3 pm, I am astonished to see the Pundrik Rishi pond in an almost barren state in a shade of yellow. We sit there and enjoy the silence.

Upper Neahi is a nice village with fabulous hikes. It does feel cold but not so much and is just the perfect weather for the mid-altitude of around 1600-2000m. We notice a frozen small pond on one of our walks, and were reminded of our endeavour on this trip – to see fresh snow and walk around! We ambled around, with nothing else to do and noticed that the clouds had started to look quite threatening as evening came by.

We come back to Upper Neahi village, said our hellos to the family and enjoyed the early dinner in the warm kitchen where the bukhari had been installed. The rooms had a pleasing aroma of deodhar and pine trees. This aroma always gives a nice and fresh feel. We sleep content and relaxed knowing that we are going to be making the 2-3 hour hike up to Shangarh.

Next morning, the weather is similar with no sunshine and for a while we wondered if we should stay put in the comfort of Upper Neahi village and hope for snowfall here itself or try and get to the vantage village of Shangarh located at a much higher altitude with surely more possibility of snowfall in this conducive weather. The clouds suggested that snowfall was imminent and we debate about the two options in front of us to go to Shangarh.

One option is taking the road to Shangarh since we have our own mode of transport, which would first take 45 mins to Deori village then driving to Shangarh – and the other one was the usual direct hike to Shangarh village which would take 2-3 hours. The main reason we wanted the maruti gypsy moved from Deori village was to make sure it wasn’t stuck in a place where the roads got blocked after snowfall.

We decided to take a mix of the two options. We started our hike to Shangarh and gave the keys of the gypsy to Mahi’s brother to drive the gypsy and park it in the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) Sai Ropa complex that was located on the main road and had minimal chance of getting stuck.

Trek from Upper Neahi to Shangarh

We leave at around 10 am after having a heavy breakfast of aloo paranthas. The trail from Upper Neahi to Shangarh is an uphill climb in the beginning; we cross small streams and a Nag temple on the way. It is a traditionally built wooden temple with a small shrine nearby. The carvings in the interiors of the temple are intricate and the tiny door looks very cute. Intermittent snow is scattered on the grassland where the temple is located.

The location is at a much higher altitude than Upper Neahi village and much colder, and hence the snow has stayed. The hike is through gorgeous and silent jungles and we make good progress while the weather continues being cloudy. We reach the Shangarh main road at around 1245 pm and are lucky to get a ride in a camper till Shangarh. After all who wants to walk on a road! Thus we are saved of an hour of walking on the road since it is a steady uphill ascent after this.

After discussions with Mahi and his local connections; he had arranged for our stay in Shangarh to be at the pristine location of the Forest Rest House (FRH). I had always been in awe of this building – this rest house was very old and was originally built by the British most probably in the 1930s. Moreover, the Shangarh Forest Rest House is located around 1 km away from main Shangarh village and like all most Forest Rest Houses has a vantage view!

We were dropped in Shangarh at the canteen located near the ground. It was also the first time that we meet Italy (Mahi’s friend), who is chilling at the canteen. He is in a single sweat shirt and a tattered track pant; I remember this because it is actually quite cold in Shangarh! Dark clouds are hovering in the skies, we order some snacks at the café in the form of lunch.

We buy the supplies to be used for our stay at Forest Rest House. Oil, vegetables, masalas, eggs, milk etc. Our rough plan is to be in Shangarh for 2 days even though we have no fixed itinerary and are flexible with our plans with snow our priority. We walk toward Shangarh ground, the snowy mountains are covered by clouds. Shangchul Mahadev Temple looks pretty even though the ground is not green in the month of January. We admire the views for a bit and continue our walk to the FRH. A furry dog walks with us, it is a tranquil moment as the snow appears as we get close to the FRH.

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I have forgotten to carry snow hiking shoes and thankfully Thakur has carried an extra pair of hiking shoes so that I can stop sliding in the snow! We take around 40 odd minutes to reach the FRH and it has gotten even colder here with the almost open location of the FRH. We have got reasonable winter clothes with us, inners, and cold jackets with an extra jacket thrown in.

On the way, there were majestic views of the landscape with traditional Himachali old houses seem prominently. The weather seems to have cleared a bit as the snowy peaks standing tall behind Shangchul Mahadev Temple are visible again. Slippery path on the final step to reach the FRH, as the climb is uphill and lots of people have already walked from here. The snow is frozen and become slippery.

Forest Rest House, Shangarh

Finally enter Shangarh FRH at 4 pm. Fabulous day already with the hiking. The FRH is at a gorgeous location and we are surrounded by views of snow in the open verandah. We say hello to the old caretaker and keep our bags inside. Mahi has set to work as he enters the kitchen to make a round of ginger tea, it is a must with the incredibly stunning evening view right now.

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There are chairs kept in the dining room area and we sit in the verandah till there is daylight. The views are marvellous and the occasional gust of breeze is welcome. Yet, the weather has not worsened enough to result in snowfall and we are all kept guessing. Once darkness descends, we enter the basic yet comfortable rooms and notice that there is a fireplace.

The FRH has recently been renovated and the paint etc on the exterior appears fresh. The water pipes have already frozen and there is no running water in the bathrooms. Only the kitchen has a small tap with running water. Buckets of water have been filled and kept in the attached bathroom.

Mahi makes a fabulous dinner of egg curry and rotis, we relish it and enjoy eating it in the caretaker’s room so that its warm.

The FRH comprises of a dining area and 3 rooms. We take 2 double rooms since we are 4 of us. The ventilation in the rooms isn’t great and the smoke from the fireplace has filled inside the room! We open the windows to let the smoke out, and it takes more than 1 hour for the room to become breathable again. Dog keeps troubling whenever we open the door. We sleep late hoping for snowfall the next day. Cozy bed. Sleep till late because it is indeed cold outside.

Wake up at around 9 am and have a breakfast of chai and rusk. All our supplies are working well and Mahi makes a fabulous round of tea! Enjoy sipping warm chai whilst marvelling at the landscape. There has been no luck with snowfall even though the weather is overcast. We freshen up and decide to go to Singh Sahab’s house. I had heard a lot about Singh Sahab around the time of my first visit to Shangarh but had not been able to visit it.

It is located at around 15-20 minutes walk from the Forest Rest House; we see more snow on the way and a flowing stream as well. It is a slippery walk, so we hold each other on the tricky portions and reach his place. Great views from Singh Sahab’s home, we are invited inside his home for tea since Mahi knows the family.

It is a nice, wooden home with sweeping views of the valley. Singh Sahab was a Army Guy hailing from Haryana. Back in the 1960s (when Himachal was still a part of Punjab), he bought land in Shangarh and started living here. He had 2 wives – 1 from Delhi and 1 from Himachal. According to the locals, he was a very brainy person and eccentric too. He made an amplifier with a sound system. We spend an hour or two with his family.

Singh Sahab’s sons and daughter live in Shangarh, the daughter speaks about fond memories. We are led to see his workshop and collection of books, tools etc. Mahi also shares some of his memories as the conversation flows with the chai and biscuits. The family owns a cow stable and have paneer, curd and milk in plenty. They also mentioned that they used to own a lot more cows earlier and sell paneer when Singh Sahab was alive.

We cherish the prized memories of this great man, thank the family and say goodbye!

Start walking back around 2 pm and decide to head to Shangarh village, clear views of the ground near Shangchul Mahadev Temple. Very picturesque views even without the greenery that I have usually seen Shangarh in. Walk to Shangarh to while away time and explore the grounds again. The village kids are chilling and enjoying.

Dark clouds have gathered and look threatening. We walk back to the Forest Rest House at around 4-5 pm in the evening after meeting a few locals, eating snacks at the café meeting place and chatting with Italy. The mountain youngsters are really having a ball as they are snuggled in blankets and are chilling and playing some games on the mobile with their friends.

We walk back to the Forest Rest House and enjoy pakoras etc and tea in the evening. Our friend who’s travelling with us, Ajay bhai makes french fries as well. Mahi sprinkles them liberally with masalas, the old caretaker loves them! We are all getting a bit restless about the snowfall and even though the weather seems conducive and the predictions are for snowfall next day. Thats what we are here for and there has been no snow for the 3rd day now.

Today we don’t light up the fireplace because it did more harm than good yesterday. We sleep early today, there is an uneasy calm in the surroundings. There is no breeze blowing today.

Snow in Shangarh

We sleep well in the cozy and warm setting, just that the blanket is very heavy! I wake up at around 6-630 am, it is still quite dark but I dreamily think that there are snowflakes falling from the sky. I am not sure so go back to seep. I gently remove the curtain to look out of the window and jump in delight to notice that the entire landscape has indeed turned white! The snowflakes are still gently falling.

We wake each other up and rush to the verandah. Its a crazy beautiful scene. Totally white!

It reminds me of Narnia. We can notice snow on the roof of the nearby cottages. The tall pine trees are covered in a sheet of snow and look especially pretty in white! Our vantage location means that the entire pine forests surrounding us looks like a dream sequence. And then the flurries which had stopped for a little while begin again. Snowflakes first fall gently and then they come down heavily.

We have multiple rounds of chai, with biscuits and rusk. The snowfall continues. Thakur Sahab’s cottages are visible – he is Singh Sahab’s son (the house that we visited earlier yesterday). The colour palette of those cottages is especially pretty and proves a great contrast in the white landscape. On the other side of the kitchen, there is a yellow cottage that looks totally otherworldly when seen through the deodhar trees.

At around 9:30 am, the snowfall stops. While the flurries were on, we wondered if it would last all day and if we were stuck in Shangarh and whether we would have to stay here another day. As soon as the snow stops falling, we debate amongst ourselves and decide that its best to leave from Shangarh as that was the whole aim of this vacation – to see places in fresh snowfall. To ensure the same, it was imperative that we were on our feet and flexible in our thinking and actions.

I had always been very excited with the prospect of seeing Shangarh’s temple ground covered in a sheet of fresh white snow and today would be the day when the dream was about to come true!

Mahi makes a quick round of breakfast in the form of maggi. I don’t like maggi at all but there is no choice as such today. So, I eat a little. The yellow cottage on the other side looks absolutely charming now that the snowfall has stopped and the views are getting clearer. Click a few pictures with the phones and the dslr.

We notice that the clouds have started building up again. It is 1030 am and we decide to quickly march on to Shangarh village. We haven’t thought of the end destination but want to first get to the parked gypsy at Sai Ropa GHNP Rest House and then decide our future course of action later.

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We thank the caretaker, pay up and leave. Around 400 per room per day. Mahi takes my heavy backpack so that I don’t slide and fall in the snow with my new shoes (courtesy of the Thakur friend from Raison). Our supplies are also over and rather than buying more supplies it makes sense to head to a different village to explore.

We think about Gushaini and I suggest Bathad since it is at a higher elevation than Gushaini there are more chances of snowfall there. Moreover, we have a car so it should be no problem for travel even if snow closes the road. We can always park the car in a safe place at a lower altitude before the actual village of Bathad.

The sound of crunching snow under the shoes is mellifluous for the ears. Incredible views as we slide down first to the main path. Very nice for me because one doesn’t slide on fresh snow and it looks so majestic with clouds in the background.

Full snow! Walk walk, no greater joy than walking on fresh snow. After 40 odd minutes, we reach the Shangarh main ground. Full white, majestic scene stunning with white clouds and mist covering the entire landscape. Only the Shangchul Mahadev temple is visible. I click a memorable frame with a dog chilling in the snow and looking on in oblivion.

Youngsters of Shangarh – Italy included are making a ball from the snow, they are rolling the snow in a straight line and it is getting mixed with the mud and is getting bigger in the form of a square ball. The kids aim to make the ball bigger and roll it down the hill. It has become sizeable now. And suddenly the flurries start again and everyone starts running shelter-skelter. Shangchul Mahadev temple is briefly visible through the mist and looks absolutely surreal.

The ball breaks when the kids try to roll it down the hill and makes a huge noise that reverberates around the valley! It is around 11-30 am now and we scamper to the café. Siddus are being made and will be ready in 30 minutes. The snowfall finally stops as we devour the siddus and are extremely lucky when we get a ride in a vehicle leaving from Shangarh at this very instant!

It continues snowing while we get out of Shangarh for the next 2-3 kms and it is a thrilling ride when the snowfall turns into rain at lower altitudes. We make it to Sai Ropa GHNP Rest House at around 1 pm and see that Thakur’s gypsy is parked there and the keys are kept with the caretaker there. There is no snow at Sai Ropa Guest House which means it is unlikely that it has snowed in Gushaini too.

We haul our bags inside and leave straight for Gushaini – Bathad, Mahi is also accompanying us as he also wants to chill and enjoy the snowfall with us! If it continues snowing beyond Gushaini then we have decided to rethink our strategy and park the gypsy wherever its safe.

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When the Sikkim based, Our Guest Travels reached out for a trip in August 2018 – I was delighted in saying yes to a company run by Sikkimese locals who had their hearts in the right place. The highlight of the trip was Pang Lhabsol Festival in Gangtok; but if I think back now – it was the 3 days spent in Dzongu that are an everlasting memory.

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The below is an experience of spending 5-6 days in Dzongu spread over 2 visits.

Gangtok to Dzongu

Early relaxed morning in Gangtok. Thanks to Our Guest Travels, we had stayed at a traditional family homestay in Gangtok. It was a cozy wooden home and the hosts ensured we had an authentic Sikkimese experience. We had a nice and healthy breakfast, and then leave for Dzongu at around 9 am.

Dzongu is around 4 hours drive from Gangtok; and is located near Mangan. Mangan is popularly known as the ‘cardamom capital’ in this region and is the District Headquarters of North Sikkim. It is August and the monsoon season in Sikkim and the rainy conditions mean that we are in waterfall country on the route from Gangtok to Mangan. I roughly calculate that we notice a waterfall every 2-3 minutes on the road!

Waterfalls in North Sikkim

The landscape is incredibly green and a thin veil of mist accompanies the forests everywhere we go. We make a stop around an hour or so after leaving Gangtok near a wonderful waterfall. There are stairs leading to a nice platform to view the waterfall at close quarters, and a small snacks stall serving tea, refreshments and snacks. We continue ahead and after the rain subsides make a stop near Mangan where there are fabulous views of Teesta River from a viewpoint.

Our permits for North Sikkim are checked as we cross Mangan and take the topsy-turvy road to Dzongu. After a few kilometres there is another check post where our permits for entering Dzongu are checked.

Lepcha Tribe of Dzongu & Brief Introduction to Dzongu, Sikkim

Dzongu area is reserved for the Lepcha tribe (the original inhabitants of Sikkim.) The Queen of Sikkim kept it designated as a Protected Area for the indigenous people of Sikkim since the 1960s. Lepchas worship Mt. Kanchenjunga as their mother and Lepcha word literally means the children of snowy peak. As a rule, even Sikkimese can’t buy and sell land here and even require a permit to enter Dzongu.

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Khangchendzonga National Park is included in UNESCO World Heritage Site for Nature & Culture in 2016 and Dzongu is also included in it. Dzongu region is huge in size and yet is sparsely inhabited with a population of around 4000 Lepchas. Devastating earthquake in Dzongu in 2011. There was a massive landslide in Dzongu in 2016 when Dzongu was divided in 2 areas. The river Teesta changed it course and caused massive natural devastation in Dzongu.

The original name of Sikkim is ‘Mayal Lyang’ which translates into secret paradise in Lepcha language. According to the Lepchas, that paradise still exists at the base of the sacred mountain Mt. Kachenjunga (Kongchen Chu in Lepcha language).

Dzongu is divided in two regions – Lower Dzongu and Upper Dzongu. Most villages in both Lower and Upper Dzongu are connected by road. There used to be a wooden bridge that connected Lingthem & Tingvong villages of Upper Dzongu situated on 2 different mountains but that was washed away in the landslide and floods. A new iron bridge has been constructed but seems to be currently used as a walk-only bridge.

Also, Kim (co-owner of Munlom Nature Resort) is a prominent member of the committee opposing hydroelectric power projects on the Rongyang Chu river (A tributary of Teesta river) in Dzongu to avoid long term damage to the ecology of the protected region of the Lepchas of Dzongu. (Chu means river in the local language).

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Villages in Dzongu – Tingvong, Kusong, Sakyong-Pentong, Lingthem, Passingdong, Hee Gyathang, Gor village, Bay, Barfok village etc.

Hee Gyathang Village, Lower Dzongu – Reaching Munlom Nature Resort

We are heading to Hee Gyathang village in Dzongu where our destination Munlom Nature Resort is located and while the distance is only around 20 kms from Mangan, the time taken is almost an hour due to the narrow and bad condition of the road. Thanks to Our Guest Travels connections, our permits have been procured in advance and we are waved off at the checkpoints after our documents are checked.

There is an old world charm on the route to Dzongu, in terms of the lush green scenery and the old iron bridges. We also occasionally spot Lepchas chilling by the road; the locals generally seem very happy and perhaps the abundance of local alcohol might have something to do with it! At around 1:30 pm, we cross Hee Gyathang village to reach the parking space of Munlom Nature Resort where the innova won’t go any further.

Our pickup is in the form of a modified Mahindra 4*4 with special huge tyres. There is still a distance of 3.4 kms to be covered. As we start our next leg of journey in the 4*4 vehicle, it is understood that there is no road ahead and we are on an uneven jungle path! Numerous waterfalls are crossed; it feels like an ATV ride among boulders, trees, greenery, and is a full adventure!

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Just as we are about to reach Munlom Nature Resort deep into the jungles of Dzongu, we see some houses of Hee Gyathang village. We get down there to walk the rest of the distance and admire the greenery and flowers on the way! Small kids are standing outside their homes. The homes themselves are adorned with flowers of varied colours!

The homes are sizeable and sturdy and have quite a bit of empty area in the courtyard. The views of the green mountains on the other side are fabulous. We say our hellos to the kids, click pictures of flowers and walk to Munlom Nature Resort to a nice welcome through the bamboo gate.

Munlom Nature Resort – Dzongu

The Mahindra 4*4 has already reached, some of us opt to carry our backpacks ourselves to the respective rooms. There is a rustic flight of stairs to reach the resort in the wild greenery. The landscaping of the resort is especially beautiful and totally blends in with the natural environment of Dzongu. The stairs lead us to the open sitting area where right at arrival we felt we were truly in a nature resort!

There are tiger lilies growing in the wild on the wall with the open lawn in front of the reception area! The flora and fauna of Dzongu is very different and varied. I also spot marijuana growing in a secluded corner around the area. Welcome drink is herbal tea served to us on a wooden tray with traditional Lepcha designs. The cups are the classic Dragon design with a lid.

Different varieties of locally made fruit and herb wines – made from raspberry, timbur leaves, pineapple, rhododendron etc were kept in shapely bottles and looked pretty with their pleasing colours like yellow and red! The library area has an enviable collection of books on Sikkim and the Lepchas, and guests are encouraged to spend their time in the common spaces and ask more questions about Dzongu.

There is a sit-out with bamboo chairs and sofas, open on three sides for open air while the interior space is perfect for windy and rainy times. The whole space is cozy with pleasing wooden colours, hanging pots and plants and a wooden skirting that allows the breeze to blow freely even on muggy afternoons.

3 tables have been kept in the dining space and the kitchen is accessible by a door from the dining area. The windows are opened and the fresh air comes rushing in. Traditional souvenirs are also kept in the open area, huge fungus on branches (some of them over 100 years old), there are dao’s, wooden souvenirs.

We are ushered into our rooms by the smiling family-like-staff that mostly belongs to the nearby villages and are local Lepchas.

Experiencing Munlom Nature Resort

Munlom Nature Resort is rustic yet charming, and comfortable in the true sense. The resort has a very personal appeal since it comprises of only 4 double rooms and the entire resort has been made by using locally available wood. 2 double rooms in a cottage format, 1 huge double room on top of the kitchen area, and 1 big fixed luxury tent with all the modern amenities. Every room has a sit-out while the 2 room cottage has the most impeccable views since it is built on a top like a machan! The huge verandah of the 2 room cottage has stunning views of the clouds and landscapes.

The tent sit-out has a table made from a tree and looks impeccable. It is these sit-outs that are a defining feature of Munlom Nature Resort since one is likely to spend most of their time in these open spaces here. Even the stairs are skirted by pretty bamboo sticks and blend in effortlessly with the landscape of Dzongu. The shower area of the bathrooms inside the rooms has pebbles to give a natural feel.

Right from the planters to the hanging lights and wall lamps, it feels as if you are living in a jungle! The rooms are nicely done and are the perfect size with huge windows that allow cross ventilation. So even if it is a hot day in Dzongu, since Dzongu is at an altitude of only 1100m above sea level, the vantage location of Munlom Nature Resort ensures that the air that blows through the thickly forested region of Dzongu is nice and breezy.

Whole wooden bed in every room. Feels like opulence. Birding enthusiasts are surely going to have a nice time with the ample greenery around, and different colourful birds coming and perching on branches. Munlom Nature Resort is not a place for tourists used to packaged tours and experiences, but for those who yearn for the silence of nature and revel in it.

Cardamom Land – Dzongu

Dzongu and Mangan area is the hub for cardamom cultivation, this region in North Sikkim grows a different variety of cardamom that is huge in size and black in colour. It is cheaper than the green cardamom but is used in curries etc. Munlom Nature Resort is surrounded by cardamom plantations and there is a sweet fragrance of nature wherever you go! Staff is hired from the nearby villages and has been well trained to keep a mix of hospitality and warmth while keeping the Dzongu experience real!

Local Liquor of Dzongu

The wine bottles with cute tiny bamboo taster glasses are kept in the interior part of the dining area lobby and guests are welcome to taste the wines! A bottle is priced at 300-400 Rupees and the staff can procure them for you if sufficient notice of 1-2 days is given. These are locally made wines and are not available in shops. It is highly likely that the staff (manager – Rinchen) will go from home to home of every village and ask for the available bottles and flavours.

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Since every wine bottle is made for personal consumption only, it is possible that the quality of two bottles of even the same flavour is never the same! In this age of industries where the products are meant to be identical, I love the idea that the taste of every bottle is different! That in a nutshell is the essence and joie de vivre of Dzongu. Plum wine, raspberry, etc all fruits.

The Timbur wine is made from small and tiny berries & is so treasured that the locals treat it as medicine. I realised this when I carried half of the remaining bottle with me and presented it to the homestay owner in Darjeeling. He treated it with reverence and asked his wife to keep it in a safe place to be used as medicine. I am also glad that I was able to play a part in the cultural exchange by carrying back 4 bottles of local wines from Dzongu to Delhi and sharing them with numerous friends

We request for Tongba (fermented millet seeds) locally called ‘Chi’ or ‘chee’. As a ritual, it is first offered to Mount Kanchenjunga. Rinchen procures it from somewhere and it is undoubtedly the best Tongba I’ve ever had. Served in a nice bamboo tumbler with bamboo straws & one keeps pouring hot water for 2-3 rounds till the high is there. It is a mellow, nice and happy high!

In Dzongu, bananas growing, coffee like berries, different variety of fruits like apricots, peaches, plum etc etc. The staff is welcoming and so is the owner, Kim. Visitors are encouraged to treat Munlom Nature Resort as a homestay and make their own version of customised tea and snacks in the kitchen!

Hee Gyathang Village Monastery, Dzongu

A stiff hike through the incredible natural forests and scenery of Dzongu brought is to the monastery in Hee Gyathang in Lower Dzongu. On the way we had the pleasure of spotting a rainbow as well! The trail passed through lush greenery under a nice canopy of tall trees as the mist flirted with us while sunshine was visible on the other side of the mountain. It must have rained somewhere for the rainbow to be visible!

The owner of Munlom Nature Resort, Kim led us on the walk to the monastery in Dzongu and on the way showed us how cardamom grew as we smelled the pods and the plant. I also asked for the price of buying the black cardamom that grows here and am quoted 800-1000 Rupees per kilo. I ask for half a kilo to be carried home and am told it will be done!

There are leeches galore in Dzongu and a new type of dance has been invented, called ‘the leech dance’ when one twists and turns to try and remove a leech if any! It involves shaking all parts of the body to seemingly get rid of a leech if it is trying to get inside the skin.

We reach the monastery after around an hour’s slow hike through the gorgeous forest. The monastery itself is quite huge and is brightly painted in pleasing colours. It was especially surreal to notice the fog filled forest behind the monastery that lent the surroundings a very fresh feel. Sadly it was closed when we were there and had to be content with climbing a nearby vantage point that had great views of the surrounding valleys. Strong 4G signal on the viewpoint!

Everyone was keen on uploading stories on their social media handles. The strong breeze made the prayer flags flutter wildly while we were quite taken in with the pure beauty of nature. There are many resident monks at the monastery but most seem to have gone out to prepare for a ceremony of prayers that will be held at the monastery in a day or two. Maybe Saga Dawa festival.

The doors of the old enclosure adjacent to the main monastery are very pretty. There’s also a small but ancient shrine near the monastery surrounded by prayer flags. I also spot huge prayer flags in white on one side of the open space near the monastery. A signboard indicates 10th August 2005 as the establishment date on the old structure that is also surrounded by small prayer wheels on all four sides. A few local dogs come to greet us, the friendly members of our group sit and play with them.

Dzongu receives plenty of rainfall making the surroundings damp and slippery, so a lot of insects and leeches are a constant feature of hiking in Dzongu. The leeches can sometimes make their way through the tiny spaces in the shoes and and through jeans and track pants as well! It seems very surprising but does happen.

There is an incredible array of colourful flowers en-route the monastery; especially outside the local’s homes. It is a common feature across these nature-loving places, across the Himalayas from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh – where almost every home has a collection of plants.

Food at Munlom Nature Resort

• Buckwheat pancakes called ‘kuru’ or ‘khuri’ served with a chutney dip, locally grown buckwheat and of fantastic quality. Buckwheat is a coarse grain popularly known as the new superfood in the west and seems to be widely used in old settlements of the Himalayas. Buckwheat is nutritious and tasty. Khuri pancakes are filled with green leafy veggies and are very healthy and filling.

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• Momos, freshly made on a firewood – vegetarian and non-vegetarian both, fried and steamed; served with soup and a really spicy chutney! Modern accompaniments like french fries are also served in the evening, with mix-veg pakoras also an option. Perfect for rainy evenings that Dzongu has in plenty!
• Roti, sabji, dall, rice and greens – The staff at Munlom Nature Resort are adept at cooking usual mainland indian food for the tourists and guests feeling homesick. Water is served from a spring source and tastes sweet and yummy. In Dzongu; dall, rice, wheat and masalas are bought from outside while the vegetables are grown locally.

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Nature Loving in Dzongu

Evenings are super relaxed in Dzongu. The mist and fog are ever present with rain an intermittent partner. The insects in the dense forests of Dzongu make a crescendo of noises. It is truly like living in a jungle. There are moths, colourful butterflies and atlas moth too. Initially I was a bit apprehensive of the insects but when I let go and stop bothering, life became easy and I embraced nature in its entirety.

Silent, quiet breeze, sometimes the electricity goes and fireflies come dancing in when darkness descends on Dzongu. It gives us visitors a chance to go back to a carefree life when we used to talk to other people, play antakshri songs and simple games. The mobile networks are sporadic in Dzongu, I think Airtel 4G works best with the most reliable coverage in Dzongu and also at Munlom Nature Resort.

In the night, the lone shining light of the monastery is visible, on one of the nights we could hear the playing of the drums and trumpets and sound of cymbals. It was a festival at the monastery that we had visited earlier during the day. The sounds reverberated throughout the entire valley.

Sights and Wanderings in Dzongu

We went for a drive in Dzongu to the hot springs area, waterfalls.  Roads are horrible in Dzongu. Very very bad. The natural hot springs are located near Lingdem village and have separate enclosures for men and women. We had a great time soaking ourselves for around 30-40 mins with the therapeutic benefits of the natural hot springs water rich with sulphur.

Huge hanging suspension bridge near the hot springs area. Lush greenery with the river flowing by. Small beach with nice alluvial soft sand, river meandering by and some kids and youngsters are enjoying sitting in shaded areas and having a swim in the river. Quite hot in the sun, and very humid too. The dense jungles on both sides of the bridge seem very inviting and enticing.

We sit on the bridge, get our pictures clicked and go sit on the beach. Quite satisfying since there is hardly any sunshine on the beach side. Relax and enjoy the solitude. The youngsters loitering on the small islands near the river, remind me of the scene of the Lost series.

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We go back to some other places in Dzongu on the road, a Lepcha shrine with statues of Lepcha ancestors and elders with offerings in the form of 7 bowls and flowers. This was a widely visited shrine with many locals visiting with fresh flowers. Lepcha tribe is nature worshipping tribe and consider Mt. Kanchenjunga as their guardian deity.

Among other places to visit in Dzongu are – Tingvong Monastery, Lingzya Waterfall, Traditional Lepcha Museum at Namprikdang. Also, if one is lucky – views of mountain peaks Mt. Kanchenjunga, Sinolchu, Kabru, Pandim, Langam Chu and more can be seen on clear days from Dzongu.

River Picnic for Lunch

On one of the afternoons when we had gone out to explore the sights of Dzongu, the staff of Munlom Nature Resort were busy organising a river picnic near the Dzongu bridge. We swam in the pristine stream, a short walk from the road and the staff had organised a proper feast down there. Everything had been cooked on site and made freshly on firewood. After an hour or so of chilling in the water, lunch is served on a green leaf.

It is nature friendly and a great example of eco-tourism. The menu on offer is locally grown rice, veggies, curry, seasonal greens, and ferns. The food is delicious and has a special flavour due to it being cooked on firewood. We enjoyed the rural and rustic feel of the food and ate our fill. Next, we went hiking to a bamboo bridge hanging over the stream where we have lunch; the ladder leading to the bridge was very interesting and adventurous.

Kim was the first one to be on the bridge but there was a swarm of honeybees with a beehive somewhere close to the bridge. Therefore, we had to retreat! Fossils and mushrooms growing on the trees, near moss and lichen. Leeches galore in the jungle wherever we walked. It is a funny time when one is uncertain whether a leech is there on the feet or not! Once you stop bothering, it stops bothering you too!

Shrine in Dzongu

We drive back and stop near a small pond with a shrine on it. There is a rectangular walking path on all sides of the pond. Crazy beautiful reflections. Huge deodhar trees, very foggy and misty. Seems like sunlight doesnt make it till here. The path is very slippery, full of moss and lichen and therefore I walk very carefully. The shrine is in the form of a stone on a rocky outcrop near the water. A few lamas inhabit the nearby structure and one of them was making a bamboo basket.

Go back to Munlom Nature Resort, spot cute kids at the houses along the way. Walk to the resort after spending some time with the kids at the nearby homes. Incredibly beautiful flowers, as the weather starts cleaning a bit revealing more colours of the shades of green. Every home has a big collection of flowers in their open balcony.

Kim – Kalzang Dorjee Lepcha

Kim is co-owner of the Munlom Nature Resort and is CLC president Dzongu cum Save Dzongu member (CLC-Constituency Level Committee) who are opposed to the Hydroelectric dams on the Teesta River in Dzongu region. The Lepchas firmly believe in the motto – ‘Lepchas are nature worshipers and are dependent on rivers, lakes and mountains. We cannot let such projects destroy our present and future.’

Attending a Festival in Dzongu

Tendong Lho Rum Faat Festival – Ancient festival organised & celebrated by Lepcha people. All locals attending. Organised in a remote village school ground – Gor village school established in 1957. Nice, big compound. Worshipping and paying homage to the mountain. Offerings made with fruits and vegetables, corn, tongba, millet seeds, cucumbers etc. Eatables are also presented. Gor village is quite far from Hee Gyathang Village where Munlom Nature Resort is located and we take almost 1 hour to reach the festival location.

Khabze, savouries, cucumbers, popcorn too. Cucumbers are so huge, 1 cucumber is bigger than a hand! In Tendong Lho Rum Faat festival, locals and school kids performing dances in honour of the mountain deities. Singing songs also. All locals have gathered from nearby and far off villages of Lower and Upper Dzongu.

The festival organisers also put a festival badge made from a dried leaf & stick corn and millet seeds on the leaf that feels like paper and put it as a badge on the chest. Kids dressed in tribal costumes, performing dances. The crowd cheers wildly, they are very fashionable and dressed in vibrant coloured clothes and look very elegant.

Almost everyone attending the Tendong Lho Rum Faat festival is dressed in their traditional finery. The men look dapper wearing a Lepcha jacket & they celebrate their festivals with aplomb. Aachuley is the local greeting. The Lepcha flag can be seen fluttering on vehicles too.

In snacks & refreshments, stalls are put up. Golgappe and khuri stalls are there and are organised by school kids. Golgappa stall is a huge hit. A message for waste – a small hut has been made from waste plastic bottles. 1-2 shops selling SHG (self help group) made handicrafts and local bags. The bags are priced quite high at 500-600 Rupees.

The festival lasts for 3-4 hours. Lunch also organised. Fresh pineapples and cucumbers are cut and served to everyone. Community gathering and meal. Rice, vegetable and pork/chicken on the menu. Lepcha flag proudly hung on many vehicles. Numerous waterfalls on the route.

Shared taxi from Dzongu to Gangtok/Singtam

Shared taxi – Dzongu to Gangtok around 200 Rs. per person. Distance from Gangtok to Dzongu is 70 kms. 1-2 shared taxis ply everyday from Hee Gyathang to Dzongu and there are many options for shared taxis from Mangan to Gangtok. The shared taxis all leave from 7 am from Dzongu to 10-11 am from Mangan. Cramped and crowded. Very crowded. Around 12-15 people crammed in one bolero type vehicle. Most filled with locals and migrant workers. Keeps stopping every few minutes after crossing Mangan since the locals want to buy fresh vegetables from the roadside stalls.

Permit for Dzongu

Your homestay can obtain your permit for Dzongu which can be procured from DC Office in Mangan. Scanned copy of identity proof, 1 photograph and costs approx. 150 Rupees per person.

Thanks to Our Guest Travels for a superlative Dzongu experience! I can stay there forever.

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