Monsoon Retreat to Himalayan Village

We are expected to reach Haldwani/ Kathgodham at no later than 6 am and still 1.5 hours far from our destination village. The mesmerizing sights of the lower Himalayas, picturesque Kumaoni villages, pine jungles and the beautiful bridges over the river will increase our excitement with every turn.

Our fatigue will be turned into excitement by our heartwarming hosts, and the first sip of the tastiest ginger tea we will have at our homestay in the beautiful village of Alchauna.

After settling in, we will freshen up and have breakfast followed by informal group introductions. We have an entertaining way of breaking the ice and bringing the participants a bit closer. Post this; we will visit the farms, have a hands-on organic farming experience and learn some traditional techniques followed by local communities. We can also pluck and taste some fresh veggies directly from the farms.

Some natural feet acupressure after sweating in the fields is definitely needed. We will walk to the river for some relaxation and rejuvenation. The river has crystal clear water with colorful pebbles at its sand bed making it no lesser than any other exotic destination in the world.

We will go back to homestay for a lip smacking pahadi lunch which will be followed by experiencing bee-keeping. Get your hands at the beehive, understand how bee-kingdoms are structured, how queen bee is different from others, and how to care for bees. In the end, don’t blame us for your never ending curiosity towards a new subject.

In the evening, we’ll go to the old village for a walk to get a glimpse of an authentic Kumaoni village, which also offers the bird’s eye view of the valley making it a good spot for the photographs.

Afterwards, we will settle around a bonfire with some games, conversations, music and good food. Depending on everyone’s interest, we will also listen to the nomadic adventures of our host family.

We will depart the homestay after breakfast to hike the Karkotak Peak, leaving our packed luggage at the homestay and carrying a daypack only.

Locals believe, Karkotak is a snake mentioned in “Purana” and “Mahabharata” and it protects the village from natural disasters.

Karkotak trek is one of the unique trails you would ever do at lower altitudes. It’s a non-touristy trek which is used mostly by locals to bring fodder for the livestock and wood from the jungle. More than our energy to hike, we need to focus on the technicalities of the trail. The route goes through the beautiful pine and oak forest consisting of sharp edges, grassy patches, and beautiful wide shadowed paths. We will also witness many other small and charming pahadi villages while hiking. Don’t worry, the trek is safe and spellbinding. En-route, we will also have some interesting discussions about the dependence of villagers on forests and practices undertaken to conserve them.

Please note that Karkotak Trek is completely optional.

Upon reaching the top, we will have our packed lunch overlooking the captivating Bhimtal Lake and Naukuchiatal Lake. After having some leisure time at the peak, we will descend to Bhimtal and spend some relaxing time near the Bhimtal lake before departing to Haldwani. We will have our dinner in Haldwani and followed by our departure to Delhi in our private vehicle.