This 'Himalayan Village' Would Be Your Perfect Escape From The Crowded Hill Stations!

It was a long weekend and I was dying to escape the city, yet not ready to land up in Shimla, Manali or Mcleodganj! I knew that the hustle and bustle from Delhi & Chandigarh would shift to the hills, as Saturday morning kicks in...and thus, kept looking for some off beat trails, until I found about 'The Himalayan Village'!

Away from the bustling mall road of Manali and the hippie crowd of Kasol, The Himalayan Village is located in the middle of nowhere! It’ll be a perfect escapade & your home away in the picturesque countryside of the Himachal that’s waiting to charm you. It’s a place where the divine mountain peaks, copious deodar forests and the sprawling valleys are closer than you've ever imagined.

Tucked on the Parvati Valley, way ahead of Kasol but a little detour from Kullu, 'The Himalayan Village' is a resort that has been built in the ancient Kathkunia style, which is done by dry stacking stones and wood without cement. The inner walls are mud plastered to retain the native rustic charm. The resort is eco-friendly and gives you an insight of the local customs and traditions.

There are 8 cottages including two Machan- style rooms, to have a true-blue experience of their local customs and traditions – exquisitely carved teak furniture, handmade Tussar silk curtains and traditional brass fittings transport you into another world in no time! All the rooms offer a sweeping view of the mountain landscape and it became so quite by the evening, that we could constantly listen to the rumblings of the Parvati River!

The resort has multi-cuisine restaurants, a well done up cozy bar that stocks finest liquor from around the world and a fully equipped spa to pamper you. The spa offers heat sauna, steam sauna, Jacuzzi aroma bath therapy, acupressure, massages and wellness initiations/ retreats. If you're craving for a local Himachali treat, then you'll be delighted with their dinner buffet that serves a wide array of authentic dishes! Being an absolute sweet-tooth, I loved the desserts & we had the best green apple tarts and date custard :)

Although we stayed mostly indoors, but the resort offers various adventure activities too! If you're all set for a rendezvous with nature, you can try out rappelling, river crossing, rock climbing, mountain biking and river rafting etc. Apart from that, they also have guides to take you for bird watching, nature walks, jungle excursions and much more. Since we were there for just 2 days, we decided to relax in the cottage, took a walk around the property, soaking in the sun as we filled our lungs with freshness and enjoyed endless cups of chai!

Cost for 2 people: 10K INR (including all meals).

How to reach: 25 KM from Bhuntar Airport, towards Manikaran. If you are traveling by road, then Bhuntar lies just before Kullu on National Highway no. 21 which goes to Manali via Kullu. The Himalayan Village lies between Jari and Kasol in Parvati Valley.

To say the least, 'The Himalayan Village' is a kind of a nature trail that cajoles you to shed your daily burdens, lighten up and get your ‘enlivened’ self back. So if you are planning to ditch the smog of Delhi NCR and dying to spend a couple of days in the mountains, you should definitely plan to hibernate here!