Workation in Himachal - My first solo trip -

At some point in life, we all need a break from all the chaos in life and trust me there is no better way than traveling solo into the mountains living the village life. This is the much needed break I was dying for and I feel so glad to finally gather the courage and come here. I can't even explain how fulfilling it is to just forget everything and let yourself be lost into these mountains. India is truly incredible and beautiful if we explore the right way. I am so glad I chose Sojha out of all places in Himachal. It is such a beautiful and peaceful village. I am here for a month but now I feel like to stay here forever. I am falling in love all over again with Himachal. No matter how many times I visit Himachal, I always end up finding some place new and it makes me come back again and again. We look for happiness in city life, earning money, the glamour but true happiness lies right here in the lap of nature away from the hustle.

Somewhere in the mountains

Inhaling the freshness of nature, lurking into the lush green trees, feeling the shuttle chill in the wind with a ray of sunlight falling over the dense trees, shepherd moving their cattle, listening to my own heartbeat while walking into those steep valleys, I kick start my morning here in mountains.

Savior for people with Corporate Jobs

Now comes the challenging part for people who have a full time corporate job. Fortunately, this new concept of working remotely has opened gates for us in many possible ways and one of many is working from hills. This way we can continue working safely and also help the Indian tourism to start there earning all over again. I went through many workations in Himachal and finally decided to stay in Shoja. I always like to stay in a peaceful offbeat place rather than going for commercial and touristy places. It comes with few cons but again it's totally a personal choice. Shoja is a tiny beautiful village in Himachal Pradesh located in Seraj Valley and is very close to Jibhi.

View from workation in Himachal

Read more on things to do in Jibhi

Tip: If you want variety of food options, easy conveyance, and people around to chill with, plan to stay in JIbhi instead. It is just 7kms away from Shoja. Shoja is not for tourists but travelers, hope you get my point.

The Hosteller, Shoja/Jibhi

I booked my stay with The Hosteller. They have recently started this new property in Shoja and the location is more than perfect. Right from walking across the street in the mornings to star gazing at nights, this place has my heart.

Starry Nights in Shoja

On weekends, you can explore nearby areas. For transportation, you can either get a guide or ask for arrangement at reception of the hostel. They will help you with all the details and cabs at minimum cost possible. If you are a frequent traveler, you know what to do. Talking about the interiors, they have managed to create quite luxurious dorms compared to other backpacking hostels in India.

How much does it cost to work from hills in Himachal?

Stay: Well, it depends on the place you are staying at. Since I opted for with this long term package with The Hosteller, it costed me around 12k.

Food: You can order from their Café menu or can opt for special packages they have for meals.

Weekend outings and other expenses: Around 4 to 5k depending on your preferences and ways of commuting.

In all, it costs around 30k which obviously includes this wonderful trip to Himachal for a month along with your super awesome workation. If you think it is in fact much cheaper than our lifestyle in metro cities.

How to reach from Pune to Himachal Pradesh during Covid times (The safest possible option)?

There are two safer ways to reach Himachal from Pune.

For groups, take a flight to Delhi and checkout cab or shared traveler options from Delhi to Jibhi or Shoja or Aut. Take a connecting flight from Pune to Kullu (Bhuntar) via Delhi. It is a bit expensive option but easy and safe to reach especially when you are coming solo. Book a flight to Chandigarh and take a bus or cab till Aut. Take a local bus to Banjar and from Banjar take a bus to Shoja.

I took a flight from Pune to Kullu. At first, I was worried about safety but I took all the precautions I can. Just try to be extra cautious at airport. Your safety is in your hands. I had a midnight flight to Delhi and then morning flight from Delhi to Kullu. It was a bit tiring but when I landed in Kullu, my all tiredness and worries just ran away like anything looking at those beautiful mountains and the water flowing through serene Parvati river. Kullu airport is quite a small airport but the location is gorgeous.

From airport, you can either take a cab till Banjar or take a bus from there. Public transport has started but buses are not frequent as of now. If you are in group you can directly take a taxi till Sojha Valley. Cab charges around 2000 to reach till the Hosteller in SHoja. Luckily, I got someone at the airport to share cab with who was also traveling solo and had a stay booked nearby. As they say, you travel solo but you are never alone in your journey.

Is it safe to travel now?

Before I conclude, just one very important thing that I want all my readers to consider.

I know it is still risky to go out but we can't stop living. Covid pandemic has affected our lives so much in ways we never thought or wanted. We need to find safer ways to unlock our lives again. I thought of giving it a start from my favorite place in India. Himachal Pradesh always has my heart and I keep coming here again and again.

Tip: Choose a place where there are less people and plan to stay for a long time and of course, wear mask in crowd and keep a sanitizer with you all the time and keep working on your immunity. That is the only way to survive and live through these tough times.

I thought a lot, tried all possible ways to calm my traveling soul but you know how hard it is for us wanderers to just stay at one place for such a long time. I needed to get out to bring my positive aura back to life and what could be better than traveling solo and stay amidst the mountains for a month.

Hope you enjoyed reading my blog. For any more queries and help to plan your trip, drop comments below.

Sharing few pictures from the trip.

Way to Serolsar lake, Jalori JotJibhi Waterfall

Till then, Keep Exploring!!