Himalayan Hamlet Homestay (Homestay In almora) — Hotel in Uttarakhand

Experimented with this place for a 1-week workcation and it turned out to be more than what I expected. Following will hopefully clear why:

Wifi speed/stability - 20Mbps and 100Mbps plans as primary and backup connections connected to power backup. No interruptions. There is no outside noise to distract and you'll really enjoy working for once (if you're the grumpy-about-work sorts).

Property - entire upper floor, reserved for guests, comprises of 2 big rooms, a huge kitchen, a big bathroom and yes, a big veranda overlooking the valley will and will make you rightaway feel like a royal. Hosts stay on the ground floor. Rooms are well appointed with everything you'll need by way of daily essentials - bathing soaps, toothpastes, detergent soap, towels, water filter, blankets, slippers - all ready at check in. Kitchen is fully functional, hot water is available for baths (the water flow in the shower could be improved). Paintings tastefully adorn the walls, flooring is top notch and furniture is ideal for sleeping or sitting (the workstation table/chair by the side of the window overlooking the valley is very comfortable). It is quiet almost always with only the sound of the birds chirping, adding to the close-to-nature feeling. Entrance is separate from the hosts who never intrude and let you enjoy your time at your own pace.

Views - despite what its address may indicate, the property is on Almora town's outskirts (3-4 kms out) perched atop a ridge which overlooks a different valley than the town - small villages with none of the noise/crowds expected from a developed tourist spot. Other properties are far away and equally quiet. On a clear day, multiple mountain ranges can be seen while enjoying the pleasant (even in summers) pahadi sun. Nights are cooler and the day view is replaced with lights twinkling from settlements below and ranges in front making for a very surreal viewing experience for jaded city eyes.

Hosts - homestays can often be tricky in that you wonder how well would one gel with the hosts, yet the X factor here was the family of seven (when I visited) - the head of the family (a teacher popularly known as 'masterji' in the area), his wife, their two adult children Manisha and Nitin (Vicky Kaushal as I thought of him), their uncle, dog Lucy and yet unnamed kitten - long term, well-connected residents whose general cheer and upbeat nature is what I will long remember. Pre-checkin enquires were addressed promptly by the friendly Manisha while soft-spoken Nitin helped with logistics and tips on where/how to go to nearby places. They were gracious enough to lend their scooty a couple of times. Opening up homes to strangers is probably hard but they have a knack for making one feel instantly at ease - chatting in the evenings learning about their way of life or being called over to have meals together was standard and an instant ice-breaker even for someone like me who takes time to open up. Memorable parts of the in-house meals (charged separately) are buransh (rhododendron) juice, thick mountain dal and a special chutney to die (perhaps even steal :D) for. Lucky ones might even get to sample some yummy chicken curry and rice, served in large portions. Aunty's tips on living life tension-free is something I needed to hear as well (in hindsight, I should probably have recorded it for repeat listening). Thank you all!

Cons? Seeing forest fires right from the house (sometimes lit intentionally I was told) and entire mountains closeby cut up wantonly to build roads in what could only be termed haphazard planning was not an easy thing. Also, loud crows might wake you up too early in the morning so make sure to sleep early.

That I was able to sleep 5 full nights uninterruptedly after more than a couple of years meant I returned with much better mental health. That, combined with not being able to come up with any substantive cons, is about as close an attestation to the suitability for a stay here...

We spent two weeks with Ashish and his family in the end of 2021 and it was wonderful. Ashish's family and especially his parents are one of the nicest , most genuine and humble human beings I have encountered. They made sure all our needs were taken care of while being there and our two kids absolutely mingled with them as one family. We never felt as guests and it was very homely being there. Saraswati aunti peppered us with excellent home cooked meals all the time while arjun uncle was always with us in the evening with those fireside chats talking about their history and stories of nearby places with unlimited cups of tea and snacks. They even provided us their bike and car for nearby trips. It was so nice being there that we never felt away from our folks back home - it was just like being in a family with them.

Coming to the place, they have two rooms with private entrance and attached kitchen and bathrooms which do the job. The wifi connectivity is pretty good for working and taking those video calls. They provided us with good quality bedsheets and quilts that kept us warm. We also took services of a local women for cooking and cleaning and she was very friendly and cooked nice food. There are beautiful treks nearby which we tried out and all in all it was one of the nicest stays we have had in a long long time. The only downside was that we could not stay longer but for sure we will return again very soon.

Thank you so much to Ashish, his siblings and his parents for providing us an opportunity to stay with them and making our time memorable. You folks have a great place and I wish you all the very best in taking this to...

Himalayan Hamlet is a beautiful, cozy little homestay set amidst the Almora mountains, with a mesmerizing view of sprawling mountains, valleys, and the Himalayan peaks!! A lovely family, complete with a cute dog Lucy and a super cute kitten Biscuit, welcomes you to their abode and takes care of you just like a family member. They stay at the ground floor, and the first floor with 2 rooms, a washroom, kitchen and balcony is provided to the guests. The host Ashish and his siblings Manisha and Nitin have been super caring, friendly and extended all possible help and support to make us enjoy our stay to the max. They have 2 Wifis and power backup available, which ensured our workation of ~12 days was very smooth, with not a single call or meeting disrupted. They further helped arrange a local cook on request, who cooked tasty homely meal for us at a very nominal price. They also accompanied us to nearby treks and sightseeing, guiding us to places which we as tourists wouldn't have discovered on our own! A typical day for us started with the beautiful chirps of birds at sunrise, followed by a morning trek (there are lots of beautiful treks near the house itself), then working throughout the day only to take refreshing breaks just by stepping out in the balcony, watching the dog and cat play (and at times playing with them), chatting with uncle or aunty. Needless to say, we haven't had enough of all these lovely moments despite staying for so many days, and are longing to be back again soon! Till then, we keep cherishing and reminiscing the beautiful...