Joshi Cottage — Hotel in Uttarakhand

Joshi Cottage is no less than a dreamland in the middle of a lush green forest. This place is for adventure seekers - for those willing to experience authentic forest/ Kaumaoni organic life. While the place is meant for those who seek to push their comfort zones - out of air conditioned cabins and 5-Star hotel experiences - the entire Joshi family leaves no stones unturned in making sure of your comfort. They are one of the kindest people I have ever met, who would be willing to go out of their way to make your stay comfortable and your experience rich.

The cottage is situated in the middle of Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary - a beautiful and peaceful forest known for its leopard, wild boar, barking deer and bird sightings - on an off road trail that you'll need to cover on foot for almost 2 kms.

I am assuming that you would do your research and homework on Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary before visiting it and make up your mind of staying inside it. As such, as much as one romanticizes the idea of staying in a forest and near nature, it does come with its challenges.

To reach the cottage, you'll have to take the road going inside the wildlife sanctuary. At the sanctuary's gate, you'd need to register yourself and the people accompanying you @Rs.150 per person (as of October 15, 2021). There's also a registration for vehicles, chart of which is available at the gate itself.

While you can easily take your vehicles inside the sanctuary, it's virtually impossible to take them to the Joshi Cottage as the trail leading to it is very narrow and often rocky - which also makes it a very adventurous and beautiful trek. Mr. Joshi, however, provides a very secure car/bike parking at the forest rest spot itself - the place where you leave the sanctuary road and start the trail towards Joshi Cottage.

This rest spot itself is almost 2.5 kms into the sanctuary and happens to be the place where Mr. Joshi or any other of his family members will greet you. It is important to note that before visiting the cottage, you must inform Mr. Joshi about the time that you would reach and the luggage that you are carrying so that they may make adequate arrangements for carrying them to their cottage at a nominal charge. If you have a backpack/rucksack you may consider carrying them yourself. The trail is beautiful and adventurous. While your legs might be slightly tested, the peace and beauty of the forest will fill you with energy.

You must also inform Mr. Joshi of your meal requirements in advance so that he may make arrangements and keep the food prepared by the time you arrive. Almost every ingredient that the Joshi family uses is organic and homegrown; even the water that you will drink will be from the spring right behind the Joshi Cottage. You'll find homemade food prepared by Mr. Joshi's elder brother and the women of their family. You may also request for authentic Kumaoni food or make any other reasonable requests that you might have - the Joshi family will try to fulfill all of them to their best.

They have various types of cottages and you may discuss in advance which one do you want based on the pictures that Mr. Joshi sends you. The pictures shown by him are authentic and are not hyped up in any way.

The rooms, bedding and washrooms are clean. However, being in the middle of the forest, you might occasionally find insects and spiders on the walls and ceilings. They are, however, totally harmless and remain dormant.

The views around the cottage are very beautiful, peaceful and serene. Mr. Joshi also provides his services as a guide and takes you on adventurous treks through proper forest trails to zero point (7.5 kms from the cottage), mini zero point (1 km from the cottage) and any other trails that you decide based on your will and stamina.

If you are a genuine nature lover and have a spirit of adventure, there is no way that the Joshi Cottage would disappoint you.

For more information or any feedback, you may follow/dm me on...

We stayed at the Joshi Cottage for about 2 weeks in the month of July. In a group of 5, of which 2 were working-from-home, 2 were on vacation and 1 was a senior-citizen, we had varied and wonderful experiences.

Firstly, the cottage is located on a blunt hill, in the heart of a small, lush valley. The views are mesmerizing, whether it is a sunset, a sunrise or the Himalayas! One can catch the sight of a Ghoral or a Barking Deer if one is lucky. The small valley lends to short treks and bird-watching trails. However, to reach the cottage can be a bit of task, as was in the case of our elderly member, who braved a 2km uneven trek from the Binsar Sanctuary main road to the Joshi cottage. Suffice to say, one cannot take a car or a two-wheeler on this trek. Your bags and luggages, if heavy, will need to be transported through porters (who in our case were the strong, sturdy women of the Joshi family)

Secondly, in terms of facilities, they are modest and simple. The rooms are warm, there's enough blankets for the cold, and there are a few bulbs that light up the rooms. The kitchen & bathrooms were small - for a big group as ours, it would get chaotic to cook and clean. But there was a constant supply of water, electricity, and gas. For drinking water, we had to often take 2 big containers and fill up water from a storage pump installed away from the rooms. (We would have preferred a direct supply to the rooms.) Additionally, as we went at the peak of rainy season, our rooms would sometimes have bugs and spiders crawling. But they are mostly harmless and very intriguing indeed. All in all, our stay was cozy and if we ever needed anything, we were just one holler away from the Joshi family who would help us out in any way possible- whether it was making a small bonfire to dry our shoes or share their organic fruits and veggies when we ran out of our ration. A note for future guests- be prepared to live simply, frugally and without much fuss. :)

Thirdly in terms of things to do- for those who wish to work from the cottages, there's always electricity (unless there's heavy rains or fallen trees). 4G phone internet is also available, but only if the phones are placed in certain locations where signals are strong. This can be a detriment if you need to do long, video calls. If you're there for pleasure, there's lots to do! You can go for bird-watching, trek around and to the top of the sanctuary (zero point), visit the 11th century Mahadev temple and Simba cafe (ask for nutella pancakes :)). One can visit Aiyarpani through a trail, go through Dhaulchini all the way to Brij Jageshwar, and visit the small villages of Bhasoli-Sanoli. We even managed to tour Almora, though it does take one whole day to go and come back. Let the Joshi family kids take you around their home, school and playgrounds. They will insist you play cricket and badminton with them- mind you, they are really good! :)

Make sure you have the right footwear for trekking and are prepared for long walks & hikes. Beware of leeches during monsoons and keep your ears open for a leopard's low growl! (Don't worry...chances are low that you'll ever come across one.) If you require a guide for bird-watching or treks, just get in touch with Santosh Joshi.

Watch your worries and stresses leave you while you settle in for a real stay in nature's abundant basket, all thanks to the wonderful hospitality of the...

Joshi cottages is a family run homestay located within the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. We stayed for 6 days at Joshi Cottage. You have to enter in the sanctuary and drive around 3 km to reach the tracking road leading to Joshi Cottage. Then after around 2 km of walking on trail, you can reach Joshi Cottage. This 2 km hike is beautiful, lush green forest area.

Once you reach Joshi Cottage, they welcome you with warmth and love. Its run by Joshi family. Santosh ji was our contact person, he is a great bird watcher and nature guide. Brother of Santoshji, Kewal Joshiji,cooks delicious Kumaoni rural meals to satiate your soul. Best thing for us was to have proper Kumaoni meal everyday with organically grown vegetables fresh picked from their vegetable garden. Kewal ji made sure to make our special day more special by making Gulab Jamin on our wedding anniversary. There are two cottages near the building where Joshi family stays. They both have all basic amenities room, well maintained, clean and keeping in mind the low temperature, this place mostly have. Each cottage has mesmerizing view from all the points. Anywhere you see, you will find valley filled with chir pines. The place is so peaceful, you would like to stay there and just enjoy the nature. This place is heaven for bird watchers and nature lovers. From cottage itself we saw Himalayan woodpeckers, Kaleej pheasant, Indian Cuckoo, Eurasian Cuckoo, Indian Paradise Flycatcher and many more. It felt like heaven when you do not hear any other noise but just chirping of birds, calls of barking deer and wind passing through the valley. Joshi family grows lot many fruits and vegetables around this place, using which they make the meals. That makes simple meals taste heavenly. Overall, it was very peaceful stay with greatest level of hospitality. Nature walks and visit to zero point with Santoshji was great experience. we are definitely coming back. A few tips: Trail walking is required, pack proper hiking shoes. Pack light and preferably in back-pack instead of heavy suitcase. If you ask, Joshiji will arrange for porter at reasonable rate. Santoshji is very knowlegeable nature guide, if you are interested, better to speak with him in advance Carry least plastic, and please bring it back. Do not litter mountains. It is better to book taxi through Santoshji in advance, if you need pick-up from Kathgodam Railway Station. He will do it at very...