Luxury Homestay with Mini-Golf
Indulge in the sensation of vacationing in a charming abode, complete with top-tier amenities that surpass those found in typical hotels or resorts. This is precisely what we offer in our homestay. While it is our personal residence, it is also a space we happily share with select guests seeking a unique and luxurious vacation experience.
We love forests, and we take our guests to experience forests in a mindful way. Forest bathing is the practice of immersing yourself in nature, using your senses to experience all that you can from the forest. From smells, sounds, views, touch, and even the feel. This has immense health benefits too.
Located about 20 KM from our place is a temple dedicated to Aedi Raja Barsi Gaja (ऐड़ी राजा बरसी गाजा), a demigod who appears in local folk tales. Villagers name the temple simply ‘Aedi Devta Temple’ (also spelled Ari, Aeri, Aidi). The temple is on a hilltop with valleys all around.
Winters are blessed with snow. The landscape starts to transform into a winter wonderland with frost. Once the snow falls, the transformation gets completed. Everything looks pretty, covered in fresh white snow.
These usually hidden away lifeform is rarely discussed. We work with these magical beings all the time. They help us in our gardening, improve our health and fight diseases, maintain the soil structure, and do a thousand other wonders.
The Trinetra Mahadeva Temples are located on a side of a cascading mountain stream. It is a wonderful place to spend some time. It’s about 37 KM from our place.
Just about 36 KM from our place is a small group of ancient temples. They are known as Trinetreshwara and Ekadash Rudra Mahadeva Temples. Local populations simply call them Trinetra Mahadeva Temples.
From late spring to autumn, our region is blessed with a bounty of fruits. Wild Fruits can be found all around. From road-sides to deep inside forests. Apart from these delicious wild fruits, we maintain a fruit orchard too. Every day, we harvest these fruits. Fresh from the farm to the plate!
Our unwavering belief in preserving nature in its true form is at the heart of our rewilding philosophy. By allowing nature to take the reins, we have successfully transformed a small patch of land into a thriving mini-forest. This sanctuary is now a haven for a diverse range of plants, insects, birds, and animals.
We take pride in our efforts to promote biodiversity and restore the natural ecosystem. Through rewilding, we have created an environment that supports and sustains various forms of life, while also providing a serene and beautiful space for us to enjoy.
Deep inside a dense oak forest is located the Shree Kalyanika Himalaya Dev Sthanam Ashram, or Dol ashram as it is commonly called in this region. The ashram is located 12.9 KM from our homestay.
Just about 50 KM from our cottages are the famous temples of Jageshwar Dham. These temples were built between the 7th and 12th centuries, by the Katyuri dynasty and later Chand dynasty kings. These temples therefore show different architectural styles. The temples are clustered in two large groups.
Every place turns beautiful with colorful sunsets. However, when it comes to Natadol, the place simply turns magical.
What is it that makes us want to sit out at night? What is so exciting standing out at night, with all the lights dimmed or switched off?
Terrace farming or step-farming is a way of life in the hills. In the region around our cottages, agriculture is the main occupation. Villagers toil hard to produce some of the tastiest fruits and vegetables in the region.
If you have not trekked along a creek, you have not trekked at all. At least, that’s what the old village folk say, here in Natadol.
How do we ensure that our family, friends, and guests keep praising our food? What invites them back to us again and again, even in seasons when people don’t visit the hills?
Walking is man’s best medicine – Hippocrates.
Fancy your daily dose of 10,000 steps? How about that in the lap of nature? Read on and learn why we love our walks in the forests.
Do you really believe in the fallacy that man has been able to improve upon what nature has provided us with?
Did you know that there exists a temple in India, where no one has ever seen the deity? A highly revered place, where either the deity remains covered or the worshippers have to cover their eyes!
Nestled among the picturesque Kumaon Hills lies an ancient temple that pays homage to Lord Vishnu. Revered by the locals as the “Pracheen Vishnu Mandir,” this sacred site holds deep-rooted connections to Kumaon folklores and finds mentions in ancient Hindu scriptures such as the “Skandpuran.” The temple’s rich mythological heritage adds an enchanting dimension to its historical significance.
Natadol is an unexplored region when it comes to birding. Dense forests, some amount of agricultural activities, fruit trees, and scattered natural water springs, makes this an ideal location for the birds to thrive.
Have you seen how beautifully the fruit trees blossom in the spring season? This a sight to behold and treasure. No photographs can do justice to what can be seen in reality during the flowering time.
With the onset of autumn or fall, as it is lovingly called, the trees all around us start to play with colors. The leaves turn yellow and go through various shades of reds and brown before falling on the ground.
With the onset of monsoons, the rainy season, Kumaon hills get dotted with small cascades and waterfalls. The gurgling clear water flowing over the rocks is a sight to enjoy.
White Dutch Clover is a wonderful cover crop that we use in our orchard. Apart from making the ground look green and beautiful, it has its benefits. Ladybirds, which are also some of the most beautiful insects in nature also love to make these clover patches their homes. Various other insects also love these patches of white clover.
Once you have savored these fruits, an insatiable craving for them will take hold, compelling you to indulge in their delightful flavors year after year.
Summers brings with itself all the colors of mother nature. Leaves cover the trees, fruits start to form. The flowers start to blossom everywhere. Every nook and corner has different types of flowers peeking out.
Does the idea of driving on hill roads excite you? Are you still not confident in the driving skills required?
With the onset of winters, frost starts to set in. Every night, the temperature goes below zero and on the following mornings, nature shows itself in a wonderful way.
The Himalayas consist of various ranges. Students of geography divide them into three major ranges. The lowest range is the one that is present in the Kumaon region. For many others, Himalayas is synonymous with snow-covered peaks of the other two ranges in the north. On a clear day, these snow-covered peaks can be viewed from our cottages itself.
A short walk away from the cottages, there is a small temple. Nested on a hilltop, the temple is dedicated to Saim Devta. Worshiped as one of the guardians of the village, Saim Devta provides prosperity. Some of the local folk consider Saim to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The temple is highly revered and is said to have been initially established by Saim Devta himself.
Lichens, nature’s wonders, stand as a testament to the resilience of life. Among the oldest living organisms, they offer a unique perspective on the quality of the air enveloping our tranquil cottages. Amidst the serene hills, we contemplate whether the air is truly as pure as our hopeful hearts desire. And it is through the lichens that we gain insight into this vital question.
Maini's Hill Cottages 