A must visit place for someone who is looking for a refreshing holiday. This place is inside the reserve forest but is very safe. It was very comfortable staying there. Even my 2.5 year old daughter enjoyed the stay very much. Shyam-Sunder were very good hosts.
Pratyush Thakur
Great Place to stay peacefully. Sunder is a amazingly informed person. He told us a lot of stories and birding info. Nearby walks are very scenic with views to couple of 8000m+ peaks! Highly recommended if you want to try kumaoni local cuisines. Also, I created this place on google maps few years back after my first visit!
Goutam ghosh
You will find a heaven out of here. Every body will learn how to maintain ecological balance. We can never forget the chirping & colour of various birds, surrounding forest with natural floora & fauna, the guide will explain their medical value. Last but not the least the behaviour & the food cooked by young owner Mahesh out of natural and organic resources is worth mentioning. Please remember you have to hike 3 km through moderately stiff jungle road which is very seren indeed.
Suman Sirivella
Where there is no homes and accomodation this address is indeed a haven. Far from disturbance and with scenic views of the snow capped mountains. There is a room for dining in groups. The owners are very good nd helpful and knowledgeable. Great place for a holiday getaway.
Kunal Chaturvedi277 days ago
As a nature traveller, I was looking for the perfect place in the Himalayas. Then after an exhaustive search, I came across the amazing reviews from Outlook and Yourstory about this home stay in Gaunap village which is in the heart of Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Only after visiting this place, I was able to corroborate the reviews. This place is truly amazing, away from the crowd and close to the nature. The soothing ambience of the forest and chirping sounds of the birds made me fall into love with this homestay. Sunder ji and Pawan ji prepared delicious local food for me. They organized village tour with walks through the temple, farms and the local culture center. I even trekked to Satri village through the jungles of Binsar with water crossings on the route. Another plus point of this place is the night sky, the place has no air pollution and light pollution concerns.
Thank you Sunder ji and Pawan ji for the warm hospitality and great food!!
Priyanka Chatterjee277 days ago
For those looking for a 10 second read, my review would be - "GO FOR IT!" For those who can bear me for a little longer, please read on! 2.5 kms hike away from Bagheshwar-Binsar Road was our heavenly abode for 2 days. We thought - "Hah! 2.5 kms is not a long way and we will be there in almost no time." The last 10 days' stay in different parts of Uttarakhand and walking everyday for more than 5kms stretch boosted our confidence. But as we walked, we walked and we kept walking- all the way, it was uphill. Huffed and puffed, panted and vented! Why did we book here? Was there no other property in Binsar? One of us reached within approx 1 hour. But two of us felt hopeless and looked at the sun in the west, shrugging its shoulders asking us to hurry up. After 2.5 hrs, we covered this 2.5 kms and there we were, finally! Such a beautiful but hectic walk it was. We told to each other- "It's a lifetime experience but not to repeated in a lifetime!!!" But alas...little did we know, withing few hours, we will change our stance - ready to repeat "the mistake" in this lifetime itself :)
Set amidst wildlife sanctuary area, Idyllic Heaven Satri Village had 2 members residing in the area- that's tranquility and peace . This became our home for next 2 days and come-back-to place in future. Hospitality of ideators Sundar ji and Shyam ji was something that kept us glued to the dining area :) Caretaker Diwan Ji's waiting for us with Fresh Lime Juice post a long walk made us feel like- Let's go, walk again! Three different trails around the homestay through Deodar and Rhododendron were happy ways to loose and find oneself again. Mountain goats to greet us good morning and constellations in the clear sky to bid us good night are already calling us back. Next time we not only want to go to Satri village, rather stay at Gaunap Village (another Idyllic Heaven gem) as well, may be walk to Dawalchina with homestay stops in between, arranged by Outdoers (Shyam ji and Sundar ji again)! The summer capital of the British, the hiking/ponyride routes traversed by them years ago are ready to be explored again- but in our own independent way :)
Swati Sharma1 year ago
Good secluded place to have your own time ,owner is really a nice person,villagers around you can make you experience real life ....
Aneree Shah2 years ago
Most beautiful experience I can ever get. I was not a trek person but to reach here you have to walk down & walk hill up for atleast 3kms but it was totally worth it.. All thanx to my husband & his friend. Food I just really can’t express how I loved the food so authentic & feels to good to live in nature with an amazing host Sundar.. He really amazed me with the knowledge he has about everything (never miss talking to him)I would really recommend people to please go here atleast once in life to explore & live the life in between mountains & such amazing people & ofcourse yum clean food & not to miss the route to forest home. if you are lucky like us you might find Range of Himalaya which we saw was blissfull & Indeed better view than Zero Point
Please do explore other small villages & small temple there worth to walk so much you would never regret
Sohit
August 2017
A must visit place for someone who is looking for a refreshing holiday. This place is inside the reserve forest but is very safe. It was very comfortable staying there. Even my 2.5 year old daughter enjoyed the stay very much. Shyam-Sunder were very good hosts.
Also, I created this place on google maps few years back after my first visit!
Only after visiting this place, I was able to corroborate the reviews. This place is truly amazing, away from the crowd and close to the nature. The soothing ambience of the forest and chirping sounds of the birds made me fall into love with this homestay. Sunder ji and Pawan ji prepared delicious local food for me. They organized village tour with walks through the temple, farms and the local culture center. I even trekked to Satri village through the jungles of Binsar with water crossings on the route. Another plus point of this place is the night sky, the place has no air pollution and light pollution concerns.
Thank you Sunder ji and Pawan ji for the warm hospitality and great food!!
For those who can bear me for a little longer, please read on!
2.5 kms hike away from Bagheshwar-Binsar Road was our heavenly abode for 2 days. We thought - "Hah! 2.5 kms is not a long way and we will be there in almost no time." The last 10 days' stay in different parts of Uttarakhand and walking everyday for more than 5kms stretch boosted our confidence. But as we walked, we walked and we kept walking- all the way, it was uphill. Huffed and puffed, panted and vented! Why did we book here? Was there no other property in Binsar? One of us reached within approx 1 hour. But two of us felt hopeless and looked at the sun in the west, shrugging its shoulders asking us to hurry up. After 2.5 hrs, we covered this 2.5 kms and there we were, finally! Such a beautiful but hectic walk it was. We told to each other- "It's a lifetime experience but not to repeated in a lifetime!!!"
But alas...little did we know, withing few hours, we will change our stance - ready to repeat "the mistake" in this lifetime itself :)
Set amidst wildlife sanctuary area, Idyllic Heaven Satri Village had 2 members residing in the area- that's tranquility and peace . This became our home for next 2 days and come-back-to place in future. Hospitality of ideators Sundar ji and Shyam ji was something that kept us glued to the dining area :) Caretaker Diwan Ji's waiting for us with Fresh Lime Juice post a long walk made us feel like- Let's go, walk again! Three different trails around the homestay through Deodar and Rhododendron were happy ways to loose and find oneself again. Mountain goats to greet us good morning and constellations in the clear sky to bid us good night are already calling us back. Next time we not only want to go to Satri village, rather stay at Gaunap Village (another Idyllic Heaven gem) as well, may be walk to Dawalchina with homestay stops in between, arranged by Outdoers (Shyam ji and Sundar ji again)! The summer capital of the British, the hiking/ponyride routes traversed by them years ago are ready to be explored again- but in our own independent way :)
Food I just really can’t express how I loved the food so authentic & feels to good to live in nature with an amazing host Sundar..
He really amazed me with the knowledge he has about everything (never miss talking to him)I would really recommend people to please go here atleast once in life to explore & live the life in between mountains & such amazing people & ofcourse yum clean food & not to miss the route to forest home.
if you are lucky like us you might find Range of Himalaya which we saw was blissfull & Indeed better view than Zero Point
Please do explore other small villages & small temple there worth to walk so much you would never regret