Cowshed in the Kumaon

Our home was featured in the Interiors magazine ‘Inside Outside’. Get away from it all and far from the madding crowd. Enjoy views of the valley and the stunning Kumaon peaks from every room. This is a retreat for day dreamers, nature lovers, bird watchers. There is no TV in the house. The beautiful forest walks and spending time in nature is all you need! Wake up to the sound of birds and look east for the spectacular sunrise! Not suitable for infants toddlers and younger children. The space ‘The Cowshed’ is a lovingly designed home. We have upcycled and designed most of the furniture ourselves. Please do treat the house with love and care. Bedrooms: There are two large bedrooms on the upper level. Both bedrooms have a view of the mountains , en-suite bathrooms and storage etc. 3rd bedroom (smaller) The lower garden level (as you approach the cottage) has the third bedroom which is smaller than the other two large size bedrooms and would be ideal for young adults or a couple. It is not part of the main house and is accessible from the garden and lower terrace. Private The 4th bedroom on the lower level (next to the entrance and living area), is not part of the rental and is private property and remains locked. The most striking feature of the house is the expansive verandah-living room. We spend most of our days and evenings lounging in the Balinese inspired sofas, mountain gazing/star gazing! THE HOUSE This is our precious home and filled with irreplaceable objects and mementos. Please do respect this and ensure that you leave the house as you found it. Our home is not suitable for infants and young children. CONNECTIVITY WE HAVE NO WIFI. Jio works well. We have a dongle with the password on the dongle. Please use this during your stay. It works on the ground floor and verandah. Airtel is dodgy. Vodafone works well in our area. DINING: MEALS ARE AT AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE Cooking your own meals is not an option. Please do look at the meal plan given below. You have a choice of eating out or; Our cook can prepare delicious and hearty Kumaoni and home style food. Currently being trained for limited continental choices as well. All meals will be served on the dining table. We do not allow or serve food anywhere except the kitchen and dining area. Please keep in mind that we are in a remote location so seasonal vegetables sourced from around us is what we can offer. MEALS AND HOUSE RULES THE HOUSE IS STRICTLY NON SMOKING Food not allowed upstairs or any of the bedrooms. Only in the dining area and verandah. Please clean up after that as it may attract creepy crawlies or wild animals. If you are bringing a Driver etc you can hire a room in the village or in Sitlakhet (which we use for our driver.) Any damages during your stay due to usage to be please repaired or replaced or fixed during your stay. Please inform us of the same. We run the place on trust. Please no house parties. Please do appreciate the joy of being in a rural setting and also tolerant of the slow pace of village life, there may be power outages or minor hiccups so do keep this in mind as we are far from resources and it may require some amount of patience to have things sorted out. Meals Please note that this is a rural area and we are not a guest house or hotel. We have one cook so please treat it like a home stay and enjoy the simplicity and joy of being away from the humdrum of city life, quick meal order gratification and Zomato culture. You are here for a well deserved break and rediscovering the simple joys of life. Do try to keep to the meal plan as much as possible. Even simple meals taste heavenly at the Cowshed! Here is the breakup of the meal plan for the Cowshed. Meals are optional in case you want to explore the area and eat out. Any additional dishes or extra requests will be at an additional charge. BREAKFAST from 8:30 TO 10 AM 200/- per head and choose one item which will be common to all. 1. Eggs and toast with butter and a preserve Or 2. Poha Or 3. Besan cheela Or 4. Paranthas x 2 Any additional requests or dishes requested outside this menu will be at an additional charge. Aloo/poori please add 100/- per guest Cereal and milk coffee and tea We have a French press, carry your own ground coffee and enjoy this. Toast is made from market bought sliced bread.   LUNCH from 1:00 to 2:30 PM and DINNER from 7:30 to 9:00 PM Please do respect this timing or Naveen can cook and leave the food for you to reheat Vegetarian: Rs. 400/- per head for 1 vegetable, 1 daal or channa or rajma, roti & rice, local cut salad. 500/- per head for additional paneer dish Continental : Rs 450/- per head Baked veggies pasta Non-vegetarian Rs. 500/- per head for 1 chicken dish, 1 vegetable, 1 daal or channa or rajma, roti & rice, local cut salad. 550/- per head for mutton curry Rs 550/- per head for continental, chicken baked vegetables and potato wedges Please feel free to make your tea and coffee at any time between the meals All guests get the same dishes. Please let Naveen know your meal choice a day earlier so he has enough time to prep. Bring your own fruits, alcohol, juices, mixtures, snacks, etc. No smoking inside. We are in a village and away from it all but here are some interesting dining options close to the Cowshed. Nayalap: Enjoy a Kumaoni meal at this lovely camp about 700 metres to the left of Cowshed. Anantrasa: A short drive up Our favourite spot under the oak tree for a leisurely lunch. The chefs keep changing but they usually offer a nice selection of Indian and continental food. The kitchen is part of the open area with the dining and living room. It is beautifully and lovingly designed and we request you to please treat it as an extension of the living area, with love and care! Fireplace We charge 500/- per usage for one load of firewood. Offered only during winter months. Extra guests We may allow one extra guest @ ₹ 2000/- per day/per extra guest if agreed. We are not set up for young infants and children. Guest access You have the cottage to yourself. You may use the entire cottage except for the master bedroom which will remain locked. There are three terraced gardens with no fencing therefore the property is not suitable for children. Grounds have flowerbeds and fruit trees. The patio leads out to the upper terrace which has a barbecue pit and an outdoor seating area with a canopy of trees for shade. The master bedroom on the ground level will be locked and is not part of the rental.