Forktail Villa - Organic homestay in Dharamshala

Our villa is a beautiful mud house built in the local Kangra Style of architecture. It is a unique boutique property and is a combination of traditional architecture and modern comforts. It is fully equipped and offers full privacy in the comfort of a warm home. Our villa is in the middle of a small village in between Dharamshala and Mcleodganj. The space Forktail villa is built in the local Kangra Style of architecture. At the villa we have tried to incorporate the Permaculture philosophy in all areas of construction as best as we could. The house has been built with mud, stone, slate and bamboo. The idea was to create a building where very little building material had to be got from the outside to reduce the carbon foot print as much as possible. The house is in a village called Gamru in Dharamshala. Kotwali Bazar which is the main market of Dharamshala is 1 KM away. Even though we are so close to Dharamshala the villa is nicely tucked away from all the crowds and noise. Our backyard has spectacular views of the snow-capped Dhaulahars, there are small village shops, a large market, malls, cinema hall, restaurants etc all within walking distance of the house. You can take the short cut to walk to Mcleodganj or Bhagsu Nag from Gamru, it's about 30 min to an hour on foot. If walking is not your thing then you can get a cab and it is a 15 mins drive up the hill. The villa offers you an interesting mix of urban and rural life and also a lot of wilderness. This leaves you with a lot of options to choose from. Kapil who is the caretaker of my place will personally meet you upon your arrival and show you around the house. He lives in the village and will be available during times of the day to help you around. He will also be able to help you with any suggestions you may need in regards to places to visit, taxi and so on. We can organize a bon fire and Barbeque for you at an extra cost, which you can directly be paid at the property. We also have a full time cook who can be available to cook meals at the property. The house is fully furnished and includes a living room, two bedrooms, a loft, kitchen, dinning area, laundry and a veranda. Apart from antique furniture and heritage curios. The large garden surrounding the house with all the fruit and flower trees is a frequent haunt for the birds. you will see loads of russet sparrows, Sibias, Rose Finches, Magpies, Bulbuls, barbets, fly catches, Redstarts, etc. You will also see lots of Himalyan Griffons, Lammergeier’s and kites trying to catch a thermal above the house during the day, depending on the season you visit us. Monsoons are very heavy here and post-monsoon starts mid September usually. During your stay here you can choose to either have Raju our full time cook to help cook food or self cater meals or we can provide some local restaurant numbers for home delivery (Swiggy and Zomato food delivery apps deliver in Dharamshala now). The kitchen is fully equipped for your convenience with a Gas stove, toaster, pots and pans, crockery, and cutlery. You also have the option of hiring our cook Raju who can come and cook all the meals you would like him to do for an extra fee. He is an amazing cook and is comfortable making a variety of Cuisines. He can also do all the shopping etc needed from the market at actuals. If you wish to self cater and cook, you can shop for groceries and other supplies in Dharamshala which is very close. Specialty food and drink such as wine, premium liquor, cheese, dried fruit and nuts, packaged foods, spices, imported items, coffee etc are easily available in the well-stocked market of Dharamshala and Mcleodganj. All basic groceries are available close to the house itself. There are many grocery stores in the village. If you are using the kitchen then cleaning up after use will be your responsibility. If you would prefer to not clean while on holiday, then please let us know in advance and we can have this arranged at a small extra fee. We will clean the common areas every day free of charge however if you need the room's cleaned please let us know and that can be arranged at an extra cost. Guest access When you rent the villa, you will have complete access to the house and all amenities in it - giving you complete privacy and freedom. However, please be mindful that this is a lived-in house and the host's personal belongings - such as books, CDs, curios, artifacts etc might be around. I request you to treat all belongings with care and caution as many of the items in the house are irreplaceable and of heritage and sentimental value. During your stay, should you need any help or suggestions, I will be a phone call or email away. Also Kapil who is the caretaker of my place lives closeby and will be available for any help that you might need. Other things to note (1.) If you need help with getting here from Gaggal airport/ Dharamshala bus station/ Pathankot railway station or other gateways into the region, we will be happy to arrange a taxi to pick you up and bring you here. From the road-head nearest to the villa, we can provide complimentary pick up and drop during your check in and check out. However, please do ensure that you tell us your needs before you arrive so that we can plan things well in advance. (2.) While we are sure you will love your stay in these magical surroundings, please be aware that the villa is located not very far from a forest area and a large stream. For your safety, wandering into the forest after dark may not be such a great idea, making big fires, playing loud music, causing disturbance and inconveniencing neighbours - are a big no-no. (3.) While I have taken every effort to make the villa warm, welcoming, and comfortable, it is by no means a hotel or resort. It is a family home in the truest sense - so, while the house is completely self-contained, I will unfortunately not be able to offer hotel-like facilities such as room service, food and drink on demand, generator or daily cleaning and turn down. The caretaker can accommodate most reasonable requests, with adequate prior notice. The villa will be cleaned and bed and bath linen will be changed once every three days. (4.) The villa is a live house and has a large garden around it - so, "creepy crawlies", rather, bugs and insects, are an integral part of the eco-system here. If you spot them inside the house or out in the garden, please do not be alarmed. Virtually none of them or harmful or poisonous. Please do not attempt to kill or squash them and request the host for help. Also the house has a lot of bird nests (mostly sparrows) please make sure not to disturb or touch any of them. (5.) Phone signal here is very good and most networks work well here. (6.) We have free internet access, the speed is usually good on most days but then you also get days when it crawls or on storm days the link has a tendency of going down. We request you to use it responsibly and not use it for streaming and large downloads. (7.) The kitchen is fully equipped we also have refrigerator, lots of pots and pans for cooking. We have a small bar counter adjoining the kitchen and you can get your own drinks and use the bar glasses and ice. (8.) Turn off lights and appliances when not in use. (9.) The drinking water comes from a nearby mountain spring. and we have a RO filter installed in the kitchen, Dharamshala has a water shortage problem so we request you to be sparse with both hot and cold water. But if you prefer bottled water, it can be arranged at an extra price. (10.) If you need your clothes laundered, you could inform the host who wil be able to help you. Infact there is a laundry close by and you can also choose to do it on your own as well. The village has a good laundry and clothes are typically returned within two days. Or you can choose to use the washing machine in the laundry room but again you might have to use the machine on the “Express-15” mode as most other modes are very high on water consumption. (11.) If you need a guide to trek up to Triund or go on other day or multi day walks and treks, go paragliding then we will be happy to help you organise it. In fact, if you wish to go trekking, camping, flying in the region, we guys are fully qualified and certified to help you plan an end-to-end trip. (12.) Gamru has been going through a lot of change over the last one year and suddenly everyone in Dharamshala wants to make a house in Gamru and there is a lot of construction everywhere in Gamru. There are two houses being built on two sides next to ours while they are almost done there still might be a some noise due to the construction work. However on most days it’s still quiet and peaceful.