This Teacher-Farmer Couple Left City Life to Build a Stunning Stone & Solar-Powered Homestay in the Heart of the Himalayas

Almost every individual, at some point in life, dreams of escaping to the mountains – of trading deadlines and traffic for misty mornings, starry nights, and the lullaby of streams weaving through valleys. 

For most, it remains a wistful longing. But for Dimple Kamra and her husband, Uppi, this dream became a reality – and today, it stands proudly in the eco-zone of the Great Himalayan National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the form of ‘Gone Fishing Cottages.’

What makes their journey remarkable is not just that they moved to the mountains, but how they did it — crafting a sustainable homestay from scratch, one stone, one reclaimed piece of wood at a time, weaving their love for nature into every corner of their new life.  

From classrooms and farmlands to mountain streams  

Before the mountains beckoned, Dimple (53) led an eventful life in Chandigarh. She ran an institute coaching students for exams like IELTS, SAT, and GMAT, and conducted leadership programmes for an international organisation. “I was running this independently for many years,” she shares. 

“And I was also doing leadership programmes for an international firm called TGALF, the Global Education and Leadership Foundation. I was a trainer of trainers, and we would go to schools and programmes.” 

Uppi, on the other hand, stayed connected to the earth — he remains a farmer to this day. Together, they balanced two very different worlds until the mountains, which had always been a shared dream, finally called them home.  

“This is our second marriage, both of us,” Dimple recounts. “We met about 25 years ago and have been friends all this time. We got married 15 years ago, and have been visiting Tirthan for the past 25 years. We always knew we would move to the mountains someday. In 2015, we decided it was time.” 

Using the stones effectively

When they first arrived, the land they bought was little more than boulders and bushes. But it had something priceless — “a natural stream 50 feet away, a view of a mountain in front, and a forest on the left-hand side,” Dimple says, the affection in her voice unmistakable. “It can't get better than this,” the couple thought.  

Clearing the land itself was a herculean task, taking two years. In the process, they uncovered an abundance of stone, which inspired them to build sustainably. “We consulted some local people and a contractor and decided to use natural resources. All the cottages are made of stone from the property itself,” she explains. “We also used recycled, reclaimed wood.”

Initially, they built a single two-bedroom cottage, designed to be their home. But soon, with the surplus stone and the steady stream of visiting friends and family, they constructed an identical second cottage. It wasn’t long before word got around.  

“We started getting queries — you have a spare cottage lying, why don’t you give it out?”

Dimple recalls with a smile. Their first guest arrived on New Year’s Eve in 2017: a couple, their friend, and two dogs. 

“It felt like old friends coming to visit,” she says. “It was a very delightful stay for them and for us as well.” Encouraged, they expanded again, adding a three-bedroom cottage and eventually building their separate farmhouse on the property.  

Today, Gone Fishing Cottages comprises two two-bedroom cottages and one three-bedroom cottage, all carefully designed to feel like homes, complete with kitchens, common areas, microwaves, TVs, and libraries.  

Atul Kukreja, an architect from Delhi, is a regular at Gone Fishing Cottages. “Visiting their homestay is like homecoming for me. Dimple and Uppi are almost family,” shares Atul. “I come to their place three to four times in a year, because I embrace the therapy of being alone, especially amid the breathtaking mountains and the busy streams,” Atul adds.

Sustainability: A way of life, not a buzzword  

For Dimple and Uppi, sustainability was not an afterthought — it was the foundation upon which Gone Fishing Cottages was built.  

“Even before we started running a home, we made sure the sewage and waste disposal were sorted,” she says. A biodigester, an advanced system for natural sewage treatment, was one of their first major investments. Compost pits — eight in total — were dug across the property.  

“Plastic usage has been consciously minimised at every step. Single-use plastics like Maggi and chips packets are quite a nuisance, to be honest. We tried to make a conscious decision that there should be no plastic that we are providing on top of that,” adds Dimple.

“We use bamboo straws, steel or copper thalis for picnics, and biodegradable plates made from leaves for takeaways. Even our garbage bags are biodegradable,” she notes. Guests are requested to bring their dental kits to avoid plastic toothbrushes, and all toiletries are provided in dispensers, eliminating single-use plastics.  

Solar energy powers much of the property, with solar panels installed for heating water and solar lights on timed circuits to reduce energy consumption. 

“Of course, in the mountains, when it's cloudy and cold, you need backup, so we do have boilers. But wherever possible, we stick to solar,” Dimple explains.  

Even their soaps are made in-house, packed in paper. Cold drinks and sodas are stocked in glass bottles rather than plastic. “We’ve taken these steps to make sure we're controlling the rampant use of plastic,” she says.  

Living with purpose  

Beyond sustainability, Dimple has built a life steeped in compassion. She continues to teach online, designing curriculum and offering English classes to local children. “I encourage them to come during open hours to study, and I often get books for them,” she says. Libraries on the property, both in the cottages and the main house, are filled with treasures waiting to be explored.  

Dimple has also pursued a unique passion — animal communication. Certified in telepathic animal communication, she now offers sessions to help pet owners understand their animals better. “It’s still a lesser-known field, but it’s very accurate and fascinating,” she says.  

The couple’s love for animals is evident everywhere, they have eight rescued dogs that roam the property, greeting guests with wagging tails. “These dogs are like unofficial guides for our guests,” she laughs. 

“They love people,” she adds.

In Chandigarh, Dimple also runs a bird rescue centre that shelters around 40 birds at any given time, and some birds with permanent disabilities have now found a home in Tirthan too.  

Nature: A different kind of luxury  

Gone Fishing Cottages is not about opulence; it is about quiet, thoughtful living. It is about waking up to birdsong, sipping coffee by the gurgling stream, reading by a sun-drenched window, and knowing that the mountains have claimed you in the best way possible.  

Their guests return year after year, drawn not just by the cottages’ beauty but by the feeling of home that Dimple and Uppi have so carefully nurtured. “We realised that you get to meet such interesting people. We have guests who have come 15-16 times already,” Dimple says, with quiet pride.  

“Dimple, Uppi, and the staff are warm and welcoming. And because I have visited more than a dozen times, they even know my room and breakfast preferences,” shares Atul.

In a world where ‘sustainable travel’ often feels like a marketing gimmick, Gone Fishing Cottages stands as a living, breathing example of what it truly means — built with respect for nature, powered by love, and anchored by the dreams of two people who decided not just to live in the mountains, but to belong to them.

Edited by Vidya Gowri Venkatesh; All images courtesy Gone Fishing Cottages