Sustainable Homestay

In Himachal’s Keylong, Tanzin Bodh (32) restored an 80-year-old mud home into ‘Zomsa’, a sustainable homestay managed by locals. Along with reviving mud architecture, he is empowering women artisans through handlooms and preserving Himachal’s cultural heritage.

A certified naturalist, Luv Shekhawat created Utsav Camp in Rajasthan’s Alwar, with guidance from his 90-year-old grandfather, a former forest officer. The jungle lodge, which blends sustainability with rustic charm, opens up to the Sariska Tiger Reserve, offering its guests a wildlife experience.

Ajit Mishra transformed a denuded 20-acre plot in Malshej Ghat into Nehamrit Farms — a thriving agrotourism destination featuring over 1,500 fruit-bearing and indigenous trees. Supported by his family, the farm offers eco-friendly accommodations, organic farm-to-table dining, and interactive experiences, blending sustainability with rural charm.

Cocooned by oak and rhododendron forests, Jilling Terraces in Uttarakhand offers a mountain escape rooted in sustainability. From locally sourced food to mindful architecture that features wood, mud and stone cottages, Jilling Terraces reflects a deep respect for nature and community.

'Aashraya on the Ganga' is a sustainable homestay in Rishikesh featuring dry stone and wood from a car showroom. But its sustainability spills beyond the architecture and into a forest thriving with thousands of fruit trees.

Raghav and Ansh Kumar, architects from Delhi, created Tiny Farm Fort, a homestay in Rishikesh. Made using cob, this sustainable retreat aims to reconnect people with nature and traditional building techniques.

Near Pench National Park, this wilderness camp is dismantled every year before the monsoon, allowing the forest and its wildlife to regenerate. Built by the family behind Project Tiger, the eco-stay uses reclaimed materials, local produce, and minimal infrastructure to create a model where tourism supports conservation — does not compete with it.

Filmmakers Raman Siddhartha and Manju Narayan returned to Himachal to build Kosen Rufu Village Recluse — a sustainable homestay made of local mud, bamboo, and slate, guided by the late eco-architect Delia Kinzinger. Here’s how they created an off-grid haven rooted in tradition and community.

In the misty hills of Vagamon, a forgotten tea estate has been transformed into Chai Vagamon—a retreat where travellers, locals, and artists come together. Through shared meals, crafts, and conversations, it invites you to slow down, connect deeply, and rediscover what it means to truly belong while travelling.

For Dimple Kamra and Uppi, living amidst the mountain was a far-fetched dream. Today, they have made it a reality by turning a rocky patch of land in Tirthan Valley into ‘Gone Fishing Cottages’ — an eco-friendly mountain haven crafted with love and purpose.