Athul Bos discovered his love for travel during college, when every weekend entailed bike trips to different places.

In 2019, he even won a biking award, for racing from Hyderabad to Kanyakumari and back in less than 36 hours.

After completing his engineering, he began organising trips across the country and set up a riding gear shop in Thrissur, Kerala.

He guided bikers and tourists along the treacherous roads of Manali-Leh-Nubra Valley and Manali-Spiti-Shimla, falling in love with Himachal on the way.

In 2015, Athul came across a beautiful cottage in a state of ruin, eight kilometres from Manali town.

Enthralled by its beauty, he decided to rebuild it as a homestay, which is accessible via a short trek through nearby villages.

“Upon the advice of the villagers, we used a unique mix of soil and cow dung with rock stones and recycled wood to beautify the cottage. It took us two months to complete the renovation work,” says Athul.

The cottage is named ‘Jungle Hut’ and offers tourists a relaxing stay near the forest. Athul also arranges package trips to Leh-Spiti.

“In Jungle Hut, we give importance to the experience rather than the journey. The place would be an ideal getaway spot for those who love to understand the village culture in depth and spend a few peaceful weeks away from noisy cities,” he notes.