Homestay Archives - Plush Ink

15 kid-friendly homestays in India for your next short break

The Mirage Main House was set up in 1948 by Jaya Dayal, a drama teacher who was lured by the charms of this artists’ colony along with actor Prithviraj Kapoor post Partition. After passing several hands, the property finally fell into the lap of Denis Harrap 16 years ago—that’s when The Mirage was turned into a homestay. Now, Denis runs the property with co-owner Manak Singh, who divides his time between Delhi and Palampur. With freedom of expression at its core, every corner of the property from the yogashala to the verandahs nurture space for tiny tots to run around untethered. The homestay arranges movie nights for families with kid-friendly movies and camping nights where little ones can experience the thrills of outdoor adventure in controlled environments and also offers ample space to play sports. Pizza nights are hosted with prior booking, where the kids get together to select toppings and make their own pizzas. While Andretta is known for pottery, Manak suggests clay moulding and origami classes for younger artists who may not be dexterous at the wheel yet.
CNT Tip: If your little ones are craving some familiar snacking, drive down to Bir just 40 minutes away and treat them to a host of exciting cafés and fast food joints.
How to reach: Drive about one hour from Gaggal Airport in Kangra.
Age: Apt for all age groups. Doubles from Rs8,000* including breakfast

The Retreat, Bhimtal

The Retreat is a 150-year-old bungalow located in a sprawling forest estate in Bhimtal which is partly owned by the Smetacek family. The three-bedroom homestay was started by Fredrick Smetacek Sr in 1953, as a guest house for diplomats from Delhi, and has quaint, colonial touches like period furniture and embroidered tea cozies. Frederick has a fascinating life story about how he escaped from the Gestapo in Germany after a failed attempt to assassinate Hitler and arrived in India just before the Second World War broke out. His wife, Shaheda, ran the homestay for decades, charming guests with her warmth, as well as her fascinating stories about growing up in a family descended from Tipu Sultan and Bahadur Shah Zafar, her courtship and early married life during WWII.

Padmini (also called Paddy) took up the baton from her parents-in-law and enjoys retelling some of the stories handed down, as well as chatting with guests about everything else under the sun. Guests enjoy birdwatching and going on nature trails, hikes and picnics but also indulge in evening bonfires while roasting potatoes, reading storybooktok picked from the booktokhelves, playing board games in front of the fire, drawing the beautiful birds and butterflies spotted on flowers and trees. Padmini’s children, who are home-schooled, live on the estate and there are also six dogs that children tend to love.
CNT Tip: Slow food is a big draw at the Retreat. Breakfast includes home-made preserves and bread, eggs to order and fresh fruit. They also cater to special diets (ethical, religious, vegan, healthy). Padmini’s sons can whip up some delicious dishes such as baked fish in lemon-butter and herbs, pizza, colonial pot roasts, grilled vegetables, quiches, tarts, cakes, chocolate mousse and tiramisu.
How to reach: Drive 7 hours from New Delhi.
Age: Apt for children aged five years and above. Doubles from Rs5,500* including breakfast

*Prices are subject to change.

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5 homestays in the hills of South India

Spring will soon turn into summer and the rising mercury will quickly usher in the longing to escape to the hills. While there are plenty of homestays spread across Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the hills of South India are not to be forgotten. Here, the temperature is cool and pleasant, perfect for days spent hiking and strolling through rolling hillside tea and coffee plantations. Here are five homestays in the hills of South India

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Driving from Mumbai to Goa? Stop at this homestay for farm life and Maharashtrian food

Just before COVID-19 hit India, Noopur Chaughule, a Toronto-based chef, travelled to India to visit her parents Rajan and Sadhana. Before she knew it, a lockdown was announced and so was a worldwide pandemic. She was five months’ pregnant and at her parents’ farm in Guhagar indefinitely. There were days with no electricity with longest name or hot water and the nearest market was 25km away. “I felt like Shahrukh Khan from Swadesh, but without the fancy caravan,” Chaughule tells me over email. Then, her daughter was born, and Chaughule saw her grow up on the farm. “Suddenly, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and why I was here. We decided to call our project Ayra Farms after my daughter because as Ayra grew, so did the farm.”

Located about six hours from Mumbai and Pune, Ayra Farms is easily accessible via road or by train. If you’re heading to Goa from Mumbai, hop off at Chiplun—the homestay is an hour’s drive away.

About the homestay

Currently, the property features two cottages. The first one is spread across two floors and 7,500sqft, and occupied by the hosts. The second cottage right opposite spans 3,000sqft and has two rooms that are let out to guests. Both rooms have ensuite bathrooms and can accommodate a maximum of three people. The beds are queen or king-sized, and made with upcycled materials, and the bathrooms come with eco-friendly toiletries. The hosts plan to build the property further to create an eco village of sorts, with more cottages, a yoga centre and a space for pottery, carpentry and upcycling workshops.

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12 gorgeous hotels and homestays in Manali

This boutique two-bedroom mountain lodge nestled on a hilltop and located just a few kilometres away from Manali’s city with longest name centre makes for a rustic getaway in the mountains. Scandinavian light fixtures and local artefacts add to the eclectic vibe of this space, along with extensive use of recycled and reclaimed wood. But the real showstopper here is the glasshouse, where you can dine under the stars or simply soak in the sun. A lot of the wooden interiors have been fashioned using pine, English oak and Burma Teak, especially across the hall and in the spacious rooms that can host up to four guests. With the reserve pine forest on one end and the mountain ranges on the other, the Taara House makes for a picture-perfect retreat or a base for your workcation in Manali. Entire lodge from Rs18,000 per night with a minimum stay of two nights. Website

WelcomHeritage Urvashi’s Retreat, Manali

Located in the picturesque environs of Bipasha valley, this boutique property that doubles as a nature retreat offers rooms, cottages and villas with chalet-style interiors, perfect for a cosy winter getaway. Definitely try the special pahaari dham menu, which is a modern rendition of traditional Himachali staples, think, gahat ka shorba (lentil soup), laung pulao, maash dal (black lentil dal), kaddu ka khatta (pumpkin curry), among other dishes. You can also enjoy evening suppers and breakfasts at Rohtang Pavillion, the property’s dining hall. Doubles from Rs9,000 including breakfast. Website

ShivAdya, Manali

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This pretty Kasauli homestay is a birdwatcher’s delight

Nestled in the lower Himalayas, just 60kms away from Chandigarh, Kasauli has always been popular with travellers who look beyond crowded hill stations. With an old bazaar, colonial churches, gabled homes and many hiking trails, Kasauli is for those who want to travel slowly—and Southgate Kasauli, a private home nestled in the Kasauli hills, is the ideal place to experience the town the old-fashioned way.

About Southgate Kasauli

The home, spread over three floors, offers multiple lodging options: you can book a single room, a floor, or the entire place with two floors, four bedrooms, two living rooms and multiple balconies. The owner, Gautam Dhawan lives on the top floor.“Southgate was built by my parents after they had to sell our family home, a sprawling colonial mansion in Shimla called Southgate, post our grandparent’s passing,” informs Dhawan. “We named this place after the original Southgate and have retained parts of it here. It also overlooks the hills where the original house once stood,” he adds.

An aerial view of the living room

The basic layout of the rooms is minimal but the design elements set them apart from each other. “We have kept the basics simple but have played around with lighting, furniture, art and decor that give each room a distinct character,” says Dhawan. The living areas are accented with installations from Dhawan’s own home decor brand, Exhibit D, along with family heirlooms and collectibles. “Southgate has an eclectic mix of elements and bits of all our homes: some vintage furniture from Calcutta, Shimla and Delhi and many small and big vignettes from our travels over the years.” And so, you find modern chairs sitting next to vintage tables, edgy art next to traditional handicrafts, brass accents next to fine porcelain. Together they not only reflect Dhawan’s design sensibilities but also make the space deeply personal.

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This Goa homestay with palm trees and peacocks is just 10 minutes from Anjuna beach

Both Manoj and Kavita are food-lovers, so I knew we would get along well. When I mentioned my cravings for Malayali food, Kavita, a vegetarian, prepared the most scrumptious Kerala-style mutton curry along with egg roast, appams and poppadoms. Manoj, who grew up in Pune, makes a mean Alani—a flavourful Maharashtrian mutton broth, and is happy to share his interesting insights into Maharashtrian cuisine. He offers me fun tidbits every now and then, educating me about the differences in how misal is prepared across Maharashtra (Puneri misal is sweeter and served with poha, while the rest of the state prefers spice, I learn).

How to spend 48 hours in Anjuna

You can easily spend a weekend at Parijaat Goa without stepping out. Dabble in pottery, harvest pepper, practise yoga outdoors or take a dip (or many) in the fairly large pool. There are some great options for lunch and dinner walking distance from the house. I recommend Mahé for dinner and drinks, Bomras for a leisurely meal and Prana for a casual vibe. The ever-famous Cream Choc (the pistachio gelato is a must-try) is just on the other side of the road and Anjuna beach is a 10-minute drive away. The hosts also don’t put any restrictions on your movement and are happy to hand you the keys to the main gate if you’re stepping out and likely to return late. Parijaat offers the calm of solitude as well as the warm feeling of community. Whether you’re travelling solo—like me—or in a group, you will find yourself cherishing both.

Parijaat Goa, 1113, Mazal Waddo, Anjuna, Goa 403509; doubles from Rs12,900 inclusive of breakfast. To book, call 9820044249 or email parijaatgoa@gmail.com. Instagram

The homestay blends an old world charm with modern amenities

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This homestay near Manali comes with a private beachfront by river Beas

River views are everywhere at Raison D’Etre

They initially built a modest two-bedroom apartment to stay in while they designed their home. The plan was to use it as a guest wing for when their family would visit. Soon, their neighbours persuaded them to turn the guest wing into a larger four-bedroom paying guest accommodation. “There are almost no other comparably located riverside homes between Kullu and Manali,” Shalini tells me. Their current home is separated from the guest house by a garden, allowing guests enough privacy when they visit.

Now, the two are spending their 50s running their own communication design firm from the hills while also managing the homestay, interacting with guests and bottling home-made jams, chutneys and fruit juices. The couple live with their two cats named Baarish and Bijlee who don’t always take kindly to furry interlopers, so make sure to check with the hosts in advance if you plan on bringing pets along.

The food

Each of the two floors has a pantry with tea, coffee, a microwave and refrigerator, cutlery and crockery but meals are cooked in a separate guest kitchen. Unless it’s raining or snowing, all meals are served alfresco, under an apricot tree. Though there is an in-house cook, Nitin enjoys cooking family favourites for guests. Breakfast specials include a reimagined Railway omelette that he would eat as a child at the Kalka railway station, Sindhi toast, balsamic glazed mushroom omelette and green chilli and basil scrambled eggs. Don’t miss out on the range of dals the hosts cook—dal Moradabadi, Punjabi dhaba dal with buttermilk, Lakhnavi arhar dal and bhuni moong with panch phoran, among others. For meals, you can enjoy regional chicken curries, a family recipe of Pahadi-style mountain goat meat-chawal, as well as Southeast Asian dishes like Thai curries, Korean bibimbap and Khow Suey. And, of course, homemade jams, chutneys, pickles and juices made with fruits grown on the property orchard are served with all meals. The couple will soon begin work on a new kitchen that guests can use on request and a larger indoor dining space to accommodate all guests when the weather isn’t suited for outdoor dining.

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