Welcome to Ira's Hideaway -

Our mud and bamboo house awaits visitors in a beautiful setting at the foothill of the mighty Dhauladhar mountains in the lush green Kangra Valley.

Homestay

Join us for a few nights, a week or a month to relax, recharge and rejunevate.
Enjoy the quiet place, fresh daily and local home made meals. Feel at home in one of our guest rooms or have more privacy in the tiny house

Surroundings and activities

Our home is located in the quiet village of Kandbari. This area is known for easy, picturesque walks among the hills, grasslands or farms.

The tea town Palampur is just a 15 minutes drive away.

The house, though far from the city crowd, is situated in a neighborhood which offers isolation as well as opportunities for interaction with the local villagers, mostly belonging to the gaddi tribe.

Many activities can be found around, enjoying the nearby stream in the summer, getting a glimpse of the snow in the winter, paragliding or discovering more about spirituality in the nearby institute and nunnery.

Click to know more…

Vision & Story

Welcome to our place!

We are Ira, Rahul and our 16 years old daughter Gauri. After living in Palampur for a few years, we wanted to be closer to nature to … That is how we decide to start the construction of our house. Made of local and sustainable materials, we wanted it to be in sync with nature and the surroundings. After 4 years of construction the main part of the work has been achieved and we are now able to share this place with guests.

Our vision is to create a meaningful relationship with our guests by spending a good time eating meals together or having a cup of tea around a campfire, and through mutual sharing of ways of living a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

Ira will be happy to share with you about her cooking tips for Indian food and healthy meal preparation or gardenning… Rahul can teach you some yoga, share how to make your own sour dough bread, use alternative flour… Gauri can take you hiking or discuss about photography tips.

Testimonials

Ira and her husband Rahul are amazing souls. They posses a good knowledge about their Town and are so warm welcoming. Our stay was pleasant during the 2 nights and it was a memorable trip. 🙂

That M

Himanjai s

This place is awesome for those who want serenity and peace for some time. In a tiny village, this is an ideal destination for retreat from city life. Mudhouse, you get to know how was it living in these, yet all modern toilet amenities are there. You can go for small hikes early morning, evening Barbeque in lap of nature..

Neeraj M

Nice and cosy at the base of Dhauladhar ranges. Home made fresh food and beautiful places around to hike and trek. Super hosts!

Vanita

The cottage is qaint and well equipped, anticipating all possible needs. And the best part of this homestay is Ira 🙂 She is loving, kind and considerate and forever ready to help with her time and ideas. She held my elderly Mom’s hand and guided her to the river and cooked food without garlic for her for the length of the stay. No wonders within a couple of hours of being there I was calling it ‘home’ Ira’s husband, Rahul’s thoughtful consideration of our travel plans and his suggestions deserves a special mention and also all the discussions on health and traditional cooking👍 and the delicious ragi+jaggery biscuits. Must remember to buy some. For me it was a bit of a daunting task to take an elderly mother to the mountains but Ira and Rahul made it so easy and pleasurable. May all future holidays be like this one (though, it is going to be impossible to find such caring hosts) Hope to return soonest!

Amit Amejha

A quiet and peaceful retreat tucked away on a hill slope. Rahul and Ira stand out for their bubbling and graceful hospitality. We had some very absorbing discussions during meals on contemporary issues which were very enriching. Equally interesting was to meet their daughter Gauri. Over breakfast, we met up with the local activist Bimla who is working for rural women’s empowerment and caste issues. Her commitment for the cause was inspiring. The high point of the stay was their warm hospitality and eco-friendly approach to living. The scenic beauty could be a little better though. On the whole a great stay.

Volunteer

We feel like free exchange of knowledge, skills and manpower was part of our culture but it is fading nowadays. We would like to revive it in the local area by sharing with other villagers and external people.

Come to learn and share your experience about mud house building, rocket mass heater, cooking with local products, gardening… if you have any other specific skill, we will be happy to know about it.

A small garden area can be shared with long term guest so that they can experiment gardening.