Literally handbuilt stone by stone by a Kumaoni farmer and then lovingly rebuilt and expanded by a Pahadi-Telugu couple, Fagunia Farmstay is a charming mountain villa homestay that is an epitome of subtle charms and understated luxury.
Located about 15 km from Nainital in a remote hamlet in the middle Himalayas of Uttarakhand, our little piece of heaven is the perfect place for discerning travelers who are looking to reconnect with nature and a quiet place to unwind. Accessed by a beautiful but adventurous drive on a rough track through an enchanting forest, over British Raj era arched bridges across seasonal waterfalls, and with a short walk down in the end, Fagunia Farmstay is a special place to experience.
While we would love to share our dream home with everyone, given our remote, off the road location next to forests, and our eco-friendly focus, we are cautious about who we host to ensure that we can offer the most memorable experience to like minded guests. So do scroll down and read through till the end of this page below to understand what you can expect from a stay with us.
The villa is built across three levels and has two spacious independent suites: Shikra & Barbet on the upper and mid levels and two smaller independent bedrooms: Starling & Sparrow on the lower level. There is a certain quirkiness in the way we have utilized available space that you may have fun in experiencing. Read more about our rooms and check out their unique layout here.
The sprawling farm estate is home to pristine natural spaces, a seasonal waterfall and has many delightful nooks where you can leave the world behind and imbibe the serenity of an unspoiled Arcadia. You can book the individual rooms separately or book the full villa for exclusive access.
A painstakingly built stone cottage with an eye to minute details by the young and adventurous couple. And ah! What a view. The second level rooms open out on a wide terrace with deck chairs and a view to die for. A little attic converted to a bedroom is a gem tucked away. On a misty day, the clouds keep hovering around, occasionally floating inside, and through the forest and the hills playing hide and seek. The deafening silence is full of bird chirps. A little paradise in the otherwise hell-of-a-world.
It took us almost 2 years and a pandemic to come back since our last visit in Oct 2018. A desperately needed break after months of lockdown, unlockdown and being constantly masked! Unanimously, Fagunia Farmstay was voted by all of us as the SAFEST place to holiday despite the Corona Virus.
Coming back, there were muted expectations expecting lockdown and other challenges to have taken their toll! NO SUCH THING. We came back to a vibrant and happening Fagunia with many new upgrades:
Kafal Corner: The best place to spend hours reading, looking out or just doing nothing.
Barbecue Station: It works! Had a fantastic evening with some great flavours
Waterfall: Just sitting or standing in the water….
The highlight: The food. Going back completely satiated with some of the best food we have had in a long long time. Fresh bread, local delicacies and surprise desserts.
As we said earlier…we will be back! And hopefully won’t take another pandemic to bring us back.
Its a quiet place a little off the beaten path. Lovingly made, the house is an aesthetic delight. Nestled amidst farms and forest, its a great place for birdwatching, walking and for soaking in the atmosphere of rural Uttarakhand. The food is fresh and really tasty. The hosts are wonderful people. It’s one of the best holidays I have had. There is a fabulous eye for detail that’s visible in this fantastic place. Its not easy to make a place look so beautiful, charming and make it so comfortable at the same time, and you have managed to achieve that. The food is excellent and the walks around the house are really wonderful. All the best to you for this place.
An old house beautifully renovated. Comfortable stay with children and friends. A great place for a long weekend getaway from Delhi as the driving time is not more than 6.5 hrs. Great trails for hiking and lots of waterfalls around.
Fagunia is a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of Delhi. Done up with immense amounts of love, every room in this homestay has its little usp and a striking character. The couple who own the place, Aditi and anil, are gracious hosts and spending time with them, you know that this place is a result of their passion for the mountains, for conservation and for people. What also really stands out is their love for nature, not only in the fact that they are growing their own veggies and the place is done up with recycled material wherever possible but also in their constant endeavor to cut down on waste and also have their own STP and rainwater harvesting unit. The food is local and fresh and again, done with a lot of love and attention to what guests want. A lovely stay all in all. And if youre really lucky like I was, you’ll also get to see a sky full of stars and the milky way!
Beautiful cottage nestled in the hills away from the city madness. This is a perfect getaway for those craving a bit of silence and indulging in some solitude. The cottage is located slightly off-track but the owners of the property are happy to arrange for a taxi for you if you’re arriving from train. The property itself is neat and clean and well maintained. Rooms are fairly large with basic amenities included. Love the personal touch in little things. We received a pre-arrival email with a check-list of things, what to carry, current weather and emergency contact numbers. Network is a bit of an issue but they have a good working Wi-Fi at all times. Be prepared to be fed and by that I mean gain a couple of kilos while you’re there. The food is simple, hearty and local. There are options of hiking trails nearby or if you just want to laze about, you can simply just chill in the property.
Fagunia Farmstay’s food is an eclectic melange of Pahadi and Telugu influences. Simple yet nutritious, wholesome yet light. We use seasonal, farm fresh and local ingredients as much as possible. Most of the vegetables are sourced from our or neighbouring farms when available so that you can have the freshest farm to table experience and discover the difference that fresh, organic, seasonal, home cooked food can have on your tastebuds.
To reduce our environmental impact, our use of packaged food is kept to a minimum so we do not serve carbonated drinks or packaged fruit juices or fast food. We also do not offer a la carte ordering or room service. Read more about our fixed food menu here.
Enhance your mountain stay with us through a special experience. Through these curated activities, led by an Experience Curator, we will share our joy of experiencing fine things that can elevate every day life.
Learn how to make your own fresh loaf of health positive bread through a hands on session. Go on a curated journey to taste some of the finest single malts of the world. Or set out on a long trek to a stunning river at the bottom of a valley while experiencing rural mountain life.
Many eco-friendly features have been incorporated into the construction and running of Fagunia Farmstay to reduce the impact and footprint of the villa. Almost all of the stone and most of the wood used in the construction was recycled and upcycled from the earlier house. Much of the furniture in the villa is refurbished antique furniture. Rooms are compact to retain warmth and reduce energy usage for heating. Solar water heating and LED lighting reduce electricity consumption while rain water collection and storage help with conservation of water. Sustainable grey and black water management and waste management systems help in on site treatment and recycling of waste and prevent pollution. In addition, we have many special features, which we hope will enhance your stay.
Go on long walks in the surrounding sun dappled and pine scented forests in search of colourful birds and butterflies. Lend a helping hand on the farm. Observe the unhurried pace of village life. Write your next great book. Come up with a life changing idea. Or just find a quiet corner, put up your feet, stare at the beautiful vista, relax and slowly let go of all your worries.
Fagunia Farmstay is located in a small and remote hamlet in Uttarakhand in the Kumaon mountains of the Indian Himalayas. We are at an altitude of ~5000 feet, about 285 km from New Delhi with a driving time of ~6-7 hours.
The last 4 km of the route to our village is a scenic but stony and untarred, rough forest road (see video and photos on the link below). From our village parking area, you will have to walk down a cemented village path for about 5-10 mins to reach our place. Please note that this path is not accessible friendly so our place is not apt for anyone with mobility issues. The link below has a video of the entire path so do view it to check if you are comfortable with its distance and steepness.
While we would love to share our dream home with everyone, given our remote, off the road location next to forests, and our eco-friendly focus, we are cautious about who we host to ensure that we can offer the most memorable experience to like minded guests.
If you love being close to nature, want to travel responsibly and don’t mind doing without certain urban luxuries like TV, toilet paper, 24/7 running hot water, uninterrupted power and WiFi, then our place will be perfect for you. Here are our simple house guidelines that you will need to be aware of.
Isn’t it better to listen to the natural music of the forests, animals and birds instead of some loud song? So please don’t play loud music at our place. And strictly no music after 10 pm please in our outdoor areas.
Our check in time is 2 pm. Early check in is not possible. We recommend you reach our place before dark as the last stretch of forest track to our village is best driven on during daylight hours.
We have a dedicated broadband connection but given our remote location, it can sometimes go down and take some time to be back up. In case you need constant access to the net, please carry a Jio 4G dongle.
Water is a super precious and scarce resource in the mountains. Please use water judiciously. While we have installed showers, please opt for bucket showers. We reserve the option of removing shower panels from our bathrooms during peak summer months in case of limited water supply.
We offer a bonfire service for the comfort of our guests only between November-February. Please don’t request for bonfire outside of these months. Please do keep in mind, bonfire needs wood from trees and takes time and effort to source and also has an impact on the local environment.
Located in a remote rural village, we are prone to regular power cuts. As an ecofriendly home, we only use a solar powered inverter for power backup and it has a finite backup capacity. So please bear with us in case of longer power cuts and our power backup runs out.
Our meals are as per a fixed menu and served at fixed times. Please co-operate by having meals at the designated times. Our kitchen closes at 10:00 pm so please don’t request for late dinner service as our staff need to go home, rest and prepare for the next day. Lunch on the day of checkin is not included. It will not be possible for us to arrange for lunch on the day of checkin.
We do not provide toiletries, toilet paper or toothpaste. We provide towels and hand wash in refillable containers. Please carry your own toiletries, toothpaste, brush, razor and toilet paper. We are located in a remote village with the nearest shop about 4 km away so please pack accordingly. Also pack organic insect repellent (if you need it), torch, good closed walking shoes, personal medicines, beverages and chargers.
Mountains are highly fragile, eco-sensitive landscapes and increasing plastic waste here is a grave threat. We firmly request that you minimize the amount of plastic you bring with you. And please, please help us manage such non-degradable waste by taking back whatever plastic waste you generate during your stay and disposing it responsibly in the plains. Thank you for helping us keep mountains pristine and beautiful.