Rukhla Farmstay-Kotkhai

Rukhla

Rukhla is an offbeat village located 70 km east of Simla in Kotkhai tehsil of Himachal at a mild altitude of 6500 ft. This is where a bit of real Himachal still remains fairly untouched by the tourists. A three hour hike from Rukhla takes you to the highest point where you can have a mesmerising 360 degree view of Greater Himalayas. The village is well known for its majestic flora and fauna including Black Bear, Barking Deer, Musk Deer, Langur, Leopards and Monal. Himalayan Griffon vultures are also regularly seen in the region.

The Rukhla Farmstay is a dream project of Michael, a British and his Himachali wife Devanshe. As the name suggests, it is a working farm where agricultural activities like looking after the orchard and handling livestock goes on. There are chickens, goats, hens and cows in the farm. It is structured into five buildings. Three of which are for the guest and rest are used by Michael and Devanshe and their staff. There is no TV in the house. Instead they have DVD screens and projector installed in the common living room. It has a Billiards Room, Yoga Studio, a well stocked library, Table Tennis and Badminton court.  The house has rare pictures and artifacts which have been carefully selected by the hosts, from all over the world.

The Premier category has 4 spacious, tastefully done rooms. Each of the guest bedrooms are a delight and you’ll be spoilt for choice. All come with ensuite bath and toilet. Mid Budget is rooms can accommodate 3 people and Budget is good for a single person. Both has external bath and toilet.

Location: Centrally located at the village.
Number of Rooms: 4; Total Capacity: 12

How to Reach

The nearest broad gauge railway station is in Kalka which is around 140 km away. One can either take a taxi, local bus or the toy train to Shimla. Rukhla is 70 km from there. The road is in good condition except for the last 12 km that is a partially tarred road.

Tariff

Classic Room: 1700/- (1 pax)
Superior Room: 4800/-
Premium Room: 7200/-
Extra Person: 3500/-
Complimentary: Breakfast, Dinner and Beverages
Lodging and food for driver or maid: 600 /- per night.

Note: These tariffs do not apply during festivals and holidays

Child Policy
Upto 6 years: Complimentary (No Extra Bed)
7-12 years.: 50% (Extra bed provided)

What you pay for a homestay, brings a direct socio-economic benefit to locals. Be proud by not asking for a discount.

Facilities

Parking • Running Hot Water • Underfloor Heating in Bathrooms • Fireplace in Living & Dining Room • Common Seating Areas • Garden • Fish Pond • Bonfire & Barbecue • Library • DVD collection with Projector • Snooker Room • Table Tennis • Badminton • Board Games • Laundry (paid) • Electric Blankets & Room Radiators (paid)

Food

All meals principally are homegrown and homemade, based on the farm produce or locally sourced. They serve both North Indian and western cuisine. They also specialise in local Himalayan dishes such as Siddu, Maash-Rajma as well as wholemeal crepes, eaten with honey and ghee or roasted poppy seed chutney. Daily dairy products including Butter, Yoghurt, Ghee, Buttermilk, Paneer etc. are sourced from their own dairy farm. Non-vegetarian dishes can be provided on a prior notice at an extra cost of 100/-. Evening tea is usually served with home-made cakes. 

Activities

Trekking • Guided forest walks • Village Walk • Bird Watching • Star Gazing • Cow Milking • Jam & Cheese Making • Mushroom Foraging (in July & August only) • Reading • Lunch Picnic at Hanging Rock • Poetry Reading • Farming

Points of Interest

Snake Mother Temple • Kiari temple (10km) • Chaal Mata temple (13km) • Sararu Pass (18km) • Nag Devta Temple (20km) • Kotkhai (20km)

Excursions

Hatu Peak (35km) • Hatkoti Temple (40km) • Narayan temple (42km) • Shimla (70km)

House Rules
1. No shoes inside the house.
2. No smoking anywhere indoors. Please use ashtrays provided outside.
3. Please respect meal timings. Being a farm-house, we have many things to do. Meals will be served at following timings:
Breakfast from 9:00am, Lunch 1:00pm, Dinner: 8:00pm
4. There is no room service, kindly refrain from carrying any meals or beverages to your rooms.
5. Stay safe: Switch off electric blankets (if using) before going to sleep.
6. Be eco-friendy, respect shared amenities. Switch off all lights and check bathroom taps before going to bed and before leaving your room.
7. You will need to carry Antigen test for COVID for all the guests.

Know your Host

Before meeting Devanshe, Michael had been teaching in various countries. Besides the UK he has lived and worked in Spain, Italy, North Africa, the Middle East and Japan. Devanshe is a native of Rukhla, a trained teacher and also a good piano player. They started working on the farm in 2012 and finally in 2016 they left Japan and made it their home forever. They both share a love for nature, handcrafted artifacts, theater, poetry and music.

You may like to check more Homestays in Himachal