Rukhla Farmstay, Kotkhai-wfh
Rukhla Homestay
The dream project of Michael, a British and his Himachali wife Devanshe, Rukhla Homestay is located in an off beat village Rukhla, 70 km from Shimla, Himachal. A three hour hike from Rukhla takes you to the highest point where you can have a mesmerizing 360 degree view of Greater Himalayas.
They run it in a very unique style. Yoga mornings, music concerts, poetry reading sessions, cleaning drives, cooking lessons are just some of the many activities that will keep you busy during your free time here. They bake their breads, prepare jams, pickles and cheese in house with fruits from their orchard and milk that comes from their own cow.
There is no TV 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.
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
Weekly
Single/Double Occupancy: 9,950/-
Includes: WiFi, Electricity, Power Backup, Fully Equipped Kitchen and Housekeeping
Single Person: 19,950/- (Room Category A)
Double Occupancy: 37,950/-
Includes: WiFi, Breakfast & Dinner, Electricity, Power backup and Housekeeping
2 Weeks
Single/Double Occupancy: 17,950/-
Includes: WiFi, Electricity, Power Backup, Fully Equipped Kitchen and Housekeeping
Per Person: 23,000/- (Room Category B)
Includes: WiFi, Breakfast & Dinner, Electricity, Power backup and Housekeeping
Monthly
Single/Double Occupancy: 29,950/-
Includes: WiFi, Electricity, Power Backup, Fully Equipped Kitchen and Housekeeping
Per Person: 25,500/- (Room Category C)
Includes: WiFi, WiFi, Breakfast & Dinner, Electricity, Power backup and Housekeeping
Note: What you pay for a homestay, brings a direct socio-economic benefit to locals. Be proud by not asking for a discount.
Facilities
WiFi • Parking • Running Hot Water • 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.
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-friendly, 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.
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