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Shakti Kumaon Village Walks
It offers some of the most stunning mountain scenery that we know of anywhere, from the perennially snow capped peaks of the Great Himalaya range in the north to the pretty hill stations at the foothills. Surprisingly the region escaped the influx of backpackers that was common in other hill areas. This allowed Shakti to pioneer the concept of village walks in an unspoiled and off-beat part of India.
Village walks are at the heart of any Shakti Experience, enabling you to enjoy the villages and rural life in remote mountain regions. Accompanied by local porters and guides, you step out of the modern world, walking between villages that are remote, and staying in traditional village houses, which Shakti has spruced up to provide proper comfort without compromising their authenticity.
We will arrange visits to local schools, temples and markets to enable you to get a full understanding of the culture of each region, its people, religion and customs. Providing authentic experiences of local life, our walks are the perfect antidote to the frenetic world that most of us live in.
For the more active guests trekking and camping are also possibilities. In remote but beautiful locations we offer our guests the chance to spend the night in a tented camp set up exclusively for them. Enjoy outstanding mountain views and some of the clearest night skies to be found in the world.
The Kumaon Village experiences can be combined perfectly with Shakti 360° Leti to create a complete Himalayan experience.
Shakti Kumaon is available from: Oct – April *The closing date can change from year to year depending on weather
Package Includes
Sample Itinerary for the Shakti Kumaon Village Walks:
Day One: Delhi - Kathgodam - Shakti Deora
This morning you will board your train departing at 0615hrs and arriving into Kathgodam at 1150hrs.
On arrival in Kathgodam (the last station on the line), please wait in your compartment as our guide will come and collect you from there. You will then be driven to the Almora region (3.5 hours away) from where the Village Walks will begin. En route you will stop for lunch.
You will then begin walking from the village of Chitai – also famous for the Chitai temple (god of justice) for about two hours to reach your first village house in the small and sleepy town of Deora.
Enjoy drinks followed by dinner prepared by your chef this evening.
Overnight: Shakti Deora Village House- Fully Inclusive Altitude: 1495m
Day Two Shakti Deora - Shakti Jwalabanj
Setting off from Deora, you will reach the village of Chirala after approximately thirty minutes of walking, where you can visit the local school.
Continue walking through a pine forest, descending into the Shivalaya valley as the forest peters out. The scenic valley has a stream running down one side and one can often see children playing in the stream and adults working the fields.
Walk along the valley before turning left and climbing up towards the village of Alai. Follow a water canal for twenty minutes before stopping for a drink and the opportunity to dip your feet in a natural rock pool.
Continuing along the path, passing a ‘ghatt’ (water powered flour mill) and terraced fields through the village of Palyu, before climbing for twenty minutes to the road head at Ka-Chula pool.
From Ka-Chula Pool you have the option of taking our car (which will be waiting for you) to Dhaulchina, around twenty minutes away, before walking gradually uphill for thirty minutes to the lunch spot. For those who are feeling more energetic, the walk from Ka-Chula Pool to the lunch spot (without taking the car) takes around an hour and a half with two fairly steep uphill stretches.
After lunch, continue walking gradually uphill through stunning rhododendron forest for around one and a half hours until you reach the village of Jwalabanj.
Overnight: Shakti Jwalabanj Village House– Fully Inclusive Altitude: 2147m
Day Three Shakti Jwalabanj - Shakti Kana
This morning after breakfast, you will start with a downhill walk through green terraced fields which brings you to the Jageshwar Temple Complex built in the 8th century, very interesting to explore. Some distance ahead we have arranged lunch for you at a lovely spot by a stream. This is a wonderful place to simply relax. Another hour further you will reach the village house.
The rest of the afternoon is for you to enjoy as you desire- you may like to simply sit outside and read a book or just admire the scenery.
For those who wish to walk more, there is a beautiful three hour walk from the house through rhododendron, pine and oak forests.
Overnight :Shakti Kana Village House–Fully Inclusive Altitude: 1892m
Day Four Shakti Kana
You could take a walk in the surrounding area and also visit a local school if you like. We could arrange for a short meeting with the school headmaster. You could then enjoy a picnic lunch and later walk back to your village house. Spend this evening at leisure. Drinks followed by dinner will be served later.
Overnight: Shakti Kana Village House – Fully Inclusive
Day Five Shakti Kana - Kathgodham
Special memories: - Wedding in village - Local Hindu Temple - Deora Village - Local girls on the way to school
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