The Goat Village is a cluster of rustic retreats in Uttarakhand that believes in responsible tourism. All the stays are run with a view to help the locals, follow a zero-waste policy, and do not offer electricity or WiFi. Don’t worry – they’ve got a few, solar-powered charging points, lots of candles and the most hospitable {& well-informed} local caretakers to help you out at all times.
The Goat Village is an initiative started and managed by the Green People, an organisation that works towards the upliftment of farmers in Uttarakhand. As the name suggests, these cluster of retreats and all the locals who are employed to manage them are associated with goat farming. So, you’d find numerous goats grazing in the area, you can even give the locals a hand with agricultural farming and learn all about Garwhali culture.
At the moment, The Goat Village has its eco-retreats at three locations: Nag Tibba, Kanatal {Dehradun} and Dayara Bughyal {Dehradun}. All the cottages and farm stays are traditionally made with help of local artisans, have stunning views of the mountains and the Garwhali kitchen staff offers the most appetising meals made with locally-sourced ingredients.
The best part about these homestays is that they’re located at remote locations, and since there’s practically no electricity, you’ll have to give those emails and cat videos a break. TGV pushes one to become a traveller, focus on experiences rather than Instagram filters and lets you explore the simple pleasure of life. While you can always star gaze {where do you even see stars in the city}, drink fresh rhododendron juice and enjoy candle-lit dinners of makke ki roti and lentil curry, there’s lots to do around, too.
You can undertake numerous treks, assist in rural farming practices and camp under the stars. They’ve also started various programs at these retreats like the ‘Be My Guest Manager’ and the volunteer program. While the former is a great excuse for burnt out professionals to take a sabbatical {one- three months} and help with the village affairs {in return for meals and accommodation}, the latter is perfect for those who wish to pick up a few skills and gain different experiences.
Another interesting program is the Pay What You Like option available at the Kanatal and Dayara Bughyal retreats. On all days except weekends and holidays, guests can stay at any one of these properties for a maximum of two nights and three days. The purpose behind this program is to reverse the idea of ‘value for money’ to ‘money for value’ and it’s just a really nice way of getting people to explore lesser-known cultures and locations.
