We have often heard that a young man or a young woman from a metro city like Delhi or Mumbai starts to build a house on a hill, much less a foreigner sells everything and chooses hill villages to live a peaceful life with the remaining capital. It is hard to imagine that such scenes have been seen in many movies. What is it like in the hill houses where there are only two or four things in the name of convenience but the comfort that is found there is nowhere to be found? When the mind is tired of the noise of the city, what can be better than the villages of Himachal Pradesh to find peace and tranquility! Himachal Pradesh has the largest rural population in India. When the proximity of the Himalayas blends with the splendor of the simplicity of the villages, there is endless bliss. Living with the people here and enjoying the magnificent treasures of nature along with the folklife here is fun that even the most luxurious and comfortable hotel in the world cannot provide. As the saying goes, just pack a backpack, a funny diary, or a camera and leave for Himachal Pradesh… There is no return ticket for the journey here, yes!
Himachal Pradesh tourist places
Most villages in Himachal Pradesh can generally accommodate. There are different types of homestay arrangements, where a simple lifestyle along with sattvic food can be ensured. Only if there is a preparation to fall in the environment here! Where one can stay with them in any local’s home and see and enjoy their daily life closely, become a part of their daily activities. Here most of the houses of the common people of the villages are made of wood, mud, and stone constructions. They build the house in such a way that warmth is provided in the cold season. The lower part of the house is like a storeroom where the cattle are kept for drying the grass. So that it can be fed to cattle when it snows. Different vegetables are grown in the courtyard of everyone’s house and above all, there are flower gardens here. Some of the wealthy have orchards, but the lifestyle of all is generally similar.
It is different and fun to see and enjoy the rural lifestyle. In that too, especially the Himalayan villages are unique. A smiling woman weaving wood in a basket on her back gives a different definition of beauty, ease. So somewhere a shepherd will be seen tending his sheep. Children don’t have expensive toys or electronic gadgets, yet spend their childhood having fun. So somewhere an old woman with crooked teeth sitting on the porch of the house will be seen making warm clothes. In the morning, the birds are waking up by chirping sweetly, the flock of sheep stops all the way in their fun and leaves while jingling the bell tied around their necks, the houses are made of stones, and the walls are plastered with mud when the morning falls, everyone goes to their own work. If we like these kinds of pictures at first sight and we are fascinated by that beautiful smile, then the joy of living in that place can’t be imagined!
There are many valleys in Himachal and all these valleys are home to different beautiful villages. There are some villages that fall on a trekking route and have only one house. Accommodation and meals are available in the houses here at a very nominal cost. One can visit any village in the valley like Tirthan Valley, Banjara Valley, Parvati Valley, Sangla Valley, Pin Valley, Spiti Valley, etc.
The small villages of Spiti, their way of life, their struggling life, and their very simplicity gives them such natural splendor. Nako Village will come here first. There are around 40 to 50 beautiful houses where you can take a homestay. One can live with the local people by eating the local dishes there. Apart from this, villages like Langza, Komik, and Dhankar can also be visited. Kaza is the headquarters of Spiti so it has a touch of urbanization but if you want to stay with internet facilities then you can definitely stay in Kaza. Staying at Langza and Kibber, the night splendor is never to be missed. Here, on top of the huge statue of Lord Buddha, the Milky Way creates a bodhi tree. Located in the Tirthan Valley of Himachal Pradesh, Jibhi is beyond urbanization. The lifestyle of the people here is very simple, yet as if they do not enjoy the luxury of nature. Common features are available in the language. Sometimes, if you want to take a break from the busy and crowded environment, this place is the best.
Jibhi near Kullu has very nice homestays to stay. Here you can surely enjoy the mountain food while staying in an authentic hill house. People love wooden houses here. Especially tree houses are also available here. With a beautiful balcony, a distant view of the hills, bends in the road, clouds passing over the hills, lush green trees, and the company of your loved one, what else do you need? ? All the stress of life will automatically go away beyond the clouds. The area around here is called Tirthan Valley and Banjara Valley. The climate here is very pleasant in summer, but winters are very cold and snowy. Here people store firewood etc. in advance at home for winter. Every house and cafe here has tandoors installed to ward off the cold. Here we realize the value of things that seem normal in our daily life. Living in very adverse conditions, people here always have a smile on their faces. If we pay attention to all these things, the question will necessarily arise in the mind that what is really necessary to be happy and why we run so much. The hill food here is simple yet very tasty. The taste of sweet and salty siddu, desi ghee, and stone-ground green chutney is mouth-watering. Staying in the tree house here, you can spend hours sitting by the river flowing nearby, and if you are interested, you can take a pair of binoculars and watch the birds here.
Apart from this, if you want to pick and eat the fruit yourself from the orchards lined with apple trees in the Sangla Valley and the best expansive fruit orchards in the Himalayan region, you should know the season and go to Sangala. Himachal Pradesh is not limited to Shimla, Kullu, and Manali, the real beauty of Himachal Pradesh lies in such villages. Moving further towards Parvati Valley, Kasol and Malana have attracted youth and foreigners. It is here that one can trek to Rachel nearby and find rooms where one can see and hear the flowing river Parvati. If you want to spend time in the lap of nature, you can still get a real introduction to nature only if you stay for months in villages like Barsheni, Kulga, Pulga, and Tosh in this area.
The villages of Himachal are very different and special than the villages of Kalpya which we have learned about in the stories, the villages here, the villagers, the way of life here, etc. touch the mind without any language barrier. One break a year should be taken as a passenger, not a tourist. The journey will definitely be worthwhile!
