The Goat Village
Through initiatives by The Green People, rural communities are able to tap the potential of their land for sustainable tourism, and take ownership of their livelihoods.
When you stay at any of their partner villages, you provide additional, stable income for the communities, and allow the sustainable tourism model to take root and flourish, thus preventing rural communities from having to uproot to urban areas to take up low-skilled jobs.
The nearest airport is in Dehradrun, which is a two-and-a-half hours’ flight from Mumbai, and a 50-minute flight from Delhi. Alternatively, folks can take one of the AC fast or semi-fast trains that cover the distance between Delhi and Dehradun in about six hours.
From Dehradrun, the easiest way to get to Raithal is by hiring a taxi for Rs6,000 (US$86) one way. Shared taxis ply the route between Dehradrun to Uttarkashi, as well as between Uttarkashi and Raithal, and cost less than Rs1,000 (US$14) per person. But this takes much longer as the shared taxis do not leave until all seats have been taken up.
Good for kids
Referred to as Devbhoomi (the land of the gods) and sharing its borders with Tibet and Nepal, the state of Uttarakhand is home to many of Hinduism’s pilgrimage centres such as Rishikesh, Haridwar, Gangotri, Yamnotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Uttarkashi, to name a few.
Uttarakhand as a state is located at a higher altitude, and the weather is likely to be chilly if not cold, all year round. The region receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon season from June to September. Bring clothes that can be layered up for cold weather.
Only the dining area and kitchen are powered by electricity, while rooms have solar lamps and candles. Carry a torch.
Bring your own toiletries and trekking boots as these items do not come by easily in the village.
The Green People offers a Pay What You Like programme at the newest farm retreats to join their network, which allow travellers to pay whatever they wish. This is to encourage a greater flow of travellers to these villages in the initial stages and provide the momentum needed to thrive. Villages that are at a more mature stage, like The Goat Village (Dayara Bugyal), eventually move away from this model.
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