Experiences

The space

Within the farm stay premises, we have two common/dining areas and a kitchen that gets lit up on renewable solar energy during the night. Rest of the space doesn't have electricity and gets lit up on candles and kerosene lamps in the evenings. For extra comfort, we do provide solar lamps during the nights. Hot water can be availed in buckets from a common, renewable resource.

Guest access

Eat the traditional indigenous stuff, milk the goats, read, get your hands dirty in the farming, go for some tranquil treks or simply do nothing and chill.

Guest interaction

We have a team of villagers trained in multiple dimensions of hospitality and management, agriculture and cattle rearing practices, and mountaineering from various reputed institutes. Our village managers are usually top end professionals volunteering their services as a Manager while on a self actualization or Tech-Detox sabbatical for 1 to 3 months, also doubling up as trainers for our staff and villagers around.

People living around are native Himalayan farmer, goatherd and shepherd families who migrate to the higher pastures during the months of summers and monsoons and practice agriculture as source of livelihood.

Getting around

Nag Tibba is a trekker’s delight. Though it is a relatively unknown trail near Mussoorie, it can easily be considered one of the best weekend treks that you can do out of Delhi. For those who want to walk in the forests, climb up to 10,000 feet, see snow clad mountains and camp under starry night skies, the Nag Tibba trek is just perfect.

The Goat Village to Nag Tibba Summit (9915 ft) via Nag-Tibba Base (8530 ft)

• Distance from The Goat Village: 4 Km to summit
• Time: Around 3 hours to summit, plus 2 hours descent, depending up on one’s fitness level.

The route is mostly a gradual walk with a small section of steep ascent for 10 minutes in between.

Bhadring is the new offering for the travelers coming to The Goat Village, Nag Tibba. After an 11 kms (30 minutes) drive from Pantwari comes this isolated tranquil spot at Bhadri River, a tributary to Yamuna. This flat riverbed can seduce you for barefoot purposeless walking on long stretches it has to offer. Responsible camping and day picnics/luncheons can be arranged on the river-side using seasonal aquatic plants. This is hydrotherapy, reflexology and aqua-meditation – all bundled in one!

For more info on how to reach, what to pack and what all to do in and around, click here for the Handy Doc!

Tariffs:

The accommodation is a mix of cottages (private rooms), condominiums (shared rooms for groups & budget travellers) and Tents with following standard tariffs per night applicable till March, 2020:

Category	No.	Single	Double	Triple	Child
Premium Cottage	2	6500	9000	11000	1500
Standard Cottage	6	4500	7000	9000	1500
Family Room	4 Beds	2500	5000	7500	1500
Condominium	8 Beds	2500	5000	7500	1500
Inclusions	Accommodation, pre Planned Dining Experiences during B/Fast, Lunch, Evening Tea & Dinner time, perennial/ filtered drinking water and hot water in buckets (we don’t have electric geysers but buckets from a renewable source).

Exclusion:
GST: 5% on final billing amount
Non-veg meals: INR 750 Per KG of Chicken (we’d need a little prior notification on this)
Guide, Pony, Porter: As per actuals directly payable to local community
Travel assistance for pick & drop: As per actual cost
Any out-house service/ experience: As per actual cost

**Pay what you Like for your meals made largely of indigenous millet, pulses and locally grown vegetables: An initiative to promote “Regional” and “Seasonal” elements in our food platters.

Our culture had embraced “Atithi Devo Bhavah” in real terms when friends, families and sometimes perfect strangers used to visit our homes, enjoy non pretentious hospitality and give something heartfelt in some form or the other, as per one’s capacity - as a token of goodwill gesture. The culture is on the brink of extinction so are we as compassionate humans. With ‘Pay What You Like’, we are making a small but honest attempt to revive this practice in our village tourism destinations. You don’t ask us what you need to pay - you be our guest – Evaluate the degree of contentment you have achieved with the regional meals and then Pay What You Like; in the drop box with your name and feedback, in an envelope provided to you at the time of departure.

READ: Pay what you like at The Goat Villages in Uttarakhand - by Condé Nast

Distance

• Nearest Airport – 134 kms from Dehradun Airport + 2 km trek
• Nearest Railway station – 99.7 Kms from Dehradun Railway Station + 2 km trek
• Nearest Bus Stand – 25 kms from Nainbaagh + 2 km trek

TRAVEL OPTIONS:

1) Public Transport: If you're a budget traveller and looking for public transportation options, you may book yourself a seat with any of these local shared taxi drivers - Anand +91 9412179094 / Dangwal + 91 9456172822 / Mahabeer +91 8057777519. These taxis operate from Dehradun to Laser Gaun and back at 7 AM & 12 Noon, everyday. Cost - INR 150 from Dehradun to Pantwari per head + INR 600 per vehicle from Pantwari to Laser Gaun. From Laser Gaun, get on a 2 kilometer trek to reach The Goat Village.

2) Self-drive:
Via Mussoorie - Dehradun to Laser Gaun via Mussoorie is around 99 kilometers and roughly 3.5 hours. This is a faster route if you're travelling from Dehradun/Haridwar/Rishikesh. QUICK ROUTE - Dehradun - Mussoorie - Nainbagh - Pantwari - Laser Gaun. From Laser Gaun, a 2 kilometer trek to The Goat Village starts.

Via Vikas Nagar
Driving from Delhi NCR? Take ‘Delhi – Panipat – Karnal – Yamuna Nagar – Paonta Sahib – Vikas Nagar – Nain Bagh – Pantwari – Laser Gaon’ route. Roughly 7-8 hours (340 KMs).
Driving from Dehradun? Take ‘Dehradun – Selaqui – Vikas Nagar – Yamuna Bridge – Nain Bagh – Pantwari – Laser Gaon’ route. Roughly 3-4 hours (110 KMs). No, we still don’t recommend driving through Mussoorie. Because, jam-packed roads, de-tours and loads of traffic!

For more on driving directions, PFA - handy doc!

3) Private car to Laser Gaon and back: INR 3000-4000. We recommend local drivers since they know the roads well. Suggestions: Sanju +91 9456105985, Naresh +91 9410979625.

Road conditions: Roads till Pantwari are open throughout the year and in pretty good condition. In the monsoons or during heavy rains, traffic becomes slower and the journey might take a little extra time.

Pantwari to Laser Gaon is an adventurous and a little off-road drive though completely safe. From Laser Gaun, the 2.3 KMs trek to The Goat Village starts.

Route Map From Dehradun to Pantwari Via Mussorrie (3 h) & Vikas Nagar (4 h 1 min)

BE A RESPONSIBLE TRAVELLER:

With a pledge to protect the micro-cultures of the communities we work with and the environment around, practicing 'responsible tourism' becomes an important aspect of our hospitality, agricultural and tourism experiences. Hence, to confirm any reservation with us, please go through this document containing TGV Resident Guidelines, and send us a digital confirmation via email.

PACKING TIPS:

1) Clothing: April to Sept: Cottons with light woollens
Oct to March: Heavy woollens

2) For the 2 km trek, if you wish to hire a pony for yourself or to carry the luggage, please do let us know in advance. Local pony drivers charge around INR 500 per pony/mule, which could carry 100 Kg of luggage, sufficient enough for 6 people. Having these 'no-road destinations' is one of our commitments to help the local communities earn some easy revenues through us. However, we still advise you to carry light to walk like the Himalayan natives to reach TGV.

3) Carrying your own towels, soaps and other toiletries will help us avoid the wastage of gallons of water which goes into washing, and in minimizing the use of chemicals in the form of washing powder etc

4) We don't have electricity. Kitchen gets lit in the nights on solar panels and offers limited power for charging phones and other necessary equipment. Please carry a handy flash light/torch with extra batteries.

5) You’ll be amidst wilderness while hiking or exploring around. Do carry insect-repellent ointments, oils or creams to stay protected from seasonal bugs.

6) Trekking shoes, water bottles.

We look forward to having you with us in the lost lands of the Himalayas. Please write to thegoatvillages@gmail.com for any reservation related queries.

DISCLAIMER:
We are operating without electricity and we don't serve gourmet meals. We do provide candles and solar torches for your comfort though. We live and promote the philosophy of 'smart minimalism' and we are an 'absolute no', if you are seeking conventional hospitality.

We coexist with nature and these areas are prone to wild mammals, insects and snakes so one needs to be careful and one is responsible for one’s own safety.

Location/ Altitude:

Laser Gaon (5500 ft) to The Goat Village (7700 ft) – 1.5 Km. From Nainbagh main market, take a road going up on the right side (also known as Nag Tibba road). From here after a 25 km drive you reach Laser Gaon via Pantwari village, which is start point for the trek to reach The Goat Village. A lot of trekkers also start their trek from Pantwari to The Goat Village. Pantwari to TGV walking distance is however, 4 kms.

GPS Coordinates: 30°35′11″N 78°9′4″E