RavenousLegs
  • Home
  • DESTINATIONS
    • INDIA >
      • ANDAMAN ISLANDS
      • GOA
      • GUJARAT
      • HIMACHAL PRADESH
      • KARNATAKA
      • KASHMIR
      • KERALA
      • LADAKH
      • LAKSHADWEEP
      • MADHYA PRADESH
      • MAHARASHTRA
      • PONDICHERRY
      • UTTARAKHAND
    • INDONESIA
    • MALDIVES
    • NEPAL
    • SRI LANKA
    • THAILAND
    • UAE
    • VIETNAM
  • EXPERIENCES
    • TREKKING
    • SCUBA DIVING
    • SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
    • BOUTIQUE
    • BACKPACKING
    • BEACHES
    • HIMALAYAS
    • WILDERNESS
    • HERITAGE
    • FESTIVALS
  • UnRaven
  • Reviews
    • BRANDS
    • APPS
    • PROPERTIES
    • PRODUCTS
    • GUEST POSTS
  • Contact
  • About Me

The Goat Village, Nag tibba - farm retreat in Garhwal Uttarakhand

11/15/2022

18 Comments

 

The Goat Village, Nag tibba - farm retreat in Garhwal Uttarakhand

The Goat Village in Nag tibba, Uttarakhand is a unique farm retreat where one gets to experience Garhwali village lifestyle, right in the lap of the Himalayas. Agritourism and Village Tourism in Himalayas is a fantastic way to learn and explore the culture and rustic way of life. Eat the traditional indigenous farm fresh homegrown food, graze and milk the goats, eat country eggs from the in-house poultry, walk with the shepherds and villagers into the jungles to learn interesting life-hacks, read in the most peaceful surroundings, dirty your hands with farming, hike on serene trails, get tech-detoxed, or simply do nothing and chill.
Cottages in The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Cottages in The Goat Village, Nag tibba

The Goat Village is located at the height of 2000m / 6500ft, the midpoint of the famous trek route to Nag tibba at 3022m / 10000ft. The Goat Village is a 2-3 hours hike from the road at Pantwari village (4 hours drive from Dehradun). Since it remains cut-off from the road and other hustles-bustles, it is one of the most peaceful locations to stay. After a hike up to The Goat Village, when I looked around, I found myself surrounded with layered mountains on all sides. The way the landscape changes from dry mountains to dense green with the snow-covered peaks peeking on the top, delighted me completely.
Mountain View from The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Mountain View from The Goat Village, Nag tibba

I first stepped into the cafeteria and was in awe with its beautiful architecture. It was a completely transparent glass house with plants and vegetables were grown under the greenhouse effect. These fresh grown leaves and vegetables are used for cooking and it gave a very beautiful touch to the cafeteria.
Green House Cafe in The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Green House Cafe in The Goat Village, Nag tibba

​This corner captures everyone's attention in the cafeteria. After the hike, this bed literally invited me to rest there. It was my favourite corner to have my morning tea, watch the sunset and gaze the stars in the night.
Green House Cafe in The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Green House Cafe in The Goat Village, Nag tibba

​I was walked to my room made of local stones, mud and wood as per the ancient Garhwali earthquake-proof architecture. The window seat in my room was a pleasant surprise. Most of the times I dozed off there while star gazing in the night.
The bathroom is furnished with modern-style and hot water is available only once a day either in the morning or in the evening from the solar water heater near the cafeteria. 
The only source of light in the rooms is the natural light from the rooftop, designed as per the traditional hack. Candles, lanterns and solar lights serve the purpose in the night. The property doesn't have any electrical connections to encourage ecotourism.
Traditional rooms in The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Traditional rooms in The Goat Village, Nag tibba

​The cottages are built on a farm land and every piece of land is utilised to grow vegetables, fruits and grains. I enjoyed plucking fresh spinach grown right outside my room.
Garhwali Cottage in The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Garhwali Cottage in The Goat Village, Nag tibba


Things to do at The Goat Village

Green peas plucking with the Garhwali women in the farms

Ever since I quit my job and am living in the mountains, I've had the pleasure of having fresh green peas from the farms. I was lucky to be in Bir (Mar-June), Spiti (July-August) and Nag tibba (November) during their respective green peas harvest season. I enjoyed sweet, fresh green peas straight from the farms or in every dish I cooked. 
Green Peas Harvest in The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Green Peas Harvest in The Goat Village, Nag tibba


Read a book

Yes, I did. I've never read any book in my entire life, not even my course text books! I was shocked, how the serenity of this place forced me into reading. I picked up "Into the Wild" from the book shelf and spent hours reading in different locations. I was the only guest at the property during these days and literally had all the space to myself.
Cottages in The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Cottages in The Goat Village, Nag tibba


Sip on some freshly brewed teas

The die-hard lover of fresh tea that I am, I was spoilt for choice at The Goat Village. Each time I had a different variety of tea for me with the fresh leaves plucked from the farms - Lemon Grass tea, Mint tea, Tulsi tea, Lemon tea, Ginger Lemon Honey tea, and my  recent favourite Chamomile tea.
Sunset at The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Sunset at The Goat Village, Nag tibba


Detox your body with indigenous Garhwali food

I satisfied all my healthy taste buds by eating the indigenous Garhwali food from the organic farms. I over ate each time I was served with fresh spinach, pumpkin, green peas, local rajma, dal with local red rice and Mandua (finger millet) rotis. The chef there experimented Mandua sandwich for me! The freshness of the ingredients oozed out from each dish served to me. The water from the nearby stream is also rich in minerals and digestive enzymes, which helped me detoxify my body. The dinners are always candle lit!
Garhwali food and Candle-light dinner at The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Garhwali food and Candle-light dinner at The Goat Village, Nag tibba


Go for goat grazing in the farms

The Goat Village is named after the abundant goats owned by the people in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The goat village has a goat farm and they are taken out for grazing everyday. One day I went out with the shepherds to spend time in the jungles with the goats. 
Grazing goats at The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Grazing goats at The Goat Village, Nag tibba


Learn the techniques of traditional poultry

This village kid along with others come to The Goat Village every Sunday to study from the staff. In return they are trained to work in the farms, take care of the goats and poultry. He helped me find a brown (desi) egg from the "Chick Inn". 
The people at the goat village are trying to encourage the farmers by helping them sell their naturally grown produce at competitive rates, and also drawing the interest of village kids to farming. These efforts are in the direction of reverse migration of farmers who have already left their farms and stop the present farmers migrate to the cities.
Chick Inn poultry at The Goat Village, Nag tibba
Chick Inn poultry at The Goat Village, Nag tibba


Visit Garhwali women in a shepherd's den (Chhaani).

I saw a lonely house perched on the top of a mountain, standing beautifully against the clear blue sky. I was intrigued by it and while i walked closer to it, an old Gahrwali woman invited me to her place for tea. She ended up serving lunch to me which she made from the lentils that were kept for drying in the sun, fresh green peas and chillies from the farms. She also gave me some walnuts to munch on. Organic farm fresh food is something I can't say no to!
Garhwali women and shepherd's den (Chaani)
Garhwali women and shepherd's den (Chaani)


Yoga with the rising sun

​It was a pure bliss to experience Yoga with the rising sun in the Himalayas. The goat village gave me perfect ambiance to feel the inner peace. 
Yoga with the rising sun
Yoga with the rising sun
Yoga with the rising sun
Yoga with the rising sun


​Trek to Nag Tibba

The Goat Village (6500ft/2000m) is exactly the midpoint on the trek route to Nag tibba, so half of my job was already done. I took a 4km day hike to Nag tibba (10000ft/3022m) from the goat village. It was a beautiful trail through densely covered SilverOak trees. I got to see snow covered Himalayan Range from the top.
Trek to Nag tibba through silver oak jungles
Trek to Nag tibba through silver oak jungles
Snow capped mountains view from Nag tibba
Snow capped mountains view from Nag tibba

Fresh water to drink, fresh air to breath and farm fresh organic food to eat - these are my weaknesses and I was satisfied with all this and much more in abundance at The Goat Village.

The Goat Village, a bouquet of farm retreats and home stays managed by The Green People, is an initiative having multiple social dimensions. The Green People has partnered with locales across the state and managing them to create basic lifestyle experiences for visitors. Each cluster of these accommodation locations are engaged in Goat Farming and many other Agro practices to provide a better livelihood to the locals, and to give a firsthand experience to tourists in basics of Life Sciences.

P.S. : I was invited by The Goat Village to stay and experience the local way of life and the sustainable eco-systems, which provide alternate sources of income for village dwellers.

​Related posts:
Living like a local in a traditional Himachali house in Tirthan Valley
Kaaphal Hill - farmstay, village tourism in Chakauri, Uttarakhand
Bir - my first abode in the Himalayas
18 Comments
Gautham Baliga B link
12/2/2016 17:40:29

Fantastic pics!!! Awesome captures....

Loved write-up too..

Reply
Jitaditya Narzary link
12/2/2016 19:04:25

Great rustic experience. Something we generally miss out on in a hurry to complete some trek or the other.

Reply
Maggie link
12/5/2016 08:16:00

What a great experience! The food looks so fresh and amazing, something You don't find these days since everything is so processed. How fortunate you are to experience this!

Reply
neha link
12/5/2016 09:18:19

Wow..I do so very much want go here. I do have plans for Dehradun in near future. Since it seems to be so close to Dehradun, I will definitely love to visit here.

Reply
The Travel Ninjas link
12/5/2016 09:52:30

The Goat village looks like such a relaxing mountain getaway. Doing yoga in that pretty scenery looks so peaceful and refreshing. And hanging out with goats must be a riot.

Reply
D.Deva Prasath Rao link
12/5/2016 12:05:29

Yes, It's a wonderful place. I did WWOOFing(volunteer work in organic farm) there for two weeks in nov,16.one of the memorable moments in my life. Disconnected from the rest of the world.

Reply
Crazy Dutch Abroad link
12/5/2016 19:19:00

Wow, this is a real retreat! It looks so calm and peaceful with the most amazing mountain landscape. I think I could read a paper book here too.

Reply
Ashley Smith link
12/5/2016 19:57:47

This place looks amazing!! It's got everything I love. :) And that view is incredible! I feel like I could just sit out there and stare at it for hours.

Reply
Sarah link
12/6/2016 00:05:38

Although reading about the lack of electronic outlets caused me to panic a bit, this retreat looks so beautiful and refreshing. The views are just incredible and the experience of living so authentically and immersing yourself in this culture make for a wonderful read & I'm sure an even better stay. "Into the Wild". Good pick. I love Jon Krakauer! :)

Reply
Christina link
12/6/2016 08:53:47

The Goat Village sounds like a great travel experience. I love how you had time to truly take care of yourself either by having fresh tea, doing yoga, or simply having time to read. At the same time, I like how you were able to contribute and learn about the traditional way of life. I am sure this experience will stay with you.

Reply
Tracy link
12/6/2016 12:14:02

Wow..I am already falling in love to the Goat Village from seeing your photos! So..calm and relaxing!

Reply
Dharmesh
12/16/2016 15:25:45

Thats Uttarakhand as real as it can get away from the commercial and touristy locations. I rode traversing from Garhwal to Kumaon this Sept, and on the way I could feel similar beauty of Himalayas. Particularly the Tungnath trek & riding from Bageshwar to Munsiyari...it is as rustic as in your pics..BTW..how does it feel getting into reading ?? challenging :P ?

Reply
Ananta Kumar Chaudhuri
1/23/2017 15:30:05

What a beautiful narrative you drew. It put me into the land of goat village. Wish I could spend some time in such a place.

Reply
Lalit
5/30/2017 18:39:00

Yes, It is great place.
We were also there couple of days back.
Now going to write article on it (I am a journalist from Gujarat)

Reply
Arjun Upmanyu
5/12/2018 18:48:53

Great piece, and nice pictures. We are heading there in October, and cannot wait! Thank you.

Reply
Manoj Sheth
2/15/2019 16:00:47

must go after reading your blog

Reply
PraveenRaj
10/29/2019 20:57:57

Hi ..Loved the details and pics. we are planning to be there for few days in november. What are the other places that you can suggest while returning back from this place to doon . Would be great to know .

Reply
Shubhadarshini Singh
1/25/2020 01:32:52

Excuse me where are the Goats!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Picture
    Namaste! I'm Medhavi Davda.
    I travel to Evolve..
    In Nature, I confide..
    I find my calling in the Himalayas..
    In the Oceans, I meditate..

    ​
    A High-Altitude Trekker & PADI certified SCUBA Diver, I love exploring the heights and depths of the planet with my regular doses of mountains and oceans.
    ​
    Discovering myself & life through nature, adventures, travels, sports and dance has been an addiction since my existence!

    Quite fond of the  natural & cultural diversity of India, I've travelled extensively in my own country before exploring international destinations.
    ​
    I had left my 9+ yrs of career in Software Industry in a quest to make a living out of my passions. I packed my basics in my car (gave away the rest) and lived in different parts of Himachal Pradesh for 16 months. This invaluable time taught me to experience life from a broader perspective.
    ​
    I'm currently living in Mumbai to work with an Adventure Travel company as a product manager for Scuba Diving. I continue living a minimalistic life.

    RavenousLegs on Instagram

    Powered by Curator.io

    RavenousLegs on FaceBook

    Ravenous Legs

    RavenousLegs on Twitter

    Follow @RavenousLegs

    Recent Posts

    Scuba Diving in Maldives - Laamu Atoll
    ​

    Travel to Sri Lanka amid economic crisis? Media and Reality: My first-hand experience

    ​7 Days Active Travel Itinerary for Sri Lanka - from Sunrise on the East Coast to Sunset on the West Coast

    Annapurna Base Camp Trek from Ghandruk Village - the shortest route to ABC Trek

    Bandipur - a charming Newari heritage town in Himalayas

    Khajuraho Temples: symbolism of sacred union of the divine - feminine energy & masculine consciousness

    Walking along the heritage town of Orchha - a hidden gem of Bundelkhand
Subscribe to RavenousLegs
​   Socialise with me
​RavenousLegs © 2022. 
​All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • DESTINATIONS
    • INDIA >
      • ANDAMAN ISLANDS
      • GOA
      • GUJARAT
      • HIMACHAL PRADESH
      • KARNATAKA
      • KASHMIR
      • KERALA
      • LADAKH
      • LAKSHADWEEP
      • MADHYA PRADESH
      • MAHARASHTRA
      • PONDICHERRY
      • UTTARAKHAND
    • INDONESIA
    • MALDIVES
    • NEPAL
    • SRI LANKA
    • THAILAND
    • UAE
    • VIETNAM
  • EXPERIENCES
    • TREKKING
    • SCUBA DIVING
    • SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
    • BOUTIQUE
    • BACKPACKING
    • BEACHES
    • HIMALAYAS
    • WILDERNESS
    • HERITAGE
    • FESTIVALS
  • UnRaven
  • Reviews
    • BRANDS
    • APPS
    • PROPERTIES
    • PRODUCTS
    • GUEST POSTS
  • Contact
  • About Me