Our eco-friendly home in the middle Himalaya — built from a decade-long yearning to return to the ancestral roots left behind three generations ago. A home before it is a homestay.
Each named for
the Kumaon it holds
Three distinct double bedrooms on a private luxury floor, carrying the spirit of the hills in their design. Every stay includes vegetarian home cooking, curated village walks and experiences, and access to a well-stocked library in the attic.
'Mehal'
₹9,000 per night
- Double bedroom · 20 sqm
- East-facing · sunrise
- En-suite bathroom
- Block-print textiles
'Fyonli'
₹8,000 per night
- Double bedroom · 13 sqm
- West-facing · sunset
- Shared bathroom
- Yellow brick accent wall
'Buransh'
₹8,000 per night
- Double bedroom · 17 sqm
- Shared bathroom
- Sage green brick wall
- Floral bedding
Common Spaces & Amenities
Living Room
Open Kitchen
Dining Area
Sit-out · Himalayan Sunset
The House
At the Table
Forest, hills &
wild neighbours
We sit at 5,400 feet in Malla Biswa — a quiet ancestral village five kilometres from Ranikhet. Pine and oak cover the hillside. The air carries birdsong and woodsmoke. And somewhere in the forest that wraps around us, leopards move at night.
We named this place Guldaar Basera — Leopard's Rest — because we share this land with them. They roam free around us. That is the compact.
Go deeper into
this land
Two ways to truly know where you are — one into the wild, one into the living culture of Kumaon.
Guldaar Territory
Leopards live in the forest that surrounds us — not as a spectacle, but as neighbours. Learn to read the land they move through: the particular silence that falls when they are near. Walk the hidden trails through pine groves and discover birds, plants and a habitat that has its own unhurried logic.
- Hidden trail walks through pine groves
- Birdwatching — resident and migratory species
- Understanding forest ecology and leopard territory
- Evening watch from the sit-out
Ranikhet Unlocked
Most visitors see the cantonment and leave. With Alka, you meet the Ranikhet that lives behind the tourist surface — living craft, local people, and places that don't announce themselves. These are introductions, not tours.
- KRC Woollen Factory — women-led, working looms
- Ranikhet heritage museums & cantonment history
- Village walk through Malla Biswa (included in every stay)
- Temple circuit — Jhula Devi, Chitai Golu, Katarmal & more
- Kumaoni cooking class — aloo ke gutke, bhaang ki chutney
CCTV footage · Guldaar Basera · Late night visitor
They come when
we sleep
This is our CCTV footage. A leopard — one of at least twelve that move through this territory — passing by our balcony in the night. We don't track them or promise sightings. We simply live here, and so do they.
Alka Joshi
Kaushik
Alka has spent thirty years telling India to itself in Hindi — through radio, broadcast, and print. She has travelled every state of India but two, and more than twenty-four countries. She has translated over twenty books from English to Hindi, including the autobiographies of heads of government bodies, and has been recognised as an expert in Hindi travel writing.
Awarded for promoting inclusiveness and reducing the digital divide through her work. Featured among India's best travel bloggers, hosted at national and international travel, literary and cultural events. And then she came home — to Malla Biswa, the village her family left three generations ago — and built Guldaar Basera.
Expeditions
- Siachen Glacier Trek with the Indian Army
- Askot–Arakot Abhiyan with PAHAR
- Mt. Kailash–Mansarovar Yatra with MEA, India
The things people
write in about
Is the food vegetarian?
You are welcome to bring non-vegetarian food and cook it yourself; kitchen access comes with every stay. What we cannot do is cook it for you. Our staff have never worked with it, and we would rather tell you that now than have them learn on your dinner.
The same goes for anything you would like to drink with dinner — bring it up with you. One tip from experience: buy it in Haldwani on the drive rather than in Ranikhet, where we have found the quality less dependable.
Can we bring our dog?
Will we see a leopard?
Tell us when you'd
like to come
Dates, how many of you, what you eat, and which room you have your eye on. Alka reads every one of these herself and comes back with availability and a plan for your days here.
Enquiry form
About two minutes · no account needed
Just have a question? Message us on WhatsApp or call +91 7579194674.