Village Ways - Inspiring holidays at the heart of communities

28/08/2023

25/06/2023

Villageways is excited to bring you it's new holiday this season, deep into the heart of Incredible India - Madhya Pradesh! Make a trip and explore a little tranquil village Sabarvani, along with the Satpura National park/Tiger sanctuary, Hamlets of Patan village situated close to the celebrated temples of Khajuraho, Panna National park/Tiger sanctuary and to the great fort of Gwalior. Sprawling jungles, beautiful river valleys, temples, palaces and wildlife come together with local communities of Madhya Pradesh to match every palette for an unforgettable holiday.

21/06/2023

Villageways celebrates the International Yoga Day with a fabulous Yoga retreat at our amazing, perfect locales for practising Yoga and meditation..Come and experience unwind, energise in the beautiful background of the magnificent Kumaon Himalayas.. through the forests and truly charming hosts.the traditional communities
Vasudaika Kutumbakam.. In the true sense..
We wish you all a great International Yoga Day!!!

13/06/2023

Leaves rustling, wild flowers, streams running through rocks, laughter of your loved ones, exploring the rugged mountains one trail at a time and no gps in sight!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So, we are always thrilled when our guests share their pictures with us as they are sharing their whole holiday story with us

Hope to see you all again soon on a different exploration!

03/06/2023

Villageways houseboat was specially built by the four local communities.The committee built, owns and operates the houseboat and takes great pride in the enterprise
The houseboat is built in the traditional style, using local Anjali wood. Woven palm leaves, and bent bamboo make for a patterned canopy cover and room separators. The skill of making these boats has been passed down over the years from generations. The accommodation comprises two twin-bedded cabins, each with an en suite shower room/ toilet. With an on-board kitchen and a dining area,the houseboat is a compact and a beautiful vessal you embark on for a slow-paced, leisurely and laid-back cruise that you will never forget.

25/05/2023

We welcome you on board to our Villageways Good Earth houseboat which was started 2010, the only other boats seen in the area are sea-going fishing smacks and canoes..The winding backwaters provide the perfect means of meandering through the rich landscape on houseboats, where intricate networks of rivers, canals and lagoons nourish countless rice paddies and coconut groves, among which entire communities live out their lives.

10/05/2023

Kerala is famously easy-going and beautiful. Experience the luxuriant forests of the Western Ghats, the tranquillity of its labyrinthine backwaters and historic Fort Cochin on the Malabar Coast, all at a beguilingly slow pace.
Its Wayanad hills, lying on the southern tip of the Deccan Plateau, blanketed in sprawling coffee plantations and dotted with hill stations, are also magnificent. The Mothakkara (pronounced Modha-karra) guesthouse has been started in the year 2013 . . Mothakkara is on the road from the coastal city of Thalassery and has good road links to Mysore and Coonoor The upper hills of Wayanad have open grassland vegetation, where elephants roam. The lower slopes include some dense, deciduous and evergreen forest, tangled jungles and deep valleys..

02/05/2023

Hulgol is a typical western ghat hamlet, reliant on forestry, agriculture and horticulture, in particular spice crops, bananas,tropical fruits,sugar cane.The houses are shaded by forest, coconut and fruit trees, most with large open courtyards where areca nuts can be laid out to dry.All food is freshly cooked using local ingredients spices, lentils etc..by the local ladies who are super skilled and have more than a hundred recipes for curry alone. South Indian meals presented are delicately flavoured and a real delight.

26/04/2023

We take you around our South India's most beautiful , a happy place in the midst of wilderness..located in the north of Karnataka..
The community of Hulgol has built a comfortable guest-house in the year 2010.It is situated on the fringes of Kalagin Kheri hamlet. To reach the 'Spice House' you cross a wooden bridge over a small stream.The guesthouse is surrounded by a grassy slope which is planted with fruit trees ,spice plantations..and many more.

16/04/2023

In Hacra, the food is all vegetarian and freshly cooked, using local ingredients such as lentils, guar bean, capers and chillies.
Villagers cultivate millet, lentils, sesame, moong bean, cluster bean (guar) and water melons during the brief monsoon season, as well as keeping goats, sheep and camels, and a few cows and water buffalo for milk.

15/04/2023

Accommodation in Hacra is in traditional-style thatched-roofed Jhumpa roundhouses, constructed by the community. These jhumpas are positioned on slightly higher ground than the main village, so they are cooled by breezes, making it noticeably cooler during the hot months.
Family compounds are spread out within the villages, each with traditional-style neat, circular, stone-built jhumpa round cottage with thatch roof of twigs and straw, bound by local fibre rope. Circular mud-faced grain storage stores, a guest hut and stacks of straw for winter feeding of livestock form part of the compound.

12/04/2023

The peasant farmers who will be your hosts in Hacra are hardworking
and adaptable, and are justifiably proud of their traditions and culture.
The village committee in Hacra will organize the hospitality for your stay and neighboring communities will also benefit from this tourism project by providing other services such as camel safaris and guiding.

11/04/2023

In this week we take you around Hacra our third project which was started in the year 2011.The beautiful village of Hacra lies in the Great Thar Desert that stretches west across Rajasthan to the Pakistan border..Life in these small desert villages - or Dhani - is simple as resources are limited, but there is a true sense of community amid the dunes.

01/04/2023

Birding festival 2023 concluded in the Binsar Sanctuary. Here is a glimpse of the festivity. Drawing workshop for children on the topic birds and wildlife , talk and presentation by our guest speaker Anupama followed by our nature guides speaking about their experiences of guiding guests in the sanctuary and about bird life. Then a special local lunch followed by a start to our folk bazaar showcasing local products from the villages. Onwards guests walked in the Sanctuary and stays in the village guest houses . Next year, we hope to make this an even bigger event. Do join us in the fun !

27/03/2023

We are gearing up for our first ever birding festival starting tomorrow!!

13/03/2023

|Birds of Binsar|

To kick start this series we have:

Name:- Grey Bush Chat
Found in:-Himalayas, Southern China, Taiwan, Nepal and mainland Southeast Asia
Specific feature:-The male is silvery gray overall with a black face and white supercilium

If you have spotted this beautiful bird in any of your adventures,let us know when and where in the comments below!

Picture credits to our very own

08/03/2023

Village Ways celebrates women’s day everyday. Our power packed team in the villages and our office, work together to ensure guests have a memorable time in our villages and we always strive to strengthen our values for equal opportunities for all . So here’s wishing more strength to our ladies and our work!

07/03/2023

Wishing everyone a colourful and joyous Holi! Happy Holi

04/03/2023

Our guest speaker for the birding festival this year is Anupama Venkatesh, a passionate birder who has been fascinated by birds for more than 15 years now. The passion which started at her backyard has now become an integral part of her life. She enjoys spending quality time in the field, observing and photographing birds. She loves to bird in different landscapes and habitats and one of the all-time favorite destinations for birding has been Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. Having sighted over 100 different species at Binsar alone has also got reasonable opportunities to make images of different species of birds in their natural habitat which is a great challenge by itself.
She considers birding and bird photography as one of the best way to enjoy nature which in turn helps her unwind and relax.

19/02/2023

Deepak Joshi , one of our first guides , who is now also a senior trainer for Village Ways. A passionate bird watcher, Deepak says , “one needs keen interest and patience to spot birds and Binsar Sanctuary offers wonderful opportunities to do so”.

14/02/2023

Introducing to you the bird life of Binsar through our guides who have been instrumental in making our holiday experiences so special. Santosh Joshi shares the first photo. He was working in Delhi and decided to come back to his village to start working with Village Ways as a guide. He has undergone various training programs organised by us and working with us since 10+ years .

12/02/2023

Come and join us in the first Bird festival of the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in association with our partner villages and our expert guides.

03/02/2023

Villageways team is happy to announce the first ever Birding Festival in Binsar Sanctuary Uttarakhand The local communities of Binsar and Saryu and Pindar valley ,together, are coming up with the ideas for this festival. Birdwatching , expert talks, folk bazaar and more. Start date 25th March 2023 . For details write to [email protected]

31/01/2023

After Binsar, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to expand our work into the mesmerising Saryu and Pindar Valley villages working in partnership with the farming community of villages Supi, Jhuni, Karmi and Dhurr each having a small guest house. Guests walk from village to village taking a glimpse of the daily activities of the mountain communities and the interactions always remain the most special part of their holiday memories. We also set up our first tented camp at 10000 feet with crisp and close views of the Himalayas.
In 2008, the villages hosted their first guests and since then, each year has been special for both our guests and the hosts.
Each year In April , we welcome guests in company of the shepherd community of the region.

28/01/2023

In this week , we take you around all our villages. The first ones being in Binsar. In 2006, our first project was launched and guests started visiting us in the 5 villages of the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand. Villages of Dalar, Katdhara, Gonap, Satri and Risal continue to welcome guests in their beautiful guest houses. The region is a host to different species of birds, flora and fauna.
Binsar villages have inspired many more villages of India to join the family of Village Ways.
Birding festival and Colours of Holi ,coming up in March 23

28/12/2022

From vibrant cities to undulating dunes, this unique holiday captures the richness of Rajasthan.
Experience the simple charms and traditional Indian hospitality of a charming desert hamlet and enjoy a camel trek and night among the dunes. Immerse yourself in life in the Thar desert and discover time-honored traditions.

23/12/2022

A wonderfully relaxing taste of Kerala.

This holiday takes you high into the Western Ghats to the lush hillside village of Mothakkara, set among pepper, coffee, and banana plantations, before heading south to the palm-fringed rivers and lagoons to unwind on the houseboat.
🌴

19/12/2022

Holidays that delight guests & benefit hosts.
As we all look to travel in a more sustainable way, Village Ways, a social enterprise, works in partnership with our host villages. They benefit directly from your stay and love to welcome guests.

Know more about our holidays
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9560193496

19/12/2022

Binsar guest houses relaunched from October 2022

After month’s of hard work from our team members in Almora and in the Binsar Villages, the upgrade work of the accommodations are completed. We restarted our guest season from October 2022. The villages hosted both domestic and International guests and all have shared very encouraging feedback with us. We again thank Jubilant Bhartia Foundation for this kind support.
This video also includes a short interview of our beloved team member and Director for Community Relations - Shri Dinesh Pande and we dedicate this video to him as a tribute to all his selfless and sincere work for the local communities where Village Ways is working.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24o_a3PsCHU&t=4s.

Binsar guest houses relaunched from October 22After month’s of hard work from our team members in Almora and in the Binsar Villages , the upgrade work of the...

16/12/2022

Traditional life along the backwaters of Kerala 🌴
Wander around the water-side villages, with your own guide, themself a fishermen, and steeped in the environment and traditions of the backwaters. Meet village friends and sharing an understanding of riparian life over a cup of tea. Take part in fishing, from shore-side ‘Chinese” nets, or from hand-paddled traditional boats using drift nets, help with prawn catching, or even diving for brackish water mussels.

12/12/2022

Greatly loved, and deeply missed you, Dinda.
Rest in Peace 🙏

08/12/2022

Bookings Open!

Mothakkara in Wayanad Hills, Kerala

In India's deep south, in the scented hills of Kerala, Mothakkara is a delightful village set at 1000m, with views across splendid tea gardens This is a village full of life and activity, where women play a major role – all our guides here are female, and a highlight of any visit is to witness the women's drumming group performing.

07/12/2022

We were pleased to welcome and host the Madhya Pradesh Tourism team recently in our village Mothakkara in Wayanad, Kerala. Thank you MP tourism for this opportunity.

06/12/2022

Village Ways was delighted to host,official &
On their 33rd wedding anniversary in our
Binsar village | Bubu House Kathdhara.

A glimpse of the celebrations with the committee members.
Thank you for this beautiful opportunity.

We all wish you a very happy anniversary.
🎉🌼🎂

23/11/2022

It was an immense pleasure to have Richard and Martin our partners from the United Kingdom with us in exploring opportunities to develop Village Tourism in Madhya Pradesh with the support of

12/11/2022

Manisha Pande -Managing Director of signing the 2022 Responsible Tourism Charter at Magna Carta Island on 6 November 2022 at the event supported by

11/11/2022

A thrilling exploration of exotic Karnataka.

Explore the ancient palatial remains of the ‘City of Victory’ at Hampi;
immerse yourself in the spice market, cycle through verdant forest, and discover the secrets of the spice plantations in the charming hamlet of Hulgol;
then spend a day at the coast visiting the fishing Harbour, the local market at Honnavar.

08/11/2022

From colorful cities, majestic palaces, and opulent forts to rolling dunes, camels, and brightly colored turbans. When you think of India, you think of Rajasthan – the ‘Land of Kings’.
Experience a camel trek into the dunes and marvel at the diversity of wildlife. Experience a true sense of community in this delightful hidden corner of Rajasthan.

Get your itinerary!
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9560193496