The Idea
You don't book our home.You're invited in.
Kunja Village Homestay is a family home, not a hotel. There's no “Book Now” button and no public booking — a stay here is something you're invited to, or you earn. It's what keeps the house quiet, personal, and full of people who truly want to be part of it.
Both paths are open and neither is hard. Come as a friend of the house, or earn your way in through MNEGI, INUK, or a friend already inside — then one message is all it takes.
Never for money
We don't take payment. We keep a ritual.
This place is never sold — not to strangers, and not even to you. We'll never charge you for a stay. We've been lucky enough, and grateful enough, to build it another way. So in place of money, we simply keep the old ritual the village has always kept — the way a guest is welcomed in, and blessed on the way out.
- 1
Arrive with something small
However you come, bring a little something for the house — anything at all. It's shared with everyone, the way a guest's gift always has been, the world over.
- 2
It goes round the homes
It doesn't stay with us — we carry it round the homes nearby. Word travels that you've arrived, and back come milk, curd, fruit and vegetables to look after the family.
- 3
We greet you warm
Here, a guest is a blessing. We meet you with a hot cup of chai and, in season, a glass of buransh — Uttarakhand's own crimson rhododendron welcome drink.
- 4
You eat with us, and well
Every meal is on us — home-cooked, plentiful, and never charged for. We don't keep a guest hungry; feeding you well is simply how it has always been.
- 5
A teeka, rice and a coconut
On your way out, a red teeka and a few grains of rice to your forehead, a dry coconut — the shriphal, 'god's fruit' — in your hands: a blessing for a safe road and a sure return.
- 6
You bless the village back
In return, you press a little something into the hands of those you pass — the children, the elders, whoever's around. Not a payment. A blessing, passed on.
None of this is meant to be transactional. It's simply the way people here care for one another — out of love and respect. Just how we connect, the way of the hills.
Invited? You're welcome with a full heart — none of this is ever required.
One honest exception
On thanking the hands that care for you
The stay is ours to give freely, but the hands that look after you — those who cook, clean and care — you're always welcome to thank in your own way, a little for their service, the way you might anywhere. Only ever if you're truly happy with it. And if you'd rather not, no matter at all — the house takes care of its own. We're family.
It's the only 'price' we will ever ask. We mean to keep it this way for generations to come, and hope the next generation carries the momentum forward with the same values it holds now.
Two ways in
Invited, or earned
Friends of the house
If our paths have already crossed — through the village, through MNEGI or the INUK circle — you're family. Tell us when you'd like to come, and a room is yours.
Not in the circle yet?
Then earn your way in — join a photography trip with MNEGI, win a stay through INUK, or come along with a friend already inside. Introduce yourself and we'll show you the path.
Ways to earn your stay
Three easy ways to earn your way in
Through MNEGI
Join a photography trip, workshop or collaboration with Manohar Negi and you may find yourself here.
Visit mnegi.comWin it with INUK
Earn a sponsored stay through INUK community contests and social wins.
Visit inuksocial.comCome with a friend
Know someone in our circle? The simplest way in — a friend bringing you along, just like that.
How long to stay
Stay a while — the house opens slowly
Earned stays run two to four days — three is the sweet spot — and friends of the house may linger longer. But however long you have, the days are for being here, slowly. That's the whole point.
The art of slow daysRead this first
Come knowing what it is
Before you raise your hand, read the honest bit — the mud road, the wildlife, the slow days, the big view that's a short climb. If that still sounds like your kind of place, you're exactly who this was built for.
The honest bitWhat we ask of you
- Come slow — leave your hurry at the gate.
- Tread lightly, and leave no trace.
- Be yourself, and let the village be itself too.
- Be kind to the village, and all who live in it.
Raise your hand
Leave us a hello
Not a booking — an introduction. Tell us a little about you and when you'd like to come, and we'll keep you in mind for the next window that fits.
How a seat gets confirmed
The hello puts you on our list. A confirmed window comes once you've earned your way in — and there are a few easy ways to do exactly that.
- 1
Leave your hello above — that's all it takes to join the list, telling us a little about who you are, who's coming along, and the kind of trip you have in mind.
- 2
Earn your way in: come along with a friend already inside, join a photography trip with MNEGI, or win a stay through an INUK contest. A genuine connection counts too.
- 3
Win a slot and accept the invitation, then pick your dates — earned, never bought.
- 4
Finally, confirm your seat on your dashboard with a small, fully-refundable deposit (₹1,000 a head, handed right back to you in cash at the door). It's the one practical step that holds your place — and the only one we ever ask.
If our doors are full
The village will still have you
If we can't host you this time, you needn't miss these hills. The good stays close by are run by our own — out here there are no neighbours, only family. Tell us, and we'll walk you to the right door.
And family shares more than a name. The same warmth, the same care you'd find at our table, you'll find at theirs — it really is in the genes.
Browse village stays