Notes from the hills
Slower pieces, set down by hand
Some things don't fit on a season page or under a photo — the longer thoughts on the home, the village, a ritual, the wild, and a life of comings and goings. They're written slowly, only when there's something worth saying, and gathered here for an unhurried read.
Birding24 Jun 2026
How to see more birds: a field guide for beginners
You don't need expensive gear or years of practice — just a few simple habits. Here's how to turn an ordinary morning walk into one full of birds.
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Birding18 Jun 2026
Photographing the birds of the hills: a quick start
A long lens helps, but patience and respect matter more. A beginner's guide to making honest photographs of the wild birds of the Kumaon hills.
Read itBirding22 Jun 2026
The gear we use for bird photography
Guests often ask what's in the bag. The honest answer: not much, and nothing new. Here's exactly what we carry up the hill, and what each piece is for.
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Birding26 Jun 2026
The birding year in Kumaon, month by month
Which birds are around when — from the spring nesting rush to the winter visitors down from the high Himalaya. A seasonal guide to birding around Kunja.
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The Ritual12 May 2026
A lifetime of comings and goings
On the small ritual that has welcomed and blessed every guest of these hills for as long as I can remember — and what it has meant to grow up inside it.
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Renovation12 Dec 2021
Restoring a legacy, not just a home
When we set out to do up the old house, the goal was never just a comfortable place to stay — it was to restore a legacy, and bring a hundred-year-old home back to life.
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Connectivity19 Dec 2021
The road that brought it home
None of the rebuilding would have been possible without something far more basic than money or labour: a road — and the steady flow of goods it finally let through.
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Family25 Nov 2009
The day I first came to Kunja
We were married on the 25th of November, 2009. I had never once seen the house I was about to call home — and the journey to it is still one of the longest of my life.
Read itThe HouseSoonJun 2026
The 100+ year-old house that raised us
More than a century of family is built into these walls — and a home, unlike a hotel, is never quite finished.
Read the ideaThe HouseSoonMay 2026
Block by block: how the house grew
Each generation added a room, a roof, a wall to what came before, until it became the house you'll stay in.
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