Hosts Dhruv and Deepa plan to leave their jobs in the city and move to the mountains of Kumaon, although they would still be connected to the city for supplies and other necessities, and also to meet their social obligations. The hosts strive to live in tune with nature and amidst the pristine surroundings of Hartola as much as possible. The cottage is built keeping in mind the prevalent local architectural designs rather than a modern cottage, although it is furbished with all urban comforts.
The staff employed at Katie’s Abode is from the surrounding villages. We try to minimize wastage as much as possible, biodegradable waste is used to make compost for vegetables and herbs organically grown on the land, while non-biodegradable waste is packed and carried to Bhowali and disposed in the municipal bins.
Because Katie’s Abode, Hartola is situated in a village, each day, every day, we take it as our responsibility to keep it that way. As such, we request all guests who visit our home to ensure that they too do their part in keeping our little village clean and devoid of plastic. Here are the responsible stay guidelines we expect our guest to adhere to so that we can keep Hartola as it is today!
- Avoid bringing plastic and polythene bags as much as possible. One-use plastic should be totally avoided when you are in our home.
- Wherever possible, instead of disposing plastic like wrappers and bottles in the bed and breakfast (B&B), try to bring them along to the city and dispose it there properly because cities are more equipped for proper garbage disposal and have better waste management systems in place.
- We provide clean water to drink which is either RO or packaged water. Carry glass bottles and refill them to quench your thirst.
- Water is scarce in the mountains. You will not believe how much effort we put in to bring you the water in the taps. So please, please use it judiciously. While the bathrooms are fitted with showers, we encourage a bucket bath, which can save up to 15 liters of water per person.
- Pack your clothes according to the number of days you would be staying with us to avoid washing clothes on the property unless absolutely necessary.
- Hartola is a farmers’ village. So you will find fruits and other produce in the trees. Although you will be tempted, please don’t pluck them. Their livelihood depends on the produce, so you would perhaps not want to snatch the bread from them. But, of course, you’re more than welcome to pluck them off the trees on the property! During harvest season, there will be fruit-baskets in the dining area for you to enjoy.
- We are doing our bit to save electricity by using energy-efficient appliances and LED bulbs. We would definitely appreciate your contribution in this initiative. Where one lamp will suffice, why not switch off the other? Having said that, we would not want you to strain your eyes reading a book in a dark corner.
- What you wear has an impact, right? So it is therefore advisable to dress appropriately if you are taking a walk in the village. Anyway, Hartola is pretty chilly even during the summer months, so you would not want to catch a cold and ruin the vacation.
- The entire population of Hartola is farmers, so they get up very early for work and have a hard day at their orchards or fields. So, loud music at night is a total NO. This is a non-negotiable rule.
- Although we don’t serve alcohol at Katie’s Abode, Hartola, we don’t mind you enjoying a drink or two as long as you can hold down your drink without embarrassing yourself or others around you. In fact, we will be happy to provide you the ice. A word of caution: Start early so that you can wrap up early in the evening well within the stipulated dinner timing.
- Don’t get into any argument with the locals. In case you have any issue, let us know and we will try to solve it to the best of your satisfaction. Or else, we are ready to take support of the local authorities to address any of your genuine concern.
- Please respect the local culture and refrain from any show of physical intimacy in public places.
Check-out the video below to understand why we try to spread the word on a responsible vacation:
