Want to have local village experience in Chamba in Himachal Pradesh? Visit Nalini village, near Bakloh Cantonment (around 30 km from Dalhousie).
During my recent trip across Chamba that took me across various tourist attractions near Dalhousie including Jot Top, Kalatop and Khajjiar, among others, before making my way to Village Kugti, near Bharmour, I happened to have a local village experience in Chamba too.
Nalini Village (located less than 30km from Dalhousie) as I wanted, had no tourist facility around, no guesthouse to cater to the needs of a tourist — everything was as raw and real as I wanted. And amidst such unstaged conditions, a lunch with a local family was educating. It was, indeed, a true village experience in Chamba.
In less than 3 hours of my being in Nalini village, I learned more about local life in Chamba than my entire one-week itinerary put together. I even got to meet a shepherd family, also known as Gaddis and learned a bit about their lifestyle.
So yea, if you are planning to have a village experience in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, I suggest you visit Nalini Village. And to do so, you can book a trip with Explore The Unexplored. You can check their website if you want to stay or book a place with them.
They’re a tour company based out of the Dalhousie region, with a homestay located in Bakloh (30km from Dalhousie). Other than local experiences, they also organise sightseeing of popular destinations across the Chamba region.
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More About My Trip
This local village experience in Chamba took place on Day 2 of my 7-day itinerary. The same day, in the first half, I explored Anan Temple & Waterfall.
It took us about 3 hours to be done with Anan temple and Anan waterfall (located right behind the temple) before we were hungry and ready for lunch. From the temple, it took us about half an hour to reach the town of Kakira — the starting point from where the short 10-minute walk to village Nalini.
Here’s a YouTube video of the entire Day 2…
We passed through a river-stream (known as Khadd in local language) before ending up in Nalini Village.
The first couple of hours were dedicated to exploring the village, meeting the shepherd family and seeing our lunch being cooked.
In the menu were Saag and Makki ki Roti.
If you don’t know Saag & Makki ki Roti, just like in Punjab, is very common among locals across Himachal Pradesh too. From Chamba to Kullu Valley, it is something very native. Back in the days, it was a delicacy served to guests.
Let me also tell you that the family I visited was Pradeep’s family — the caretaker at Explore The Unexplored Homestay in Bakloh.
What To Expect In Village Nalini
As I said above, a true village experience in Chamba, with a lot of fresh air, organic food and smiling faces around.
There are a few other villages located 5-10 minutes walk away from Nalini that are also worth exploring. The water-stream, moreover, has a good number of fish in it so if you’re keen, you can also try some netting and try catching a fish or two.
It is also possible to organise a stay in the village but since most houses offer a very simple setting, I suggest you only do a day trip. If you’re staying in Bakloh, at the same place I stayed, having your trip organised with the same company I did, it moreover makes sense to do a day trip and return to Bakloh for a comfy sleep.
All in all, a one-day trip to Nalini Village (or a half-day as I did) is good enough for a quick understanding of local village life in Chamba. It will add a unique experience to your kitty that most tourists visiting Chamba or Dalhousie miss.
Again, this Chamba village tour happened on day 2 of my 7-day trip across Chamba. I have already shared my Day 1 itinerary that included highlights like Khajjiar, Kalatop and Dalhousie markets above. If you have missed it, here’s the link again: Popular tourist places near Dalhousie.
Day 3 included lunch and a picnic by a river stream that you can see in the video below…
Days 4, 5 & 6 included exploring Bharmour & Village Kugti. I have already shared the link for the Kugti blog post above. I am currently writing a blog for Things to Do In Bharmour. Until then, you can see a video about it sourced from my YouTube channel…
That’s all in this blog. If you have had a similar village experience in Chamba, or someplace else in Himachal Pradesh, please share about it in the comments below.
Also Read: Village Experience In Kumaon, Uttarakhand