Zostel Homes Kotkhai (Shimla)

This place is like home away from home. Located in a secluded area of Kotkhai the place has its own charm. There are orchards all around the place which makes it more bright. Good quality wooden work has been done in the premises with clean bathrooms. The balcony has a good sit out area overlooking the mountains. The best part is home cooked food. People managing the place are an old couple who aren’t really that old if you’d sit and talk to them. They are full of warmth and humour. They are well mannered and cultured. Uncle has his own orchard too which bears tasty fruits. Siddu Ghee is a must try from Aunty’s kitchen. We went there on a bike from Chandigarh, it was an amazing drive. Although my back gave up but aunty was kind to lend a hot water bottle which cured my pain in no time. Anything reasonable you’d request they try to make sure to let you have it. I guess one must visit this place in one’s lifetime for sure.

The best Home Stay I’ve ever been privileged enough to stay at Zostel, Kotkhai Location.  Excellent view from the balcony, and which will bring you close to the nature. Spacious rooms and tasty food cooked by owners themselves will turn your experience beyond your expectations.

I was bit hesitant in the beginnning as this was my first home stay experience, that too with my family (2sisters and Mom). I got in touch with the owner and after talking to him, he cleared all my doubts and I went with this option. Owner's of this place - Mr and Mrs Chauhan's hospitality is beyond my expectations. They both are very humble and genuine when they serve during the stay. Thank you so much for this memorable experience.

A home stay is supposed to provide a difference vibe, a unique experience and a unique family. Zostel Kotkhai had it all. The hosts were very friendly and passionate about hosting us. Their involvement in making ours a good stay was heartwarming.
Make sure to take a walk around the village, pluck fruits right from the trees and play some basketball to feel fresh on the mountains.

Beautiful place to stay for one and family. Calm and serene location surrounded by apple orchards. clean and comfortable rooms Awesome host. Wonderful family welcomes you and ensure your stay is memorable.
It's been a fantastic experience for us and expect would be same for you

Mr. Surendra is a amazing host. Amazing beautiful and we'll maintained property. He has taken care of us like their family. The food was sooo delicious.

Our stay was awesome. The drive from Kotkhai to this homestay is amazing. Cozy rooms and bigger than required place with over 2000 sqft space. Scenic view, safe and quite place with home food and most generous host Mr. Chauhan. Very beautiful property and located in padara village on the hills with population of 232 people's and may be the only homestay on this hill...just worth.

Offbeat location better than any other hills around Shimla. Narkanda and other spots are tourist spots but this is away from hustle bustle and a very calm and peaceful place. If you just want to relax and spend some quality time with family athen this is too good a place.

Don't expect service like a hotel but treat it as your home and Mr. Chauhan will ensure a pleasent stay for all.

We had one of the most memorable experience here.. our host, Chauhan ji, he's is one of a kind guy - very cooperative, very humble, very polite and respectful. His wife and son were equally cooperative and accomodating. Aunty cooks amazing food! The view from our rooms and balcony, the food (home cooked and local), the peace and serenity.. I'm short of words to praise about all these aspects. All in all, our stay was amazing, the location is also off beat, you hardly find tourists here.

It's a very beautiful place in the lapse of mountains and apple orchard. Rooms & services was excellent. Best part was...food was just like home cooked food. Weather was also very favorable...just need a blanket to sleep even in the month of May...Only problem is to reach there....u need to be excellent driver.

Had a Fantastic Experience staying at this Place with such Wonderful Energies with Serene Environment. Mr. & Mrs. Chauhan are very Loving, Caring & Warm. Food was Delicious, Nutritious and Filled with Love. Rooms are well Maintained & Clean.
We really created Precious Priceless Memories with them. Could do my Meditations in such Excellent Energies. Lots of Love & Blessings to Pinky Aunty & Chauhan Uncle

Lots of Love From Garima Makkar

Hosts are so welcoming and generous people. Strong to the roots of their cuture and traditions. Amazing place to stay and spend peaceful time away from city. Food is served by the hosts with love and care. Very nice and genuine people. I loved the stay and time I spent there.

The host gives the feeling that you are in your own house just the location is changed. Rooms are perfect, hygiene is well maintained and the food is delicious. Had a perfect getaway with these warm hearted people. Must visit!

Best location indeed. You will get to experience rich Himachal culture. The home cooked food is so amazing, you forget when to stop. The views are breathtaking and the house owners are very caring. The cold mountain breeze just makes the stay mesmerizing. Must visit place to leave your world behind.

This zostel is one of a kind. You are the only guests and the hosts Chauhan Ji is very generous and helpful in every possible way. Food is home cooked with a touch of Pahari flavour as per our demand. Surrounding is so serene and out of the reach of flouting tourists.
You just need a little courage to reach the destination and beyond. There is a saying "tough roads leads to beautiful destinations". If you are a nature and peace lover, don't think twice. Just a word for WFH folks : Wifi is not available there.

An offbeat destination to spend time with yourself and your family. Well maintained property with delicious food. Neat and clean washrooms. Suresh uncle take care of all your requirements. He also guides for small hikes around, if you want to explore locally. I was lucky to witness two different views on alternate days One with snow another with sunrise. Perfect destination for nature lovers.

We came here to try an off beat destination where we can chill, party and roam a bit around to see nearby peaks on a new year vacation. The rooms and bathrooms are very clean and kitchenette is well organized. The experience was magnificent as hosts were very kind and generous. They even helped us getting our car repaired when there was a breakdown.

We went for a stay there last week. Even though we stayed only for 2 days but we felt Mr. and Mrs. Chauhan's warmth throughout our stay. The host was amazing and made us regret our decision to stay there for only 2 days. The place has adequate facilities but it was not the materialistic things that made a difference it was the late-night talks, the extensive care, and the politeness of the host that still make us wanna go back to their lovely stay. We are surely going to come back to meet and stay at this lovely place.
- On Behalf of Mr. Sayed Vakil & Gazhala

The host family was very cordial and friendly, they took good care of us. The bedrooms and washrooms were very clean and proper hygiene was maintained. Aunty treated us with authentic himachali dish called Siddu, she was an amazing cook.

Hi, to begin with we were running short of new places to visit. So we decided to visit the zostel in kathkoi. We were not sure of what to expect as it was quite a distance from Delhi and the roads were not that great. However, to our surprise when we reached our destination we realised why zostel opened up one of its branches so far off. Its as serene and beautiful as it gets. You don't have many people living around you, hence you don't see many houses just the beautiful untouched landscape. To add to it, the caretakers(the family) of the kathkoi zostel were one of the nicest families I've ever come across. Besides the zostel being well maintained, extremely hygienic and comfortable I'd like to give a big thank you to the family for making our experience an absolute A. They went out of their way and to our comfort level to ensure we had a great time. Besides they took us on one hell of an expedition, one which we absolutely loved and have so many great memories from it. One major problem we face while traveling is the food, however they didn't let us down here too. They serve only veg but I must say aunty makes the best kind of home food and this is coming from a strictly non veg person. I absolutely loved the food she cooked although it had no meat involved. Thank you once again Mr.Chauhan and family. We will be back soon.

Came across this property while looking for a rustic, traditional homestay experience. And, we were not disappointed at all! The location is spendid, as we crossed valleys and apple orchards through meandering roads of the Kotkhai valley.
What greets you first as you enter the house, is the beautiful Himachali styled lounge/common area with comfortable floor seating and heating. The rooms are also tastefully & elegantly done with wooden interiors and comfortable bedding.
What really sets this apart from other homestays is the astounding service and warm hospitality offered by the hosts Mr Suresh, his wife and son, who go the extra mile to offer you an insight into the local culture, the food (they served us delicious homemade Sidu, Himachali golden ghee, and tasty pahari rajma dal!), over endless conversations to keep you engaged and excited. The place also offers endless panoramic views of the valley and snow clad mountains, forests, apple orchards and a peace of mind that'll make you come back for sure!

A very nice place to stay in the middle of apple orchards. It is away from the main city but that is the beauty of it. The host suresh chauhan ji and aunty pinky were very helpful and caring. Took care of all our needs. Food was home-cooked and scrumptious. Would definitely recommend for everyone who are looking for an escape from the daily hustle bustle of the cities. And looking for peace and tranquility.
Will surely visit in future.