Its been little over a year now since I was back from a fun-filled adventurous road trip. A journey through the desolate peaks of Spiti Valley to the lush green Mcleodganj. In short, I call it Himalayan-Heights-With-Punjabi- Delights, for this week-long trip included much of Himachal Pradesh and ended on a scrumptious note in Punjab. And now I was back in the laps of the Himalayas and this time with a new place to explore- Palampur, a small town in Himachal Pradesh. The agenda of this trip was to be part of the first ever Blogger’s meet by StayOnSkills. So our second long weekend of the year was spent at a beautiful, quaint homestay named Jyoti Niwas surrounded by the tea estates of Aweri, Palampur.
Now before I move on let meet couple on bike – Yogesh & Rajni and Anjali- a globetrotting mom from travelmelodies . It was the quaintness of Palampur and the company of these wonderful people that made my jaunt through Palampur filled with innumerable memories to cherish.
About Jyoti Niwas Homestay Palampur-
At an altitude of 1472m, lies a beautiful valley adorned with lush green forests and flanked by the snow-clad Dhauladhars. Through the valley flows numerous perennial rivers making Palampur an adventurous yet picturesque sight to delve into. Amid pine forests and tea gardens of Palampur is almost a century old house of nawabs of Bahawalpur. I call it to be a place where comfort elegantly mingled with nature. Even a short stay here refreshed me all from lungs to the soul.
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First Impressions of Jyoti Niwas Homestay
We got dropped off by the bus at the very spot google showed us and were still on the lookout for the homestay. On turning around our neck for a few minutes and sneaking casually inside a green gate we saw the name Jyoti Niwas. It would have been easier to find the homestay had there been a board hanging on the main gate instead. Anyways, taking in the very first step I fell in love with the calm and secluded environment created all by their garden and the surrounding forest. The property was still not in our sight…Further, we walked a few more steps and looking at our stay for the next two days brought a broad smile on our faces.
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A peep into your rooms
Inside the colonial structure of Jyoti Niwas resides two cozy bedrooms that were perfect for a comfortable night. Both the rooms were furnished with a small desk and a single sitting sofa. Also, attached to each room was a kids room furnished with a single bed, a dressing table and old style wooden cupboards conceived on the walls. After taking in the warmth of bonfire we entered the comfort of our rooms where room heaters had done their role perfectly…And after a little more chit-chat session we were off to the world of our dreams.
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And the washroom
From my personal experience, one thing I am for sure about is that washroom ought to be the very first thing we look out at check-in. There is no compromising with the cleanliness of the washroom and it should have well-functioning fixtures. The washrooms at this homestay in Palampur reflected old styled sanitary with a pink tiled wall. Partitioned with a glass was the shower area with a corner stand to rest all your toiletries.
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The Living Room
The living area was the very first room under sight as we entered through the main door. The furnishings, tiled flooring, and wall decor altogether gave an archaic feel to the room. A pile of magazines stocked on the side table gave a hint that someone here is fond of interior decoration. Grab one of these and enjoy the garden view as you rest your back against the chair.
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The Dining Room
Passing through the living area, we walked into the dining room and loved the Mughal style tiled flooring. A dark wood table, reddish brown cushioned chairs and weaved bamboo placemats gave a perfect setting to the dining room. As can be seen in the image below the corners of the room were occupied by a glassware shelf and a vertical rack that displayed some memories from the past.
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Let’s talk Food
Food is an essence of travel, at least for me and whatever little I eat should be full of taste and served with a smile. Similar was my experience at Jyoti Niwas. A perk that comes with homestays is that we are free to cook as we like and similar was the case at Jyoti Niwas. The kitchen at the backyard awaited to get the taste of our hands.
BUT
For we felt lazy and wanted to have a relaxing weekend vacation we took a helping hand of their caretaker cum cook. Raj Kumar Ji with his wife made sure to serve us scrumptious home like dishes unbounded by a menu. We were free to order our choice of dish provided the ingredients are available in the local market.
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The cost factor
I am sure all the blurb I have written so far would have put you in a dilemma and you must be imagining a hole in your pockets to stay here. Take a sigh of relief…Jyoti Niwas is not only one of the best homestay in Palampur but also a pocket-friendly option for the travelers. The bookings can be made directly on their website or via leading platforms such as Airbnb. Also, you can reach us here and I would be happy to curate an itinerary for you.
Now that your stay is sorted you must be wondering why should you visit Palampur. Well, then here’s what we did on a weekend trip to Palampur and reading this will surely excite you too…
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Things to do in Palampur
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Molding some clay at Andretta Pottery Studio
Today we landed in Palampur and post lunch we headed for a much-awaited experience ….getting our hand dirty as we try to mold out clay at Andretta Pottery Studio and Museum. I was very excited when our newly met local friend @sensesofarundhati told us about Andretta Pottery Studio and also arranged a session for us. To reach Andretta Pottery Studio we stepped out of Jyoti Niwas Homestay, walked downhill a few steps and took a bus for Paprola. From Paprola we hopped on another bus that dropped us at Andretta. From this point, it was a walk for about 1.5 km to reach Andretta Pottery Studio & Museum.
Coming over to our second day in Palampur…the day began with a morning tea and breakfast in the backyard of Jyoti Niwas under the open sky. Today we planned to start with Baijnath Temple followed by Bir Billing, Monasteries and to end by witnessing a sunset at Jakhani Mata Temple. So let’s begin……
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Offering prayers at Baijnath Temple
Our day began with the endowments of Lord Shiva at Baijnath Temple. The temple is at a distance of 5 km from Jyoti Niwas Homestay and we took a bus that was fortunately available very next to the homestay ( perks of being an on-road property ).
Dating back to the 13th century, Baijnath Temple marks as one of the top places to visit in Palampur. Its early medieval architectural style known as Nagra style of temples is worth applause. After offering prayers we walked through the sprawling garden towards the backside of the temple. Lush green snow clad Dhauladhars and a rocky river flowing at the foothills created a spectacular site to delve in. We spent about an hour in the temple enjoying the views, going live on insta and a bit of shopping.
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Gliding down through the air
Bir Billing is known to be one of the best sites to go paragliding. Apart from receiving an International level of recognition Billing has played host to Paragliding International Championship. The whole journey of coming down is in itself a pure bliss for both the atmosphere and the views are breathtaking. Though we could not try our hands on paragliding as we ended up reaching here on a national holiday but would definitely recommend you to go for it.
Reaching Bir was an easy task and we took a bus from Baijnath Temple bus stop that dropped us at Bir in about half an hour. Further, if you plan for paragliding than you will have to hire a cab from Bir that will drop you at Billing which is at 14 km. Billing is where you take off and swiftly gliding through the air you land in Bir.
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Praying at Jakhni Mata Temple
The best time to visit Jakhni Mata Temple is as the sun gets closer to the horizon. This way you will not only be able to take endowments at the temple but also get to relish a picturesque sunset over a valley. Jakhni Mata Temple is 8 km from Palampur and I would recommend to either have your own vehicle or you hire a cab to reach here as there is no bus service on this route.
And the time has come….it felt like flowing away so fast in this all so enchanting and serene environment of Palampur…The third and last day of our trip was here and on the eve we had to bid a goodbye to Palampur…But before we left, one last activity was yet remained to be experienced and any trip to Palampur is incomplete without this…
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Going for a Tea Tasting session
Today was the eve of our departure and whatever time we were left with was reserved for a tea tasting session at Himalayan Brew Tea Factory. At about 6 km from the town of Palampur, the tea factory is accessible via motorable roads. We hired a cab to reach there and would advise doing so if you don’t have your own car.
Before beginning with the tasting session we took a guided tour through the factory and how that single tea plant yields the many flavors available in the market. Being an avid lover of green tea I was very eagerly waiting for the tea-tasting session. And soon it was time… After sipping the many flavors namely rose, jasmine, lemongrass, chamomile and more we finally went to grab some boxes to take back home. My personal choice was the Kangra Orange Pekoe Black Tea and Tulsi Mulethi Green Tea.
For the beauty of Palampur has overshadowed the lovely property of Jyoti Niwas Palampur, here’s a short video insight that won’t let you forget it…
How to reach Jyoti Niwas, Palampur?
The blissful hill station of Palampur is well connected to major cities like Delhi, Jaipur, and Chandigarh by multi modes of transport viz. rail, road, and air. Also if not bounded by time then you can take a toy train from Pathankot and hop on a 6 hrs picturesque ride to Palampur. For those flying in, the Kangra Gaggal airport is just 38 km and regular flights ply to and from Delhi. Regular buses ply from Delhi all through the day until midnight and take about 10 hours to reach Palampur.
Once at Palampur bus stop, you can either hire a cab or take a local bus to Aweri as we did. Jyoti Niwas Homestay is about 14 km from here and the bus drops you at the property itself so you won’t have to walk much to find your homestay. The Taragarh Palace Hotel by WelcomeHeritage is a prominent landmark sharing its boundaries with Jyoti Niwas Homestay.
Best time to visit Palampur?
Palampur sees a varied climate from hot summers through rainy monsoons to pleasantly cold winters. I believe that October to March accounts to be the best time to visit Palampur.
* PS – Though my stay at Jyoti Niwas Palampur was arranged by StayOnSkill as part of the blogger’s meet, this review is in no way biased and reflects my true experience to its best.
Final Verdict
My experience of staying at Jyoti Niwas over a period of two days was at par and I loved every bit of it. For I haven’t stayed at any other homestays in the region it won’t be justice to call it the best homestay in Palampur. But worth mentioning is that Jyoti Niwas definitely deserves to top the list of homestays in Palampur.
Also, an applause for the great initiative by StayOnSkill for bringing together people and have them exchange their skills for a free stay. Thanks for having us stay at such a lovely property.
Nice one. Wanting to visit paramour from quite sometime. Gotta do soon. Loved the pictures.
Thank u. Aao Aao ab to sb pta hai kaise kahan jana hai.
Amazing write up and every part is arranged so beautifully. Nice picture aboveall. Keep going buddy! ❤️
Thanks buddy…great to hear that
Omg the video completely transcended my mind into the lush green paths of this place .. the write up along with the description deserves kudos definitely .. I love the way how ur article beautifies this entire homestay
Glad to hear that Debs…its the beauty of the property itself that made the words flow out of me..
This is captured well.looks like you had amazing stay at Jyoti niwas
would love to stay here if will visit to palampur
Yes definitely one of the best and unique i would call it
Beautifully crafted, Mohit! I got nostalgic while reading the post. It was an awesome experience staying in Jyoti Niwas Homestay, the more so because of the company of you guys 🙂 Would love to travel again with you.
Thanks anjali for the appreciation…and talking about traveling again, I will make sure to have that choti wali toy train included in the itinerary
A well written neat and clean description about the property with surrounding areas. I loved the narration and pictures..
Thanks Pam..glad to head that
I have tasted the hospitality of Palampur in other homestays , Jyoti Niwas looks equally lovely and elegant. Palampur is a wonderful little place which deserves more limelight. It’s nice to see so many beautiful homestays here. These homestays are making it a perfect place amongst the more famous hill stations of Himachal, to feel the true authenticity and local culture.
Yes…I read your post on Palampur and ur stay at Norwood Green. Since then the town was on my list as until then I only knew and visited Baijnath Temple on the way to Dharamshala…but this time i saw a completely new Palampur
Perfectly laid out, very easy to read and photos look amazing! I hope you thoroughly enjoyed your trip!
Ya I did enjoyed the trip to the fullest…it was so fun filled yet a laid back holiday that rejuvenated me completely
Nice work! It looks like you had an amazing time! Photos are looking great! It was a nice reading.
Thanks…glad you liked it and yes it was a lovely stay at this place.
Beautiful hotel. I have been there in Mcleodganj for Triund trek, visited Baijnath temple of Lord Shiva and of course best adventure of Billing ‘Paragliding’ . Just left with other things which you mentioned in this post. Will surely explore in our next visit
Great..you should plan a visit and must try your hands on pottery at andretta
Thats a very intriguing homestay…. Would love to visit Himachal, Manali etc and this is a great place to stay.. Thnx for the great write..
Glad you liked it…but I couldn’t resit to write as the words came out flowing about the so serene and lovely town of palampur and the homestay which was at par
This looks like a great trip. The rooms where you stayed look great, and the price is reasonable too. I certainly would love to try my hand and pottery, and I would love to take a tea-tasting tour.
You should definitely plan a visit here, you will love every bit of it.
I’ve never been to India, but would like to visit one day. This place looks like a good choice, with great facilities too. Love the photos of the temples and sunset, I’m sold!
Glad it intrigued you to visit India and now that you are sold its time for some ticket shopping…
Looks like road tripping in India is very feasible! The homestay looks like a great option for group travels to Palampur!
Yes..its pretty much feasible depending upon the kind of stay you chose. The coming up of home stays have made it easier to travel to far away areas too..
Beautiful homestay next to a serene temple. There’s so much about India that discover through blogs and reading. I hope I can see it soon! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you liked it…and yes India is full of treasures to explore. Wish you a trip to India sooner.
Jyoti Niwas Homestay is such a beautiful place, just cradled in the lap of greenery. The video shows them all!! Lovely post and would love to do a trip with all you guys!
True.. its a perfect place for lazying around…Good to know that video did its work well and yes we are definitely planning a trip together soon
Well never heard of this place before, but this property is good enough to attract more people to Palampur. I love how you have elaborated everything that the hotel has to offer. We too give prime importance to the basic hygiene of the washroom before finalizing on a hotel.
Glad you liked the rant and definitely Palampur is a surreal place to spend some time in peace.
I love this site! I don’t leave the us very often and I really enjoy reading it from your perspective! Love it!
Thank you so much for the appreciation and don’t forget to subscribe to our blog so that we can deliver your wanderlust dose straight to your inbox
I love the way your blog is composed, it looks like an ancient book that must be discovered and read 🙂 well done. Great work
Thanks a lot for the appreciation…hope you will like more of the upcoming posts which can reach straight to your inbox..you just need to subscribe and I would be grateful
such a nice and detailed post and video! The place really looks beautiful!
Thank you so much…glad you liked it
Such a wonderful post you have shared. Thank you for sharing this post really great and wonderful article. You are talking about Jyoti Niwas homestay which is really well-written.
Thanks for appreciating. The place was so good that words wont do justice to it
What a beautiful place! I have never been to India, but would love to go. I also really liked the view from the living room, the temple, and seeing the pictures of the landscape.
Yes it was too good… you should definitely make a visit
I love staying in local places like this… .and the view from the living room looked so pretty!
Jyoti Niwas looks absolutely gorgeous, from the interior decor of the homestay, to even the scenery around it! I would love to stay at this place someday with friends, and I am sure it will be an experience we would never forget! I am just wondering one more thing: What are the temperatures and climate like in Palmapur during the months of October–March?
It was a lovely property and yes you should definitely visit it. I have been there already twice this year and planning again in Dec. Its moderately cold and one jacket/pullover would be suffice for the night walks otherwise days are sunny and a full sleeve Tee would be good enough. Let me know if you need help planning your trip.
Looks like you had a wonderful trip! I love that you are documenting it and I definitely need to include Palmapur on my future place to visit.
Thanks for appreciating and yes it was a wonderful experience
The way you’ve described the property, I feel like taking a vacation RN!
Glad that it left such a impression.