Himalayan Village Sonapani

Flanked by pine forest on the right and rhodendron & oak forests on the left, stands the  Himalayan village Sonapani, a retreat that offers timeless moments.. Withou televisions or phones to distract, there's only music that prevails here,  music of the cool mountain breeze, complimented by swinging of the leaves and the birds flapping their wings in unison. The special sunrise, the special walking trail and the special place to sit, tempt you tp pay them repeated visits....

 Himalayan Village Sonapani promises you a completely unconventional Holiday experience experience that is stress free and lets you cherish your own self.

Cottages
The spacious cottages are built withcompressed earth blocks. A blend of british, kumaoni and modern architecture, the cottages have tinned roofs, mud-plastered interiors and modern attached bathrooms, thus creating a unique ambience of comfort and tradition.

Each room has a double bed, two chairs, table and a dressing area - all made of pine wood. With the window opening towards the himalayan peaks, one can view the snow clad ranges even from the cozy comforts of the bed.

Dining Hall
The dinning hall boasts of ample space and ventilation. It also doubles up as a conference hall. The pine wood furniture is so designed that a simple re-arrangement can make the hall look like a restaurant or a conference hall. Right in front of the dining hall is the bonfire area, ideal to sit and chat around a fire.

The kitchen is geared to serve Indian, Mughlai and Chinese cuisine. but they also ensure,  that the food is less on oil and is more of a 'home cooked' variety - something which is easy on the digestive system.

Corporate groups
The Himalayan Village is fully geared to handle an outbound training program or a corporate fun trip - end to end. Based on corporate needs, they chalk out itineraries which are geared towards forming closer ties between team members and bonding them together as a team. For training programs, seminars and conferences, they have a full fledged conference room, designed with assistance from leading corporate trainers.

Things to get there
The checklist of items that one should get along is as follows:

• Its always better to keep a pullover or a jacket handy as the occasional rain may bring down the temperature considerably
• Prescribed medicines, if you are on medication
• Walking shoes
• Your brand of cigarettes, cigars, etc.
• Torch

It's 20 acres of land, with forest and villages all around. Being there and exploring the areas around is in itself an activity. The activities can be done by groups as well as individuals. The various activities at Himalayan Village Sonapani are

Rock climbing, Rappelling, Simulated River Crossing
These activities are conducted on nearby rocks. Expert guidance is necessary for these activities and they ensure that the activities are conducted by trained facilitators to ensure high level of safety for the participants.

Jungle walks
Jungle walk is an interesting activity. One can do it every day and yet not get bored of it. It is because the jungles have a lot hidden in them and the revelations are slow and full of surprises. The idea behind a walk may be to simply explore a trail, or maybe to get a feel of the jungle or to climb on top of the cliff you have been eyeing for days.

Village walks
One of the idea behind creating Sonapani was to expose city dwellers to the village life. While walking through the village, one can see the life of a villager from close quarters. You can interact with them and share experiences, theirs as well as yours. They can also arrange for a villager to host you for lunch.

Trek to Kapileshwar
A 10th century Kapileshwar temple (Shiva temple) is a 2 hours trek from Sonapani. Shiva is the original deity of this land and this temple is amongst his most sacred temples. Right next to the temple is a small rivulet where one can indulge in some water splashing.

Games
Sonapani offers ample opportunities to play games like volleyball and cricket. While they have a volleyball court in the premises, the cricket ground is in the near vicinity. Playing cricket with village youngsters is great fun as most of them are ardent cricket followers and practice the game regularly.

They also have options of tougher treks and jungle walks for the enthusiasts. They can also plan out activities for you if you are coming in groups. While at Sonapani, you can also try out a bit of farming. It is slightly tougher than gardening but can be great fun. This activity stands a strong chance of re-igniting the agrarian aspects of your genetic code!

By Rail
You can take a train to Kathgodam, the rail head of this region. The train running between Kathgodam and Delhi is called Ranikhet express

By Road
Kathgodam is approximately 275 kms from Delhi. One has to go via Hapur, Moradabad, Rampur, Bilaspur, Rudrapur and Haldwani. Kathgodam is at the foothills and from there you'll begin the hill journey. One has to cover 69 kms of these winding roads, driving through Bhimtal, Bhowali, Ramgarh and Nathuakhan to reach village Satoli. From Satoli, walk for about half an hour through the village road flanked by orchards, fields and village houses. It is a pleasant and almost a flat walk.