Workation In Sattal

The pandemic has brought a sea change in my life as a blogger and as a traveler. I am not the same person that I used to be. The reason for my absence on my blog and social media is the inspiration and energy that I found missing within me in the last six to eight months. The magic has kind of faded now, which is why I chose to stay away from it all. There’s no point being at something for the sake of it. But I did spend my time on other things that matter to me. I am writing this post to let all you lovely folks know that I am doing great, both personally and professionally. (I did hear from some of you via Instagram DMs and emails.) It’s valuable to know that you guys still think of me even when I am away.

So, what have I been up to in the last six months?

I didn’t really travel much except for the long sojourn that I had amidst the forest in Sattal (Uttarakhand). I must mention that it was a different kind of trip. I realized I had changed a lot as a traveler—I didn’t feel enthusiastic about taking pictures and posting on social media. All I cared for was to just be. I didn’t want to do anything. It was indeed a slow travel.

Kumaon is close to my heart. I had been there plenty of times. However, I experienced it in a different light on my last trip, which was with my mom, who has been my travel companion on quite a few trips in India (South Goa, Udaipur, Mussoorie, and Dandeli). It’s endearing to travel with her. Sattal is special to both of us (in fact, to all of us at home). We visited it way back in 2009 on a short trip and fell in love with it—the serenity and the unique beauty of the place just leaves you amazed. Thus, the second visit after 12 long years was nostalgic. Visiting a place after such a long time is a different feeling altogether.

Also read: Beautiful Homestays In The Himalayas

Sattal has changed a lot. It’s more touristic now—lots of vehicles pass by, there’s a constant buzz of visitors, and the roads are not as clean as they used to be a decade ago. That saddened my heart. But it’s still one of the quietest places one could ever experience. Sattal has its own beauty, its own idyllic charm that makes you want to prolong your stay there. The wild flowers captivate you with their own understated charisma. The variety of beautiful birds that perch on the branch next to your window make you admire the simplicity of life. It’s the little things that matter.

Workation at Sattal Christian Ashram

Although I wanted to keep Sattal Christian Ashram a secret, I now feel I should share a bit about it just to support it. It’s one of those places that can never lose their authentic glory. The ashram has also seen a setback due to the pandemic. It had to be shut due to the lockdowns, which impacted the lives of the staff there. However, it kind of came back to buzzing while we stayed there. We would see guests pour in every weekend.

It’s a place of slow, blissful travel. It’s a place of long walks, lots of sun-soaking, and embracing the wild beauty of nature. Since the ashram is spread over 400 acres of land, which is literally a forest, it’s your most intimate liaison with the woods.

Thankfully, the ashram has retained its original soul even till today. You still get to experience the legacy left by the founder, Stanley Jones. Although it’s a Christian ashram, it’s open to people from all faiths and even to those with no faith.

I have to confess that I could not explore much of Kumaon due to work and the rains (many roads and bridges broke). Yes, my mom and I witnessed the torrential rains that proved to be detrimental for so many lives in Uttarakhand. We were confined to our cottage for three days with no electricity and no WiFi, which I’m not complaining about. We were safe. We had food to eat. After the rains stopped, we enjoyed sitting in the sun again, heard the birds squeak again…it was all so lovely!

It was more of a workation than a vacation for me. However, I did go for long walks quite often. We literally lived like locals—we would purchase groceries for a month and would go for veggie shopping every week. We stayed in a big cottage, which had four big rooms and also a big balcony.

Apart from Sattal, we explored a bit of Naukuchiatal, Shyamkhet, Ramgarh, Gagar, and Kasar Devi (Almora). But I won’t say that it was one of my best trips in terms of travel. It was purely a work-driven sojourn, which was great. However, some of my plans did not work out the way I had thought. So yes, there were a few travel disappointments as well.

Hiking through the Sattal forest

The last leg of my trip was the best—I had saved a trek with a local guide. I covered a distance of around 15 km on foot, which was an achievement for me considering the fact that I live a pretty sedentary lifestyle. I had told my guide to take me on an offbeat trail—possibly a place where nobody goes. So, when he took me deep into the woods, he asked me if I was happy. I have to say that it was a fantastic hike—wild flowers, bushes, lake views, and views of distant mountains. We passed by a couple of camping resorts as well.

A bit of birdwatching

Sattal has grown into a busy tourist destination in the last few years. However, there are many quiet places that are still hidden and are worth experiencing. Sattal is mainly a birding destination—the variety of birds that you will find here is rare. Although I’m not much of a birdwatcher, I sat down to do some bird photography on my last day in Sattal.

So, that was it. I hope to blog regularly this year. Please write to me if you want me to share more about my travels.

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