Binsar Sanctuary Walking Holiday

Unforgettable, incredible experience at Binsar, Uttarakhand

We had a wonderful trip with the outdoers team at Binsar. This was our 4th Trek with the team and we have been amazed at their ability to delight and pleasantly surprise their guests with incredible experiences. From a surprise lunch by a Himalayan waterfall to stargazing sessions under the wonderful night sky to a surprise outdoor breakfast with a view of the Himalayan ranges, every experience has been memorable and the outdoers team really knows how to put it together. The locations at Binsar are fantastic and suited for travellers of all ages and the treks were designed based on the fitness levels and preparedness of the participants. It was wonderful to spend time with Sundar and his loving family and get a close view and experience of life in a little Kumaon village. If you are looking for a light hike, or intense trek or a short or long relaxed stay at Saatri or Gaunap, Shyam, Sundar and Outdoers team will ensure it's an experience of a lifetime.

The time of our life! 👌

Ours was a family and friends' trekking trip, a group of 4, that was so perfectly planned out and orchestrated the Outdoers team. .. 28May - 03June 2023. From Day 1, till our last day (7 day trip!), we were treated like VIPs. The hospitality and stay offered including every meal and welcome drink that we were presented with, always left us amazed and puzzled as to how it's possible at these remote locations to conjure up such delicacies!! The treks catered to our individual physical ability and our thirst to see what secrets nature has, for us to discover; and our guide Mr Sunder proved to be a walking encyclopedia. A thorough gentlemen, a friend, a fine nature lover and enthusiast, Mr Sunder has an answer to all our queries! Giving it a mix of folklore and latest available info, he and his team put up a fantastic experience for us, leaving us craving for our next trip that we could get out, from our busy schedule and join them again to explore yet another part of this world, that we know so little about! Thank you Mr Shyam, Mr Sundar and the complete Outdoers team.. Until next time.

My first trek!!

Binsar is the first trek of my life and I am so glad I did it with Outdoers! In awe with the beauty of the place, Uttarakhand. The cute place , Burans kot at Shaukyatal, lovely sunset at Dhaulchhina , star gaze at Gaunap and the village tour were amazing!! Beautiful locations and lovely home stays and even more amazing and warm people! We were served piping hot food in the chilly places and taken such good care of. The love and affection shown by the home stay people is to be definitely mentioned. Sunder , our guide is a man of good information about the places, the flora fauna too and guided us well during the trek. Would definitely recommend this trip and the Outdoers! Great work Shyam, keep it going. Will come back for more treks!!

My Amazing Trekking Debut!!

It was yet another beautiful experience with the Outdoers treks of which this is my first trekking trip to Binsar.. From the planning to the custom-made itinerary, the rustic homestays with ultra clean bathrooms, our super patient soft spoken guide Sunder , our cook at Gaunap Pawan and our driver Bishan singh ji were just perfect ...the homestays especially at Buranskot and Gaunap village with breathtaking views was an utter delight .. Hot served simple tasty food and Tea in that cold weather was a big welcome .. Overall i was yet again very happy n satisfied with the professionalism shown by Outdoers team n Shyam ..I would highly recommend outdoers treks for a great travel experience and looking forward to use their services in the future too 🙌

The perfect Debut .. Trekking in the hills

Team Outdoers outdid themselves in showing us the beautiful hills of Uttarakhand n made sure that our grp of 6 ladies has no complaints 😀 The cosy stays ( spclly Burans Kot @ Shaukyathal), the hot food -including the desserts (lapsi n all) n local cuisine, the well planned picks-drops n itinerary, the vehicle n driver Bishan ji- everything was perfect! Our trek trip .. being our first was so well handled by the super patient Mr. Sundar. Cannot forget how refreshing the stream water was from the makeshift tap he made out from a leaf! Talent of n aking our chatty grp stay quiet for bird watching is to to be learnt from him!😅 Special mention to Mr Pavan for the yumm food n comfy stay at Gaunap- Idylic Haven Homestay. And big thank you Shyam for patiently answering all our queries before the trek n helping us shop for good trek gear 👍 Little surprises like the bonfire @ Gaunap were nice n v admired the art of giving of these hill people. They made us feel totally at home.... can’t wait for the next 😀

Hug of nature

The places we trekked have the most stupendous views..The home stay in Gaunap is out of this world.Sunder our tour guide is so Patient ,very friendly..The hospitality we had through out the trip is commendable..

Paradise on Earth !

This was the best birthday gift I gifted myself .The trek through the wild life santuary was the best experience ever . The guide was very good , he helped us spot beautiful birds and plants .It is indeed a nature lovers paradise .All home stay was beyond our imagination - Luxury in the middle of the forest , completely untouched by any commerialisation and excellent local food served to us with great love . We stayed in villages which were approchable by foot only. There were only 3 to 4 family homes in each mountain village and staying amongst them was a beautiful experience . Shyam was just a call away .He organised and planned our trip very well . The organisers gave me a surprise birthday cake along with a candle light dinner . It was a dream come true to celebrate my birthday in the mountains ! Thank You Outdoers !

Binsar, a paradise for nature lovers

I heard a lot about this trek from my friends and we were not disappointed at all. I went with my wife (we are both nearly sixty) and we managed to trek most of the days without too much difficulty. First couple of nights were in a quaint little village Gaunap which had only 13 families. No pollution, no noise, no garbage - just enjoy the serene beauty of the forest and the distant mountains. I am an amateur bird photographer and the tour operator arranged for a guide who had excellent knowledge of the birds. I managed to photograph over 25 different species of birds. Thanks Sundar and Khim Singh! Astronomy is also one of my hobbies and I stepped out late in the night to do some star gazing. I was initially disappointed to see the bands of clouds across the night sky. However the clouds were stationery and it took me some time to realise that that I am actually looking at the milky way! There is no dust or light pollution and sky felt like right out of the Star Wars movie with millions of stars visible to the naked eye! Sundar is an excellent cook and managed to satisfy even a finicky eater like me. We stayed in 3 different home-stays and all of them were very clean and comfortable. This is my third trek with the Outdoers and they truly outdid themselves again! Thank you!

A refreshing walk through the hills in and around Binsar

The Outdoers team of Shyam and Sunder did a fantastic job of organizing a walk through the woods and stays at some amazing locations! Having reached Kathgodam railway station, Sunder and his team took care of all the logistics until the return to Kathgodam five days later. We stayed for four nights at three places / homestays - namely Kot Naikana (1), Buransh Kot (1) and Gaunap village (2). Over the course of this period, we trekked over 20 kms approximately in Sunder's company. Amazing vistas, heart-warming hospitality and delicious culinary preparations (a special shout-out to Pawan here) made for an amazing vacation. Sunder was a welcoming host and his knowledge of the local flora and fauna was very impressive. Above all, what impressed us the most was his passion, vision and corresponding efforts to make these tourism activities sustainable for all stakeholders who are involved in it and impacted by it. A highly recommended trip indeed!May the Outdoers team thrive and prosper for years to come! Looking forward to partnering with them in exploring more places in the future!

Refreshing "forest bath" after lockdowns in cities!

It was an invigorating trip in the Oak and Pine forests of Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. The home-stays and resorts in Gaunap, Dhaulchinna and Shaukyathal were very comfortable, clean and well-provisioned. The guide (Sundar & Co) was not only a fount of knowledge on local flora and fauna but was a trained expert birder too. Even better, he turned out to be an excellent cook and a charming host as well. Hearty portions of local (home-cooked and primarily North Indian) cuisine for every yummy wholesome meal! The walks themselves were relatively easy and paced to accommodate varying needs (pre-teen boys to adults in their 40s and 50s). In one outing, they even arranged a vehicle to the next rendezvous point for folks that couldn't manage the steeper final stretch - with little advance notice. We were truly in good hands! The Outdoers folks care; its not just a commercial venture. The village stays are rustic and offer a liberating 'digital detox' with intermittent internet connectivity ;^) Just the recipe for city-bound families and friends who wish to cut down their screen time. Also, at our request before the trip, Outdoers readily extended and customized our holiday by a few days to cover other parts of the Kumaon region. All this at a very reasonable price for the experience!

Exploring Binsar on Foot

After two years of being at home because of the pandemic, walking the trails in the Binsar Sanctuary was exhilarating. The teak and deodar forest, the crisp, cool air, the incredible variety of birds -- all so soul-nourishing. And who better to help nourish our souls, stomachs and weary feet than Outdoers? Sundar was a kind and gentle host and guide. Encouraging as we scrambled up slopes, whipping out the local bal mithai to keep our energy up when we slowed down, and sharing his knowledge of birds with joy. The food was local and delicious, the homestays cosy. This Outdoers walking holiday is a good way for a family or a group of friends to start exploring the outdoors.

Perfect Antidote to City Living

We thoroughly enjoyed our week in Binsar with Outdoers. From the moment we arrived, we knew we were in very capable hands. The places we stayed in were charming and comfortable, our guide Sundar was a walking encyclopaedia of knowledge on local flora and fauna, bursting into birdsong himself on occasion. The combination of the beauty of the place, the warmth of the people and the sheer exhilaration of being outdoors was incredible. The itinerary was flexible and completely at our pace. It was not too physically challenging and was perfect for first-time walkers like us. So many parts of this experience felt like a labour of love rather than a commercial venture. After being confined to our apartment for the past two years, walking in the forest, with spotty mobile connectivity was just what we needed and Outdoers were absolutely the right people to do this with. No hesitation at all in recommending this to anyone.

The first and best walking holiday in Binsar

This was our first vacation with Outdoers - A trek to Binsar with our then 4 year old son. We had a lovely time and would recommend this trip for all first-timers with Outdoers. Post this trekking trip have gone on to do many more. Would recommend their services without any reservations :)

Wonderful experience

Had a wonderful outdoor experience with them where i was showed the best possible things cant thank them .recommend them to everyone

Delightful treks with Outdoers

Before Corona virus hit India and our world changed, we were in Binsar, on a trekking trip organised by Outdoers. The choice of villages we went to and the places of stay were perfect, as were the hosts everywhere. We were most impressed when we were accompanied not just by Pankaj, who took very good care of us, but also by Kheem Singh, who is very knowledgeable and is a trained naturalist and birder. He came armed with a bird book and helped us identify about 47 varieties of birds that we spotted! At Gaunap, a remote village you can get to only by foot, we discovered that Pankaj was also an excellent cook! The treks through the pine and oak forests were meditative and we were one with nature. It was also humbling to see the lives of people who live on the hills. The icing on the cake was when it snowed at Shaukiyathal! It was my first snow experience and I was delighted! Sundar, our host, was kind enough to re-light the heater and re-fill my hot water bottle at 2 am when it was snowing. It was with reluctance that we left the hills to get back to the our world. In the present scenario, the hills seemed a very safe place to be!

Binsar forest trek, 3 villages, 5 days

This trek was a delightful and invigorating experience. The team were professional, knowledgeable and very friendly without being intrusive. The homestays were beautiful and rustic with fresh, tasty, wholesome food. The pace was good with quite a bit of flexibility. March 2020 saw unusual weather where there was rain, hail and snow interspersed with clear skies. The trek walks were planned for the mornings to avoid afternoon rains. Clear evenings allowed us to explore the villages and their surroundings. Though it was cold (and we were prepared for it) the homestays made sure we were cosy with additional blankets, hot water bottles and portable charcoal fire pits, going to the extent of stoking up the fire in the middle of one snowy night! The fresh air and beautiful vistas, flora and fauna were a treat for our senses. We ended our trip with the beautiful Jageshwar temple and a visit to Peter Semacetek's butterfly and moth research centre. A good couple of hours of humourous insights into Lepidopteran life made for a satisfying end to a truly memorable trip. Enjoyed sighting the beautiful birds, and wild plants. Appreciated the tough village life and the new livelihood ideas that are being tried, within the traditional system. Note: I'm fifty five and was perfectly comfortable to enjoy myself throughly,though I would have been happier with silicone insoles for my trekking shoes.:-D

Away from buzz and closer to nature

Outdoers ensured that the tour was comfortable and evenly paced for my family with teenagers. Our guide made the trip a wholesome experience with his knowledge on the flora, fauna and birds. Home stay and the food prepared from fresh home grown vegetables will be remembered long after the trip. Kids mentioned fresh air, panaromic views and quite forests as three top things that come to their mind when they think about Binsar.

Perfect family vacation

The Binsar trek is perfect for families with young children. There are quiet forests to explore, birds and other gorgeous insects to identify. Delicious local fruit and herbs that the children can pick themselves. Outdoors has a great butterfly and bird watching walk that helped my kids to expand their bird identification vocabulary to an unimaginable degree :) they beat us hollow in a bird naming match. Through old style village games like stick cricket and rock stapu they came closer to understanding how even rocks, pebbles and sticks can be used to play exciting games. A forest treasure hunt helped them to look around and collect a variety of leaves and other material from the beautiful surroundings. The taste of local food is nothing like what you’d get in the city. The clean fresh air is like a treat for the mind and body. My younger one was challenged to complete all the scheduled treks and she managed so well that her confidence levels in terms of trekking are now highly improved. I highly recommend a trek in the Binsar sanctuary and appreciate the high level of competence, knowledge and professionalism shown by the outdoors team. I would absolutely love to take this trip again !!

Interesting trek in Uttarakhand, Almora

Highlights of the trip: 1. Eco stays - No AC or fans or TVs. Homes were very cool and we had good sound sleep. 2. Hosts are farmers or locals. Hosts were very kind, helpful and excellent service. 3. Food was local or north indian food and was very tasty. Portions sizes were huge. Oraganic food and fresh milk from cow/buffaloes 4.Guide was very knowledgeable and humble. He treated guests like kings. 5. Places like Gaunap, Shaukityal and Dhaulchina were really small villages and you could hardly see people. We could see farming, milk rearing and cattle at close. 6. Internet doesnt work in Gaunap, Dhaulchina - So we were not disturbed by chatter. 7. Treks were slow and steady and adjusted to pace of each trekker 8. There were some water streams in jungles, where we could collect cool water and wash ourselves. 9. Safe treks - both from humans and animals. Whole jungle was for ourselves 10. It is low priced. Such great food, such views and treks at a affordable place. 11. Very well organized by Outdoers team 12. I saw real village wiht no plastic and genuine happy faces. Other things: a. If you are coming from south india, it is a 1.5 day journey to reach Binsar TRH. b. Just one jacket is enough for nights, its windy but not cold. So dont overpack. c. If you are used to some other food, please bring it along. d. Connecting roads are good, not much traffic