Staying at the Hobo Hostel you have a plethora of Activities and Tours/Treks/Hikes to choose from. The Hosts are certified tour operators and can even take you off the beaten track into the unexplored and pristine lands along the lap of the Himalayas. One can even rent a bike (Royal Enfield) here with the least documentation ever required.
The hosts never fail to surprise you. At every point, they make sure that their guests are comfortable and for them, it is never about the money. All they care about is that their guests are having a wonderful experience. The rates of all activities and tours are as cheap as they can get and the service can easily be said to be the best. The ease with which the crew processes everything and the efficiency they put behind the management is commendable in every aspect and their conduct itself gets them guests returning to the warm and cozy beds of Hobo. After a tiring day outdoors, they take care of you real good.
Being amazingly seated in the lap of the Himalayas and on the very foothills of the Dhauladhar Ranges, this hostel offers a number of locates leading to trails that are immensely off the beaten track. So much so that at one point there was no track and a chunk of the route broke off and had fallen down. But that is another story. You can avail these off-beat treks from the hostel and one of the hosts, a certified trekker and tour operator, will accompany you on these adventurous exploration drives. The pristine and untouched lands behind and beyond the Hobo Hostel cannot be described in words. It is simply breathtaking and for the naked eyes only.
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Offbeat Paradise for Treks and Hikes
The landscape around the Hobo Hostel is no doubt amazing but the terrain and views behind and beyond are not only gorgeously scenic but also adventurous and full of surprises. The certified and experienced people at Hobo sometimes make routes in real-time and take you through such exquisite locations that one never wants the journey to end. The destinations themselves are so magnificent that if people did not have an alarm clock to return to, they would live in a tent/cave right then and right there. The presence and sound of the flowing river and the very atmosphere of the place is somewhat intoxicating.
The smart positioning of the establishment makes the hostel very close to a number of offbeat trails leading to unexplored or less explored parts of the mountains. Just a couple hours trek behind the hostel and there is a huge waterfall and the trails continue deeper into the forests and to a number of almost untouched natural pools and caves which might have been the shepherds delight during the days of the Gaddi Tribes. The hostel itself can arrange for camping activities in a cave made of slate stones and the overnight stay along with the fire and the awesome Hobo food is nothing less than a luxurious treat in the wilderness. Sometimes just a 6-7 hour hike exploring these lands is highly rewarding. There is a main river along which one can keep walking to find surprises almost at every turn.
Crystal clear water flows from almost every crack and hole in the mountain and it is so cold and pure that just one sip and one’s entire body is refreshed and rejuvenated. We personally weren’t satisfied with just one sip so we took a dip instead. If you are not happy with a sip, then surely take a dip. We found it to be fairly justified after trekking down a steep gorge just along a huge waterfall. [Read more about our experience here…]
Camping and Overnight Stays in Camps/Caves
The offbeat trails often lead to beautiful lush-green locations with gushing waterfalls and turquoise pools filled with crystal clear water, coming straight from the mountains. It is so clean and pure that one can directly consume it without a moment’s hesitation. However, enjoying such locations along the trails usually takes up energy and time and you may not be able to return on the same day. Hence booking a trek to the Gaddi shepherd caves with the Hobo crew is by far the best way to explore the place and submit to the Himalayan vibes. The best part about the experience is that one gets to spend the night inside caves made by Gaddi shepherds using only slate rocks and the mountain itself. The package provided by Hobo includes all meals and equipment one may need during the tour. The booking rates are as kind as the hosts and you just need to charge your camera batteries and yourself to embrace the experience and later on tell stories about it for all the years to come.
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Caves and Temples
Apart from the natural trails and hikes into the wild, the Hobo hostel has a lot of spots nearby where the guests can peacefully spend the evenings having an enlightening time. Just a couple of minutes’ walk down the hostel and one will find themselves at a bridge over which they can witness an approximately 5000 year old sacred space called Gupteshwar Mahadev (where, as per the Hindu epic of Mahabharata, Arjuna received the Bow of Shiva) and a few steps down from there will take you to the sacred red rock where it all went down. Under this rock is a tight space where a Shiva Linga has naturally formed inside the rock. The entire space along with the adjacent Shiva temple and samadhis of late gurus and yogis is called the Aghanjar Mahadev Temple.
This energized space is an experience in its own and one should at least spend a couple of hours here and only return once they have received the Prasad. The babas/yogis and their helpers are very cooperative and share a lot of things about their history and culture over a cup of hot tea freshly served to the patient disciples. In short it is a cultural and energetic treat. The local river and the meadows only just enhance the overall vibes.
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Bonfire, Cultural Tours and Trivia
The efficient crew at the Hobo Hostel can arrange for a bonfire on request, around which the guests can enjoy all kinds of discussions and beverages and the astoundingly delicious food there multiplies the amusement to all different levels. The hosts are open to all kinds of discussions and questions (barring personal topics of course) and will even educate you about their own culture and traditions. In the winter days they might even put up a bonfire for themselves and they are more than just obliged if you wish to join them. Time passes in a whisker when you are around the bonfire soaking in its heat, watching the fire dance to the music and conversations while looking up from time to time into the dense starry sky (on a clear night) and realizing the nature of your existence. If one gets drenched in those vibes then by the end of the night they are completely silent yet blissful.
Bike Rental Services
The Hobo Hostel offers Royal Enfield Thunderbird bikes for a very minimal rental fee and a duration of 12 hours or one full day and the booking is not carried on to the next day. So, you might need to pre-book it according to plans. Payment can be made after returning the bike. However, the hosts are usually flexible with a few changes and entertain most of the logical requests. Helmets are complimentary. And the best part is that they do not even ask for a security deposit. The bikes are in very good condition so one needs to be responsible while driving them. The bikes are few in number so do make sure to ask for their availability and book them with dates accordingly. Based on the availability they can even be booked impromptu.
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