GlampEco is a glamping destination in the Himalayas situated in the Hamta village of Himachal Pradesh, very close to the famous hill station of Manali.

We are located in an off-beat location away from the hustle-bustle of Manali town and yet close enough to be able to enjoy high-speed wifi and a fantastic mobile network.

We are working out to be an eco-friendly site and have put umpteen measures and policies in place to be one and keep improving on that.

Our accommodation includes hosting guests in India’s first Geodesic domes and a traditional mud house, along with a cafe that serves fresh and scrumptious meals.

Glamping is a form of glamorous camping where you get to experience the wilderness while staying in comfort.

We are focused on giving our guests an experience of staying amidst nature without sacrificing a lot of material comforts.

So, while we take utmost care to bring about a comfortable and enjoyable experience for everyone, however, due to the harshness of the terrain that we are located in, there could be instances of discomfort during stay caused by unforeseen conditions. 

We request guests to go through all Faqs and policies before making a booking as the place does require a bit of mental understanding from the guest.

GlampEco is located 14 Km from Mall Road, Manali. The closest major village to our site is Prini which is 10 km away. There is a private road that leads to AD Hydro Project from Prini Village and on that road, we are located at curve number 32 on the right-hand side of the road. You have to walk about 50 meters downhill from the road to reach the site.

There is no public transport to our site and the closest that you can get here by public transport is till Prini. From Prini you can either hike up/hitch-hike or you have to arrange a personal cab which can drop you to our site.

Please note that you need to take special permission from the Manali SDM office if you are coming by your own vehicle or outstation cabs. The permission is for Rs.100 only and is very easy to obtain during the office working hours (10 am – 5 pm except on Sundays, second Saturdays, and government holidays). In case you take a local taxi, please remind the taxi driver regarding the permission as well.

The last 10 km stretch to our place is a steep drive with 33 curves and the road conditions can be a bit challenging. The road is usually accessible all around the year.

In case you are planning to visit Manali or tourist points like Rohtang, Solang Valley, etc we can help arrange a cab for you.

BY ROAD:

If you are coming by bus from Delhi, you will be dropped off at the Manali bus stand. From there you would need to get a cab to Hamta Village for around INR 1500 depending on the road conditions. This might be more during the snow season. 

It takes approximately 14 hours to reach Manali from Delhi and 9 hours from Chandigarh.

If you choose to come by your personal vehicle, you can drive right up till GlampEco except in snow and excessive rainy months where you would require a 4*4 vehicle to get you to the site. In these situations, you can still get your vehicle to Manali, park it there, and then take a local cab to our site.

We have contacts of a few local taxi service providers, in case you require assistance please feel free to contact us anytime and we will help arrange pickup and drop for you. Also, the cost of dropping back to the private or government bus stand is the same as mentioned above. We do not charge any commission from either the taxi driver or the guest, so all matters regarding the commute to and from our site should be settled without our interference.

BY FLIGHT

There are flight connections from both Delhi and Chandigarh to Bhuntar(Kullu) airport.

It will take you around 2hrs from the airport to Glampeco. You can also take a bus to the Manali bus stand and then a cab from there, which will take around 45 mins – 1 hr(Manali to Hamta).

Around the site: We are located at the top of Hamta village overlooking the Kullu Valley. The closest shop to our site is Kalzang Dhabha where you can interact with a cute old local couple who have been staying in Hamta and running their very famous dhaba for decades. 

Sethan Village is the last village from where the 3-4 day trek to cross Hamta pass begins. The village is located at a distance of around 4 km from the site and is at a nice walkable distance to explore the area. The village has around 15/20 houses,  3 local Dhabas, 3 stupas, a small Buddhist Gompa, water reservoirs for dam and is famous for being the first “Igloo Village of India”. It is also a preferred destination for Skiiers and Snowboarders during the winter days.

There are many other day hikes that can be taken from around our place.

If you are planning a trip to the mountains, you must know that no information and planning is good enough. The weather in the mountains can be unpredictable, and so can the road conditions. However, whatever time of the year you choose to come, be rest assured of a different and surreal experience of the place.

SPRING(March-April) The cold winter months and snow has just passed by and the weather still remains a bit cold. The mountains around will still largely be snow-capped and if you are lucky you may even experience some light snow showers.

The trees are now laden with flowers and the snow-soaked land starts revealing itself in different hues of green. 

Perfect time for flower lovers and people preferring a less cold climate but still wanting to experience snow caps around.

Things to carry: 

Thick Jacket, Wollens, Warm socks, Sunscreen, good walking shoes preferably waterproof, headlamp or torch

Things to do:

-Walk up to Sethan village and get to know the locals and culture

-Visit Panduropa(small water body with mythological reference) and Dam reservoir area

-Forest walks and lookout too gather the famous and extremely rare Morel Mushrooms

-If the snow is not too deep or if you are comfortable walking in the snow, you can take small day hikes from Sethan or visit the nearby waterfall.

-Enjoy and chill the whole day at GlampEco and soak in the amazing vistas of snow-capped peaks and green valley

-Pick up a book from our common area or choose any of the games to play with your travel companion.

SUMMER(May-June) Enjoy the nice breezy mountain weather – a perfect escape from the city heat. Also, a time when the flowers fall off the trees to make way for seasonal fruits. You can take a walk in our orchards and just find a spot anywhere under the trees for that afternoon siesta. 

June end may bring in some light rain showers as well.

Things to carry:

Light jacket, a layer of fleece, full-sleeved t-shirt, high SPF sunblock, Sunglasses, sun cap, Good walking shoes, Umbrella, headlamp, or torch

Things to do:

-Walk up to Sethan village and get to know the locals and culture

-Visit Panduropa(small water body with mythological reference) and Dam reservoir area

-Walk into the forest and take a dip in glacial stream water

-Day hike to numerous trails around GlampEco

-Zipline along the Hamta valley

-Go for Hamta pass Trek

-Enjoy and chill the whole day at GlampEco and soak in the amazing vistas of Hamta valley 

-Pick up a book from our common area or choose any of the games to play with your travel companion.

MONSOONS(July-August)

This is the time when the mountains come alive in all their beauty and colors amidst the heavy rainfall that the area experiences. See trees laden with apples, and the entire valley turning lush green. The roads are a little slippery so one needs to be careful while walking or driving around.

This is the time when most of the artists throng to mountains to capture the beauty in words, photographs, or paintings.

Things to carry:

Light jacket, waterproof shoes, Raincoat/Poncho, Umbrella, Extra socks, headlamp, or torch

Things to do:

-Walk up to Sethan village and get to know the locals and culture (Weather permitting)

-Visit Panduropa(small water body with mythological reference) and Dam reservoir area (weather permitting)

-Enjoy and chill the whole day at GlampEco and soak in the amazing vistas of lush green Hamta valley as the raindrops form an absolutely artistic and romantic backdrop

-Pick up a book from our common area or choose any of the games to play with your travel companion.

AUTUMN(September-November) The most ideal months for advanced trekking, bouldering, and making the most of the outdoors. The mountains now start turning brown from green and the weather starts getting a bit colder than the previous months.

November may also bring some light snow showers and the weather may drop down drastically.

Things to carry:

Heavy jackets, woolens, thermals, woolen socks, gloves, caps, headlamp or torch, good walking shoes

Things to do:

-Hamta pass Trek

-Long day hikes to Sethan Dome, Chikka Waterfall, Lamadugh, local waterfall hike

-Leisurely forest walks 

-Zipline across Hamta valley

-Leisure walks till Sethan village, Panduropa, dam reservoir area (weather permitting)

-Enjoy and chill the whole day at GlampEco and soak in the clear valley views around

-Stargaze through a clear night sky

-Pick up a book from our common area or choose any of the games to play with your travel companion.

WINTERS(December-February) Witness the valley slowly turning white, the entire view becoming unimaginably beautiful with sunsets glowing through the white mistiness around. These are the Ideal months for tonnes of SNOW, and winter sports, and fun activities.

The weather is biting cold and only the really motivated ones should visit Hamta in these months.

Things to carry:

Extreme winter wear that includes minus degrees jackets, woolens, fleece, warm socks(including some extra pairs), thermals, double gloves(wollen+waterproof for snow), woolen cap, fleece-lined trousers, waterproof shoes(preferably ankle length with good grip for snow), headlamp or torch, hot water bag(preferred)

Things to do:

-Snow hiking to numerous trails around

-Visit Igloo village Sethan and gain first-hand experience of real live snow Igloos

-Snow tubing and other fun activities in the snow

-Basic or advanced skiing and snowboarding as per your skills and preference

-Watch snowfall from the coziness of your Domes, Common area, or Glass Cafe and experience the magic of white valley and forests

-Tuck in into a warm corner and slide into the world of books or games while you enjoy the warmth of wood stoves in common areas

Due to the remoteness of our place, we certainly encourage people to book a three-day stay with us at the least. This gives you time to soak in both the beauty of the property as well as the places around.

If you are someone who misses the city buzz a bit too early then three days is a good enough time to stay, however, if you love spending time in nature then an extended stay will give you ample opportunity to immerse into the unexplored beauty of Hamta and Sethan village and the numerous trails around.

GlampEco is also an excellent place for people wishing to work from the mountains as we have two high-speed broadband connections with power backup, and ample space to create a workstation of your own, light homely meals that are easy on the stomach, and friendly dogs to keep you company.

Once you are here and well adjusted to the surroundings we can plan a range of activities together. You can explore the nearby forest, walk to Sethan village, have food at the local dhabhas, or checkout Igloos in Sethan( Between December – March), or go for day hikes that can be organized as per your schedule. 

If you wish, we can arrange for Skiing and Snowboarding gear and lessons at an additional cost. Kindly inform us about this while booking so that we can arrange and plan accordingly. 

If the weather conditions are not the best outdoors you can try and make most of the cozy indoors. You might want to go through our collection of travel, self-help, philosophy, or fiction books.  We also have a good number of indoor games as well as an acoustic guitar.

One of the best activities in-house is gathering in the common areas and having endless conversations, jam sessions, or just exchanging travelogues and experiences.

We have four friendly local dogs at our site. Feel free to pet or play with them, but please do not feed them.

Kindly follow the policy of “Leave No Trace” while exploring the surroundings.

We have a well thought of fixed menu at GlampEco which is a mix of local, Indian, and Italian dishes. Usually, we send the menu before your arrival at the property mainly via Whatsapp so that you could order anything seamlessly and get your food on time.

We have two dining areas- The Mudhouse Common area, and The Glass Cafe.

Food can be served in both the Mudhouse Common area which is open only for in-house guests or at the Glass Cafe which is open for both in-house and outside guests.

The menu is different for in-house and outside guests. Please check with Staff before ordering your meals.

The Cafe timings are:

Breakfast: 09.00 a.m-11a.m

Lunch     :  01.00 p.m-02.30p.m

Dinner     : 08.00p.m-09.30 p.m

The last order for evening snacks will be taken only till 07.00p.m

Kitchen is closed from 03.00p.m-05.00p.m

Geodesic Domes: Equipped with electric blanket and heaters throughout the year along with an insulating layer of the tent for protection from tough weather conditions.

Private Mud Rooms: Equipped with electric blankets throughout the year. The mudrooms have natural insulation from weather conditions due to the thick stone and mud walls.

Dormitory: Equipped with electric blankets only in winters

When the weather gets extremely cold, we provide additional blankets, hot water bags on request.

Both, the common area and glass cafe, are equipped with wood stoves that are used in winters.

-Kasol is 87 km from GlampEco and it takes about 2.5-3 hours to reach there by private car.

-Tirthan is around 100 km from GlampEco and it takes around 3.5-4 hours to reach there by private car.

-Atal Tunnel is about 40 km from GlampEco and it takes about 1.5 hours to reach there by private car.

All of the durations mentioned above are for ideal weather and road conditions. The time vastly depends on these two and may vary on a day-to-day basis.

For the Atal tunnel, kindly check for daily timings as the movement via tunnel is halted twice daily for maintenance.

The closest shop/eatery to our site is Kalzang Dhabha where you can interact with a cute old local couple who have been staying in Hamta and running their very famous dhaba for decades. They serve Maggi, local dishes, eggs, local alcohol, smokes, and packaged snacks like chips, biscuits, etc. Apart from this, Sethan Village(25 minutes walk or 10 minutes drive) is where you can find some more shops and small eateries.

On good weather days, you can get your personal car right to the property entrance, however, during snow or excessive rains, only a four by four vehicle is allowed to enter the Hamta road. You can still get your vehicle to Manali and park it at the parking areas and then take a local cab up for Hamta.

We have some road space available for parking vehicles around our entrance gate which is also equipped with a CCTV camera.

We do not have our personal cabs, however, we have some excellent local contacts that provide cab services and these are trusted by us for commuting our guests to and around GlampEco.

Kindly note, we do not charge any fees or commission either from the cab guys or the guests for this assistance. All issues regarding the cab charges should be solved amicably between the driver and guests without our interference.

Since we have four adult dogs, they may not be very friendly to outside pets, which is why we avoid hosting pets at GlampEco at the moment.

We are located in a remote offbeat village of Hamta. The nearest medical facility or children’s store is about an hour away in Manali, which is why we do not host kids at the moment.

Also, we are still building up our infrastructure to make it safe enough for kids and older guests. Winters can be particularly harsh and in case heating becomes a problem, they can be at risk of falling sick.

We are the first Geodesic Dome site of India which is also our primary stay option.

There are seven Geodesic domes with attached baths and heating at GlampEco.

We also have a traditional Himachali mud house where we host guests on the first floor.

The floor consists of a dormitory that has five beds, two private rooms, and a common area with a wood stove.

The washrooms are common for the entire house.

The ground floor of the house consists of Kitchen and staff living areas. There are separate toilets and bathrooms for staff.

The tariffs at GlampEco are dynamic. We have variable pricing depending on the time of the year. 

The tariff is also more during snow months due to additional heating arrangements at all places. Please check our website for rates and availability.