Riverside Homestay in the Himalayas (Matli Village)

Stephen's place in Matli is a large house with spacious and airy rooms. These include two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a hall, and a large playroom, which can be converted into a bedroom for bookings with over 4 guests. The place is a 3 minute walk from the main road, somewhat separated from the village hub, overlooking rice fields which lead to the river. It's ideal for a family getaway, a group of friends on an adventure, or even a small team looking for a retreat.

The first bedroom has a large attached bathroom, a double bed with storage space which can be used to store away suitcases and back packs after they are unpacked. The mattresses are soft and thick, ideal to snuggle into. The clothes cupboard has three shelves for folded clothes and ample space for hanging as well. It also functions well as a dressing table. One has an option of either soft yellow or white over head lighting, alongside a mosaic lamp for a softer glow in the nights. This is the cooler of the two rooms during the summer, as it's window opens away from the river, missing the afternoon and evening sun. For the cold winter months, there is a revolving heat pillar, keeping it warm and cosy.

The second bedroom has a few differences to the first. It's the naturally warmer of the two rooms during winter, as it catches more of the daytime sun. The double bed doesn't have attached luggage space, as a long ledge (above head height) is built into the room to store away additional luggage. The clothes cupboard is the same as the first room's, and the bathroom is unattached, lying just outside the room. This bathroom holds a fully automatic washing machine, and the commode is Indian style. Like the first room, lighting options include soft yellow, white, and a mosaic lamp. Both rooms come with a laundry bag for unwashed clothes, a ceiling fan, a heat pillar and a padlock for the door.

The kitchen is spacious and well equipped, ideal for longer stays. An easy to clean, glass surface three burner stove, refrigerator, and water filter are among the standard utilities. Additionally there is a 52ltr OTG oven with all baking utilities, a mixer/grinder/blender, and a French press for the "coffeeholic" in you! Upon your arrival, the refrigerator will have a fresh bowl of fruit and a 2 cartons of milk. This is useful, for guests who check in late night, and who prefer their coffee, first thing in the morning, as it saves non-morning people the hassle of groggily stumbling towards a shop. The kitchen cupboards have a variety of vessels for cooking, and a spectrum of jars, ranging from large to small, perfect for storing staples likes rice and flour, all the way to that unfinished snack which you want to store away for a later attack! Unlimited filer coffee (varieties of Colombian Espresso Brew) are a part of the kitchen package.

Going with the design of the house, the hall is spacious, designed and decorated simply, to maintain a minimalist, clutter free space. A low coffee table, works well to sit around and chat and also as a work station and dining table. A large low sofa couch and two bean bags surround the coffee table. More bean bags from the play room can be bought in around the coffee table, depending on the size of the group. Like the bedrooms, the lighting includes options for yellow, white, and soft yellow lighting. Two long and low benches, function also as space to store books, laptops, footwear (if you wish to) and other small paraphernalia. A tiny curtained off room holds an iron and ironing board, and works well for an additional storage space.

The play room, is the largest and sunniest of all the rooms in the house. It's ideal for a family with children, as it contains books, toys of all sorts, games, and aside from the keyboard, the host enjoys sharing from his private collection of musical instruments if you should so require. As you'll read further down, he's a music therapist, and this includes a private collection of over 200 musical instruments. The room has a large rug in the centre, and three bean bags in it. Additionally, for groups of over 4 people, soft and snug floor mattresses (a maximum of 3) with bedding and blankets can be added to this room, alongside a room heater for the winter months. The lighting options are the same as the other rooms, alongside this room having both its own private entrance alongside a second entrance to the main house.

Additional spaces include a large porch, a garden, and a gi-normous terrace with 360 degree views of the surrounding valley and mountains, which is ideal to drag a few bean bags and sit out on at night and stargaze, from late spring to early Autumn (mid-April to mid-October). Wouldn't highly recommend this during the colder months though (especially late December to mid-March), unless of course you have an already impressive immunity towards cold weather!