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... to us first thing in the morning along with wood to warm our room all the way into the night. My friend and I felt like we...
... a misnomer. Built of 1st class materials, the Super Deluxe room we had was generous with space, modern and very comfortable....
... with a wooden heating oven. There was no indoor dinning room, so we were obligated to eat outside in the cold all the...
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Write a reviewIn my whole month in India, this magical retreat sanctuary was my very favorite part of the whole journey which was great to begin with.
One can feel the love in every inch of the property and we were blessed with the most wonderful host Pandajit, who cooked for us the most divine cuisine, brought special tea to us first thing in the morning along with wood to warm our room all the way into the night. My friend and I felt like we were Goddesses in Paradise.
Of course, being so close to Babaji's cave and being guided there and able to sit/meditate by myself for an hour and half in my short visit was the icing on the cake for me.
Piyush has created a magnificent home away from home for all of us who seek to connect with the majestic nature of the Himalayas and the Spirit of Babaji and all who came in his contact.
Duganiri temple near by was also a very magical experience. I honestly can hardly wait to return again and again for years to come. A true Gem :))) Anna Krajec, Laguna Beach, CA.
One can feel the love in every inch of the property and we were blessed with the most wonderful host Pandajit, who cooked for us the most divine cuisine, brought special tea to us first thing in the morning along with wood to warm our room all the way into the night. My friend and I felt like we were Goddesses in Paradise.
Of course, being so close to Babaji's cave and being guided there and able to sit/meditate by myself for an hour and half in my short visit was the icing on the cake for me.
Piyush has created a magnificent home away from home for all of us who seek to connect with the majestic nature of the Himalayas and the Spirit of Babaji and all who came in his contact.
Duganiri temple near by was also a very magical experience. I honestly can hardly wait to return again and again for years to come. A true Gem :))) Anna Krajec, Laguna Beach, CA.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Earlier this year, while surfing the Internet, I came across a blog on Babaji's cave. Yes, the Babaji as told in the famous classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. I never knew this caved existed. Although I am not a member of the Self-Realization Fellowship nor subscribe to their practices, I had a strong calling to visit the Cave. And so I went.
One of the problems when visiting these remote Himalayan hill destinations is finding decent accommodation. Babaji's cave is located in a remote Dunagiri village in the hills! It is not on the tourist route nor the mainstream pilgrim's circuit. It's just a simple cave and not a temple.
Anyway further in the same blog's postings, I was very glad to come across Dunagiri Retreat. I contacted Piyush, the owner of the newly built retreat, After finding out that he had put his heart and soul into creating such a 1st class facility in Dunagiri, I planned a weeks' sojourn in the Kumaon Himalayas starting with Patal Bhuvaneshwar and finishing off at Dunagiri. It was my 1st visit to Kumaon. Piyush was very helpful in helping me plan the trip.
When we got to Dunagiri Retreat, all we could say was Wow! Everything is great--- the service, the simple countryside food, the fresh air, the "deafening" silence of the whole remote area, the surrounding countryside, the friendly and wonderful villages, the walks, treks, scenery....they all make up soothing balm for the urban souls. You can hardly find anyone walking along the hill road, and once in a long while, a car or jeep passes by. It's Nature everywhere, the songs of the wind, the birds, insects and wow.... the deep silence that envelopes the whole hill. One of the things that struck me on the way there was the song of the forests...when the winds blow, the rustling of the leaves sound like the gentle waves of the river.
Actually staying in Dunagiri Retreat is more like staying in a dear friend's house. To me the word Retreat is a bit of a misnomer. Built of 1st class materials, the Super Deluxe room we had was generous with space, modern and very comfortable. The furnishings and furniture is spartan but very tastefully done. We simply loved the bathrooms. (You can find all the photos in their website)
We had a wonderful and very comfortable stay there.
However do take note of the following:
- this place is not suitable for everyone.
- if you are not very mobile, ask for the ground floor rooms at the main house. some of the rooms are away from the main house and you need to walk up a sloping path. the path is not paved and during the rainy season, could be a bit challenging.
- this sort of retreat is only suitable for those who truly appreciate Nature and you enjoy peace, quiet and tranquility. If you are not comfortable in your own skin and need external activities, this place is NOT for you. You will be bored to death.
- apart from the huge bed rooms which are practically suites, at the moment , there are no common areas for a proper dining room, living room, games room, meditation room.
There is an extended balcony for dining etc and also an outdoor tent but that's about all the covered common areas. The construction for sheltered common areas is still an on-going exercise. And construction in the hill areas is a real challenge.The fact that Piyush managed to build such a wonderful place is a feat in itself.
If you are planning a trip to Kumaon especially if near Raniket, do not miss out visiting this wonderful place....Uncle Piyush's house as I would call it....
On another note, our trek to Babaji's cave and the meditation experience there was truly a spiritual adventure..... something experiences are hard to verbalize and definitely money could not buy.....well, that's another story.
Thanks Piyush. Great Job and All the Best
angie
malaysia
One of the problems when visiting these remote Himalayan hill destinations is finding decent accommodation. Babaji's cave is located in a remote Dunagiri village in the hills! It is not on the tourist route nor the mainstream pilgrim's circuit. It's just a simple cave and not a temple.
Anyway further in the same blog's postings, I was very glad to come across Dunagiri Retreat. I contacted Piyush, the owner of the newly built retreat, After finding out that he had put his heart and soul into creating such a 1st class facility in Dunagiri, I planned a weeks' sojourn in the Kumaon Himalayas starting with Patal Bhuvaneshwar and finishing off at Dunagiri. It was my 1st visit to Kumaon. Piyush was very helpful in helping me plan the trip.
When we got to Dunagiri Retreat, all we could say was Wow! Everything is great--- the service, the simple countryside food, the fresh air, the "deafening" silence of the whole remote area, the surrounding countryside, the friendly and wonderful villages, the walks, treks, scenery....they all make up soothing balm for the urban souls. You can hardly find anyone walking along the hill road, and once in a long while, a car or jeep passes by. It's Nature everywhere, the songs of the wind, the birds, insects and wow.... the deep silence that envelopes the whole hill. One of the things that struck me on the way there was the song of the forests...when the winds blow, the rustling of the leaves sound like the gentle waves of the river.
Actually staying in Dunagiri Retreat is more like staying in a dear friend's house. To me the word Retreat is a bit of a misnomer. Built of 1st class materials, the Super Deluxe room we had was generous with space, modern and very comfortable. The furnishings and furniture is spartan but very tastefully done. We simply loved the bathrooms. (You can find all the photos in their website)
We had a wonderful and very comfortable stay there.
However do take note of the following:
- this place is not suitable for everyone.
- if you are not very mobile, ask for the ground floor rooms at the main house. some of the rooms are away from the main house and you need to walk up a sloping path. the path is not paved and during the rainy season, could be a bit challenging.
- this sort of retreat is only suitable for those who truly appreciate Nature and you enjoy peace, quiet and tranquility. If you are not comfortable in your own skin and need external activities, this place is NOT for you. You will be bored to death.
- apart from the huge bed rooms which are practically suites, at the moment , there are no common areas for a proper dining room, living room, games room, meditation room.
There is an extended balcony for dining etc and also an outdoor tent but that's about all the covered common areas. The construction for sheltered common areas is still an on-going exercise. And construction in the hill areas is a real challenge.The fact that Piyush managed to build such a wonderful place is a feat in itself.
If you are planning a trip to Kumaon especially if near Raniket, do not miss out visiting this wonderful place....Uncle Piyush's house as I would call it....
On another note, our trek to Babaji's cave and the meditation experience there was truly a spiritual adventure..... something experiences are hard to verbalize and definitely money could not buy.....well, that's another story.
Thanks Piyush. Great Job and All the Best
angie
malaysia
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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We went there for 10 days with a group of 29 in mid-April. They absolutely were not ready for such a large group. Most of the cabin didn't have electricity or running water for several days. When in India, a working toilet is kind of mandatory as people get sick easily. And buckets of warm water had to be asked each time to take a shower. It was cold and rainy for that time of the year and we had to wait several days before getting heating devices in each rooms and the owner wanted to make us pay extra for wood for the rooms with a wooden heating oven. There was no indoor dinning room, so we were obligated to eat outside in the cold all the time. The owner showed aggressivity several times. We had to do yoga in the smoke of their garbage burning fire. At that height oxygen is already more rare, so it was not pleasant to have to do yoga in that smoke.
Positive side: They greeted us with a warm ceremony, the food was excellent all the time, the site is well located in the mountains.
Unfortunately, the good didn't outweigh the bad.
Positive side: They greeted us with a warm ceremony, the food was excellent all the time, the site is well located in the mountains.
Unfortunately, the good didn't outweigh the bad.
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Room Tip: Rooms in the main buildings were the only ones ok. Don't let the owner arrange train tickets...
Value
Rooms
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
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Response from Infinite_Spaces, Owner at Dunagiri Retreat
Responded 13 Oct 2014
Dear “Yoga Retreat Group”, Thank you for giving us this opportunity to clarify certain matters related to your visit here. Please recollect we had welcomed your group wholeheartedly, we had gone out of our way to be of service to you, but unfortunately you choose to remain ignorant and ungrateful. Please be honest enough to admit to yourself that you were woefully unprepared upon arrival and unmindful of your surroundings during your stay. We were forced by you to heat your rooms because you did not carry appropriate clothing for visiting us. Charges for burning a precious natural resource such as wood for heating of rooms are clearly mentioned on our website but your group had neither the decency nor the heart to pay these charges, even while demanding unnecessary heating of rooms in the middle of Spring season. Somehow you insisted your lack of clothing was our burden. You claim to be surprised to have found there to be no 24x7 running hot water and no indoor dining hall. This should have been well known to your group and your group leader who had visited us a year before, and took specific and detailed notes of our facilities. We still have her compliments in our guest book from that visit! Our facilities did not get downgraded from the time of that visit till the arrival of your group; they had only improved! Please understand neither did we remove 24x7 hot running water nor did we make the indoor dining hall disappear! We were surprised to find you not carrying any warm clothing at all, as if you were expecting to go to a beach in summertime – so much so the poor villagers of this area had to lend you their clothing so you could keep warm. It may have come as a surprise to your group that Himalayas tend to get cold when it rains no matter what the season; however please know everyone else who has ever visited us has known this without us telling them. Your ignorance does not automatically become our fault. It came as a surprise to us that upon arrival your group declared its purpose of visiting us was to “shift the energies of Mahavatar Babaji’s cave to our pyramid meditation hall”! Please understand this was not the stated purpose of your yoga retreat; please also know this is not yoga or spiritual advancement but a delusional state of mind. It is unfortunate that people take practice of yoga to be merely contortions of body and change of breathing patterns while remaining unmindful of the need to practice the very fundamental tenets of yoga in their daily life. These are the practices of Ahimsa - non-violence; Satya – benevolent truth; Asteya – non-stealing; Brahmacharya – spiritual advancements by education and Aparigrapha – non-appropriation.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Imagine you have a friend who has a bungalow somewhere in Kumaon region. The place is full of stories from Sat, Treta and Dwapar yuga. You have stories from Hanuman, Ashrams of Shuka and Garg muni, a 'gupt' vaishnav shakti peeth - the only one other than Vaishno devi at Jammu, you have a cave where Pandavas were supposed to have lived and deceived Duryodhana's spies, you have Bababji's cave - the same babaji who lived no one knows how many centuries, the who initated Lahiri Mahashay and whose description can be found in Chapter 34 of Swami Yoganand's book "Yogi Kathamrit" or "Autobiography of a Yogi". You can also meet an extra-ordinary living person - Bhatkoti baba - who is believed to have lived in a cave here only on leaves for 10-12 years.
So much about the place, but what about the retreat ? It is owned and managed by Piyush who does not think he acquired the property, but the property acquired him. And one can see why. With lush green valleys, snow capped peaks in a distance ( in early April) and complete solitude....
Your friend's bungalow will be as houses are. A couple of people who take take of the bungalow, greet you warmly, serve you home made food, local delicacies and show tremendous warmth and hospitality. You do not go there thinking of a mass market hotel or a room service menu. You eat and drink what is lovingly prepared. Then there is book shelf - books ranging from history of the place to Kriya yoga to and then not to forget omni present chetan bhagat and Linda Goodman !! The place where there is no TV, and internet is down as well. Yes, it is that kind of place and once you have decided you want to visit such a kind of place, chances that things will go wrong are negligible.
Piyush is passionate about what he is doing there. It is a nice cozy place , minimalist but comfortable - providing you with all things you will need but nothing that will pamper you. I will not bore you with details - other reviewers have lovingly described it and I have nothing more to add.
I travelled with my wife for one night on my birthday - just wanted it to be different from the typical receive-gifts-you-do-not-want-and -then-go-out-for-dinner kind of routine - something that starts boring you as you cross forties or approach fifties. I must say I was very pleased.
Achars and Chutneys were very fresh ( ever heard for bhang-ke-beej ki chutney ? (non-intoxicating of course), yoghurt - completely natural - made from milk obtained from desi cows who feed on organic plants and leaves. Local vegetables. Think of home away from home.
Piyush and Kathy will organize cabs for you, give you tips on what to visit and will help you plan your outings. Everybody in the village knows PK. He is passionate about "sustainability". And you can have intelligent discussions with him.
Overall - a very good different experience.
So why just four stars and not more ?
Well a couple of things. It is not just about the retreat itself but also about your 'journey' to the retreat. When I wanted to book this place, there was no website I could find. I could not find Piyush's contact details ? Exasperated, I wrote an email to Dunagiri foundation who promptly gave me Piyush's number. He took on an average two days to respond when you would expect same day response. Once there I did realize the reasons. Website had been down for over two months ( it still is at the time of writing the review). The cab he arranged arrived on time to pick us up at Kathgodam - and the driver was a very sweet natured one - but no seatbelts ! Piyush would do well to train the locals about the importance of belts on hilly terrain. These two things have knocked off one star from the review.
A huge round of applause should go to the 'family members' - Jeevan, Himmat, Pantji etc.
Also to Indar - who not only rode us around but accompanies us to Babaji's cave as well.
Keep up the good job Piysuh and Kathy. I do plan to visit next time and hope there wont be anything that compels me to give less than five stars.
So much about the place, but what about the retreat ? It is owned and managed by Piyush who does not think he acquired the property, but the property acquired him. And one can see why. With lush green valleys, snow capped peaks in a distance ( in early April) and complete solitude....
Your friend's bungalow will be as houses are. A couple of people who take take of the bungalow, greet you warmly, serve you home made food, local delicacies and show tremendous warmth and hospitality. You do not go there thinking of a mass market hotel or a room service menu. You eat and drink what is lovingly prepared. Then there is book shelf - books ranging from history of the place to Kriya yoga to and then not to forget omni present chetan bhagat and Linda Goodman !! The place where there is no TV, and internet is down as well. Yes, it is that kind of place and once you have decided you want to visit such a kind of place, chances that things will go wrong are negligible.
Piyush is passionate about what he is doing there. It is a nice cozy place , minimalist but comfortable - providing you with all things you will need but nothing that will pamper you. I will not bore you with details - other reviewers have lovingly described it and I have nothing more to add.
I travelled with my wife for one night on my birthday - just wanted it to be different from the typical receive-gifts-you-do-not-want-and -then-go-out-for-dinner kind of routine - something that starts boring you as you cross forties or approach fifties. I must say I was very pleased.
Achars and Chutneys were very fresh ( ever heard for bhang-ke-beej ki chutney ? (non-intoxicating of course), yoghurt - completely natural - made from milk obtained from desi cows who feed on organic plants and leaves. Local vegetables. Think of home away from home.
Piyush and Kathy will organize cabs for you, give you tips on what to visit and will help you plan your outings. Everybody in the village knows PK. He is passionate about "sustainability". And you can have intelligent discussions with him.
Overall - a very good different experience.
So why just four stars and not more ?
Well a couple of things. It is not just about the retreat itself but also about your 'journey' to the retreat. When I wanted to book this place, there was no website I could find. I could not find Piyush's contact details ? Exasperated, I wrote an email to Dunagiri foundation who promptly gave me Piyush's number. He took on an average two days to respond when you would expect same day response. Once there I did realize the reasons. Website had been down for over two months ( it still is at the time of writing the review). The cab he arranged arrived on time to pick us up at Kathgodam - and the driver was a very sweet natured one - but no seatbelts ! Piyush would do well to train the locals about the importance of belts on hilly terrain. These two things have knocked off one star from the review.
A huge round of applause should go to the 'family members' - Jeevan, Himmat, Pantji etc.
Also to Indar - who not only rode us around but accompanies us to Babaji's cave as well.
Keep up the good job Piysuh and Kathy. I do plan to visit next time and hope there wont be anything that compels me to give less than five stars.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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When I started searching for places where I could get away from the hectic city life for at least 3 weeks with my family, I looked at tons of options that are available these days. Wrote to many people, spoke to tons of them but everywhere I was disappointed because it seemed that everyone was only interested in the money but not in who I was or what I was looking for. A friend directed me to www.dunagiri.com. The first look at the website gave a positive feeling and I wrote to the name mentioned in the website, PIyush. I received a prompt reply from him and soon we realized that he lived in Delhi too. We met up a few times, spoke for hours about what my expectations were. Being musicians, both my wife and me were looking for something deeper than just a beautiful place. We also wanted our 7yr old son to understand village life in India, integrate with the local people there and basically, have a good time. On 2nd June, we drove down to Dunagiri escaping the heat and dust of Delhi to be welcomed by nature at its best.
Mr.Piyush Kumar reached there a few hours later and honestly, the next 3 weeks there was just heavenly. People who visit such places should not expect 5-star conveniences like TV, Wifi or room service but the beauty of this place is the coming together of stories from the Hindu mythology, spiritual energy, simple and beautiful people around and their love, their rustic lives and of course, the temples on top of the mountains. Mr. Piyush Kumar also runs a sort of the school on the premises where the village children are taught English language for an hour every day. On any given day, there are about 30-40 kids who are benefited by this school ( totally non-intrusive for people who are looking for silence and solitude). The very first day we were there, we were taken in by these boys and girls and the villagers as being a part of their own homes. After that, there would be at least 20 children playing cricket with my son and another 20 girls and boys with my wife learning how to sing or draw or paint. The last evening of our stay, we had a small party of toffees, biscuits and chips for the the whole gang and the look in their eyes is something that we shall cherish always.
Our treks to visit the nearby Babaji's caves and the Ashram on top of Pandukholi were indeed a memorable ones. The energy we felt in both these places cannot be explained. Surely each person has his/her own feeling but one should go to such places as a "seeker" and surely, you can get everything and more here.
A few words about the staff:--Yes--there are minor problems sometimes but is there any place on this planet where is is absolutely no problem? Just because one goes there with more money than the villagers does not mean that we have to lord over them. Every single person who we encountered there had only love for us and this love, no money can buy it. Be it the beautiful young boy, Manoj or the cook or the helpers, Kailashgiri and Pramod, each person went out of their way to make us comfortable.
Lastly about the owner, Mr. Piyush Kumar. This retreat was his calling and he has managed to create heaven on earth. A lovely human being and wonderful person to have a deep conversation with.
As I said, go to this place as a seeker. 21 days of heaven and our trip back to Delhi brought us back to the real world, leaving behind tons of great memories, wonderful friendships and a deep desire to go back again and again.
Mr.Piyush Kumar reached there a few hours later and honestly, the next 3 weeks there was just heavenly. People who visit such places should not expect 5-star conveniences like TV, Wifi or room service but the beauty of this place is the coming together of stories from the Hindu mythology, spiritual energy, simple and beautiful people around and their love, their rustic lives and of course, the temples on top of the mountains. Mr. Piyush Kumar also runs a sort of the school on the premises where the village children are taught English language for an hour every day. On any given day, there are about 30-40 kids who are benefited by this school ( totally non-intrusive for people who are looking for silence and solitude). The very first day we were there, we were taken in by these boys and girls and the villagers as being a part of their own homes. After that, there would be at least 20 children playing cricket with my son and another 20 girls and boys with my wife learning how to sing or draw or paint. The last evening of our stay, we had a small party of toffees, biscuits and chips for the the whole gang and the look in their eyes is something that we shall cherish always.
Our treks to visit the nearby Babaji's caves and the Ashram on top of Pandukholi were indeed a memorable ones. The energy we felt in both these places cannot be explained. Surely each person has his/her own feeling but one should go to such places as a "seeker" and surely, you can get everything and more here.
A few words about the staff:--Yes--there are minor problems sometimes but is there any place on this planet where is is absolutely no problem? Just because one goes there with more money than the villagers does not mean that we have to lord over them. Every single person who we encountered there had only love for us and this love, no money can buy it. Be it the beautiful young boy, Manoj or the cook or the helpers, Kailashgiri and Pramod, each person went out of their way to make us comfortable.
Lastly about the owner, Mr. Piyush Kumar. This retreat was his calling and he has managed to create heaven on earth. A lovely human being and wonderful person to have a deep conversation with.
As I said, go to this place as a seeker. 21 days of heaven and our trip back to Delhi brought us back to the real world, leaving behind tons of great memories, wonderful friendships and a deep desire to go back again and again.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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