Zostel @ Bir | Hotel review

Cool, clean, nice ambience, economic, hygiene and comfort are what define the place. It has beautiful half open and half covered terrace to enjoy the winds as well as shade. You can sit and enjoy the juggling of paragliders up in the sky.

There is a big central hall, with something for everyone. Board games, books, bean couches, sofas and LCD. You can relax and watch TV, socialize with others over games or simply enjoy the serene environment. Else, can connect to wi-fi and browse through internet. The wall art gives place a real cool look.

The most impressive part is that they don’t allow shoes inside the zostel, hence all dirt and dust is restricted outside. Inside it is very clean as a result. Other common rules are alcohol consumption is not allowed, no smoking inside the rooms, Keep noise under check post 11. Though there are no latches in the room, but there are big lockers for the safe custody of your valuables. Lockers are big enough to accommodate your luggage. Due care is taken to maintain privacy of each bed in dorm as well. Each cot has charging point and a flexi light if you want to read in bed without disturbing others.

Support staff at Zostel is humble, one may not like the rural accent of the locals and may mistake them as rude. Also they may make arrangement for hire of bicycle or scooty at hostel itself, may introduce you to the vendor. Usually the vendor is sitting at the reception area only. And all this is not too pricey, it all comes for a very nominal costs. Though they have a kitchen, but food is sad and bad. There are lot of small and good eateries nearby to savour. Better to explore the local eating joints.

We usually look for a safe, clean and comfortable place when outside home and zostel offers it all for an easy on pocket price. You will be disappointed if you look forward to a luxurious hotel stay.

Hotel Review | Café Garden, Bir

You are on a vacation want to eat something good, simple, have all the time in the world to savour a quick bite, then garden Café is the place. A must eat place if you are in Bir, Himanchal Pradesh. The eatery is well developed in a bungalow. 


You can sit in the garden, as well as inside till the time you want to. Everybody is at ease, the guests as well as the hosts. If you are in a hurry, want to grab something and move on then you have entered the wrong place. It is a very beautiful, warm and cosy home away from home. Books of all genres are stacked in shelves to delight over coffee.

There is an open kitchen on the right at the entrance. You can place your order by writing it over a chit of paper. The paper slip is hanged in the queue at eye level of the aunty preparing the dish. The orders served to you are ticked and at the end when you are done with the eating it is used to calculate the bill. 

Serving size is big. One dish for a hungry individual is enough. We ordered chicken sandwich, chicken wrap, Veg wrap, Cold coffee, mango shake, Banana shake, cheese omelette, butter toast, chocolate shake and banana chocolate shake. The best part is food is simple, tasty and authentic, prepared with love at a slow pace with no aim to match any standards, same as we cook at our homes. Each order is exclusively cooked only for you. We ordered two mango shakes with time difference of 5 minutes, both had a different yellow colour and taste, but both were great. This also happens at home with us, isn’t it? Cheese omelette with butter toast is heaven. The amount of butter in toast can also silent a butter boasting Punjabi.

No hurry, cool and calm place to savour quick bites slowly.

Where it is? GPS coordinates are {32.033698, 76.718725}
Address: Paragliding Landing Site Rd, Chaugan, Himachal Pradesh 175032

Happy Eating… :)