Finding Kasol over-crowded but wish to stay in vicinity ? Smile please, Because I have a good alternative for you

Choj, a beautiful yet small village in the neighborhood of kasol in the state of Himachal Pradesh, has it’s own rituals and customs followed by the locals there. In my vision, this village tops in the list of places to stay near kasol, because of its view and stay options. Katagla is another option if you want to adhere to the river (Check out my Blog on Katagla here).

Out of many, the most superior advantage about choj is – no vehicular population at all. It is due to the fact that – one has to cross the mighty Parvati river in order to reach this village. No, you don’t have to swim across. There is a small hanging bridge on which you can only walk and reach choj.

How to reach Choj

You can take a bus from Delhi to Kasol OR Manali to Kasol OR from ‘wherever you are’ to Kasol. If you don’t find a direct bus to kasol, go till Bhuntar and board a bus to Kasol/Manikaran/Bershaini. Also, you always have an option of Self-Drive. Roads in this side of Himachal won’t give you any jerks.

Choj is located at an approximate distance of 1 kms from Kasol, towards Manikaran. So after walking around 1 kms from kasol, you will see some cars and motorbikes parked on the road. Look for a River bridge on your left hand side, crossing which leads you to this beautiful village called Choj. The actual settlement is at a little ascend, so you have to clamber up a little in order to reach there.

Where to stay while in Choj

There are 3 options for stay in choj –

1. There are adequate number of home stays and guest houses in Choj. But, all of them won’t give you a satisfactory stay. Head directly to Flip Syde Cafe to feel the real vibes of staying at Parvati Valley. With pretty descent rooms, very crafty cafe,trippy wall paintings, mouth-watering, appetizing, very tasty food and a friendly german shepherd:Rajje – this cafe is run by two guys by the name of Robin and Mandeep. Follow the painted signs on rocks to reach FlipSyde Cafe.
2. There are a very few hostels also in Choj. For example- Nomads.
3. You will also find a lot of camps/tents as soon as you cross the river bridge. But again, not       a suggestible from my side as it is crowded at that place where camping is done.
4. To my surprise on my recent visit to Choj, there are 2 recently established Oyo Hotels.

What to do while in Choj

1. Trek to Grahan.
2. Trek to a different village – Gaur.
3. A small hike to a beautiful waterfall.
4. A small hike to the Big Rock near Water tank from where you can check out the aerial (almost) view of the Village.
5. You can take a stroll to kasol , check out the cafes there.