Peaceful, quiet, and just secluded enough. All with a view.

DugDug is a small collection of stays in the Indian hills: a cottage or a campsite at a time, each built and run with the village around it. The first is DugDug Bhimtal, three tents on a ridge above Bhimtal in Uttarakhand.

Dug dug (डुग डुग) is the sound a motorcycle makes on a mountain road: the sound of getting there. DugDug began on a ride across India, and it’s for anyone who makes the journey, however they come.

On a ridge above Jangalia Gaon, off Chota Kailash Road, near Bhimtal in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, about 4,500 feet up. Bhimtal Lake is 10 km away (about 25 minutes), Kathgodam station 40 km (about an hour and a half), and Delhi 295 km (about seven hours by road).

By road from Delhi, about seven hours. Take the road through Bhimtal, not the hairpins; the last few kilometres are slow and rough but fine in a normal car, driven slowly. By train, go to Kathgodam and take a taxi for the last hour and a half; there’s no public transport to the gate. The nearest airport is Pantnagar, about two and a half hours by taxi. Ask us and we’ll put you in touch with a driver we trust. We send a pin and a clip of the final turn when you book.

Yes. There are three tents, past the last house in the village. You hear birds, wind in the pines and sometimes the village; not traffic or music. After 10pm the ridge goes quiet. It isn’t the place for nightlife, a pool or a packed itinerary; if you want a party, we’ll happily point you to one by the lake.

There’s Wi-Fi at the camp, with power backup. It’s hill Wi-Fi, honestly described: ask and we’ll send today’s speed test before you book. Mobile signal depends on your network, so tell us yours and we’ll tell you how it does on the ridge.

Canvas on solid wood-finish floors, never a groundsheet. The Swiss Glamps have a double bed, a desk and an attached bathroom; the Bell Tent has deep floor mattresses and a private bathroom a few lit steps away. Every tent has hot water, towels, fresh linen, a heater, an electric kettle with tea and coffee, a wardrobe and power backup. Nights get cold in winter, so there are extra blankets too.

Our kitchen cooks pahadi home food, made fresh, with much of it grown in the village. Breakfast is ₹350 a head, a day; dinner is on request. Tell us about any dietary needs when you book. Tea and coffee are in your tent, and there’s a shared kitchen if you’d like to cook for yourselves.

On the ridge: the Sunset Sit, a fire every evening and a Gaon Walk with someone who grew up here. Nearby: Bhimtal Lake is 25 minutes away, and Naukuchiatal and Nainital make easy day trips. Everything to do, near and far.

Yes, always, and for free: no pet fee, no deposit, no size limit. Dogs sleep in your tent. It’s an open hillside with a drop at the edge, so keep them on a lead until they know the place, and check paws after walks in July. Tell us you’re bringing one so we don’t put a nervous guest in the next tent.

Yes, very. Under-sixes stay free; from six it’s ₹650 a night as an extra guest. It’s an open hillside with no fences, so small children need watching near the edge and in the forest. There’s a lawn, forest paths and a village to walk through, but no playground or kids’ club.

March to June and September to November, for clear air and the best drive up. July to September is the monsoon: rain on canvas and cloud in the valley, leeches in July, and a slower road, so message us the day before. December to February brings cold nights, clear skies and a fire every evening; Christmas to New Year is peak. The seasons on the ridge.

Per tent, per night, taxes included. Swiss Glamp for two: ₹4,200 on weekdays, ₹5,500 at weekends, ₹6,500 on peak nights. Bell Tent for three: ₹3,500, ₹4,500 and ₹5,500. The Whole Camp for seven: ₹11,500, ₹13,500 and ₹17,500. Extra guests from age six are ₹650 a night; under-sixes and dogs stay free. Breakfast is ₹350 a head.

Send your dates on WhatsApp at +91 89205 15172. You hear back within the hour, and a 50% advance confirms the booking.

Cancel up to 7 days before arrival (14 for the Whole Camp) and your advance is refunded in full, back to how you paid within five to seven working days. If a landslide, snow or an official closure shuts the road up, you get full credit for twelve months, however late you tell us. The full policy.

Yes. The camp is small and looked after by people from Jangalia Gaon, and you reach a real person on WhatsApp who replies within the hour. Tell us you’re coming on your own and we’ll make sure someone checks in on you.

DugDug was founded by Anuj Dhankar, a former data scientist who rode around India on his motorcycle. Every DugDug place is a tie-up he makes in person.

If you have a cottage, a homestay or a quiet piece of land in the hills, yes, possibly. Tell us about it and Anuj will come and see it.