ARAHomestay & Home Cafe Talk to us
Burwa under fresh snow: the long valley and big clouds, seen from the roof of the house
A family home among the apple orchards

Your mountain home awaits.

A family home in Burwa, Manali. Stay a while, order from our bakery, train with Harish or go up the mountains.

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Harish, Lipika and B on a hillside high above the valley
Namaste!from Harish, Lipika & B

In May 2021 we came to Manali from Delhi for a 45-day vacation. That November we left our corporate careers for a life closer to what matters to us, and Ara is where we live it: our family-run homestay and cafe, under snow-covered peaks near the Beas River. We would love to host you.

As featured in NDTVThe City Dropouts Who Chose Hill Life Through Rain And StormRead the story →

What brings you to Ara?

StayThree private rooms and a dorm cottage among the orchards. BakeryCakes, cookies and bread baked at home by Lipika, and the cafe. Fitness classesStrength, mobility, yoga and trail running with Harish. ExpeditionsTreks, high passes and peaks with Harish.

A family home among the apple orchards

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The house and its painted mural under deep snow
The house and its mural in deep snow
The house from the garden, red roofs and climbing green
The house from the garden
A wooden table under a blossom tree at dusk, a lamp lit behind it
The table under the blossom tree
Orange marigolds in bloom, a garden table behind them
Marigolds in the garden
The garden swing and wall under deep snow
The garden swing under snow
The covered sitting nook at night, cushions and fairy lights
The sitting nook at night
Stay

3 private rooms and a dorm cottage

Wood-walled rooms, dorm beds for up to 6 guests, and the cafe, garden and orchards around them.

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Every private room has

  • King-size bed
  • Private attached bathroom
  • TV
  • Water kettle
A wood-walled bedroom: a king-size bed with a leaf-pattern cover, a kettle on the bedside table, the hillside in the window
A person at a laptop on a tall stool at the cafe window, mountains beyond
The long table at the big cafe window, snow peaks beyond
Low beds with green quilts
A cushioned window seat, cloud and hillside outside
A wood-walled bedroom seen from the bed: a TV on the wall, two chairs, a door open to the balcony and the valley
A laptop on an outdoor table, mountains and an apple tree behind
The veranda table with cushions and wood chairs, plants and morning sun
Slow travel

Long stays, workations & mountain staycations

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Freshly prepared home-cooked meals, on request
Power backup: an inverter and a genset, both with limited capacity
All rooms and the dorm are non-smoking
Ara Home Cafe & Bakery

Baked at home by Lipika

Fresh from our kitchen. Order ahead for your stay or your trip.

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Banana walnut cake, chocolate and walnuts on top Carrot cake, whole, with cream peaks on top Homemade cookies on baking paper Chocolate brownies, a stack of three with cracked tops Burnt Basque cheesecake from above, dark top, cut in slices
Chocolate brownies
“Lipika’s brownies … are absolutely divine.”Annie, Airbnb guest

Breads, buns and desserts too

Crusty loaf on a cooling rack
Crusty loaf
Herb swirl buns, close up
Herb swirl buns
Shaped soft rolls, golden on top
Soft rolls
Chocolate cupcakes with cream and a cherry on each
Cherry cupcakes
Blueberry muffins in paper cases
Blueberry muffins
Dark chocolate muffins in paper cases
Chocolate muffins
Layered tiramisu in glass jars
Tiramisu jars
A layered dessert in a glass on a checked cloth
Layered dessert
Thumbprint cookies with pink centres on a dark tray
Thumbprint cookies
A big cookie in a gift bag tied with a ribbon
A cookie to give

The home cafe

Homemade food with Bengali and Pahadi flavours, open to all visitors.

Open sandwich on focaccia with tomatoes and greens The whole cafe room under a green hanging lamp and string lights Home-cooked food in blue and dark bowls The cafe sign above the road in deep snow Stools at the cafe window, the orchard outside
Experiences

Life at Ara

Open to Ara guests and outside visitors, subject to availability.

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A day-hike group resting among pines and boulders, a snow ridge behind

Day hike & mountain picnic

Easy to moderate, with a picnic cooked on the trail

A calf and a person by an old stone house in Burwa village

Village walk

Burwa village, a local home and Siddu

A yoga group sitting on bright mats in the orchard

Fitness & yoga session

At Ara or outdoors

A wide circle of people round a bonfire

DIY barbecue & bonfire

For in-house guests, about 2.5 hours

Red and green tents at dusk above the valley

Night camping

Solang valley, Majajh or the orchard; weather permitting

A carved wooden temple with a person at the door
The carved wooden temple
Women in shawls at a village festival, old houses behind
A village festival
An evening party outside the house, string lights along the roof
A bonfire evening at Ara
A day-hike group together on boulders by a rock wall
A day-hike group
A hiker from behind at a rock pool, packs on the stones
A rest at the rock pool
Harish with a group on a mountain route, a lake and big slopes behind

Harish trains people at Ara and leads them up the mountains.

Fitness & Expeditions →
Reviews

What guests say

4.81
on Airbnb · Superhost
See us on Airbnb
4.9
out of 5 on Google · based on hundreds of guest reviews
Read Google reviews
“Some places give you a bed. Some places give you an experience.”
A guest on Google
“The stay felt warm and homely.”
Suchi · Airbnb
“I could feel the difference in personal touch from the moment I connected with Mr Harish.”
A guest on Google
“The perfect base for my trail-running training.”
Sandeep · Airbnb
“Homely environment, cozy rooms, best homemade coffee and cakes.”
A guest on Google
“A great place to be at and enjoy days in the mountains.”
Abhishek · Airbnb
“Peaceful vibe, tasty food, and clean rooms and beds.”
A guest on Google

Come and see us

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Address
Burwa–Palchan Road, Burwa, Manali, Himachal Pradesh 175103
6 km beyond Manali, on the way to Solang Valley
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© 2026 Ara Homestay & Home Cafe · Bookings confirmed by the Ara family · No online payments
Fitness & ExpeditionsTop ↑

Rooms at Ara

Every private room has

  • King-size bed
  • Private attached bathroom
  • TV
  • Water kettle
Snow View Room: crimson bed, wood walls and a shining floor

Snow View Room

Wake up to views of the Pir Panjal mountain range from this warm, wood-panelled room.

With a balcony
Mountain View Room: chevron bedspread, blue cushions, the whole room

Mountain View Room

Looks out to the mountains.

No balcony
Valley View Room: bed and rug in the sun, wood walls

Valley View Room

Looks out over the valley.

Attached balcony
Dorm cottage: bunk beds, the mountain through the window

Dorm Cottage & Beds

For solo travellers and groups, up to 6 guests: two single beds in one room, two bunk beds in another, a separate workout space, one shared bathroom, a kitchen for long-term guests, a water kettle and high-speed internet.

Up to 6 guests
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Talk to us

+91 99715 00578
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