Chojh is one of the villages near Kasol that I visited once and revisited for a food spot again. I wish I could go there just to eat something from the Sanjana homestay just because the chef there makes the best food!
But, before that, let me show you around Chojh. A village once a happy bustling place now under renovation after the floods. My friend lived in Choj for almost 2 years and knew every part of the village. So, for me it was more of visiting places and people I’ve heard in her stories.
How to reach Chojh
There are two ways to reach Chojh. One is to directly reach there through a taxi or a bus from Kasol. The other one is an interesting one which is a trail from Kasol through the hillside. I would recommend you take this route if you have time. It has insanely beautiful views when you pass through the trail.
Also, this was the route everyone used to get out of Chojh during the deadly floods.
The Flood Stories
Okay, I’ve mentioned this flood multiple times in my Himachal blogs. That is because things have drastically changed after that. Few places were wiped away. Many lives lost and this place just isn’t the same anymore with the broken roads and brave hearts.
So, my friends story is pretty scary. when they woke up in the middle of the night, the mighty Parvati river was flowing in front of their window. They escaped through a window on the other side of the property and it is always a scary picture she remembers. A few seconds changed their entire life. Two people from the same property lost their lives and they had to live somewhere until things calmed a bit.
However, roads were ruined by then and her cousins had to leave through this trail carrying their suitcases. It is pretty easy to walk through this trail but carrying a suitcase is a difficult trip.
The first thing I noticed is the remains of the flood as well. Remains of broken bridges, half-done constructions and people carrying bricks through the hills. However, the people here are so brave at heart and optimistic. They are rebuilding everything they lost and waiting for the new tourists.
Our first stop was a little cafe called Formosa. It is a cute little homestay and cafe. We went there to meet the owner, a good friend of my friend. The cafe is decorated with real cool art pieces and good food. We shared some tea over a tea and left the place to climb up to the last homestay in Chojh.
The Sanjana homestay and Raju Bhai
When someone does something out of passion it reflects in their work. Raju bhai is a chef out of his passion for cooking and he serves the best quality food I’ve had in Kasol. He runs his kitchen with Sanjana homestay and I would recommend you don’t miss this place. We spent the entire time on the hammock and the sleepy chairs.
On the first day, my friend took me just to meet him and say Hi. It was a surprise visit for him so he made us some Kashmiri kawa and some samosas. I’ve never had such yummy samosas in my life. It had a mild flavour with potatoes, peas and dry fruits. He also gave us some chutneys which were such a hit with the samosas.
I so badly wanted to pack something for dinner from there but he said the meals won’t taste good if it is cold. So, I abandoned the plan but made up mind to come again to Chojh just to eat from there. And I did, one day after. This time, we reached in time for lunch and had a full on meal with Poori and sabji.
I have no idea how he makes a simple dish like poori into this unique delicious item. It was so good and we were also full after lunch. We also had a honey-ginger-lime tea, if I remember its name correctly. It was so different and tasted really good.
After that we went for a hike and while going back, he gave us some carrot halwa which was again Delicious!
If you are in Kasol, visit this place and you won’t regret it! It is the last stop in Choijh so you will have to hike a little bit. You can also call him before hand to know the menu or order something in advance. Here's the pic of the happy chef so that you recognise the place.
The Offbeat Hangout Spots
Out of all the places I visited near Kasol, Chojh had a bit of foresty place you can easily explore and spend some time. We went up the hill where there were no people living and is almost like a forest. When I say almost like a forest, we saw people going to hunt there.
Get a speaker, your favourite book or music and you’re good to spend hours in this place. We found ourselves a little corner overlooking the river under some tall trees. The best part was a paste from the tree that smelled divine. It was some kind of incense, maybe pine, that got stuck in my dress.
We returned from there before it got dark and went down to go back.
The Chojh Village
The village is a colourful place with bright wooden houses and street arts. Since most of the villages in Kasol relies on tourism, there are many home-stays and cafes. The artwork is one other thing to notice in every alleyways.
Most of the places were under construction when I visited. While going back, we had some coffee and bun maska, which is a simple bun and butter from a small stall on the roadside. I found Chojh to be just another village with good views but I would definitely visit for the food from Sanjana cafe.
On map: [//]:# (!pinmapple 32.01964 lat 77.32542 long chojh d3scr)