Living the Forest Life: My Tribal Homestay Experience in Bastar, Chhattisgarh

🌲 Living the Forest Life: My Tribal Homestay Experience in Bastar, Chhattisgarh

✨ Why I Chose Bastar Over Anywhere Else

I had read a little about Bastar before, mostly about its tribal culture and dense forests. But it wasn’t until I came across a travel blog describing a homestay with the Gond tribe that I felt the pull. I wasn’t looking for another hill station or beach — I wanted to go deeper, literally and figuratively. So, I packed light and boarded a train to Jagdalpur.

🛤️ Getting There Is Half the Adventure

I flew into Raipur (RPR), the state capital of Chhattisgarh. From there, I took an overnight train to Jagdalpur, a small but bustling town in the Bastar region. The train passed through remote stations, jungles, and rivers. I was already in a different world by the time I stepped off.

🏡 My Stay with a Gond Tribal Family

I stayed in a mud house with a sloped terracotta roof in a small Gond village about 30 km from Jagdalpur. The house was modest, with two rooms, cow dung flooring, and a little courtyard with hens pecking around. My host, Laxman Anna, greeted me with warm tea brewed from forest herbs. I was offered a woven charpoy to sleep on and had a mosquito net strung up with practiced ease.

🪘 A Culture That’s Very Much Alive

🌾 Morning Rituals and Forest Walks

My days began early — around 5:30 AM — with women lighting dung cakes for cooking and men leaving with bows and baskets. Laxman Anna took me on a walk into the forest where he identified medicinal plants, edible leaves, and the tracks of wild boars. I listened more than I spoke.

🎨 Tribal Art That Speaks

One afternoon, I was invited to paint with the village women using natural dyes made from tamarind seed, charcoal, and rice paste. The wall murals they created weren’t just pretty — they told stories of the seasons, spirits, and local gods.

🎉 The Festival of Bastar Dussehra

By pure luck, I arrived just before Bastar Dussehra, a 75-day tribal festival that has little to do with Ram or Ravana. Instead, it honors the goddess Danteshwari. I saw chariots pulled by hundreds of villagers, traditional drummers marching, and shamans going into trance. It wasn’t for tourists — it was raw and sacred.

🍲 The Food: Simple, Earthy, and Full of Flavor

Meals were served on sal leaves — rice, leafy saag, roasted red ants (a delicacy here), and tangy tamarind chutney. It was rustic, delicious, and prepared over open flame by Laxman Anna’s wife. I helped grind spices one afternoon, and the aroma stuck to my palms for hours.

📸 Unforgettable Moments

  • Sitting around a mahua fire listening to folklore under a sky bursting with stars.
  • Being taught how to play a bamboo flute by a 12-year-old.
  • Helping herd goats through the forest at sunset, barefoot, feeling the earth pulse beneath my feet.

💰 My Budget Breakdown (2025)

  • Homestay: ₹900/night (includes meals)
  • Local Guide: ₹500/day
  • Transport from Jagdalpur to village: ₹700 (round trip)
  • Festival Day Outing (including food & donation): ₹300

⭐ Tips If You Plan to Go

  • Visit between October and February for good weather and festivals.
  • Carry cash — digital payments don’t work here.
  • Respect the local customs; dress modestly and ask before clicking photos.
  • Learn a few words in Gondi or Halbi. Just “thank you” (“Dhanyavaad”) goes a long way.

📍 Location Map

📍 View Bastar Region on Google Maps

🔗 Useful Travel Resources

📌 Final Thoughts

My Bastar tribal homestay wasn’t a vacation — it was a cultural reset. I saw how people live close to nature, thrive without excess, and pass stories through gestures and generations. It reminded me how little I truly need to feel content. If you’re craving authenticity in your travels, skip the resorts — Bastar’s red earth awaits you.

✍️ About the Author

Priya Singh is a travel writer from Mumbai with a passion for India’s lesser-known experiences. She’s walked barefoot through forests, danced with tribals under the moonlight, and found stories where there were no words. Her work blends culture, humanity, and wanderlust — all brewed with a warm cup of cutting chai.

📸 Image Attribution

Photo by Oskar Kadaksoo on Unsplash

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