Naveen Upadhyay, disheartened after failing to join the army, turned his setback into an opportunity by founding the ecotourism venture Camp Hornbill, dedicated to preserving the beauty of their village despite competition from luxury resorts.
Like every boy in his village near Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region, Naveen Upadhyay dreamt of becoming a soldier. However, when he and his brother took the army recruitment test, he failed the medical. His elder sibling got through, but Upadhyay was deemed “permanently unfit” for military service.
“I returned to my village, holding the paper with my results. I was crying and felt utterly hopeless. Without any exposure or guidance back then, I believed my career prospects were over,” recalled Upadhyay, the founder of Camp Hornbill, an ecotourism venture in Kyari village, just 9 km from Ramnagar town in Nainital district.
For Upadhyay, being rejected by the army was a turning point in his life. His father, a farmer, had faced huge challenges in agriculture, which led him to discourage his children from pursuing farming full-time. His sons had to plough a different field, the senior Upadhyay insisted.
Upadhyay found his footing when he met someone organising outbound camping experiences for tourists in Uttarakhand. This innovative venture was the first of its kind in the Corbett region.
Upadhyay was intrigued and decided to join them. He also met author Dr Gita Dewan Verma, who introduced him to the concept of ecotourism. “Gita-ji helped me understand how ecotourism helps local communities and improves their livelihood. This exposure, combined with my will to stay in my village, inspired me to start my eco-resort,” he said.
Inspired by his experience, he decided to set up a camping site on a three-acre ancestral farmland near Khichadi river in Kyari, teaming up with his younger brother Shekhar and friend Rajendra Sati. “I had a marketing job in Delhi. I’ve grown up in the jungle, with trees and animals. Life in Delhi was not possible for me. I quit and joined Naveen to establish our new venture,” Shekhar said.
The trio started out with five tents in 2010 and named their project Camp Hornbill. They used their savings and took a loan of Rs 5 lakh from their elder brother for the initial investment. The two Upadhyay brothers handled the guests and marketing, while Sati took care of the kitchen. “We had nothing. No exposure, no money, no experience. All we knew was that we did not want to leave our village. So we thought of creating livelihood opportunities here itself,” Upadhyay said.
What started as a temporary campsite gradually transformed into a beautiful property with nine mud cottages, a fish pond, and plenty of trees. Upadhyay said 80 percent of their land is covered with trees and bushes, with construction on only 20 percent. The trees planted are native to the region such as sal, sissoo, and khair, attracting different species of birds. Each tree attracts birds of that region, and the entire property is themed around the avian natives of the Kumaon region.
The cottages, made using mud, river stones, cob, wood, and thatch, are naturally insulated — cool in summers and warm in winters. The interiors are also done using locally sourced materials, like wood waste and driftwood, with the help of rural artisans. The cottages are placed at good distances from each other to accommodate wild forest growth and offer privacy and solitude to guests. The campsite primarily runs on solar energy.
“We were always very clear that we did not want to get into regular tourism. We wanted to provide only what we have in our village. Hence, for the longest time, our cottages did not have any air conditioning, and we would be closed during the summer season. We did not want to add to the carbon footprint,” Upadhyay asserted.
However, as new luxury resorts kept popping up around Kyari, the trio felt the need to adapt and change without conceding their core values. “We started doing business all year round. Offered exclusive services like village tours and forest workshops,” Upadhyay said. “We could have easily created a swimming pool instead of a natural fish pond here that would have increased the number of guests in our resort. But we wanted to be as close to nature as possible. If that means compromising on revenue, we are okay with paying that price.”
Like the Upadhyay brothers, many young people were looking for income opportunities in the village. Most boys tried to join the army, and those who failed ended up in low-paying jobs in cities or took up farming. Migration was a big concern for families.
“We realised that our region was suitable for ecotourism activities. We were seeing a rise in tourists in the Corbett region. We thought it would be a perfect way to engage the youth of our community,” Upadhyay explained.
All their staff are from Kyari. They hired women from their community for housekeeping. Young men from the village manage the kitchen, serving, and organising workshops and activities. “The idea is to make people understand that there is opportunity in the village itself. We want people to stop selling their lands,” Upadhyay said.
They gradually started helping other villagers set up small businesses. Upadhyay claimed that their efforts have reduced migration from their village, as the youth now see potential in their natural resources.
“The idea is to run a community-owned initiative rather than a community-led initiative. We don’t want to use our community for our venture’s growth. Rather, we want all of us to grow together. That is the difference between us and other similar ventures. We are from the village, and we know what is truly sustainable,” he said.
The trio continues to face challenges with funding, finding it extremely difficult to compete with luxury resorts around them. Upadhyay believes that big hotels are slowly killing the authenticity of the villages, and they want to revive it through humble initiatives like Camp Hornbill.
The lead image at the top shows a bird’s eye view of Camp Hornbill, where 80 percent of the land is covered with trees and bushes. (Photo courtesy Camp Hornbill)
Shreya Pareek is a solution journalist with over 10 years of experience in covering stories of positive social change.
