Staying in a village puts money directly into local hands, and usually gets you a better meal than a hotel buffet.
Craft villages
Kutch, Gujarat
Embroidery, bandhani and Rogan art.
Raghurajpur, Odisha
A whole village of Pattachitra painters.
Channapatna, Karnataka
Lacquered wooden toys.
Nirona, Gujarat
Rogan painting, copper bells, lacquer work.
Farm and plantation stays
Coorg / Kodagu, Karnataka
Working coffee estates.
Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh
Tribal coffee cooperatives.
Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh
Apatani rice-fish paddies.
Mawlynnong, Meghalaya
Community-run homestays.