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INSIDE
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
www.insidehimalayas.com
HIMALAYAS
NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN BY ROYAL MOUNTAIN TRAVEL | ISSUE 5
The Manaslu region in central
Nepal is arguably the last
area left within a day’s reach
of Kathmandu where you can
find some peace and lengthy
solitude.
Homestays in the Bhutanese
countryside open up a world of
local hospitality.
Getting Local
A Tibet in Nepal’s
Diary Community
From Lhasa to Homestays
Everest Base
Camp, the The main goal of
chronicles of a Community Homestays
trip to Tibet. is the “Empowerment of
Local Women”.
www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel 1
INSIDE
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
www.insidehimalayas.com
HIMALAYAS
NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN BY ROYAL MOUNTAIN TRAVEL | ISSUE 5
A porter carries supplies to the higher tea
house lodges situated in upper Khumbhu,
with Thamserku at the background.
Photo: Tashi Sherpa.
2 www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel 3
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
“A Community For Adventure & Local Experience’’
and one that has worked—is to provide an independent
10
livelihood for the women who run the homestays. Women Cover Story
who otherwise would have relied primarily on their
husbands have developed networks with each other, take Making a Social
English lessons and donate money to local projects. We
have welcomed these women into the Royal Mountain Call in Manaslu
Community, and have even provided some office jobs
at our Kathmandu headquarters. We hope that each of
the homestay networks throughout the country can be
as successful as Panauti’s. For more on the Community
Homestay initiative, look to Elen Turner’s story in this
edition of Inside Himalayas magazine.
We offer an exciting range of articles from inside the
Himalayas in this year’s edition: winter trekking in the
Annapurnas, searching for the yak in Ladakh, visiting rural
For a couple of years now, Royal Mountain Travel is towns in Bhutan, and much more. We hope you will be
proud to have been developing a network of community inspired with fresh ideas for your first, second, or tenth
homestays, through CommunityHomestay.com. Our visit to our beautiful Himalayan region.
flagship programme in Panauti, a Newar town not
far from the Kathmandu Valley, has been extremely If you’re looking for further information and inspiration Everest from the Seat of a Helicopter ........................................................................ 14
successful, and has provided the model for numerous after finishing the pages of this magazine, check out our
other homestays around the country. Now, travellers can Inside Himalayas website (www.insidehimalayas.com), In Search of the Yak in Ladakh ......................................................................................... 17
stay in family homes in Palpa, two locations in Chitwan, which is continually growing and sharing the beauty and
Nuwakot, Nagarkot, Patan, Patlekhet and in various diversity of the Himalayan nations. We regularly feature Clouds of Wildflowers and Rain ..................................................................................... 20
places on the Annapurna Community trek. This mix of stories from around our region, as well as share tips about
urban and rural locations means that by staying at a how to get the most out of your travel here. Life and Death in a Remote Bhutanese Village ....................................................... 25
community homestay, travellers to Nepal can really get
to know the true essence of all parts of Nepali society. Let us know how we can help you plan your trip, and see Alone but Never Lonely: The Annapurna Circuit in Winter ................................. 28
you soon!
But, how do we define the success of these homestays? Getting Local in Nepal’s Community Homestays ................................................. 32
The programme is not just about making a profit, as per Shiva Dhakal
traditional forms of accommodation. The intention— Managing Director
Managing Director
Shiva Dhakal
Editor
Elen Turner
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Published by
Royal Mountain Travel - Nepal All rights reserved in respect of all articles, illustration, photography, etc published in
Inside Himalayas Magazine. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced
Inside Himalayas Magazine
Lal Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: +977-1-4444378 Web: www.royalmt.com.np
in whole or part in any form without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions
expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, who cannot accept
on your doorstep or desktop!
responsibility for any errors or omissions. All editorial inquires and submission to Inside
Himalayas Magazine must be address to info@insidehimalayas.com
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Where Tradition Meets Comfort
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Discover an
oasis of Nepali
culture &
hospitality
in the heart of
Kathmandu.
48 Luring the Rains
The Guest are ‘Truly’ Gods in Bhutan ............................................................................ 40
The Mardi Himal Trek ........................................................................................................... 44
Major Festivals of Nepal .................................................................................................... 52
Lower Mustang ....................................................................................................................... 58
A Tibet Diary ............................................................................................................................ 66
Classes and Tours .................................................................................................................. 73
For further details, please contact:
Krishna Pauroti, Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu, Nepal | +977-1-4410454/55, 4410009/10
info@traditionalcomfort.com | www.traditionalcomfort.com
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www.insidehimalayas.com @TradiComfort
| By Royal Mountain Travel 7
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Benkar Valley settles gracefully
in-between wonders of nature.
Photo: Tashi Sherpa.
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INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Cover Story INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Making a Social Call in
MANASLU by Ross Adkin
The Manaslu Trek is one of the famous treks for the ‘off beat trek’ lovers. Photo: Prem Gurung .
The Manaslu region in central Nepal is Accommodation and food are slightly flight to Lukla had been short and scary;
arguably the last area left within a day’s more basic than in areas like the the long bus journey to the trailhead at
reach of Kathmandu where you can Annapurnas or Everest. High calorie Arughat was farcical and exhausting.
find some peace and lengthy solitude. trekking favourites like apple pie and As we were embarking in Kathmandu,
Offering the usual superlatives of chocolate pudding are thin on the a fellow passenger opened up what
mountain beauty, hidden valleys, ground. Hot springs at the side of looked like a wicker handbag and stuffed
remote monasteries and single-file the trail make up most of the limited a squawking rooster into it. The case and
suspension bridges swinging through showering opportunities. But, this is its contents were put up into the narrow
mid-air, all tucked just to the east of the all part of the appeal. Hiring a guide is metal shelf overhead that served as the
Annapurna Circuit and its hordes. mandatory for foreigners, but if you’re luggage rack, and the bird’s owner – a
an independent traveller don’t be rotund and formidable-looking woman
The Manaslu trail runs through Gorkha put off by this fact: unless you speak – settled down for the journey.
district, where the epicentre of the Nepali, you’ll need one in the Manaslu
first of the 2015 earthquakes struck. area anyway. A Restricted Area Permit When travelling medium to long
However, repair work to the trails and that costs around US$70 per week is distances on public buses in Nepal,
lodges has been ongoing and the also necessary. Entry to the Mansaslu it is best to completely ignore any
reviews are saying that it’s good to go. Conservation Area, and the Annapurna arrival time you are given. The first two
Young monks gather outside a small local monastery. Photo: RMT . For those who have trekked the more Conservation Area (if you plan to hours along the Prithvi Highway went
popular routes in Nepal already, the cross the Larke Pass) will come to an by relatively quickly. Not long after
Manaslu region should be the next big additional NPR4000 (around US$40). turning off towards Gorkha district,
adventure. Daily expenses for tea, food and however, the road and the journey took
accommodation will be slightly lower on a distinctly provincial feel. We were
The most popular route in the region than on more popular routes, however. travelling slower due to the quality of
“The massive cliff across the valley to our north hid the is an anti-clockwise circuit of Manaslu the road and became more obliged to
approach to Tibet. Half a day’s climb to the south was a high peak – at 8163 metres, it’s the world’s I first travelled to the region in 2008 to pick up people and their luggage from
altitude lake and pastures, but we had come to make a social eighth highest. The walk takes slightly visit a friend who lived midway along the side of the road. I found myself
longer than two weeks, travelling from the Manaslu circuit. The contrast with looking across the aisle and up to the
call, and spent our time chatting and drinking Tibetan tea” the gentle hills of lower Gorkha up to the well-established and signposted shelf where the bird was entombed.
the Larke Pass (over 5100 metres), trails and the well-stocked lodges of
which is a hard, full day’s walk that the Everest region, from which I had We reached Arughat that evening.
crosses into the Annapurna region. recently returned, was noticeable. The The rooster’s owner hurried off into
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INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
the night and I never got to see how severely damaged by the earthquakes, wind picked up and it started to rain,
it had fared outside of the case. On and now that the road into the hills has almost drowning out the roar of the
another journey to the same town in been extended up to Soti Khola, it may river running below.
2011, when I was revisiting Mansalu, be worth driving an extra hour or so and
several buckets of paint stacked in getting further up into the hills quicker. Midway through the next morning we
the doorway of the bus fell off after had our first proper wash since leaving
we rattled over a particularly bad The first stage out from Arughat is a Kathmandu three days before, in the
pothole, spinning and spilling down gentle stroll alongside the riverbank hot springs at the village of Tatopani
the hill. Their owner jumped off, the bus and crops. In early April it was warm – (meaning ‘hot water’ in Nepali). In the
stopped (in that order) and we waited around 30 degrees in the middle of the afternoon the vegetation was still
until he re-emerged paint-splattered day – and as the path began ascending green and lush, but the hills around us
from the foliage a few minutes later, and descending, it was sometimes were looming closer and that night we
having saved two of the three buckets. hot work. We arrived that evening in felt hemmed in by their giant imprints
the village of Lapubesi, and found against the dark sky.
Arughat is a small town sitting astride a place to stay in someone’s house.
the Budhi Gandaki River. Pushpa Kamal In 2011, particularly along the lower Next morning we reached the
Dahal (or ‘Prachanda’), the leader of sections of the trail, accommodation confluence of the Sigar Khola and
the Maoist insurgency that ravaged was more of the improvised homestay Budhi Gandaki. The Shear Khola flows
Nepal from 1996 to 2006, taught at kind than trekkers’ lodges. I enjoyed down from the Tsum Valley, which
a school here for a couple of years this far better, eating what the family was a giant fork to our right, leading
before going underground. Baburam was eating and sitting round the stove and twisting up towards Tibet. It was
Bhattarai, a bearded Leninesque together in the evenings. More hotels alluring, but required a separate permit
figure and an ideological figurehead have been built since, as Manaslu has that we didn’t have. By now the villages Manaslu is one of the last areas a day’s reach from Kathmandu where trekkers can get some real solitude. Photo: RMT.
of the insurgency, was born not far become more popular. We settled were more compact and orderly, as if
away. The town exudes more middle down to rice and lentils, offered around huddled together against the cold; built
hills conservatism than revolutionary some Glenmorangie (which our hosts of neat stone slabs piled on top of each the trees, and the growth of the crops creepers, rhododendrons all around. On the journey down, we turned around
fervor, however, with a beautiful and drank politely but didn’t seem inspired other rather than mud bricks and clay. in the fields lagged behind those we Further along the path, a brook rushed and headed back down the valley,
old central bazaar. Unfortunately it was by), and settled in for the night. The Buddhist prayer flags streamed from had seen in the lower, warmer fields. down the slope and turned the blades turning frequently to get another look of
Trains of ponies carrying sacks of grain, of a small mill, and also kept a prayer Manaslu, rising at the end of the Mansiri
The Manaslu Trail runs through Gorkha District. Photo: Denis Oliver Poulet. building materials and gas canisters wheel spinning mantras out into the range. The route we had just taken was
clopped past and sent us scrambling air. We chatted to a nun and her friend ten days in all, from Kathmandu to Ghap
for perches off the edge of the path. in broken Tibetan as they watched the and back. But the Manaslu region offers
mill grind their flour. many more options for the intrepid
We reached the village of Ghap, our walker. Another seven days could be
destination, in the afternoon of our The massive cliff across the valley to spent in the Tsum Valley before rejoining
fourth day of walking. We had a few our north hid the approach to Tibet. the circuit route. The Larke Pass is
days to explore the surrounds. A little Half a day’s climb to the south was a another two or three days further along;
further along from the house we were high altitude lake and pastures, but we once you’ve crossed this, you’ll descend
staying in was a rare piece of open, had come to make a social call, and to the Annapurna trail, where you should
level ground covered by dense forest, spent our time chatting and drinking be able to find some apple pie and the
a riot of dripping moss and green Tibetan tea. odd solar-heated shower, at last.
Curious children pause on a local trail. Photo: Igor Kullishov. Tibetan Buddhist influences can be seen in Manaslu. Photo: Denis Oliver Poulet.
12 www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel 13
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Everest from the Seat of a Helicopter
by Elen Turner
A community for
adventure &
local experience
Climbing or trekking to Everest is definitely not on every traveller’s bucket list. But the tallest peak in the world and its
almost-as-tall neighbours have an undeniable magnetism that every adventurous traveller should aim to see. So, how to
do so if you don’t have the time, stamina or inclination to get there on foot? Helicopter.
An Everest sightseeing trip from Kathmandu via helicopter is the ultimate adventure for travellers who don’t have much
time in Nepal, and aren’t on a strict budget. But, they’re also not as expensive as you may imagine, especially if you’re
travelling with friends, or can find companions to share the costs with. The average price per five-seat helicopter is
US$5500. Split that five ways, and that’s little more than $1000 each. While that cost is obviously significant, when you
consider you’ll be getting the exciting experience of a lifetime, it’s certainly worth it.
A sightseeing helicopter flight to Everest from Kathmandu looks like this:
Fly from Kathmandu early in the morning, to get the best of the weather and visibility. Make a quick stop in Lukla, about
half an hour’s flight from Kathmandu, to drop off fuel, but you won’t disembark here. The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla is
magnificent, with increasingly high hills dotted with farming villages and terrace rice fields slowly giving way to the higher
mountains.
From Lukla, continue on to Syangboche, an airstrip above the Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar with spectacular mountain
views. This is the closest airstrip to Everest Base Camp. All passengers disembark the helicopter here, as on the next leg
of the trip, only a maximum of three passengers at a time can be taken. But don’t worry, those ‘left behind’ will enjoy a
cosy breakfast at the Everest View Lodge (passengers who take the first flight will take their breakfast afterwards).
From Syangboche, fly to Kala Patthar, for extraordinary views of Everest, Base Camp and the surrounding peaks. Due to
the geography, you cannot actually see the peak of Everest from Everest Base Camp, so Kala Patthar is the place to go for
the views. You can’t stop here for too long because of the high altitude (5,644 metres) and the quick ascent you’ve made.
Nevertheless, there will be time for some magnificent photos before hopping back on board and returning to Syangboche
(when the remaining passengers will be shuttled, if you’re travelling with a full helicopter).
Once everyone has taken their flight and breakfasted, return to Kathmandu. Aside from the spectacular mountain and hill
views, the helicopter rides themselves are exhilarating, and will likely become an all-time favourite travel memory.
NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Quick facts
• Sightseeing helicopter flights to Everest can take a maximum of five passengers.
• The current average price for a helicopter is US$5500.
• If you need help finding travel companions to reduce the cost, contact Royal Mountain Travel.
• Excursions last a full morning.
TRAVEL-NEPAL
• Bring warm clothes (for the higher altitudes), sunscreen, drinking water and your camera.
Lal Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Email: info@royalmt.com.np URL: www.royalmt.com.np
14 www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel 15
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
In Search of the Yak in Ladakh by Devorah Klein Lev-Tov
If one creates in earnest the armor of bodhicitta,
It is like the treasury of space offering unlimited largesse.
For fortunate beings, this temple and all it contains
Are like the wondrous bursting forth of spring.
Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery is located at the sacred pilgrimage site of Namo Buddha,
Nepal. It is home to more than 250 monks and includes a monastic college, a school for young
monks and a Tibetan Medical clinic.
Maybe a mini yak... but then again, maybe not. Photo: Elen Turner.
“My heart leapt: While India is indeed a beautiful country, Ladakh region, after a gorgeous, thrilling
I hadn’t thought of it as a destination two-day drive from Kashmir, through
it was a yak! I for nature or animal lovers, per se. Yes, high mountain passes and moonscape
was sure of it. there are some Bengal tigers hiding (I
tried and was unsuccessful at spotting
vistas. We immediately went to rest: our
bodies were not used to the extremely
The brown and one in the Sunderbans) and of course high altitude—Leh sits at 3500 metres.
cows galore. But what’s always drawn
white animal me to India is the fascinating culture. I found a book about the region and
had large horns That changed last summer when
soon learned more about my beloved
yak. The nomad tribes living in the
framing its boxy my husband and I headed to a very nearby Changtang Valley rely heavily on
different part of the country: Jammu and yaks for survival. They use them for their
face and a long Kashmir. This state has a unique and milk, but once it’s determined that a yak
skirt of fur that captivating culture, but it also happens
to be one of the most geographically
must be killed for the tribe to survive the
winter (with its Arctic-like conditions),
swept the dusty stunning places in the world. There’s every part of the yak’s body is used.
also a special animal to be seen there,
ground” located in the Indian Himalayas: the yak. The yak is skinned and the hair of the tail
is used to make ropes. The leather from
I quickly became obsessed. These the skin is used to make shoes and to
woolly animals have amazing horns and carpet the floor of tents. The horns are
full, furry skirts to keep them warm. I used to make buttons, and the yak’s fat
For more details, please contact: had to see one, maybe even touch one. is preserved and used for cooking and
We arrived in Leh, the capital city of the lighting lamps. The meat is air dried
Royal Mountain Travel - Nepal
P.O. Box: 8720 Lal Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4444376 / 78 / 79 Fax: +977-1-4444380
Email: info@royalmt.com.np URL: www.royalmt.com.np
16 www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel 17
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EVEREST
BASE CAMP
with Comfort Packages
White and Brown Yaks beside Pangong Lake (Pangong Tso) Leh Ladakh, India. Photo: Sirintra.
to preserve it, and the intestines are I followed alongside for a while, despite a two-day trek through the Himalayan
stuffed with a mixture of the yak’s blood my husband warning me not to get too foothills. After four hours, we reached a
and barley flour to make sausages. The close. Finally our driver beckoned us to very small village—so small it consisted
stomach is used as an air bag in which return to the car. His English was just so- of just nine homes. As we entered, I
to ferment yoghurt. Who knew that so, and I turned to him and said, “Yak?” immediately noticed a kind of hairy rope
the nomads of Ladakh were practicing and pointed. He shook his head. “Dimo. used along the gates: yak skin rope! And
nose-to-tail butchery way before it Not yak, dimo.” What was a dimo? I had then there was a horned skull displayed
became trendy in the West? no idea. atop one home. Was it a yak?
But the people do not take killing a The next day, our driver promised us We were welcomed into a home and
yak lightly. While the yak is being killed that we would find some of the nomad shown to our small but clean room
through asphyxiation, religious hymns tribes. We finally came upon one small several floors up. As the sun began to
are said and the killer requests pardon camp with two women sitting in front of set, we walked out onto the flat roof to
for the sin of killing the animal. a tent. One of them was holding a baby. take pictures. Suddenly, I noticed a small
The tents were clearly made out of woman leading a gigantic, lumbering
I told the owner of our hotel that I wanted some type of fur—was it yak? But there animal down a path from the mountains
to go where the nomadic tribes were in were no yaks in sight. and into the village.
the Changtang Valley, thinking I would
surely see a yak there. The next day, “Where can we see some yaks?” I asked My heart leapt: it was a yak! I was sure of
we found ourselves in a jeep heading our driver. “Yaks not here. They go up in it. The brown and white animal had large BRIEF ITINERARY
east. After several hours and multiple the mountains now because it is too hot.” horns framing its boxy face and a long Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
checkpoints, we reached the entrance I understood now that if we wanted to skirt of fur that swept the dusty ground.
Day 02: City Tour & preparation for the trek
to the valley, with the Himalayas looming see yaks we would have to get up very I gazed lovingly and longingly as it was
Day 03: Lukla Flight / Phakding
in the distance. We were greeted by tall early, before the men took the yaks high led into the village and then into a pen
green mountains and lush valleys filled up in the mountains to graze, where it’s right below us. “We have to go down and Day 04: Namche Bazaar
with Kashmir goats being herded along cooler. The hot summer sun was too see it!” I said to my husband. Just then, Day 05: Namche Bazaar – Acclimatization Day
a river. The scene was breathtaking. strong for these woolly animals built for our host came up to tell us dinner was Day 06: Debuche
winter. ready. My husband and I looked at each Day 07: Dingboche
After a while, we stopped at the only other and knew we couldn’t explain to Day 08: Dingboche Acclimatization Day
building for miles, someone’s home Defeated, I tried to make peace with the these gracious people that we weren’t Day 09: Lobuche
that was also a roadside stand. As we fact that maybe I wouldn’t see a yak in ready to come to dinner because we Day 10: Gorakshep
got out to stretch our legs, I noticed the flesh. We returned to Leh later that had to go see a yak. Day 11: Pheriche
two large furry animals and a small day and I Googled “dimo.” It said “female Day 12: Namche Bazaar
baby grazing by the river. I ran toward yak.” So I had seen a member of the Even though we didn’t get to go right
Day 13: Lukla
them in excitement. They were indeed yak species after all! But the nagging up to it, my heart was still bursting from
Day 14: Kathmandu TRAVEL-NEPAL
very furry—definitely not cows. And remained. I wanted to see a big, hulking, seeing this majestic animal just a few
they had large horns. But up close they giant yak. metres below. It was everything I hoped Day 15: Departure
seemed kind of small. I had thought it would be, and more. But my obsession
yaks were quite massive. But still, they After a day of rest, we set out from Leh is not satisfied—I still have to touch a yak
were adorable and the baby cuter still. again, this time to the Markha Valley for one day. For more details, please contact:
Royal Mountain Travel - Nepal
P.O. Box: 8720 Lal Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4444376 / 78 / 79 Fax: +977-1-4444380
18 www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel Email: info@royalmt.com.np URL: www.royalmt.com.np www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel 19INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
wet. Fortunately, one set of clothes had We couldn’t see any views because of were sore from using them for support
been sitting on top of everything else the clouds, but rested awhile and then on my poles. Full-body workout! I had
Clouds of Wildflowers and Rain:
and stayed dry. started to descend gradually from the read that this trek was ‘strenuous’,
pass towards the Malana Valley. The and after the first two days I thought
Day 2 was similar to day one, walking Kullu Valley had had light sprinklings of that was silly. There’s no way that the
Monsoon Trekking in Himachal Pradesh uphill through intermittent rain. The
clouds cleared from time to time,
allowing brief views. I was glad of my
wildflowers, but these turned into thick
carpets. We passed a dense patch of
pink snapdragons swaying above our
uphill sections of the Naggar to Malana
trek are strenuous if you’re fit. But the
downhill is an entirely different story.
by Elen Turner walking poles because some of the heads, buzzing ferociously from all the Plus, if it had been raining, the path
uphill track was slippery. We came bees dipping inside them. Elsewhere down from the pass would’ve been
into camp about 2.30pm, and it rained there were tiny blue forget-me-nots, dangerous.
heavily. We sheltered before rushing to yellow daisies and a whole variety of
pitch the tent in a brief sunny spell. I was pink, purple, blue, yellow, and red that The weather was clear on the evening
a little bit over the rain by this point, and I couldn’t identify. Such an array of of day three, so I enjoyed the sunset
questioned the wisdom of coming on a gorgeous flowers only appear in this views down the Malana Valley towards
monsoon season trek. But at least there season, and entirely made up for the the Parvati Valley, while camped on a
were no leeches, as there would be in lack of any views on the first two days small ridge overlooking the town of
Nepal! In the evening the men made a of the trek. Malana.
fire again, and I dried my belongings.
Before the descent got too fierce we
stopped for a picnic lunch, which— Day 4: Malana to Jari
Day 3: Camp 2 to Malana, via it was soon to become clear—was
It rained a little overnight, but by the
the Chanderkani Pass (3700 m) necessary to gather strength for the
time I awoke we were just engulfed
descent. And what a descent it was.
There was only a little rain in the night, in cloud. My legs were pretty sore,
The ‘path’ from the Chanderkani Pass
and again in the morning, so I felt but there was still a lot of descent left
down to Malana was through thick,
better on day three. Which was lucky, ahead of me.
high foliage and over steep rocks. It
because this day was about to get
was incredibly beautiful, and the view
tough. If it had rained as heavily as the We started the day by taking a walk to
down to the road that passed through
first two days, I might still be there now. Malana Village, just ten minutes from
the Malana Valley was dizzyingly far
the campsite. This had been one of the
below. Again, I wanted to kiss my poles.
We had camped at about 2800 metres, most isolated settlements in Himachal
And perhaps even the amazingly
900 metres below the Chanderkani Pradesh until a road was built through
helpful Ranjit, who physically helped
Pass. Ranjit said that we were about the Malana Valley several years ago,
me down much of the way. I couldn’t
1.5 hours’ walk from the pass, so I at the same time as a hydropower
have done it without him (though I did
anticipated that it would be a difficult project. In fact, Malana village is the
refrain from kissing him—I’ve picked up
climb. Almost a kilometre of vertical only settlement in the Malana Valley.
enough handsome South Asian guides
height in under two hours! But it was
for one lifetime).
surprisingly easy. Much of the ascent The people of Malana believe they
was through meadows. When we are descended from the soldiers of
By the time we reached the campsite
got to the pass shrouded in cloudy Alexander the Great, from his men who
just outside Malana, after four hours of
mist and Ranjit announced that we’d broke away while passing through this
descent, my legs were barely holding
Wildflowers in bloom in the Indian Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh. Photo: alisha24.
arrived, I was amazed that we were at area and settled with locals. They say
me up, and even my arm muscles
3700 metres already. that the fair complexions, hair and eyes
“I never meant to go trekking during the monsoon. But I read about the odd, isolated settlement of Malana in India’s
Himachal Pradesh, and was intrigued by the town that supposedly treated all outsiders as untouchables and grew the
finest marijuana in the world. So in late July, I set off on the four day/three night trek from Naggar, over the Chanderkani
Pass, to Malana. In the rain”.
Day 1: Naggar to camp 1, via Rumsu the guide to the trailhead, about ten that would have had lovely views over
minutes away. the Kullu Valley on a clearer day.
Treks in Himachal Pradesh are mostly
camping treks, and you need to
The walk was entirely uphill for the In the evening, the men made a
take your own food along. Being a
first two days, but not steep or difficult. campfire and I dried my damp clothes.
solo female traveller, I hired a guide
After about half an hour we reached Dinner was tasty dal, vegetable curry,
and two porters through a Naggar-
the village of Rumsu, with a lovely rice and chapatti. We were the only
based company. Guide Ranjit was
Himachali-style wooden temple and people camping there, though Ranjit
exceptionally helpful and kind.
traditional wood and stone homes. If told me that in June, when most
you can’t or don’t want to do a multi- Indians have their holidays, this trek
Naggar, the starting point for the trek,
day trek, the walk from Naggar to and its campsites get very crowded
is about an hour’s drive from Manali, so
Rumsu and back would make a nice with Indian students.
I stayed the night before in the pretty
single-day hike.
little town. The first day got off to a bit
Day 2: Camp 1 to camp 2
of a slow start because it rained heavily
At Rumsu it started to rain, and didn’t
overnight and in the early morning, It rained heavily overnight and although
really stop for the rest of the day. We
so nobody was in much of a hurry to I managed to stay dry, the water
were engulfed in mist much of the time.
get going. Once the skies had finally seeped through the groundsheet of
We walked for about 3.5 hours before
cleared (sort of), I was driven with my tent and most of my belongings got
coming to the first campsite in a meadow
Malana is an isolated and culturally unique village in Himachal Pradesh. Photo: Mivr.
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EXPERIENCE
EVEREST
of Malana natives is evidence of this village walls is Rs 2500. There are After our stroll around Malana (being
European ancestry. I couldn’t see how guesthouses on the edges of Malana careful not to touch anything!) it was
they differed in appearance from other for visitors to stay in, but they are time to continue the descent. It took
Himachalis, who tend to be relatively run by non-natives to Malana, and about an hour and a half to get to
BY HELICOPTER
fair-skinned Indians, with dark brown are not permitted within the actual the road at the bottom of the Malana
hair and hazel or green eyes. perimeters of the village. Valley, which ran alongside the steep
Malana River. My legs were incredibly
This isn’t the only interesting The third interesting thing about stiff, but the path wasn’t as challenging
thing about Malana. The people Malana is that it’s where (apparently) as the previous days’. After the descent,
there practice a very strict form of the finest marijuana in the world there was still another two hour walk
untouchability, and believe that all is cultivated. Malana Cream is along the road to the Parvati Valley.
outsiders are unclean untouchables. legendary, so ‘they’ say, and many The Malana Valley branches off the
Visitors are welcome to visit, but they people come to Malana simply to larger Parvati Valley, and once we got
are not allowed to touch anything smoke it. Ranjit told me that most to the meeting point of the two valleys
except the ground they walk upon. of the guesthouses around the town it was evident just how steep the sides
There are signs warning that the are patronised by young Israelis, who of the Malana Valley are, and just how
fine for touching the temple or stay for months on end. remote this little branch is.
Heli Sightseeing Package: For group of 4 - 5 pax Itinerary Schedule:
For group of 3 pax Itinerary Schedule: 07:00 am: Reporting time at the airport
07:00 am: Reporting time at the airport Heli takes off from the Kathmandu airport
Heli takes off from the Kathmandu airport Heli lands at Everest View Resort, Syangboche
Each pax gets a Window Seat Drops off passenger and takes off with 3 passengers
Mountain sightseeing all the way to Everest Base Camp Does the Mountain flight and lands at Kala Patthar
5 - 10 minutes landing at Kala Patthar for quick photography 5 - 10 minutes for photography
Return back to Syanboche - landing at Everest View Return back to Everest View Resort
The mountains of Himachal Pradesh are green during the monsoon. Photo: Deepak123. Resort Breakfast in Syangboche Returns back for mountain flight and landing at
Return back to Kathmandu Kala Patthar with remaining passengers
Practicalities:
Total Flight time: 03 hours, approximately Returns back to Everest View Resort
• Travel and trekking agencies in Manali and Naggar arrange treks to Malana. I used the Naggar-based Himalayan Mountain Return back to Kathmandu after all pax have taken their breakfast
Trekking Centre. It’s not recommended to trek alone for the usual reasons, and because of the drug trade here. I didn’t see Total Flight time: 03.30 minutes, approximately
any evidence of this, but I am pretty naïve about these things.
• This trek is ‘strenuous’. Even though the uphill parts aren’t too tough, the downhill is extremely challenging. Don’t even NOTE: Landing at EBC/Kalapatthar Subject To Weather Condition.
consider doing this trek without trekking poles, unless you are a mountain goat.
• It’s worth hanging around for a day or two in Naggar before/after the trek. It’s a pretty town with great value accommodation
and some interesting sights, such as a wooden palace, some amazing carved temples and the beautiful Roerich Museum. For More Details, Please Contact:
It makes a good alternative base in the Kullu Valley to busy Manali.
Royal Mountain Travel - Nepal
Lal Durbar, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal
+977 1 4444376 /78 / 79
22 www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel info@royalmt.com.np www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel 23INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Life and Death
in a Remote
Bhutanese
Village
by Joshua Cook
It is said that in the 14th century, the deity Aum Jomo helped the Yamarong villagers
of Tibet behead their tyrannical king. They then fled the area, traveling south through
the Himalayas. Aum Jomo warded off malevolent lake spirits and mountain yetis and
Hiking Route: guided the villagers through the precipitous terrain, into Bhutan.
Sanga to Panauti or Once they reached a high pass, the villagers saw a green valley beneath them awash
Panauti to Sanga with flame. Aum Jomo told the villagers that she had consecrated the area in fire for
them; it was their new home. They built a village in the valley and it became known as
Merak, the “Burning Place.”
The original Yamarong villagers are now called the Brokpa people. Those who made
it to Merak identify themselves as the strongest and the fittest of the original settlers
because they made it over the mountain pass. There are other Brokpa scattered
throughout the region, but those who live in the remote, high altitudes of Merak
For More Details, Please contact:
are favored by Aum Jomo, they say. Much fortune has been bestowed on them—
communityhike.com the riches of yak, cheese, fine clothing—and they are blessed with good luck and
prosperity.
Lal Durbar, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal
+977 1 4444376 /78 / 79
info@communityhike.com Photos: Joshua Cook
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My journey to Merak was much less epic than the original They stood to receive me. Each of them was wearing
Yamarong villagers’. Still, in a black night, weathering the the same kind of traditional dress, with slight variations
monsoon and traversing a backroad the consistency of that humbly demonstrated their own individual styles.
porridge, I prayed fervently to whatever deity would look The women looked hard as nails, calloused by village
after me. life and stoic with the prospect of Grandmother’s death.
Grandmother was sitting quietly on a rug in the corner. She
I was crammed into a two-wheel drive Mahindra Bolero had a blanket over her and was rocking slightly against a
along with a few of my students. They had invited me to teenage girl who lovingly held her and rubbed her back.
Merak, their home, for summer vacation. The driver was
cavalier about the conditions. He fishtailed the back end I approached her slowly. She didn’t realize I was there,
of the truck up the muddy road, bringing the rear tires but was focusing on something else, something far away.
dangerously close to a precipitous cliff edge more than Her brow was furrowed and she whispered some furtive
once. The students yelped and clawed at their seats, message to herself. I bowed and quietly greeted her.
admonishing the driver in their Brokpa language. He “Kuzu zangpo la.”
disregarded them and continued revving the engine,
swimming the Bolero up through the muck and mire. The younger girl whispered to Grandmother, signaling to
“Bad road,” the driver said to me in what few English her that I was there. The old woman slowly looked up at
I no longer wanted to be part of the village.
words he knew. me, wondering who this foreigner was, why was he here,
I didn’t want to see the locals’ experience. I
what was this a sign of? She held out her fragile hands to
wanted to be a tourist again, outside in the rain,
“Good driver,” I replied, feigning confidence. receive mine, acknowledging me as perhaps the last new
only wondering what it was like to be inside a
He smiled, revealing betel nut-stained teeth. acquaintance of her life.
Brokpa home. I wanted ignorance again, unaware
of the reality of life and death in Merak.
By one in the morning we skidded onto an open meadow. I sat down near Pema, on a small rug near the woodstove.
Opposite us were stone houses with wooden doorways The walls were black with varnish from years of smoke
But Grandmother opened her eyes. She looked
illuminated by bare bulbs. In the rain and mist, the light and the planks of the wood floor were polished from the
surprised that she was still in the room. She cringed
from the houses seemed to pulse, reminding me of the constant traffic of bare feet and the shuffling of rugs. Yak
in pain and began rocking again while the young girl
story of Aum Jomo’s flames. skins filled with cheese rested against the wall. The fetid,
rubbed her back. The air returned to the room. The
sour odor mixed with the smell of wood smoke and an
women went back to shuffling about, attending to their
Pema, the student acting as my host in Merak, explained: earthy scent from the villagers themselves.
chores, and to me, the guest.
“We’re here.”
*** Pema’s aunt offered me souja, yak butter tea. She went
When I finished my tea, Pema signaled to me that
In the morning, after a breakfast of yak cheese curry and to work on an old butter churn, the thick milk sucking
we could leave. I stood outside among the houses.
rice, Pema took me to his grandmother’s house. He told loudly as she pushed the stick up and down. The sound
The clouds had lifted slightly and I could see
me that she was very ill. seemed to violate the sanctity of the space, considering
the verdant peaks surrounding the village. The
Grandmother’s condition, but no one was bothered. Even
monsoon had painted them a vibrant green.
“This is our custom, sir. When someone is sick in the amidst death, daily life for the Brokpa must go on.
village, we always pay the person a visit. When we are With Grandmother only a step away, Pema explained
Grandfather came out of the room and removed his hat.
sick, we do not want to be alone. Besides, I think that matter-of-factly: “She’ll go to the next life very soon.”
Grandmother will be moving on to the next life now. She Perhaps it wasn’t a turn-of-phrase. When one believes
“My grandfather is showing you great respect,” Pema
is truly, very sick. We must visit her.” in reincarnation, as these villagers do, there is less to be
explained.
sad about when faced with death. But still, there was a
We meandered through the closely packed houses, a tangible melancholy in the room.
I felt abashed and unworthy as Grandfather greeted me.
light rain continuing to fall. The village looked medieval.
I held his hand with both of mine. His were hands of a
The road we had arrived on ended before the village, I watched the young girl rocking Grandmother, as she
million stories and a million hardships, and I felt like
so there was no main thoroughfare, only tight, sopping continued to murmur to herself. Pema’s aunt put the mug
today was one of the hardest. After I let go, he rung them
walking paths and hidden alleyways. At a turn we were of souja in front of me and then placed another one in
together uncomfortably and looked up at me.
greeted by curious children, their swarthy faces peering front of Grandfather, who I had only just noticed. He wore
over a wall to get a glimpse of me, the odd foreigner. At a red woolen hat, an old, frayed down coat and sweat
“Tell him thank you for inviting me into his home.”
another turn, a horse huffed blithely and clomped on by. pants with stains and holes. His eyes were puffy and
Pema translated. Grandfather nodded and
bloodshot, and as he sipped at his tea he kept looking
said something in his language, then slipped
At Pema’s grandparents’ house, a woman greeted us at over at Grandmother and then back at me.
away again back into the house, to be with
the door. She wore the traditional Brokpa clothing, a thick,
Grandmother.
faded wool dress that had once been light beige maybe, I was certain that Grandmother was going to pass away
but was now dirty from labor. It was tied at the waist with a right there. I was afraid. I have never seen someone die.
“Grandfather says to please come again for
wide, colorful belt. Over the dress she wore a red woolen I thought that it wasn’t fair that I, a stranger, should be in
tea,” Pema told me. “He says that you are
jacket, embroidered with bright blue, pink and yellow her home for such a moment. But whether I should be
always welcome here.”
patterns. A beautiful necklace with large, orange, turquoise, there or not was irrelevant to my hosts. The routine of
and red beads hung down to her waist. Atop her head daily life would not stop for Grandmother, even though it
perched the quintessential Brokpa hat, a small, stiff yak hair might be her last day as part of that routine.
beret with four long tendrils extending from it.
Grandfather caught my eye and he smiled weakly. There
Pema explained who I was and that we had come to visit was a hollow pain in his eyes. Then Grandmother became
Grandmother. At this, the woman’s stern, weathered face very quiet. She stopped whispering and lay against
produced a suggestion of a smile and she motioned for the young girl. She was very still, her eyes closed. The
us to enter the house. women and Grandfather looked on. It felt like I was in a
vacuum; all the air had been extracted from the room.
There were many women sitting around the grandmother. Had the time come?
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extra blankets were aplenty at every
guesthouse, and I piled them over my
sleeping bag to stay warm enough for
Alone but Never Lonely: a good night’s sleep.
The Annapurna Circuit in Winter Enduring the nights was worth it
when the days were so spectacular.
In three weeks on the Circuit, only four
by Joshua Cook
days challenged me with inclement
weather. The rest of the time the
conditions were perfect. Views like the
one from the Upper Pisang Monastery
were a daily occurrence. Not a single
peak was obscured, and the true scale
could be felt.
Another fear I had had was the state of
Thorung Pass. What if it’s closed off by
snow? became a question that nagged
at me along the way. Or worse: What if
a storm comes in when I am trying to
cross? But the same risks exist in the
spring, and blizzards can even come
in October, the busiest time of year.
Luckily, the pass had little snow when I
crossed it. There was only a light wind,
and it wasn’t even cold enough to
require a coat.
The most common warning I had
received before embarking was: “There
won’t be anyone else there. You’ll be
alone.”
It turned out to be true. Alone, I explored
ancient monasteries around Muktinath
and meandered through dilapidated
villages of stone and mud in Humde
and Pisang. Alone, I circumambulated
stupas near Chame, and alone I made
A highlight of winter trekking is having the trails to yourself. Photo: Tashi Sherpa.
my way across the arid expanse of
Lower Mustang. When I walked by
“When I arrived at the miniscule village of Braga, the mani walls in Marpha and turned each
prayer wheel, leaving them spinning
only guesthouse in town was closed. I told a local and creaking in my wake, there was no
resident of my predicament and he offered me a room one else behind me. Alone I stopped for
behind his restaurant” water breaks and snacks in the middle
of forests, listening to the wind carving
through the mountains, the patter of
Barefoot, I ascended the steps at the Buddha three times. The only sounds I had stumbled upon a secret that only melting snow falling from pine boughs,
entrance of a Tibetan-style monastery were the creaking wood beneath a few trekkers knew: Winter is truly and the birdsong that filled the trees.
that sat high above the Manang Valley my feet, the shuffling of my clothes, the best time to be on the Annapurna
in the Annapurna Himalayas. Peering and the wind outside. When I turned Circuit. Though I was alone much of the time,
through the massive doorway, I found to leave, I went back through the I never felt lonely. In being alone,
the main room dark and empty, entrance and my eyes had to adjust Before I started the trek, however, I was these moments were infused with a
except for a golden Buddha sitting in to the blinding brightness of snow and not so convinced. “It will be very cold,” supernatural quality, with the sanctity
composed serenity at the far end of sky. When they did, I was overwhelmed a local guide told me. “You will have to of having a solitary experience in one of
the room. He seemed to look on with by the view that stretched out in front have a good sleeping bag and warm the most extraordinary environments in
approval, and welcomed me inside. of me: the sharp fall into the valley, clothes.” the Himalayas.
the village below, and the stark rise
The place smelled of varnished wood through the pine forests, culminating About a week in, I knew that this was The winter season does not deplete
and shadows. On the floor of the at the enormous blue-white peaks that true. But only at night. Once the trail the Annapurna area of all vestiges of
adjacent wall, I was flanked by a row scraped the clouds. At the top of the reached above 3000 metres and the life. There were many people to greet
of thick winter robes that had been left steps, with the monastery behind me sun went down, the temperatures with a friendly namaste. Villagers
standing up, as if the monks who once and the whole of the Annapurna range dropped to well below freezing. waited outside the few guesthouses
wore them had simply evaporated. in front, I thought: Could this moment However, there was an easy solution. that stayed open. I’d sit with them at
I prostrated before the hospitable really be mine alone? With a dearth of visitors in the area, lunch and engage in conversation. The weather is also likely to be clear in winter. Photo: Ashok Amatya.
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Without the incessant chores that the
high season brings, they were more
available to talk about themselves,
their culture, and their people.
SIGHTSEEING
TOUR
Occasionally I would also come across
another trekker or two and we would
exchange pleasantries—“How’s your
day going? Where are you headed?
Where did you come from?”—and then,
acknowledging the comfort we had
found in our respective aloneness, we
would bid each other farewell and set
off again at our own pace.
There were occasional inconveniences.
When I arrived at the miniscule village
of Braga, the only guesthouse in town
was closed. I told a local resident of
my predicament and he offered me
a room behind his restaurant. When
he took me there, I could see that the
Muktinath Temple is a year-round pilgrimage site. Photo: Tashi Sherpa.
accommodation was the equivalent
of a low, ramshackle toolshed that
had been fitted with a short bed and
assiduously decorated with magazine
cutouts of Nepali models. Clearly it
was his personal room, but he lent it
to me for the night. I spent the evening
with him and his family in their warm
kitchen, drinking and talking until it
was time for bed. What I originally
thought was an inconvenience turned
into one of my most memorable nights
of the trek.
It is hard for me to imagine such
moments of hospitality and intimacy
when the Annapurna Circuit trek is at
its busiest. There would be no time
for a restaurant owner to entertain
just another traveller. With all the
guesthouses open, I wouldn’t have
found myself asking a regular local for
lodging in the first place.
The high passes could be covered in snow in winter, so check local forecasts. Photo: Ashok Amatya.
One of the greatest pleasures of
being in the Annapurnas in the off-
season was the daily potential for
surprise. What hidden building would
I explore in silence? What engaging
conversation with a local yak herder Kathmandu Route 1 Kathmandu Route 2
would I have through gestures Route: Boudhanath Stupa - Pashupatinath Route: Bhaktapur City - Panauti Town
and smiles? There was no sense Temple - Patan Durbar Square Starting time: 09:45 AM
that I ought to be doing something
Starting time: 10:00 AM Reporting time: 09:30 AM
because that’s what everyone else
Reporting time: 09:45 AM Meeting Place: RMT Office Building, Lal
was doing. Rather, every day I knew
I could go at my pace and choose an Meeting Place: RMT Office Building, Lal Durbar Marg
itinerary that felt right in the moment. Durbar Marg Services included: English Speaking Tour
Whatever I chose, the path ahead Services included: English Speaking Tour Guide, Private AC Vehicle as per group size
was sure to be unobstructed with Guide, Private AC Vehicle as per group size Guaranteed Departure: Every Saturday, Sunday
crowds, the weather would be clear, Guaranteed Departure: Every Saturday, Sunday & Monday
and the day would be ripe for unique & Monday Private Group Departure: Available if there is
and personal discoveries. Private Group Departure: Available if there is minimum 05 pax in a group
minimum 05 pax in a group
For more details, please contact:
Villages blanketed in snow are especially picturesque. Photo: Tashi Sherpa.
Royal Mountain Travel - Nepal
P.O. Box: 8720 Lal Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4444376 / 78 / 79 Fax: +977-1-4444380
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Accommodation Food
Every homestay is different, as these are real homes. The food will also differ across the country. While dal
Some buildings are newer and on the edge of town; others bhat (lentil curry and rice) is the favourite of almost all
may be older and located in the centre. But each home Nepali people, the way it is prepared varies, as does what
is required to meet a good standard before opening its accompanies it. Side dishes are usually seasonal and
doors to travellers, and must provide private rooms and made with locally grown vegetables. In the Newar towns
modern bathrooms. Guest rooms are simply furnished you may get a chance to try local Newari specialties. This
but comfortable, with attached bathrooms with hot water. local cuisine is full of meat curries and can be very spicy,
but is unlike any other cuisine that you are likely to try,
At the Barauli and Tharu Community Homestays, in so dig in!
different parts of the Chitwan area, guests stay in their
own huts, within the vicinity of the host’s. These are built You will also get the chance to participate in a cooking
in the traditional style with mud and natural materials, but class, joining the women in their kitchen and then eating
come with modern attached bathrooms. the results afterwards. Whether you’ve never made
A warm local welcome at a community homestay. Photo: RMT.
Nepali food before or consider yourself an excellent
chef, you’ll certainly learn something new from your
hosts. You might come home with a new pickle recipe, or
a better understanding of how to get your roti perfectly
round. Your hosts will enjoy teaching you (and, if those
roti aren’t so round, they’ll laugh along with you).
Getting Local in Nepal’s
Community Homestays
Activities
A major benefit of staying at a Community Homestay over
a hotel is that you will get the chance to be involved in all
by Elen Turner kinds of local activities. If you’d prefer a more relaxing time,
there’s no pressure to sign up for everything (although
this is definitely recommended!) Activities and excursions
vary depending on the location, and that’s a good reason
While luxurious hotels with all the mod-cons can be a nice end up making just as much money as their husbands. to stay at Community Homestays throughout Nepal.
way to travel, travellers interested in getting to know local Women’s financial strength and independence has been
people and culture can find this a limiting way of experiencing proven to be good for families and communities. The women
a country. If you’ve seen the inside of one generic hotel you’ve are also given access to English language classes and other
pretty much seen them all. But in Nepal, the Community training, and their self-confidence and skills have improved
Homestay programme (CommunityHomestay.com), an through their involvement.
initiative of Royal Mountain Travel, offers an innovative and
unique service for travellers wanting a comfortable place To establish a homestay network in any particular area,
to sleep as well as local flavour, warm hospitality and ten families or households need to collaborate. These are
the chance to see and experience things not otherwise not just individual homes that have opened their doors to
accessible to travellers. travellers, but truly collaborative community efforts that
run on a roster system. Further, each community homestay
The flagship Community Homestay programme was collective must choose a cause to support, such as the re/
established in Panauti, a charming and very well-preserved building of a school or community centre, or the sponsorship
Newar town around 40 kilometres outside the Kathmandu of a child’s school fees. Twenty percent of proceeds must
Valley. With the success of Panauti, Community Homestay be put directly back into the community. The ‘community’ in
networks are now operational in Patan, Nagarkot, Nuwakot, Community Homestay is not just a name.
Patlekhet, Palpa, two locations in Chitwan (Barauli and
Sauraha), and along the Annapurna Community Trekking If every traveller to Nepal was to spend just one night at one
route in the mountains. of the nine Community Homestay venues, the effects on local
families and communities would be enormous. Travellers
One of the main goals of the Community Homestays is the would also leave Nepal with a greater understanding of
empowerment of local women. Most hosts are housewives ordinary Nepali life and culture. So, what can guests at
without another independent source of income. After joining Community Homestays expect?
the Community Homestay networks, many of these women
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