After it took TikTok by storm last year as a selfie spot, The Cliff in Kushma has become a go-to destination for adventure sports. People from the far corners of Nepal as well as overseas come to this bridge over the Kali Gandaki gorge to bungee or swing jump.&nbsp; The pedestrian suspension bridge has a span of 520m and hangs 228m above the river connecting Kushma of Parbat to Balewa of Baglung. This is supposedly the second-highest bungee jump in the world, after Macau Tower in China.&nbsp; The man behind the Rs600 million enterprise, Raju Karki, is originally from Sindhupalchok and was a bungee instructor in The Last Resort at the Bhote Kosi.&nbsp; Karki lost his father when he was eight, and with his mother and sister ran a local hotel. He says, “I was an adventurous lad, and when they set up bungee near my hometown, it was just the excitement I needed," says Karki, now 40. He joined its training to be an instructor, and before long became the very first batch of Nepalis to lead the team. He had worked for seven years as an instructor at Bhote Kosi when one day some businessmen from Kushma visited The Last Resort lobbying to turn their place into the next adventure-sporting hub in the country. Young Karki took note and filed that information in his head for future use. Next, he lived and worked in Paris for two years where he manned the reception of an art museum Halle Saint Pierre. But it did not take long to make up his mind to return home to set up his own business. He spent a year in France, Belgium, and Switzerland learning the ropes, as it were, about bungee jumping. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231220101216_3c5a11a945e7efe4b41a29fdbe2b1915bd02a8568607322ee04d8ad050bfc1f9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20231220101216_3c5a11a945e7efe4b41a29fdbe2b1915bd02a8568607322ee04d8ad050bfc1f9" data-rendition-name="original" width="4000" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="the cliff 2"> <figcaption>Photo: Sonia Awale</figcaption> </figure>  Karki had visited Kushma and the gorge had always impressed him because it was wider and deeper than the Bhote Kosi. As he started planning, the first order of business was to build a suspension footbridge over Kali Gandaki.&nbsp; “Our bridge was different from typical suspension bridge because it was purpose-built for bungee jumping by adding elements like steps,” he explains. The Cliff went into operation and offers what it calls the world’s highest swing jump, priced at Rs7,500, the same as the bungee. Sky Cycle and Sky Café cost Rs3,000 and Rs2,500 each. There are also less daring variations of swings as well as wall climbing.&nbsp; “I found that Nepalis go to Bali and elsewhere seeking these thrills and thought we could do it here in Nepal and in more exciting ways,” adds Karki. The Cliff spreads across 3.5 hectares with 100 staff and sees 300 visitors a day. There is also an option of furnished tents and cottages for those staying overnight.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231222071236_444122d54de0b9c2588310756027e458092ce21d0613349919785e20d970c9d6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20231222071236_444122d54de0b9c2588310756027e458092ce21d0613349919785e20d970c9d6" data-rendition-name="original" width="1320" height="1767" loading="lazy" alt="the cliff"> <figcaption>Photo: The Cliff</figcaption> </figure>  Read Also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/taking-the-high-line">Taking the high line</a>, Monika Deupala Although it is flourishing today, the launch of The Cliff coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic and saw heavy losses in the beginning. “The lockdowns forced us to open and close repeatedly," Karki recalls. "Even then, Kushma used to be packed with people lining up for The Cliff rides." In fact, just this one tourism enterprise has helped lift the economy of the town, with 30% of the visitors being foreigners. It has also shown how Nepal does not lack opportunities for new tourism products that create local jobs. &nbsp; The team has left the far side of The Cliff undeveloped and is planting local trees, fruits, and vegetables on the slope, supplying to its restaurant. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The business is a model for how Nepal can benefit from increasing the consumption of locally produced electricity. The free shuttle bus to The Cliff is battery-powered. And as far as possible, the construction material used is sourced from the locality, reducing maintenance costs.&nbsp; Karki's expansion plans include a mega trolley, a fairyland, and a conference hall. He says: “The highlight would be a swimming pool 255m above the sheer drop of the Kali Gandaki River." &nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/downhill-all-the-way">Downhill all the way</a>, Reeti KC

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Behind The Cliff

As he does every weekend, Saman Shrestha sets up his tent in Hattiban's pine forest overlooking Kathmandu Valley. He unpacks a long length of webbing rope from his bag on which he will be walking across 50m above the ground between two trees. Around him, there is the sound of cicada and birds.
Shrestha, 31, is a professional climber and athlete, and in 2017 was the winner of the first season of Himalaya Roadies, the Nepali edition of the hit Indian reality series MTV Roadies that pushes adventure seekers to their limits.
But this avid adventurer started small. “I heard about <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=13292">wall climbing</a> for the first time from my brother,” he recalls. “This was at Pasang Lhamu Foundation and you could climb up almost 5 storeys. This piqued my interest.”
Later, with a school friend Shrestha often went there and practice. In 2011, he even competed in a national climbing competition. “It was a hasty preparation, and I had a lot of expectations and fear of the public. But the failure made me want to climb more and better,” he adds.
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Shrestha’s journey to becoming a national climber began after that, as he participated in more competitions such as the Climbing World Cup in 2016 and 2017. Around the same time, he also coached children aged 12-16 in climbing and sports at Niten Memorial School in Tokha.
“I started climbing later in life, at 24,” Shrestha adds, “But I realised that kids can do even better if they start early.”
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Hattiban forest offers a breathtaking vista of the mountains on a clear day and the city below, he looks to introduce a new form of adventure: Highlining.
“I came upon highlining only five years ago. I had never seen anyone do it before then, not even on the internet and I just got hooked into it,” says Shrestha. “I find it very pure as there is nothing in your mind when you are on a highline.”
Highlining is an extreme <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/downhill-all-the-way/">adventure sport</a> new to Nepal. Perfect for adrenaline junkies, it is akin to slacklining, which is essentially walking on a tightrope between two anchor points. In urban areas, especially in American colleges and universities, it is called urbanlining and is often done a couple of feet above the ground.
But highlining – widely considered the pinnacle of slacklining – takes this to a much higher elevation. The other difference is that you are carabined for safety from a great fall.
“Highlining comes with more safety,” assures Shrestha. “There is a leash tied in with a harness to you. So even if you fall, it can catch you. It is 99.99% secure, and we have backups, even for the anchor, to take care of the remaining 0.01% risk.”
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Nevertheless, the fear of heights comes naturally to many of us. And this is heightened even more if one is walking on thin webbing high above the ground.
But Shrestha is fully attuned to the rush that comes with extreme adventure. He stands on the line, walks steadily, performs a few tricks, and then sits across the webbing. The secret he says is training one’s mind with a lot of patience, practice and experience.
“When you are up there you instinctively think you might die but once you start to trust the process, the anchor, the webbing, your body will get used to it and then it will get easier,” he explains.
He has one more tip: “If you overthink, you cannot walk, let alone stand. So you have to empty your mind. Only then will you be able to freely move your body.”
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Nepal’s topography and climate make it a thrilling haven for extreme adventures. Bungee, paragliding, canyoning, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/the-worlds-best-whitewater,3266">rafting</a>, rock climbing and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/downhill-all-the-way/">mountain biking</a> are perhaps the more popular ones: now, highlining is added to the list.
And with a countless number of rivers, hills and gorges, Nepal has a high potential of becoming a highlining destination. “Furthermore, it sends out a message that nature and adventure should go together, and it is our responsibility as humans to save nature to enjoy the adventure to the fullest,” adds Shrestha.
But investing in highlining is expensive especially as the sport is still at the early stages in Nepal and importing the necessary gearincurs a significant cost. Shrestha himself brought some second-hand gear from foreigners in Nepal, a few more from abroad and even asked friends outside the country to bring the rest when they were coming home.
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Dedicated to a lifetime of adventure, Shrestha says he is not doing this for fame or to set some records. “I’m in it just for an adventure,” he says.
His longest personal record is 100m and the highest is at 2,000m above sea level in Kakani. He hopes to scale the line in Kusma, 550m above the Kaligandaki River one day. “It’s so massive, so big and dark. But maybe in a few years when I have enough experience,” he adds.
For now, Shrestha is planning to set a line on a tall building somewhere in the city for urban highlining. He is also interested in highlining in Bethanchok which is at 3,000m.
He says: “Every time I’m on a line, I try to stay calm and just enjoy it. I try not to overthink. Whether in highlining or life, overthinking can mess up everything.”
Read more: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-high-life/">The high life</a>, Nepali Times

Monika Deupala

Taking the high line

<figure><img width="640" height="480" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfd039c7e80680e0a0bbejpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: Nepali Times Archive</figcaption></figure>Hundreds of thousands of international tourists used to visit Nepal every year, drawn by adventure sports options available in scenic <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/cleared-to-land/">Pokhara</a>. Besides climbing, rafting bungee and zipline, the most popular was <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Connecting-dots/Sano-Babu-paragliding-world-cup,1029" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Connecting-dots/Sano-Babu-paragliding-world-cup,1029&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628949391218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFM4iQKPmSGLvZp2tz7UtsutFOKSg">paragliding</a> from Sarangkot.Before Covid-19, there would be hundereds of paragliders soaring above Phewa Lake all day amidst the stunning backdrop of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-other-abc-trek/">Annapurnas</a>, Machapuchre, Manaslu and Dhaulagiri. Pokhara had also become the venue for international sporting events such as the Paragliding World Cup Asian Tour.However, Pokhara’s days as an aerial sports hub is numbered with the much-delayed airport coming into operation next year. Most companies offering paragliding and ultralight flights will have to relocate. Aerial sports and sightseeing companies were badly hit by the collapse of tourism, but had started to pick up with Nepali tourists replacing internationals. “Even as tourism was down and out following the first lockdown, there were 1,000 Nepali tourists paragliding every day in the skies above Pokhara, in part due to heavy discounts,” says Krishna Bhandari of Nepal Air-sports Association. “Pokhara residents and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pokhara-tourism-lifted-by-nepali-footfalls/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pokhara-tourism-lifted-by-nepali-footfalls/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628949391218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFI1GvdPMtfVKJ4du5htIiGwbpmng">domestic travellers from Kathmandu, Chitwan and Nepalganj</a> kept the business running.”But following the second lockdown in May-June this year, paragliding services have remained shut. The pandemic also delayed the completion of the new airport, and the new opening date is July 2022. <figure><img width="2600" height="1733" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfd059c7e80680e0a0bbfjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pokhara-nepals-new-aviation-gateway/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pokhara-nepals-new-aviation-gateway/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628949391218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFassSBBBmvInaS0J0pijEeBZMr1Q">Pokhara International Airport</a>, which began construction in November 2017 was supposed to be completed by 10 July 2021. If not for the pandemic, the first test flight would have happened this month, followed by regular international and domestic flights.The 2500m long 45m wide runway is aligned east-west, and departures would fly right above the city and Sarangkot, making it impossible for paragliders to be there.  The delays are due to the fact that construction material from China could not be imported, Chinese technicians were also not able to travel. However, the airport terminal and ancillary buildings are nearly complete with runway lights and navigation equipment being installed.  “We have extended the deadline by a year also because of the new surges in Covid cases after the lockdown as well as the possibility of the third wave, but I’m certain that we will have conducted a test flight by mid-April 2022,” says head of the airport project Binesh Munankarmi.  <figure><img width="640" height="424" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfd089c7e80680e0a0bc0jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Local <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6573#.YRYG8C2B2t9" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D6573%23.YRYG8C2B2t9&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628949391218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH7gIsEUStloHvcyW3Qj6FTPl0ygA">paragliding</a> businesses are already looking for alternative jump-off points in Syangja, Parbat and Baglung, away from the flight path of commercial flights. They also want the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to issue NOTAMs with designated areas for paragliding as is the practice in Europe. Such an arrangement is a possibility also in the northern areas of Pokhara Valley, concluded a Paragliding Operation and Management Study which was undertaken two years ago. Commercial <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=1324" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D1324&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628949391218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE24TgIo4baJTlVwH9TPnfU4OkR2A">paragliding</a> started in Pokhara in 2001, it now has over 69 registered companies, collectively worth Rs1 billion. There are 356 para-pilots, 342 of them Nepalis. 350 people can take a flight at a time from Sarangkot.  <figure><img width="2310" height="1540" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfd0a9c7e80680e0a0bc1jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><img width="640" height="427" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfd0d9c7e80680e0a0bc2jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="427" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfd0f9c7e80680e0a0bc3jpeg.jpg" alt="">In addition, there are five ultra-light companies offering sightseeing flights to the Annapurnas from the current Pokhara airport. They were also hit by the tourism collapse, and it is not yet certain whether they will be allowed to operate from Pokhara international Airport. If not, they may have to move to the unused airport in Baglung or even Manang.“Paragliding directly or indirectly supports over a thousand people with employment, and even as we speak there are 25 Nepalis currently undergoing training to become commercial para-pilots,” says Balram Acharya, also of the Nepal Air-sports Association. Some say the new airport is also an opportunity to diversify <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Pokhara-looks-to-2016,2773" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Pokhara-looks-to-2016,2773&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628949391218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFlpzGKAEsZQyu_dLZLSmf0fk-Nsw">paragliding</a> and ultralight flights across Nepal and boost other local economies post-pandemic. Safety has also become a concern with overcrowding on Sarangkot, and there have been several fatal crashes in the past three years.The terrain in Syangja, south of Pokhara, is deemed the most ideal for paragliding, and even holds international cross-country paragliding competitions and a thriving training school run by Mt Everest summiteer and adventurer Sano Babu Sunuwar. <figure><img width="2600" height="1733" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfd129c7e80680e0a0bc4jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/cleared-to-land/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/cleared-to-land/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628949391218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGGmVcscUCV8kYeqhGF9PK2OulmtA">Pokhara’s new airport</a> still has to address issues like relocating landfill sites in a 3km radius from the airport that are a bird-hit hazard for aircraft. Pokhara Municipality’s Mahesh Baral says the work of relocating landfills will gather pace once the new sites are identified. “The municipality doesn’t have the budget to fast-track a new landfill site. If the government had also allocated money for adjoining works involved in national pride projects, we wouldn’t have had unnecessary delays,” he adds. Meanwhile, the forested Ritthepani Hill on the eastern approach to the runway at Pokhara’s new airport needs 40m to be shaved off to allow safe landings and takeoffs.Despite the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/cabinet-indecision-delays-pokhara-airport/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/cabinet-indecision-delays-pokhara-airport/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628949391218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFkhRhsaB5_8Jc-C7Qz_UbOvriMIQ">government’s approval</a> to do so back in March, it continues to be the last hurdle for the completion for the airport that can handle direct international flights, bringing tourists directly to Pokhara, bypassing Kathmandu. https://youtu.be/T09-8HjzrGgRead Also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/cleared-to-land/">Cleared to land</a>, Nepali Times<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pokharas-royal-egret-sanctuary/">Pokhara's royal egret sanctuary</a>, Krishnamani Baral

Pokhara paragliders to relocate

Kathmandu Valley alone now has over 700 cafes serving mugs made from freshly ground beans. ‘Americano double shot’, ‘Cappuccino’ and ‘Mocha’ have entered the Nepali language. It has also become a cash crop for thousands of farmers with near-perfect growing conditions along the Himalayan foothills.&nbsp; Yet, annual coffee production has declined by 15% to only 550 tons in the past years, and this meets only a fraction of the domestic demand of 6,000 tons.&nbsp; Nepali coffee fetches $22 per kg in the international market, but Nepal only exports 3% of its crop. If cleverly promoted, the international demand for Nepali coffee can be 8,000 tons. “Coffee is all about story-telling,” explains <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/business/Gagan-Pradhan-and-Himalayan-Java,1076">Gagan Pradhan, founder of Himalayan Java Coffee</a>. “Nepali coffee has brand value because it is grown in the highest elevations on earth and is a cash crop for cooperatives and small farmers. There is tremendous potential for growth.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260205100216_1f366d8a85cc133fedee0ee72d7768d3a23bf51f8d43edbdadf98443bc0c01ba.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20260205100216_1f366d8a85cc133fedee0ee72d7768d3a23bf51f8d43edbdadf98443bc0c01ba" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1518" loading="lazy" alt="coffee culture in Nepal"> </figure>  The reason for the decline in coffee production lately is attributed to erratic weather caused by climate change, but mostly it is because it is manual-intensive, needing initial capital and patience for a return on investment. The strategy that makes most sense for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/make-way-for-makalu-coffee">Nepal’s coffee industry</a> is to sell it as a rare, specialty product.&nbsp; Says Raj Kumar Banjara, master trainer at Nepal Coffee Academy and originator of the Himalayan Arabica brand: “There is no better crop for Nepal because we have the ideal soil and weather to grow specialty coffee, which can be exported to third countries directly instead of sending it through India like with ginger, cardamom, or tea.” These favorable conditions are at altitudes between 800m to 1,600m along the mid-mountains and temperature not exceeding 22°C, which allows cherries to &nbsp;develop slower, giving it a denser taste with complex flavours of fruits and nuts.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260205100216_35e470381d258d9598d30165d0dbb6b4294c389c61695bf8c47d72d2273b4629.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20260205100216_35e470381d258d9598d30165d0dbb6b4294c389c61695bf8c47d72d2273b4629" data-rendition-name="original" width="3872" height="2592" loading="lazy" alt="coffee culture in Nepal"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260205100216_f7ccb42d7a7fb656dadc7ba5132a6243b8f99a28f7877875172411b7a4c96bc0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20260205100216_f7ccb42d7a7fb656dadc7ba5132a6243b8f99a28f7877875172411b7a4c96bc0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1024" height="768" loading="lazy" alt="coffee culture in Nepal"> </figure>  This is ‘Arabica’ coffee, and it is also considered ‘organic by default’ because farmers have limited access to chemical pesticides and fertilisers, adding to its premium. All of Nepal’s coffee is grown in only 4,300 hectares total, and this is just 0.36% of the area suitable for coffee farming. Still 31,000 households across 44 districts depend on this cash crop.&nbsp; Challenges include out-migration, limits on land ownership, and climate breakdown leading to colder, drier winters, droughts and heat stress. Shreeyanch Shrestha is the founder of Samparka Cloud Loyalty, a startup that helps businesses retain customers by giving them insights about customer behaviour. Among the services offered is a digital loyalty card for coffee shops, one of his biggest clientele.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260205100216_c80e17ac78016ae5a90f4b27105e16af6c39d1422665f9f9c9b1d8404e5e7d54.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20260205100216_c80e17ac78016ae5a90f4b27105e16af6c39d1422665f9f9c9b1d8404e5e7d54" data-rendition-name="original" width="1280" height="960" loading="lazy" alt="coffee culture in Nepal"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260205100212_968c5b264ec2fb65014dc3ebc2777f0bf19f596a4152c59f9cad9d99dee79df7.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20260205100212_968c5b264ec2fb65014dc3ebc2777f0bf19f596a4152c59f9cad9d99dee79df7" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="900" loading="lazy" alt="coffee beans"> </figure>  Shrestha is also a coffee enthusiast, and recently collaborated with Baato Maps on the playfully designed ‘Kathmandu Coffee Map’.&nbsp; “This was a marketing campaign but also a way to pay tribute to cafe owners we worked with,” he says. “A new generation of coffee farmers, processors, roasters and consumers seem to want to invest in upgrading their coffee experience.” COFFEE CULTURE Operators such as Raj Kumar Banjara have been in that game for over 30 years, even earning a PhD in Coffee Agriculture, running farms and teaching roasting and barista courses. Now, he makes short how-to videos on social media. Banjara’s Academy is run by Specialty Coffee Association certified Q Graders and Authorised Trainers.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260205100216_22433d3a8b71224cd8cb38105b9eb5502a104e03ccec2e3864c8b23efc9f3fc6.png" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20260205100216_22433d3a8b71224cd8cb38105b9eb5502a104e03ccec2e3864c8b23efc9f3fc6" data-rendition-name="original" width="3612" height="2028" loading="lazy" alt="coffee culture in Nepal"> </figure>  Also promoting a coffee culture through social media is Santosh Shah of Bariko Coffee. He documents his process on Instagram, from hand picking and processing coffee cherries to brewing.&nbsp; Nepal appears to be riding the Third Wave of Coffee (see box) as the beverage moves away from the café chain culture to one that values knowledge of the cherries, beans, the roasting process and brewing -- right from the plant to the cup.&nbsp; Along the way, there are tales to be told about where the coffee is grown, who grows it, and how farmers get a fair price for the product. Coffee then becomes a shared social experience that directly connects the consumer to the producer. Nima Tenzing Sherpa returned to Nepal from the United States to start Lekali Coffee Estate in 2018, and produces fine single origin coffee beans so that the quality of the product improves the quality of life of the growers.&nbsp; He told Nepali Times: “Specialty-grade beans are the only future for Nepal’s coffee industry. I am continuously hunting for the best coffee origins in Nepal.” &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260205100212_e08ba44d6396eb75da868404dd8cf2a26b71cd6d90ab3afaf7175790c111d21e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20260205100212_e08ba44d6396eb75da868404dd8cf2a26b71cd6d90ab3afaf7175790c111d21e" data-rendition-name="original" width="3000" height="4000" loading="lazy" alt="coffee beans"> <figcaption>Photo: LEKALI COFFEE ESTATE </figcaption> </figure>  HISTORY OF COFFEE Human consumption of coffee began in Ethiopia when herders found their goats became perky after eating beans from a wild Arabica bush. The first commercial cultivation of the brew began in Yemen 600 years ago. &nbsp;&nbsp; Nepal’s coffee history is much younger. A holy man is said to have brought coffee seeds from Burma in 1938, and planted them in Gulmi, the district in the mid-mountains where the first coffee nursery was set up in 1981. The Nepal Coffee Company was founded in 1983 by Krishna Ghimire in Manigram near Butwal which educated farmers about the crop and recruited them to cultivate it. He then roasted the beans, and convinced the BhatBhateni stores, which had just opened, to sell it. The company still supplies coffee to cafes and has its own brands and farm. It supplies green beans to those who want to self-roast, or build a brand. In the 1990s, the National Tea and Coffee Development Board was established, and Himalayan Java Coffee (Nepal Made, right) opened its first shop in Kamaladi before moving to Thamel. Itr now has nearly 100 franchises across Nepal and overseas.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260207030236_1908f4a4246d373f51affa8ac48be90129e888f1222b8f10e5cd25421e931dd8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20260207030236_1908f4a4246d373f51affa8ac48be90129e888f1222b8f10e5cd25421e931dd8" data-rendition-name="original" width="2052" height="1455" loading="lazy" alt="coffee map"> </figure>  What is the Third Wave? First Wave: Profit-driven, mass marketing, air tight containers and instant coffee. Consumption of coffee worldwide starts growing.&nbsp; Second Wave: Artisan-driven, origin and roasting style become important, epitomised by Starbucks and espresso. &nbsp; <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Nepali-specialty-coffee,4106">Third Wave</a>: Characteristics of the beverage take centre stage: origin of the beans, consistent processing techniques, and roasting style. Independent coffee shops demonstrate craftsmanship and knowledge of coffee beans from plant to the cup, promoting ethics and transparency.&nbsp; Coffee Districts Coffee is grown in over 44 districts of Nepal (see map, above). In the last fiscal year, Nepal produced 550 tonnes of Bourbon, Typica and Yellow Caturra varieties of Arabica coffee. The total plantation area in Nepal is 4,300 hectares, a fraction of the total suitable land. &nbsp;

Caffeine buzz

When I landed in Kathmandu last November, I arrived with a Diwali hangover. Not the festive kind, but the coughing, dust-coated, throat-scratching kind gifted by North India’s winter air. After a decade of breathing in Delhi’s seasonal gas chamber, my lungs were in an open revolt. But within days of landing in Kathmandu, my cough vanished. It felt almost miraculous. The air was crisper. The Air Quality Index was kinder, and the Himalayan peaks rose on the horizon.&nbsp;
But by the third week, the familiar grey veil returned. First as a faint blur, then peak by peak the Himalaya began to disappear. Locals said it had been getting worse every year.&nbsp;
Much of this haze is not Kathmandu’s doing. What drifts into Nepal each winter is a toxic spillover from the plains of North India and Pakistan: black carbon, brown clouds, and fine particulate matter carried across borders by seasonal winds. Kathmandu’s bowl-shaped valley simply traps what the region exhales.
Abid Omar, founder of the <a href="https://pakairquality.com/" target="_blank">Pakistan Air Quality Initiative</a>, put it bluntly: “We often view air pollution and climate change as separate silos, but in the Himalaya, they are one and the same.”
Black carbon is essentially soot from diesel emissions, brick kilns, and crop burning. It may be short-lived in the atmosphere, but when ash settles on snow and ice, it reduces reflectivity and accelerates melting.&nbsp;
Omar adds, “Black carbon is a threat to the water security of the entire Indus and Ganges basins.”
What burns on both sides of Punjab do not stay in Punjab. It ends up on glaciers that feed rivers, sustaining hundreds of millions of people downstream.
In November 2024, AQI levels in New Delhi hovered near 500 and about the same time Lahore briefly became the world’s most polluted city, with the AQI count crossing 1,100. These numbers are not abstract.
According to the <a href="https://www.stateofglobalair.org/resources/archived/state-global-air-report-2024" target="_blank">State of Global Air 2024 report</a>, India recorded more than 2 million deaths attributable to air pollution in 2023. Bangladesh and Pakistan each saw over 200,000 deaths. Air pollution is now one of the leading causes of premature death across South Asia.
Nepal, often imagined as cleaner by default, tells a sobering story of its own. Air pollution in Nepal led to an estimated <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2025/06/17/air-pollution-is-the-number-one-health-risk-factor-in-nepal#:~:text=Vehicle%20Emissions:%20Continuing%20to%20electrify,airflows%20carry%20pollutants%20across%20borders." target="_blank">48,500 premature deaths</a>, with the loss of more than 1.4 million disability-adjusted life years. The University of Chicago’s <a href="https://aqli.epic.uchicago.edu/post/nepal-capital-chokes-as-wildfires-rage-en" target="_blank">Air Quality Life Index</a> estimates that particulate pollution cuts 3.4 years off the life of the average Nepali. In the Tarai region, life expectancy drops by nearly five years. In Kathmandu, residents lose 2.6 years.
Says infectious disease specialist Anup Subedee: “Air pollution is killing at a far higher rate than Covid-19 did during its worst years in Nepal. People are dying in their twenties of cancer, or having heart attacks and strokes in their thirties and forties.”
Nearly <a href="https://www.icimod.org/press-release/kathmandu-choked-on-polluted-air-for-75-of-the-last-90-days/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">40 per cent of winter particulate pollution in the Kathmandu</a> valley originates outside Nepal. Black carbon carried from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in India, besides parts of Pakistan, rides the winds north, settles on Himalayan snow, and accelerates glacier melt by absorbing heat.
“The pollutants travel across borders within shared airsheds, creating one gigantic plume of polluted air over India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan several times a year,” says Subedee.
In some Himalayan regions, <a href="https://www.icimod.org/success-stories/chapter-2/black-carbon-and-glacier-melt/" target="_blank">scientists estimate</a> that black carbon can increase localised melt rates by up to 30%. Yet global climate negotiations continue to treat glacial loss primarily as a carbon dioxide problem.&nbsp;
CHINA’S APPROACH
The South Asian story is transboundary, and more immediate as well as more preventable. This is not only about emissions. It is about coordination, and China offers an instructive contrast.
Since 2013, China has dramatically improved its air quality by declaring a '<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/12/12/what-new-delhi-can-learn-from-chinas-war-on-air-pollution#:~:text=In%20the%20following%20years%2C%20Beijing,29.3%CE%BCg%2Fm%C2%B3%20in%202024." target="_blank">war on pollution</a>'. A major air pollutant, suspended PM2.5 levels fell sharply through strict controls on coal, vehicles, and industry, massive investment in renewables, and legally binding national action plans.
Crucially, China shifted from city-by-city firefighting to a regional airshed approach. Provinces shared data, coordinated emergency responses, enforced unified standards, and tied environmental performance to political accountability. South Asian countries have done none of this.
Isolated national actions are insufficient when pollution itself ignores borders. India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan share the same airshed. Without cooperation, each country keeps breathing its neighbour’s mistakes.
“As the government representing the largest population affected by air pollution, India should lead this effort. Instead, the region has drifted away from cooperation, and the cost is becoming catastrophic,” Subedee says.
The haze over Kathmandu is not only Nepal’s burden. It is a <a href="https://sapannews.com/2024/12/27/could-climate-diplomacy-be-the-googly-a-gamechanger-for-regional-cooperation/" target="_blank">regional failure</a>. The melting of South Asia’s glaciers is not just a global warming story. It is also a local one, written in the smoke rising from our own fields, factories, and highways.
If we keep ignoring black carbon, the Himalayas will keep losing time, snow, and stability. The disappearing peaks of Kathmandu are not a metaphor. They are a warning.
And like the air itself, that warning is already crossing borders. ©Sapan News
Pragyan Srivastava is an Indian journalist and associate editor at <a href="http://www.sapannews.com/" target="_blank">Sapan News</a>. <a href="mailto:pragyan@sapannews.com" target="_blank">pragyan@sapannews.com</a>

Cleaning up the Himalayan airshed

This is the 82nd episode of Diaspora Diaries, a Nepali Times series in collaboration with Migration Lab providing a platform to share experiences of living, working and studying abroad. In September, under pressure from GenZ activists, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal pledged to ensure that overseas Nepalis would be able to vote in the March election. The analysis from experts, election officials, and much of the public was that the Election Commission was not prepared to ensure out-of-country voting in such a short time.&nbsp; But just because the diaspora cannot exercise its franchise does not mean Nepalis abroad cannot influence the election outcome. The 2021 census said 2.1 million Nepalis lived abroad, but realistically three times more live, work and study overseas.&nbsp; Being breadwinners also makes them decision makers for families back home. Most have left because they could not get meaningful jobs and sought opportunities abroad, which means they are not happy with the way Nepal has been governed by the established parties and leaders.&nbsp; The diaspora is therefore mostly an anti-incumbent vote bank, which was one reason the political leadership blocked out-of-country voting for so long – despite a Supreme Court ruling that all citizens had a constitutional right to vote, wherever they lived. &nbsp; In the 2022 polls, overseas Nepalis had already shown considerable influence by backing newer and alternative candidates like Balendra Shah for Kathmandu mayor, and parties like the RSP. In the four years since, and especially since the GenZ movement, support for a political shakeup has grown even stronger. So has technological reach that enables the diaspora to politically organise from overseas. &nbsp;‘Technology has reduced the distance in communication, but has also lowered the barrier in a way that allows overseas Nepalis to pressure family members,’ author Narayan Wagle wrote in an op-ed on Setopati this week. Indeed, all it takes for family members to be convinced whom to vote for is an ultimatum that relatives will stop sending money. With less than a month to go for the 5 March election, many Nepalis overseas are campaigning remotely for preferred candidates, even if they cannot themselves cast ballots.&nbsp; The overwhelming feeling seems to be that younger candidates should be given a chance. &nbsp;&nbsp; Read what some Nepalis abroad have to say. NEPAL'S NON-VOTING MIGRANTS <h2>My Respected Parents</h2> Anil Gole, Romania [This letter is a letter to my parents ahead of the election. They are UML supporters, my uncle is for the Nepali Congress (NC), and my grandfather supports the Nepali Communist Party (NCP).] My Respected Parents, I hear that election fever has picked up in the village. New faces with new ways of thinking have emerged this time. I don’t really understand politics, so what I say may feel bitter. But Father, when I see the flag with the sun in your hands, I remember the heat of Qatar from 12 years ago, your sunburnt skin and mother’s cheeks wrinkled with worry. Perhaps Uncle, too, found the Saudi heat so intolerable that he returned home. That may be why while seeking shade, he found the NC tree symbol endearing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Great uncle spent his whole life back home in the village, which is perhaps why he identifies with symbols like the plough, the sickle, and the hoe.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260206040236_669402ff85bdbd58360c12e10d23900ad99596b7a8dc196b8db1bcfe7e81e80e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20260206040236_669402ff85bdbd58360c12e10d23900ad99596b7a8dc196b8db1bcfe7e81e80e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Overseas vote bank NT"> <figcaption>Anil Gole</figcaption> </figure>  Even then, at any cost, vote for the same politicians. Vote for the same politicians who have not developed the country, who have not fed the poor, whose sons have not been shot.&nbsp; What if the country does not change? I have changed my country. When homesick, I have learnt what it feels like to suffocate in tears under a blanket. Now my younger brother is old enough. Send him here as well. We brothers will earn together. We will marry off our sister in a grand way. So what if the country does not develop? We will build a small, cute house with a big yard. You can play with the grandchildren there. And when they grow up, they too can migrate. But if you vote for the right people and the country gets good leaders, future generations will not have to sweat in foreign lands. They will not have to leave the comfort of a mother’s lap to spend nights abroad in unknown cities. No matter how hard things get, they will not have to lie in letters to their mothers,saying, “I’m doing fine, Mother.” I have not lost courage because of your blessings. My body is here, but my mind is always back home in Nepal. Your children are here, but my children’s future is in your hands. That is why vote for the same politicians whose hearts did not bleed even when the young were killed, the same politicians whose children have not come home in a box. Mother and Father, please take care of each other. Yours truly, Your fortunate migrant son <h2>Algorithm versus vision</h2> Ambika Paudel, Qatar I have been in Qatar for 18 years, and work in the facilities management, engineering, shipping and logistics &nbsp;industry. I get to interact with people from across the world, and they are closely connected with their embassies through online systems and communities. I lead the Nepal Expatriate Community that has multidisciplinary professionals and have observed the need to revise the narrative around migrants. We are here for our families. The sacrifices we make are for them. We are working for our own career growth and families because there were no opportunities back home. Many of us have achieved a good standard of living through our hard work and merit. When I send money to Nepal, it is for my family and the benefit to the government is a byproduct. It would have been good if we got to vote, too. That possibility and promise got lost somewhere in the policy confusion and lack of technical capacity. Overseas Nepalis are also deeply invested in the election, but it is largely algorithm based. We are not questioning the vision of the candidates.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260206040236_dc05b31d3abcf126360d923615a785a36de5b62a8695af9cbff000b586d0336d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20260206040236_dc05b31d3abcf126360d923615a785a36de5b62a8695af9cbff000b586d0336d" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Overseas vote bank NT"> <figcaption>Ambika Paudel</figcaption> </figure>  Our parents back home are the actual voters, and those overseas &nbsp;are talking to them. I don’t think they will be swayed just based on calls, and they shouldn’t be either. We are prioritising algorithms and words and social media boosts over vision, experience, and concrete plans. I am for the NC but I am not a blind supporter. Despite being at the forefront of every significant democratic change in Nepal’s history, the party has had lapses but it is currently on a new trajectory. Not all candidates of all parties are good so we have to elect competent leaders and question them. Whatever promises they make need to be examined for delivery and vision.&nbsp; There are also Congress loyalists who are swayed and influenced by the new, but I let it be — it is their right, their choice. Change requires vision and experience, it should not be based on hype, I remind them. Over online conversations, I tell them to vote wisely so they don’t regret it later. I returned from my break just recently so I cannot come home to vote as it will be too expensive. There are good human resources back in Nepal and in the diaspora which can be used. There are people in decision-making positions in their companies who are very capable and intelligent who could contribute to Nepal. These are missed opportunities in our policymaking and governance: Nepal needs to create opportunities for capable Nepalis.&nbsp; The new government can make the investment climate better through a one-door system so that services are accessible, quick and there is no need to go to multiple offices to start a company or pay taxes. This would also stop unnecessary bribes and other hassles. I don’t have plans to return in the near future. I have a good job and am earning well. I came to Nepal between 2016 and 2019 and remigrated again after things did not work out. <h2>The young need convincing</h2> Jeevan Kumar Dewan, Malaysia I have been living in Malaysia since 2001, and am an active member of the UML wing here. There is excitement about the upcoming election, but we are bound by contracts so cannot go home to vote.&nbsp; There was hope that we would be able to vote from overseas, but there were questions of security. Even though we won’t be able to vote, people are actively participating online and using social media to show their support to their candidates and parties of choice.&nbsp; Political parties prioritise organisational expansion overseas but there is no direct campaigning during elections. It is through conversations and social media engagement that people are participating, debating and expressing their support and loyalty.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260206040240_2ed54377199b995f0a19b7be98fff79004c13787c7a07185a47427467237277a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20260206040240_2ed54377199b995f0a19b7be98fff79004c13787c7a07185a47427467237277a" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1536" loading="lazy" alt="Overseas vote bank NT"> <figcaption>Jeevan Kumar Dewan</figcaption> </figure>  &nbsp;As a UML supporter, it is my duty to remind people to cut through the noise and to separate facts and truth. While elderly voters don’t need much convincing as they are loyal to the party, I do engage a fair amount with the young voters. I have to remind them not to get distracted by the videos shared in social media platforms. All new is not good just because it is new if there is no real political agenda. There is no doubt that we need change but being new is not enough nor can we overlook the contributions and experience of the old parties. All we can do is talk to the voters and try to get our message across. It is important to prioritise better managed migration and also to ensure migrants have proper guidance on how to invest their hard-earned money in productive sectors, even when it is not much, so they have something to fall back on after returning. I don’t have plans to return immediately, I go back and forth quite frequently. I have a stable job and I have seen how my friends who left secure jobs to return home ended up remigrating after their investment failed. I will stay here and continue with my job which I am happy with. <h2>The old need convincing</h2> Prajwal Poudel, Saudi Arabia I work as a data entry analyst in Saudi Arabia. People overseas have seen development, but have also experienced challenges of being away from home. Politicians are aware of this and didn’t want us to vote.&nbsp; When I was in Nepal, I did not care much about politics. It was not for me. But overseas we care about Nepal even more. Perhaps you don’t know the value of something unless you lose it. Perhaps distance makes hearts grow fonder. I am definitely more invested in Nepali politics after leaving.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260206040240_43ea30dfb58b873760e40177d84dca4bb34f1c9cdffdbc9a7c5a0c26b15e78b9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20260206040240_43ea30dfb58b873760e40177d84dca4bb34f1c9cdffdbc9a7c5a0c26b15e78b9" data-rendition-name="original" width="738" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Overseas vote bank NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260206040240_dfbc2302411e1ae32a4ab048fa34d940147942c00845d82d9cf59574f5c2e0fe.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20260206040240_dfbc2302411e1ae32a4ab048fa34d940147942c00845d82d9cf59574f5c2e0fe" data-rendition-name="original" width="1080" height="1200" loading="lazy" alt="Overseas Nepali vote bank NT"> </figure>  So I have to make sure that family members back home make the right decision this election. My cousin is also with me in Saudi Arabia and I was talking to his parents and telling them to vote correctly. They have voted for the same faces for two decades. I said that if there had been changes we would not have had to migrate. That this time they should accept the masu-bhat and alcohol, say UML-Congress jindaawaad, take the money offered but finally stamp on Ghanti.&nbsp; My cousin posted a recording of that call spontaneously on Tiktok. It went viral perhaps because it resonated with the youth. We cannot vote but we have to make sure at least our close family members vote correctly. My mother also seems ready for a change despite her loyalty to the UML, but I tell her she does not need to change her party just change her vote this year.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260206040240_0234dfec6f97a726f67120124833bb3fdc84cbf794eee910736649c5624e7576.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20260206040240_0234dfec6f97a726f67120124833bb3fdc84cbf794eee910736649c5624e7576" data-rendition-name="original" width="1168" height="1556" loading="lazy" alt="Overseas vote bank NT"> <figcaption>Prajwal Poudel</figcaption> </figure>  We need to give the new ones a chance. But it’s also true that the new will not bring dramatic changes overnight. Conversations here are all about the election back home. We talk about who is getting elected from their areas. Who they think will win. But the hottest topic of conversation is of course Jhapa. For those of us abroad, the government should make our embassies stronger. Back home, I hope corruption will be curbed and that good roads will reach all corners of the country. This will allow people to develop the country themselves.&nbsp; I am the son of a Malaysia returnee. I even worked as a teacher in Nepal. I could not even afford decent clothes so I left everything and came here. I don’t know when I will return.

Overseas Nepali vote bank

The series <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/looking-good-by-doing-good">Nepal Made</a> profiles world-class Nepali products and the people behind them. The Dutch colonised Indonesian island of Java in 1596, and found that the coffee plant thrived in its fertile volcanic soil. Java had become the primary source of coffee for the world by 1720, and the place name became synonymous with the beverage.&nbsp; Four hundred years later, in Kathmandu an entrepreneur named Gagan Pradhan founded Himalayan Java Coffee. After returning from Australia in 1990, he found that opening a café was the most affordable investment. Now, 27 years later, there are 100 Java franchises in the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Kurintar, Itahari and even Toronto and Lhasa.&nbsp; The story of Himalayan Java is pioneering, yet simple, combining consistent delivery in tastefully designed cafes at strategic locations to create a juggernaut of a brand. New Javas seem to pop up exactly where you would expect them to. “It all started as a passion, a hobby, and I never expected this venture to spread so widely so rapidly,” founder Pradhan told us at the Thamel outlet, where Himalayan Java moved in 2000 after opening the first small café in Kamaladi. Located on the first floor of a North Face showroom opposite Fire &amp; Ice Pizzeria in Thamel, the cafe has seating overlooking the street, and a spacious, bright indoors that is packed with locals, tourists, furniture, staff, baked goods on display, Himalayan Java merch, and coffee paraphernalia.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260208020256_12442271634ac9d5c2fa0ff723e42acb521a4b5d6f02b2c8ddb43664acf3f4b9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20260208020256_12442271634ac9d5c2fa0ff723e42acb521a4b5d6f02b2c8ddb43664acf3f4b9" data-rendition-name="original" width="1416" height="943" loading="lazy" alt="Himalayan Java"> </figure>  On a recent Friday afternoon, there were Nepalis, tourists from India and China in groups and solo, and monks in maroon. Westerners lounged on sofas, focused intensely on their laptops with headphones on. On an isolated balcony corner, two UML cadre could be overheard planning a campaign rally for the March election.&nbsp; CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Nearby in Darbar Marg is another Himalayan Java on the top floor of a building overlooking Narayanhiti Palace. On Mandala Street up a flight of stairs and in JP Marg is another Java outlet. That makes four outlets within a 400m circle in Kathmandu. Over in Patan, the density of locations is even higher: within 1sq km in the Sanepa-Jhamsikhel- Pulchok area are eight Himalayan Java outlets.&nbsp; Himalayan Java’s franchise business model is unique for Nepal: there is no other food or beverage business that has pulled it off on this scale.&nbsp; “We want Java to become a part of the customers’ life, as a casual place to meet or rest,” says General Manager Diwakar Ojha, explaining that an interested party applies, is vetted and can buy a franchise for a certain location. The criteria is whether the franchise has the resources and capacity to handle running the outlet long-term.&nbsp; The investor must follow rules and regulations to ensure quality of the product, standard of service and interior décor. But the management, marketing, staffing and supply chain are all handled by Himalayan Java which charges a franchise fee and a percentage of sales.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260205100212_f1f71a5f440495f3a66c02ca81b12e0bd65f819b43b6b95bc7e6dd25692ad3e1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20260205100212_f1f71a5f440495f3a66c02ca81b12e0bd65f819b43b6b95bc7e6dd25692ad3e1" data-rendition-name="original" width="641" height="960" loading="lazy" alt="Himalayan Java coffee"> </figure>  Some investors are prolific – there is one in Kathmandu who opened three franchises in two years. The outlets have a common ambience, but each location has its own unique vibe as well.&nbsp; “Same same, but different. We put a lot of thought into it,” Ojha says. “We are careful about location, and getting the design and feel of the cafe to gel with the surroundings. We integrate core things like furniture, bar counters, colours, but each one is unique.” A key value of the brand is consistency, and the main challenge is managing the supply chain. There are sister companies under the Himalayan Java brand: The Bakery, Bakery School, Roastery, Barista School, Import and Export, and Brewshala, where coffees and drinks are trialed and experimented. The hub of the operation is the Roastery and the Bakery in Bluebird Mall from where all beans and baked goods are sent to the outlets. Java now also has its own coffee farm in Ilam, and the rest of the beans are sourced from the Nepal Coffee Company, and it sells only Nepali coffee sourced from small farmers. Java has also evolved into co-working and lounge-type spaces where customers can meet, explore and follow social media trends like Matcha the green-tea based beverage that Java modified into the popular Blended Matcha, a Matcha Latte, and a Strawberry Matcha drink. Himalayan Java Coffee recently received a large investment from NIBL Equity Partners who acquired a 28.8% stake opening the way for more expansion (pictured). Plans are afoot to open more franchises across Nepal and in New Delhi. Despite its popularity, one criticism is the price point. An Americano can cost up to Rs355. Ojha justifies this saying the price reflects the high overheads.&nbsp; One solution is Himalayan Java Express, designed much more pragmatically, mainly for to-go orders where drink prices are slashed by half. &nbsp;&nbsp;