When Nepal opened up for trekking and mountaineering, it restricted foreigners from travelling to trans-Himalayan districts like Mustang and Dolpo because of the cultural sensitivity and limited ecological carrying capacity of the land.
Later in 1992, they were opened up, but unlike other trekking areas visitors had to pay the Annapurna Conservatioon Area Project (ACAP) $500 for 10 days and an additional $50 per day for any extra duration.&nbsp;
Since then, Nepal has become a federal republic and there is now a highway connecting Pokhara to Jomsom and Lo Manthang right up to the Chinese border, and locals say it does not make sense to charge such high fees anymore, saying it is impacting on the local economy.
“The permit fee for the restricted areas is too high and we would get a lot more tourists and raise local incomes if it was revoked,” argues Tashi Norbu Gurung, the elected chair of Lo Manthang Rural Municipality. “This is severely affecting our livelihoods and businesses.”
With support from local residents, hoteliers and village councils, Gurung along with the chairs of adjoining rural municipalities recently submitted a petition to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Surendra Pandey and Minister of Forest and Environment Birendra Kumar Mahato to remove Upper Mustang from the list of restricted areas.
Most of the fee goes to ACAP, and local municipalities complain that they do not really benefit from the extra charges on tourists.&nbsp;
Says Rinjin Gurung of the Waragung Muktikshetra Rural Municpality: “Because these are at present restricted areas, tourists cannot easily access them, and this has affected us all negatively.
Of the total 71,707 tourists who visited Mustang in 2022/23, only 3,388 visited Upper Mustang, paying the ACAP premium fee. Trekking traffic to the region has been climbing to nearly pre-Covid levels with more than 3,000 tourists in the first nine months of 2023. The number of Nepali visitors to the region has also grown exponentially, with most travelling by motorcycle or jeep from Pokhara.
“It is important that we set up fees and create a system that is appropriate for tourists of all classes and economic status,” says Vikal Sherchan member of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly. Indeed, there is fear that opening up Upper Mustang to mass tourism can lead to some of the negative effects seen in other parts of Nepal with unregulated building, high costs, theft of antiquities and an impact on the region’s fragile ecology.
Upper Mustang in Nepal’s trans-Himalaya is a major tourist attraction with arid and desolate mountain landscapes, ancient Tibetan culture with monasteries and chortens and places of historical importance. In fact, in a lot of ways Mustang is geologically, culturally and linguistically closer to Tibet than Nepal.
Many visitors to Mustang are also Hindu and Budhist pilgrims who come worship at the Muktinath shrine. Trekkers often traverse the Thorung La pass from Manang to Mustang, for which they do not have to pay the extra ACAP fee.&nbsp;
New high-end hotels have now come up in Jomsom, Lo Manthang and along the trail in between. Some of the investors in these hotels feel lifting the premium fee will increase the footfall in Upper Mustang.
Adapted from RSS
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/comings-and-goings-in-mustang">Comings and goings in Mustang</a>, Shrijan Pandey

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Call to scrap Upper Mustang tourist fee

Kanchan Rai caught the travel bug young. During holidays, he would spend the entire day roaming around Kathmandu, coming home late into the evening, much to the dismay of his mother. She called him ‘ghumante’, a wanderer. The obsession with wandering never left Rai even when he grew up, and the nickname stuck. Over the years he explored parts of Nepal, far from the beaten track.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/top-dasain-destinations">Top Dasain destinations</a>, Nepali Times He has now built the Ghumante brand that has through social media inspired a whole new generation of Nepalis to pursue the roads less taken. “Ghumante is not an insult anymore,” says Rai. “There are now many other accounts on social media that have the word ghumante in their ID.” Ghumante first started as a blog back in 2013. As an IT professional, Rai was aware of the emerging trends and he wanted to set up a travel blog to earn a side income from Google ads. A friend familiar with SEOs helped him to ensure rankings. He also started a Facebook page, where he crowdsourced photos from fellow travellers.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023101913100_84eafbd78eb77309d62f2e66e807b6ed541d55e7b94761e33bc9c31cf65f0eb1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2023101913100_84eafbd78eb77309d62f2e66e807b6ed541d55e7b94761e33bc9c31cf65f0eb1" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="Ghumante NT"> <figcaption>Kanchan Rai </figcaption> </figure>  Initially he asked his siblings for photos from their travels to ensure regular posting, as he could not travel as often due to work. He also collaborated with another friend, Prakash Buda, a photographer. They also gave away t-shirts to contributors. The blog and Facebook page saw modest success.&nbsp; “I was conscious about copyright, so I did not lift things from the internet, even though I could have got more followers,” says Rai. The turning point came in 2015, as the internet pivoted to video. Rai was working in Thailand and travelled to Nepal every holiday. He bought a GoPro and also found a group of Nepalis with similar interests. Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/top-10-treks">Top 10 treks</a>, Nepali Times At the end of 2015, they went to Gupha Pokhari, and documented the trip, learning video editing and script-writing as they went. In 2019, he returned to Nepal for good, and that was when travelling became a full-time occupation. He dedicated time and resources for YouTube with a team. Then Covid-19 hit. “That was the time I wished I was a journalist. Getting travel passes would have been much easier,” recalls Rai. “But it was amazing traveling when no one else was.” Ghumante’s YouTube channel now has 125 videos spanning the mountains and plains with a total of over 24 million views. Rai paid for it with savings in the beginning, but now they have partners and sponsors.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023101913104_5b9bc41fa208b56a2bf44294fc20a6e4a5b2915e52387d3d3663dcd80076387f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2023101913104_5b9bc41fa208b56a2bf44294fc20a6e4a5b2915e52387d3d3663dcd80076387f" data-rendition-name="original" width="3000" height="2000" loading="lazy" alt="Ghumante"> </figure>  Planning for videos can take anywhere from 2 months to a year. The team researches the location including the altitude, settlements and whether there are clear trails, then they find local contacts who can help them navigate and introduce the village to them. “One should travel because it broadens one’s horizon,” says Rai. “Those who don’t travel only read one page of the entire book that is life.” He is happy that people take his video as reference when traveling but says he feels an added responsibility these days thinking of the aftermath on the environment and culture of a place when a lot of people visit a new place. “It is important to respect the culture, landscape and people when we travel,” says Rai. “We need to be responsible travellers and leave nothing but our footprints--a message we are trying to give through our videos.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/where-are-you-going-this-dasain">Where are you going this Dasain?</a>, Sikuma Rai When they travel, they also try to convince the locals to preserve their own culture and identity in food and architecture to attract the tourists--like you don’t need a cement building in community homestays, traditional architecture should be kept intact.&nbsp; “We don’t need ugly view towers on mountain tops. Binoculars would be better,” says Rai, who now wants to produce full-fledged travel documentaries. &nbsp; 10 Ghumante Travel Recommendations Note from Ghumante: When choosing the destination, consider time, budget, your own physical condition, and research and respect the place, its culture and customs. 1. Millennium Trek, Tanahun and Syangja In 2000, a new trekking trail through the culturally rich Gurung and Magar villages of Tanahun and Syangja was initiated. Due to the conflict, the trail never took off. Although the highest point of this trek is no more than 1,800m, this fairly easy trail offers unprecedented views of Annapurna, Manaslu and Dhaulagiri.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121032_c3ac6b8070d3ae030070a146ee789e9e413109c37e2fb163a40426b9bd1f4273.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20231019121032_c3ac6b8070d3ae030070a146ee789e9e413109c37e2fb163a40426b9bd1f4273" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1124" loading="lazy" alt="Millennium trek "> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_qWgugTzCm0?si=PLp_0ZjK0YBnTrN4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;2. Badimalika, Bajura More popular as a religious destination, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Badimalika-a-ridge-too-far,3328">Badimalika</a> can also be a pilgrimage to nature. The remoteness of the place has kept it preserved from the outside world and ‘development’ that has accompanied other tourist spots. Trek there any time, except in winter.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121048_207e0b66036aba24112107f59e796029903bd6082d43929c04e01b4a32e1e33e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20231019121048_207e0b66036aba24112107f59e796029903bd6082d43929c04e01b4a32e1e33e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="Bdhimalika"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9iXhMmPtqRE?si=v0QKzyqFQ-RfbUgZ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;3. Ramaroshan, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-rural-lifeline">Achham</a> With 12 lakes and 18 alpine meadows at a height of 2,500m, the wetland of Ramaroshan is a hidden gem. Now easily accessible by road and air, travellers cross rhododendron forests and grazing horses, waterfalls, and mallard ducks in the clear waters. They can also visit Kinemini maidan, a former Maoist training ground.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121048_560b6ee91f56dc88f24502115396f28d53720a4169dee01a69969fb1ff66ca16.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20231019121048_560b6ee91f56dc88f24502115396f28d53720a4169dee01a69969fb1ff66ca16" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1332" loading="lazy" alt="Ramaroshan"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VTq6NA18xeM?si=bjFu7mQrIZrNOAVQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;4. Janakpur Often overlooked due to the lure of the mountains, Nepal's plains offer an equally enriching experience. Home to more than 70 shrines including the Janaki Temple and numerous ponds, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Federalism-in-the-capital-of-Tarai,3449">Janakpur</a> boasts a rich history and culture. It is noted for its arts, languages, and literature.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121048_4ee366063fb4f5f378b25f5c10b6aea42aa45e4721df27e986e84f69f4405cf8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20231019121048_4ee366063fb4f5f378b25f5c10b6aea42aa45e4721df27e986e84f69f4405cf8" data-rendition-name="original" width="1024" height="1536" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aDVwQwLHqeE?si=UO-NdBeq4CpmE2kY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;5. Tharu Community Lodge, Nawalpur Experience the rich <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/displacement-and-defiance">Tharu culture and architecture</a> against the backdrop of mesmerising sunsets reflected on the Narayani River. Hire a local guide and book a safari to the Chitwan National Park. Even better, time your visit for the annual Holi festival for an experience of a lifetime.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121052_b7740e2d6bb329ca5d4bfbe894c9dad5b521906762354831cc579d33f1d195f9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_17" data-image-id="20231019121052_b7740e2d6bb329ca5d4bfbe894c9dad5b521906762354831cc579d33f1d195f9" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="Tharu Community Lodge Nawalpur"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bkmScIO8K5E?si=71TiCPdxIdPwZLxt" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;6. Kangchenjunga <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-kangchenjunga">The Kangchenjunga Base Camp</a> trek is enough to satisfy even the most avid traveler. Perhaps one of the most diverse treks in Nepal, the altitude goes from 200-300m in the lowlands of Jhapa to 5,140m. The trek is doable in 15-20 days.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121052_c7b09810d6439e67ea27f5baf1496419ca683bfc2ef7b6a7d45a4be230b42f95.jpg" data-media-id="editor_20" data-image-id="20231019121052_c7b09810d6439e67ea27f5baf1496419ca683bfc2ef7b6a7d45a4be230b42f95" data-rendition-name="original" width="1080" height="1350" loading="lazy" alt="Kangchenjunga"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BBa0F1kzToI?si=CiS_loVwGUtlJ2hc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> 7. &nbsp;Api Base Camp, Darchula Mt Api, 7,132m, is the westernmost peak. Camp at the edge of a coniferous forest and wake up to see the sunrise to the sound of chirping birds and a gurgling brook. Off the beaten path, Api lies in the most remote and hardest-to-get-to parts of Nepal, but the people, views, and culture make the arduous journey worthwhile.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121052_a7cfc7ee445967dc75fbf3d26638c5f3370a4ee576c4b404fc03a273461f784c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_22" data-image-id="20231019121052_a7cfc7ee445967dc75fbf3d26638c5f3370a4ee576c4b404fc03a273461f784c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1439" loading="lazy" alt="Api Base Camp"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D6iGgWyd_F4?si=N68MeN8G-z9vlJTu" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;8. Mugu Mugu is popular because of Rara lake, but the district has much more to offer. From its beautiful pastures to Swangeri, a unique mountain with a big hole on the top, which local folklore says was made by the arrow of Pala Gopo, Mugu's potential for tourism remains untapped.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121052_c634db7ffc06446bdd83d11c2fca23c19fcfeb491b0836ce83a8761989a22715.jpg" data-media-id="editor_24" data-image-id="20231019121052_c634db7ffc06446bdd83d11c2fca23c19fcfeb491b0836ce83a8761989a22715" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Mugu"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MdERyxqw_I4?si=iXjZPYsKOmJ3UpsL" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;9. Pikey Peak, Solu&nbsp; One of the best-kept secrets of trekking in Nepal is <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/lifetime-experience-on-pikey-peak">Pikey Peak in Solu</a>, which offers a view of seven of Nepal's eight-thousanders from one place, including Mt Everest. The 4,065m peak was bypassed by most trekkers on the Everest trail. Now, the road from Kathmandu to Jiri and the Solu Highway has reached Phaplu via Okhaldhunga, and Pikey is accessible to trekkers of all ages.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121056_fb22519283cd5d9d8bdba5ba99fa28fb2abb73209797e945e398e1a9853ddb02.jpg" data-media-id="editor_27" data-image-id="20231019121056_fb22519283cd5d9d8bdba5ba99fa28fb2abb73209797e945e398e1a9853ddb02" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1332" loading="lazy" alt="Pikey Peak"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ngQLVloeNwU?si=dR7tbJvl5yhtEO1H" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> 10. Panchpokhari, Solukhumbu, Ramechhap, Sindhupalchok&nbsp; There are many Panchpokharis in Nepal, most of them sacred ponds in the mountains. From lush green grasslands to colourful wildflowers and breathtaking mountain views, the Panchpokhari of Sindhupalchok is perhaps best known with shamans and pilgrims flocking the holy site during Janai Purnima. But there are other Panchpokharis in Solukhumbu and Ramechhap.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121056_c82a9074cecf34ba19e0f9491a8eff8243acb9733a635bd5336a7fb469bb3b36.jpg" data-media-id="editor_29" data-image-id="20231019121056_c82a9074cecf34ba19e0f9491a8eff8243acb9733a635bd5336a7fb469bb3b36" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="Panchpokhari"> <figcaption>Panchpokhari, Ramechhap</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121056_4908f6f24bea125b2c58f7a909a1c2efee6d07c4e9dad3bea9a8742fc638e56c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_30" data-image-id="20231019121056_4908f6f24bea125b2c58f7a909a1c2efee6d07c4e9dad3bea9a8742fc638e56c" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1499" loading="lazy" alt="Panchpokhari"> <figcaption>Panchpokhari, Sindhupalchok</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023101913100_51e01bb85da1a62a976b288deb8b3bc251e4aac1a21e73accb1e3fc7bff0eba3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_31" data-image-id="2023101913100_51e01bb85da1a62a976b288deb8b3bc251e4aac1a21e73accb1e3fc7bff0eba3" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1332" loading="lazy" alt="Panchpokhari"> <figcaption>Panchpokhari, Solu</figcaption> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uRcnEWvPZA4?si=o_E2t5BFUHxbucuo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;

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The journey is more interesting than the destination

Dasain used to be a time for family reunions, celebrations and feasting in Nepal. Now, it is time to take an <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/where-are-you-going-this-dasain">annual vacation to destinations abroad</a>. Bali, Bangkok and Goa are the preferred cities, and within Nepal domestic visitors to Pokhara, Mustang or Sauraha have also picked up after the pandemic.&nbsp; Now, Istanbul has become a competitive destination thanks to stopover offers by Turkish Airlines as well as the US dollar exchange rate, making Türkiye surprisingly affordable. It is hard to believe that a city destination in Europe is only a six-hour flight away. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/business/the-new-sky-silk-road-to-istanbul">Turkish Airlines</a> flies three times a week from Kathmandu, and from there to 314 destination airports in 126 countries around the world. In fact, more than 90% of passengers on every Kathmandu-Istanbul flight are transiting to Europe or the Americas.&nbsp; “Bangkok and Bali are great, but why keep going to the same place each time? Istanbul and Türkiye in general have so much to offer,” says Turkish Airlines Country Manager Serkan Başar. “Nepalis will find many things familiar, but also exotic in the meeting place of Asia and Europe, the food, culture and shopping.” Turkish Airlines is also promoting Nepal among other destinations as a tourism attraction at the fifth travel and tourism EMITT Istanbul to be held 6-9 February in 2024. Nepal and Türkiye established diplomatic relations in 1962, but it was not until Turkish Airlines connected Istanbul and Türkiye that exchanges were picked up. Türkiye’s ambassador to Nepal is based in Delhi, but the country is soon setting up its embassy in Kathmandu. Historically, Nepal-Türkiye links go back even further to Nepali soldiers fighting alongside the allies in the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/gallipoli-and-the-gurkhas,2271">Gallipoli campaign during the First World War</a>.&nbsp; Turkish Airlines is currently the only European airline flying into Nepal and now offers Nepali passengers with connecting flights to Europe and beyond who can get a wide range of complimentary tour and travel services from the airlines. Passengers can make the best use of their layover in Istanbul.&nbsp; One of the three options by the airlines is <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/business/touristanbul-is-back">Touristanbul</a> for passengers with a layover between six to 24 hours. Interested individuals can sign up at the Transfer Desk or the International Arrivals Terminal of İstanbul Airport. There are eight scheduled tours to select from given one’s flight times. After landing at İstanbul Airport, passengers will be picked up by a vehicle and driven back to the airport at the end of the tour.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023092112090_80b543b690bcbd5778f9a2af71c366f9e64f21556c167e201e92a2c111911972.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="2023092112090_80b543b690bcbd5778f9a2af71c366f9e64f21556c167e201e92a2c111911972" data-rendition-name="original" width="1600" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Galata Tower"> <figcaption>Galata Tower. Photo: GALATA TOWER TICKETS</figcaption> </figure>  Passengers can take advantage of a free tour using their ticket number only if issued by Turkish Airlines stock number starting 235. Touristanbul is available for Turkish Airlines’ flights including codeshare flights. Economy class passengers with a connection time of 12 hours or longer and business class passengers with nine hours or more can get hotel service free of charge. A maximum of two nights’ accommodation will be offered. The layover period is calculated taking the landing time of the first flight and departure time of the second flight as a basis. Passengers under 18 are not accepted without accompanying adults, and passengers on Codeshare airlines are also eligible. The most attractive complimentary service is the Stopover in Istanbul valid for passengers with a connection period of at least 20 hours. Economy Class passengers can stay one night at a 4-star hotel and Business Class passengers may stay two nights in a 5-star hotel for free.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023092112098_d7a5d70147ffb4979eda1e2550b601f20ade73249da7d7b985de31fe10f2753e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2023092112098_d7a5d70147ffb4979eda1e2550b601f20ade73249da7d7b985de31fe10f2753e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1600" height="1067" loading="lazy" alt="Dolmabahce"> <figcaption>Dolmabahce Palace. Photo: ISTANBUL.COM</figcaption> </figure>  Passengers are required to make a reservation at least 72 hours before their first flight. They need to send in their name-surname, reservation code (PNR) and ticket number, desired accommodation dates, preferred room type, telephone number and e-mail address information to the e-mail address corresponding to their country of departure, or visit Turkish Airlines website for details. Nepalis can easily get an e-visa if they have a Schengen, UK or US visa for the complimentary stopover. Forms can be obtained at www.evisa.gov.tr/ website. Nepalis without onward visas can get a single entry tourist visa valid for a maximum of 30 days at VFS.&nbsp; Stopover e-visa can also be obtained from the Turkish Airlines sales or ticket desks before or on the day of departure. &nbsp;

Stopping between Asia and Europe

The town of Dapcha sits on a ridgeline stretching eastwards from the revered shrine of Namobuddha, its urbanscape left largely intact by inhabitants who have moved out. But as the only Newar settlement in the Valley’s proximity that retains its old character, Dapcha can prosper as a getaway for visitors. This must happen before the brick houses are replaced by painted cement structures, as elsewhere. Dapcha has survived, while Khokana, Bungamati, Sankhu, Banepa and other towns have lost their traditional character, either through rapid demographic change and modernisation, or the destruction of the April 2015 earthquake. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/building-back-a-beyul-in-tsum">Building back a beyul in Tsum</a>, Sonam Lama  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230730050732_3e9d1c6fb117d277293ba7a84f0e2af3f4338f12a7dabaf6569d433c18b1e393.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230730050732_3e9d1c6fb117d277293ba7a84f0e2af3f4338f12a7dabaf6569d433c18b1e393" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Dapcha’s old world charm awaits NT"> <figcaption>Autumn view of Jugal Himal from Dapcha, with Phulbari in the foreground. Photo: KANAK MANI DIXIT</figcaption> </figure>  While the surrounding villages of Kavre were damaged in the earthquake, geological good fortune left Dapcha largely intact. The 45 or so ancient buildings of brick, carved wood and mud mortar still stand, though weakened by age.&nbsp; Dapcha awaits entrepreneurs who understand the thirst of city folks for traditional Newar urbanscape, and international tourists who want to experience tangible and intangible heritage amidst the natural splendour of midhill Nepal. Om Krishna Shrestha, a recently retired bureaucrat, who owns one of the larger homes in Dapcha agrees that the preservation of his town requires quick investment to retrofit the townhouses and provide the interiors with modern spaces and amenities. "We can revive the town, homeowners like me are convinced of this," he says. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/protecting-kathmandu-s-historic-roofscape">Protecting Kathmandu’s historic roofscape</a>, Anne Feenstra  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230730050732_8bf8db9de0ef8bd29e09d755c2c5f0b3d47ec65469dd35c854b7f06f409a83e4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230730050732_8bf8db9de0ef8bd29e09d755c2c5f0b3d47ec65469dd35c854b7f06f409a83e4" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="Dapcha’s old world charm awaits NT"> <figcaption>Dapcha Chhatrebang bazaar in 2019. Photo: WIKIMEDIA</figcaption> </figure>  Dapcha’s main street is lined with old townhouses, and the settlement commands a view of 350km of peaks from Khumbu Himal to the Annapurnas. The surrounding hills and valleys are scenic, and the high Mahabharat Lek dominates the southern horizon. Nestled in a mountain cleft to the west of Dapcha is the shrine of Namobuddha, worshipped for what the jataka tales tell involve Shakyamuni Buddha. Namobuddha’s Newar community revers not one but three temples dedicated to Bhimsen, and the east end of the town has a Kalika Devi temple on a dramatic wooded hilltop. There are jatra all year around, with the biggest one centred on Krishna Janmasthami. The surrounding villages have Tamang, Dalit, Bahun and Chhetri inhabitants. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/village-of-the-climbers">Village of the climbers</a>, Monika Deupala  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230730050744_4e2f937056560af60b4f51e7b1b70376c0a3e56a39ea5b22908895568fcddeba.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230730050744_4e2f937056560af60b4f51e7b1b70376c0a3e56a39ea5b22908895568fcddeba" data-rendition-name="original" width="3000" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="Dapcha Map NT"> </figure>  The long 2,500m high ridge on which Dapcha is located is more or less level, &nbsp;making it perfect for mountain biking. The nearby villages of Phulbari and Patlekhet are the centre of Nepal’s organic farming movement, and host frequent training programs. The seasons are marked by the tint of the terrace fields, from the yellow mustard in autumn to the green of mid-monsoon maize. Dapcha’s historical importance is as a trading town on the main route heading east from Kathmandu. Till just a decade ago, the trail nearby used to display ‘Jungay kos’ markers, indicating the distance from Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/eastern-nepal-s-mundum-landscape">Eastern Nepal’s Mundum landscape</a>, Achyut Tiwari and Ramesh Kumar Rai  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230730050732_1ad71b182324cfd44a0bf8c3660beb7faa83efef768a17ec3ca0705145f60922.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20230730050732_1ad71b182324cfd44a0bf8c3660beb7faa83efef768a17ec3ca0705145f60922" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Dapcha’s old world charm awaits NT"> <figcaption>Newar elder of Dapcha. Photo: SAURAV THAPA SHRESTHA</figcaption> </figure>  Dapcha was on the route that pilgrims, traders, invaders and defenders used between the Valley and east Nepal, as also the Mithila region to the southeast via Sindhuli. Dapcha can emulate the 'tourism repurposing' of Bandipur, the other Newar settlement located on a high saddle midway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. There are other historical trading posts from Doti in the west to Chainpur in the east that could also pick up the example.&nbsp; Bandipur was left literally high and dry when the Tanahu district headquarters was moved down to Damauli during the Panchayat in 1968, with the opening of the Prithvi Highway. Traders and bureaucrats moved out, and for more than three decades Bandipur became a ghost town, until tourism experts came to the rescue.&nbsp; Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-other-abc-trek"> The Other ABC Trek</a>, Bimal Kandel  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230730050732_08c456b7269e3caf41f6a9ce8f5797033b7871c07fe93de7ea0913a57890740c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20230730050732_08c456b7269e3caf41f6a9ce8f5797033b7871c07fe93de7ea0913a57890740c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1750" height="1313" loading="lazy" alt="Dapcha’s old world charm awaits NT"> <figcaption>Thoroughfare of the old town. Photo: KANAK MANI DIXIT</figcaption> </figure>  The first concrete activity to uplift Bandipur’s prospects was a brochure produced in 1998 with the help of the Partnership for Quality Tourism, researched and written by Ujwal Sherchan. Tourism entrepreneur and expert Dilendra Shrestha who helped in the revival of the Swotha neighbourhood in Patan also got involved with Bandipur.&nbsp; Says Shrestha, “Our job was to convince Bandipur homeowners, many of whom had moved to Narayanghat, that there was income from saving their ancient town. We persuaded them to preserve the old buildings, and &nbsp;convert the main thoroughfare into a pedestrian zone.” Dapcha is only two hours from Kathmandu via Dhulikhel, and is less compact than Bandipur although its buildings are taller and more ornate. Dapcha is now connected by well-built roads down to the BP Highway and to the Namobuddha shrine. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/trails-less-travelled/" target="_blank">Trails less travelled</a>, Joy Stephens  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230730050732_af3b8e6baf219464c093a3850813ed7670cd3f4b8a5c34f317364385f0828b36.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20230730050732_af3b8e6baf219464c093a3850813ed7670cd3f4b8a5c34f317364385f0828b36" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Dapcha’s old world charm awaits NT"> <figcaption>Dapcha marks Dya Pyakon jatra. Photo: Prajwol Shrestha</figcaption> </figure>  Successive mayors of Namobuddha Municipality of which Dapcha is a part (TP Sharma and the incumbent Kunsang Lama) are alert to the tourism possibilities, and have helped build two bypass tracks north and south so that the town can also have a pedestrian boulevard. Dapcha holds possibilities as a fine destination at a time when the mountain settlements of Nepal are &nbsp;losing their traditional architecture. What Dapcha needs is collaboration between home-owners, investors, conservation architects and marketing experts, to prove that preservation can bring prosperity.&nbsp; All it takes to start it off is a couple of townhouses to be retrofitted and converted. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-other-attraction-the-night-sky">Nepal’s other attraction: the night sky</a>, Himali Dixit

Dapcha’s old world charm awaits

It has been three years since Hindus have been unable to make a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to the holiest places in their religion: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/faith-to-reality">Mt Kailas and Lake Mansarovar</a>. This is because of the pandemic, and the fact that the sacred sites are in China. But China is gradually re-opening and has indicated that pilgrims will be allowed to visit Kailas-Mansarovar again — but at the moment only for Nepalis. Mt Kailas (6,638m) is a granite monolith and is regarded by Hindus across the Subcontinent as the abode of Lord Shiva, his consort Parvati and the elephant god Ganesh. It is also revered by Buddhists of the Vajrayana tradition. The glaciers of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-karnali">Mt Kailas</a> feed Lake Mansarovar (4,590m) where Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims take a ritual dip for spiritual cleansing. Most of the Subcontinent’s major rivers, including the Sutlej, Indus, Ganges, Karnali and Brahmaputra have their origins within 100km of the mountain and lake.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230426120456_0b0625268aa018973bb2b4291bd13b3b9630124bc4803cd41555e1c13f49153c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20230426120456_0b0625268aa018973bb2b4291bd13b3b9630124bc4803cd41555e1c13f49153c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="mansarovar nt 4"> <figcaption>Mt Kailas from the south face.</figcaption> </figure>  Aside from its geological and religious significance, Mt Kailas and Lake Manasarovar also lie along geo-strategic fault lines. Regionals between China and India are strained, and their militaries clash frequently along the disputed Himalayan border. The area also lies just north of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/territorialism">Kalapani-Lipu Lek region of northwestern Nepal</a> which is presently occupied by India, and is at the tri-junction of Chinese, Indian and Nepalese borders. Indian pilgrims have traditionally taken a 5-day trek up to Lipu Lek Pass to cross over into Tibet. But in 2020, the Indian Army built a road nearly to the top of the pass, reigniting <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/a-survival-strategy-for-nepal">the border dispute</a> with Nepal.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230705140736_857c65df83dc05eba24ee44d5c5aaabcc457464cb94e13b0aa99b11a6d9a9444.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230705140736_857c65df83dc05eba24ee44d5c5aaabcc457464cb94e13b0aa99b11a6d9a9444" data-rendition-name="original" width="805" height="550" loading="lazy" alt="Kailash Mansarovar"> </figure>  There is a quota on the number of pilgrims who can take this route, which is why many Indians flew to Simikot in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/north-of-the-border">Nepal’s Humla district</a> to take helicopter ferries to the border at Hilsa, then driving 45km to Mansarovar by car. A more expensive route was to fly to Lhasa and drive across the Tibetan Plateau for four days to reach the lake. Lhasa is now also connected to a new airport at Ngari Gunsa, 5-hour drive from Mt Kailas. On 1 May, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-geopolitics-of-pilgrimage">China reopened</a> the Rasuwa-Kerung and Hilsa-Purang checkpoints that had been closed since early 2020 to revive overland trade. It also announced that it was opening Kailas-Mansarovar pilgrimages for Nepalis, but they needed to travel in groups of at least four and had to come to Kathmandu to get visas and biometrics at the Chinese Embassy. Nepal Tourism Board said over 250,000 Indian tourists visited Nepal in 2019, and that one-third of them were booked on tours to Mansarovar and Kailas paying up to $3,000 each. The number of Indian tourists visiting Nepal has already exceeded 167,000 in the first six months of this year. Since many of the pilgrims are not allowed into China, they visit another pilgrimage destination at <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/comings-and-goings-in-mustang">Muktinath</a>, or fly to Simkot to take a helicopter to Lapcha La in Humla from where both Mansarovar and Kailas can be seen to the north on a clear day. The Lapcha La viewpoint was popularised by the Indian spiritual influencer Sadhguru when he made a well-publicised trip there in 2022. “We have not received concrete information from the Chinese side, so there is confusion as to whether the border is properly opened,” Ujir Rokaya, Humla's Chief Administrative Officer, told us over the phone. “We are planning to go to the border to seek clarification.” Once the Lipu Lek route is opened and the Chinese lift their quota restrictions, Indian pilgrims will prefer to travel directly, bypassing the routes through Nepal. Even if the Chinese restriction on Indians continues, pilgrims can go to Lipu Lek Peak from where Mt Kailas and Lake Manasarovar can be seen. “The Hilsa route is still the most convenient one,” explains Mani Raj Lamichhane at the Nepal Tourism Board, which has been trying to sell the Pashupati-Muktinath-Mansarovar package via Nepal to Indian pilgrims. But for that to happen, highways have to be upgraded, flights need to be more reliable, proper hotels need to be built along the route and there should be no hassles at the border.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230426120456_a075abad4a4f09ffe9da0f7f4c69ff71aede6b7d304c3d995859e2342aa681a2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20230426120456_a075abad4a4f09ffe9da0f7f4c69ff71aede6b7d304c3d995859e2342aa681a2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="mansarovar nt 2"> <figcaption>Local Tibetans and visitors circumbulating the outer kora of Mt Kailas.(Photo: Nabraj)betnab</figcaption> </figure>  “When the Hilsa border was open, it was tough to handle so many tourists. But now, the hotels are empty,” adds Bijaya Lama of a hotel in Simkot. “We expected at least 2,000 pilgrims this year, but it looks like we will not get any.” Basu Dev Thapa of Himalayan Glory Travels and Tours has specialised in Indian pilgrim traffic for the past 20 years, and says the fact that Hinduism’s holiest sites are in Nepal or can be reached through Nepal is a big advantage. “Since Nepal is culturally close to India, our services and hospitality are a plus,” adds Thapa. “Despite the new Lipu Lek road through India, the Nepal route is more convenient and pilgrims can visit multiple holy places on one trip.” The Indian process to visit Mansarovar is also tedious because besides a lucky draw quota, pilgrims have to undergo training, biometric and health checks, which can take up to six months. The Nepal option is cheaper and has fewer restrictions. Add Thapa: “If we improve connectivity and facilities, the Nepal option still holds more advantage.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

China opens Kailas-Mansarovar pilgrimage…

Nepal had just welcomed an all time high 1.2 million visitors in 2019 and was aiming to bring 2 million tourists the following year. Come March 2020 and everything ground to a halt. Thousands of Nepalis lost incomes, and faced an uncertain future. While foreign tourists have returned to Nepal after three years, tourism entrepreneurs now must consider how best to safeguard the sector from future crises. Covid-19 wasn’t the last of the pandemics, and now there are more conflicts and disasters. One solution is a shift to a sustainable and inclusive model through community-based homestay tourism, which is already spreading across Nepal.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701050728_22ed6aac00eae7f5a4d4084ee827df1ce74afc6ce7be68c8305a6069cd6c77ad.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20230701050728_22ed6aac00eae7f5a4d4084ee827df1ce74afc6ce7be68c8305a6069cd6c77ad" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Butwal Nepal"> <figcaption>The city of Butwal seen from a hillside, a short hike from a new homestay.</figcaption> </figure>  Homestays in Nepal allow visitors to pay for living in family homes rather than in guest houses or hotels, and to eat whatever the family eats, rather than ordering off a standardised menu. But there is significant diversity in the types of homestays available, ranging from simple rooms in traditional village homes to multi-room outbuildings with attached bathrooms and wifi. Homestays can be privately run by individual families or belong to a community homestay program, in which neighbours form a governing committee and agree to rotate hosting duties between households and contribute a share of profits to local development funds. Community homestays started to proliferate just a decade ago with support from government bodies and travel enterprises such as the <a href="https://www.communityhomestay.com/">Community Homestay Network</a>. According to Krishna Chaudhary of the Homestay Federation of Nepal, as of summer 2022 there were around 6,500 registered homestays across 1,500 villages in the country. Saroj Tamang opened his homestay in Gre village of Rasuwa district shortly before the first Covid lockdown, and believes many tourists prefer staying in village homes over large guest houses so that they can experience local culture. “It’s more fun for them to stay with families, here the tourists can live how our grandfathers lived,” says Tamang who had no guests at all during the pandemic but is optimistic for the future of homestays and the benefits to his village. “Development will come with the tourists. The town will be clean, we will share the benefits, and income would stay here in Gre.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701050720_896404d078b748c24ea30a57f74fd8a51b50ce7005317ae9879e2a2fbb0bf100.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20230701050720_896404d078b748c24ea30a57f74fd8a51b50ce7005317ae9879e2a2fbb0bf100" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Rasuwa Nepal"> <figcaption>The view from a homestay in Gre, overlooking the Trishuli valley with Langtang Himal in the distance.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701050720_e7f24c567dfdaa8339fc72d2b87fb98e045f9ea726ab53575a9773992a4cec12.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230701050720_e7f24c567dfdaa8339fc72d2b87fb98e045f9ea726ab53575a9773992a4cec12" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Rasuwa Nepal"> <figcaption>The dining area of Pema Homestay in Gre village, Rasuwa, featuring prayer flags and traditional Tamang window carvings.</figcaption> </figure>  Profit-sharing and collective investment by homestay operators now allow development of local tourism infrastructure such as community halls for cultural performances, signposts, and footpaths. The homestay business is by definition integrated into home and family life, so homestays have lower operating costs than hotels and are thus more resilient to economic shocks. The economic impact of the lockdown may therefore not have been felt as harshly for village homestays as they were for hotels. “In the homestay sector, we own our houses and land, and it’s a family business, 99% of homestay job holders are family members,” says Krishna Chaudhary, the Homestay Federation official who is also the chair of Gabhar Valley Community Homestay in Banke district. “But many hotels must pay rent for their land and buildings, and they have to hire staff and pay them.” Chaudhary is expanding his homestay and sees some silver linings in the tourism shutdown: “Here we can grow our own vegetables, we have land and jungle. During the lockdown we could rest with our families and do renovations to create more opportunity going forward.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701050720_c508f1fd792e470700b3d340ef037c2772a5edffe6cd8a904c0708589141493a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20230701050720_c508f1fd792e470700b3d340ef037c2772a5edffe6cd8a904c0708589141493a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Homestay in Bardia Nepal"> <figcaption>A sign marks the entrance to a homestay in Dalla village in Bardia.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701050720_a41ffe77923e2be769b43de459e95fc2d63dd8e44c175b69eb753ebab01600ea.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230701050720_a41ffe77923e2be769b43de459e95fc2d63dd8e44c175b69eb753ebab01600ea" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Homestay in Bardia Nepal"> <figcaption>A courtyard at Gabhar Valley homestay, showcasing the traditional art and architecture of the Tharu culture.</figcaption> </figure>  Additionally, homestay tourism can provide positive spillover effects to the broader community beyond homestay operators. Salik Ram Chaudhary, who has operated a homestay in Dalla village in Bardia district for 11 years, says, “Other households in Dalla sell chicken and eggs to the homestays, and vegetable farmers sell food to us too. So other local people also benefit.” The homestay program in Dalla has also attracted outside funding to build a community hall, and tourism proceeds are used to finance conservation efforts in the village’s community forest, which is part of an important wildlife corridor on the Bardia National Park.&nbsp; “There’s a good relationship between tourism and the environment,” he says. “Conservation has improved with homestays." Husband and wife Dhanishwar and Janaki Bashyal have run their homestay in Tansen of Palpa district for 12 years. Their homestay was initially a private family business, but five years ago the Bashyals and a few other homestay operators in Tansen joined hands to form a community homestay group with government support. In addition, the homestay committee in Tansen collaborates in knowledge sharing and in hosting joint cultural programs for tourists which is educational even to the locals. Says Bashyal: “Young people in Tansen also see the traditional culture and dress… because of the homestays, our culture is preserved.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701050728_eb90f96870bc6f48f123254fc544baee25efc9c793bbe354b768ccc8963338f2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20230701050728_eb90f96870bc6f48f123254fc544baee25efc9c793bbe354b768ccc8963338f2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1230" loading="lazy" alt="Homestay in Palpa Nepal"> <figcaption>The view from a homestay in Tansen, Palpa.</figcaption> </figure>  There are challenges. Many foreign tourists are unaware of community homestays unless they hire a homestay-focused travel agency while domestic tourists view homestays as a downgrade to hotels. Additionally, inequality within communities can cause tension, as some homestay operators are able to afford larger investments in guest rooms and facilities, and thus end up with a greater share of revenue than others. Promotion and advertising, which many homestay operators see as a priority for post-pandemic growth, can be costly and difficult, especially for locations not on traditional tourism circuits. In established tourism hubs such as Ghandruk in Kaski district in the Annapurna Conservation Area, homestays can struggle to find a foothold in a highly competitive tourism environment. “Tourists see the big hotels and stay there, they ignore the homestays,” says one operator.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701050716_cdc8fbd772e7bdc7d5dd62bf5c6acac86eb0334ff997fca2fd88c215dc4e7b1c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20230701050716_cdc8fbd772e7bdc7d5dd62bf5c6acac86eb0334ff997fca2fd88c215dc4e7b1c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Homestay in Ghandruk Nepal"> <figcaption>A view of the old town of Ghandrukin Kaski district. The town’s distinctive Gurung architecture is being replaced by concrete hotels in much of the village.</figcaption> </figure>  In contrast to the collaborative spirit often seen in smaller village homestay groups, the homestay operator in Ghandruk felt that the members of the homestay committee there did not support each other because they were competing among themselves for a limited customer base, especially in the aftermath of the lockdown. Juma, a homestay operator in Thini village near Jomsom in Lower Mustang, also noted a rise in competition. “The guest houses compete with the homestays here. The guest houses have attached bathrooms and more facilities. Here we have simple, local food. But homestays offer cultural programs and are cheaper.” The post-pandemic boom in domestic travel filled Thini’s homestays to capacity in peak tourism months, and Juma was planning to recruit neighbours into the program. “In the high season we have to turn back tourists because all the homestays are full,” she adds. “We need more houses to join.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701050728_a1600accf79ec74442a3a6b0be356c42a79e2e624373427e20152b731124f0ee.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20230701050728_a1600accf79ec74442a3a6b0be356c42a79e2e624373427e20152b731124f0ee" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Homestay in Mustang Nepal"> <figcaption>A view of Thini village in lower Mustang, with agricultural fields and the Jomsom airport below.</figcaption> </figure>  Seeing the success of homestays in other parts of Nepal, tourism entrepreneur Rabin Karki is seeking to create a community-based homestay tourism program in his hometown of Butwal. “Right now this neighbourhood is only a residential area, it’s not a source of income for anyone,” says Karki. “But homestays could make it a business area as well.” Karki has seen enthusiasm from his fellow young people in Butwal for developing a community-centric tourism industry in the city, which is a transit hub in southern Nepal with highway links to popular tourist sites like Lumbini, Chitwan and Pokhara. Homestay operators, especially in rural areas, still must contend with the economic realities that posed difficulties even before the pandemic. In Narchyang village in Myagdi, some residents who had supplemented their income by operating homestays have moved away for better opportunities. “Before the pandemic, 20 people were on the homestay committee here,” says Hukum Pun, a homestay owner in Narchyang. “But now there are only four or five homestays. It was destroyed by corona. Some people moved abroad for work, some left the village for the city, some have gotten too old.” Narchyang is close to Tatopani, an established stop along the Annapurna Circuit and the site of many large hotels. This meant that the lockdown’s effects were less severe in Narchyang than in Tatopani. “There were no tourists here, but we are not reliant on tourism. So here it wasn’t hard. We grew vegetables…there is a lot of agriculture here. In Tatopani there is only tourism,” he explains.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701050728_f3606186efd2dcd7870c18b17ba4a376db85011c10da2c376fc7617bd2d9cc8a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20230701050728_f3606186efd2dcd7870c18b17ba4a376db85011c10da2c376fc7617bd2d9cc8a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="2000" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> <figcaption>A waterfall above terraced fields, seen from a homestay in Narchyang village.</figcaption> </figure>  Nepal recorded 600,000 arrivals in 2022 and Nepal Tourism Board has a goal of 1 million in 2023. The tourism landscape has changed drastically post-pandemic and in the age of the climate crisis. Now is the time to build a more resilient tourism industry that shares benefits at the community level. Promoting and supporting homestay tourism may provide one path forward.&nbsp; Jack Shangraw is a Fulbright scholar documenting the impacts of the pandemic lockdown on community-level tourism in Nepal.

Home away from home in Nepal

Just about everyone seems to want to go to Pokhara these days, but for an authentic cultural experience, head further west. A 4-hour drive away is Baglung that offers genuine Magar hospitality amidst splendid scenery.&nbsp; Along the Mid Hill Highway, on the fringes of lush green forests at the height of 1,600m is Torikhola Community Homestay in Ward 2 of Galkot Municipality. Sita Pun, 42, has been hosting guests at her home for the past six years — one of 12 families in the village of 65 households that run homestays.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230703130720_95963f62cf71a7f8e665212b8f0895f4573d5566f5f36adf5de168868d5483c4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20230703130720_95963f62cf71a7f8e665212b8f0895f4573d5566f5f36adf5de168868d5483c4" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1222" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  Clad in a sarong, cholo and ghalek, she welcomes guests with flowers, before serving them auspicious kodoko sel, makai and gundruk. Lunch and dinner are variations of the organically grown vegetables, with local rice or dhido, dal and chicken curry cooked over firewood.&nbsp; Guests here come from all over Nepal, and word has spread about the warm traditional hospitality and tranquility of the place. Besides hosting guests, Sita tends to her organic vegetables, milks the buffalos, making curd, takes care of the chicken and distils a powerful home-made liquor. And all of this is offered to guests.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701040728_5591d6a72933053f1069137789a90ca184e5c77de66dde4c6e72b5131fa60d90.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230701040728_5591d6a72933053f1069137789a90ca184e5c77de66dde4c6e72b5131fa60d90" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  “This homestay has made me financially independent,” says Sita, who says she was earlier just doing household chores, gathering firewood and fodder. “I was not happy. But now I have the confidence to step out of the house and achieve anything.” Sita was 20 years old when she got married to Rom Prasad Pun who left for Malaysia to work soon after. He hardly wrote, and money was tight.&nbsp; She had suffered a miscarriage just before her husband left, and taking care of the large family was not easy. But she silently fulfilled her duty, waiting for her husband to return. When he sent money, it all went to the in-laws.&nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/milking-every-opportunity">Milking every opportunity</a>, Sahina Shrestha Without mobile phones and the internet, communication was difficult. She had to walk down to the bazar to make long-distance landline calls to Malaysia. It was expensive, and her husband rarely came to the phone.&nbsp; “I desperately wanted to see his face and hear his voice,” Sita recalls, adding she had to borrow money to make those calls. In all of the 10 years her husband stayed in Malaysia, he wrote home only once. Even then, there was no mention of her. Still, she read the letter over and over every night after a hard day of farm work.&nbsp; Rom soon stopped communicating altogether, and Sita was alone and did not have enough money for food and clothes.&nbsp; “I spent my days in a daze. I very much wanted to do something on my own, but I did not know how,” says Sita. “I had no skills and I did not know anyone.” Finally seven years ago, when Galkot Municipality and the ward office approached residents with the idea of starting homestays, she grabbed the chance. Baglung district has one of the highest out-migration rates in Nepal, and Galkot town even has a hill named Japan Danda because every household in the village has at least one or more members in Japan.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701040740_f5c53785e8a8d9a7f5376b702008eeeb575d57ced4e2c2510ff2dc0f6c2b6a39.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230701040740_f5c53785e8a8d9a7f5376b702008eeeb575d57ced4e2c2510ff2dc0f6c2b6a39" data-rendition-name="original" width="1021" height="628" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  There are locked up houses and fallow fields all around Galkot, and at night only a few houses have lights. More youngsters now are migrating to Croatia and Poland. Their elderly parents then move to Kathmandu, Pokhara or Chitwan, living off the money they send home.&nbsp; The reasoning behind Galkot Municipality’s decision to promote community homestays in Torikhola was to retain young residents by creating jobs, and preserve the culture of the Magar people. “Torikhola is rich in nature as well as culture. It is also easily accessible and has much to offer, which makes it a good spot for homestays,” says Galkot Mayor Bharat Sharma.&nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pigs-fly-and-fish-climb-trees">Pigs fly and fish climb trees</a>, Sahina Shrestha The municipality started with a study tour to observe how other places were running homestays, and Sita signed up. There was only one problem: she would be leaving a day after her husband was set to return to Nepal. Her husband tried to convince her not to go, saying he would now support the family. But Sita had no intention of depending solely on her husband anymore. “I told him it wasn't about him coming back, that I had to learn a skill to support myself,” she says. “And he would not have to go to Malaysia again. So I left my husband at home and went on the trip.” Looking back, Sita has no regrets. She learned a lot on the trip and a year later, Torikhola Community Homestay was opened for business. Today, her husband is her biggest supporter.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701040732_9e306006064770d1f3a8dcce9a18ed2f03d936ce64563fcdd151f4d2e4085248.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230701040732_9e306006064770d1f3a8dcce9a18ed2f03d936ce64563fcdd151f4d2e4085248" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  “Homestay tourism is the best way to dissuade our young from leaving by providing them jobs at home,” explains Kumar Pun Gharti, Chairman of the Torikhola Community Homestay Committee. Sita was one of the first five operators, and today there are 12 members. Business took a hit during the pandemic lockdown, but it is starting to pick up again. Before Covid, the committee earned up to Rs150,000 a month from guests which was distributed equally among members. A night’s stay at Torikhola costs from Rs1,200-1,500, food included. “The biggest difference between a homestay and a hotel is that at a hotel you serve customers, at a homestay you welcome guests,” says Sita, who is happy she no longer has to rely on just her husband for money. They now sends their two children to a boarding school nearby. “I want them to study as much as possible so that they don’t end up like me,” says Sita, who studied up to Grade 6 and wants to resume studying. “I really want to learn English but I am not sure I can.”&nbsp; Sita Pun is an inspiration to many, says former ward member and homestay operator Bhakta Bahadur Gharti Magar.&nbsp; “Whatever difficulties and challenges life threw at her, she did not give up and has reached here,” he adds.&nbsp; Three months ago, Rom once again left the country, this time to the UK. Her father-in-law who was in the British Army had resettled there and after he died her mother-in-law asked her son to come to stay with her. But this time, unlike so many years ago, Sita is not worried or scared. She speaks with her husband regularly on video, and keeps herself busy with her homestay business and other social work.&nbsp; “There is a huge difference between the Sita of then and now,” she says about herself. “Back then I knew nothing, now I am confident I can look after myself, my family and my community.” Sita’s goal now is to empower more women financially and socially, just like she did. She says: “In the coming days, I want all the women to become entrepreneurs who don’t have to rely on their husbands. Maybe they can be involved in homestays just like me.”&nbsp; This is the eighth in the series Striking Roots, where we feature the stories of entrepreneurs from across the country. If you know someone whose story needs to be shared, email us at <a href="mailto:editors@nepalitimes.com">editors@nepalitimes.com</a>&nbsp;

Staying home to create jobs

Before the Covid, China had become the number two source of foreign tourists in Nepal. Now, after a two year slump the Chinese are returning.&nbsp; After the opening of China’s borders this year and resumption of flights from Chengdu, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, arrivals have surged. Most of the mountaineers attempting to climb Mt Everest this season are from China because the north side of the mountain is still closed. Mandarin is once more heard in tourist hubs like Thamel and Pokhara, and Chinese trekkers are once more hitting Himalayan hiking trails. Although they are coming back, Chinese are still trailing behind Indian tourists. Tourist arrivals in Nepal are almost back to pre-Covid levels with 326,500 visitors between January-April this year, and tourists flying in from India made up 28% og them. This number does not include Indians who came overland on pilgrimage or sight-seeing. Nearly 200,000 Chinese tourists visited Nepal in 2018 after free visas were announced, making up 20% of the total visitors by nationality. Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) was expecting to double that figure in Visit Nepal Year in 2020, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/when-will-chinese-tourists-return-to-nepal" target="_blank">when the pandemic struck.</a> In April this year, there were 3,000 Chinese tourists, and these numbers are expected to rise as flights pick up. Nepal’s largest domestic airline, <a href="http://www.buddhaair.com/" target="_blank">Buddha Air</a> has seen a rise in the number of Chinese passengers from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Bharatpur and Bhairawa. The airline says that it has also seen a rise in booking of Chinese tourists taking its daily four Mt Everest sightseeing flights.&nbsp; Pre-Covid, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/business/Chinese-tourists-on-the-rise-in-nepal,2088" target="_blank">Pokhara was the most popular destination</a> in Nepal for Chinese tourists after the scenic town was the location for a popular Chinese tv series, Up In the Air that went viral on the Chinese micro-blogging site, Weibo. Chinese guidebooks described Pokhara as one of the top ten places ‘to see before you die’. Beijing has also declared Nepal as an ‘official destination’ for its nationals. Then Chinese Ambassador Hou Yanqi <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/chinese-tourist-influx-to-nepal-in-2020/" target="_blank">posted pictures of herself</a> on social media on New Year’s eve 31 December 2019 to promote Nepal among outbound tourists from China. Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) recruited famous actress Xu Qing (see photo below) to be its Goodwill Ambassador to promote Visit Nepal Year in China.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230522110512_db76082c85903fffb895c9fbdb74250910bce6b5ec355c7cdb5d35df4b9cf72c.png" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20230522110512_db76082c85903fffb895c9fbdb74250910bce6b5ec355c7cdb5d35df4b9cf72c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1980" height="1316" loading="lazy" alt="Chinese tourists in Nepal"> <figcaption>Famous Chinese actress Xu Qingpromoting Visit Nepal Year 2020.</figcaption> </figure>  Chinese tourists are mostly attracted by the culture and the mountains in Nepal, but they also come for wildlife viewing, adventure and pilgrimage to Lumbini. Chinese tourists are the most avid shoppers for Nepali bronze and wood carving handicrafts. The birthplace of Lord Buddha in Lumbini was first chronicled by Chinese monk pilgrims <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faxian" target="_blank">Faxian</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xuanzang" target="_blank">Xuanzang</a> who visited Lumbini and Tilaurakot in the 4th and 7th century CE, and described the ruins of the towns in detail. Modern day Chinese are following in their footsteps. &nbsp; Tourism entrepreneurs in Thamel say that Nepal could do much more to encourage Chinese tourists if there were more cheaper flights, if the border checkpoints wereopened, and if there was more promotional activity in China. According to Lumbini Development Trust, Chinese tourists are the fourth largest number of visitors among foreigners in the Lumbini area. The establishment of the Gautam Buddha International airport in Bhairawa and the new Pokhara airport could serve to increase Chinese arrivals if there were direct flights from Chinese cities. Chinese tourists when in Nepal also visit Thamel’s ‘Little China’ area where there are many Chinese owned shops and restaurants. With the popularity of WeChat among the Chinese, many shops in Thamel and Patan have also adopted this payment app.&nbsp; Buddha Air, for example, is already using WeChat for flight bookings and tour packages specifically targeting Chinese tourists.&nbsp;

Chinese tourists return to Nepal

The spring mountaineering season had started when the Nepal government suddenly banned cargo helicopters to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/on-everest-4-years-after-the-nepal-earthquake">Everest Base Camp</a> and told expeditions to use porters and yaks instead.&nbsp; Just like another rule making it mandatory for all trekkers to hire guides, the decision has been greeted with cheers and jeers. Helicopter companies and expeditions are outraged, while porters, and owners of mules and yaks support the idea.&nbsp; So far, 400 international climbers are expected on Mt Everest, about the same number as last year. Nepal’s trekking and mountaineering industry is seeing a revival after the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/peak-season-on-everest-during-nepals-covid-peak">2020-21 </a>break. The Expedition Operator's Association Nepal estimates that there will be more than 2,500 Nepali guides and support staff at Base Camp for expeditions on Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse peaks. They have to be supplied by food, energy and material for 3 months. Nepal shares Everest (Chomolungma) with China, and expeditions from the north Tibet side have also been opened this season after a three year gap. Nepal gets some of the largest numbers of mountaineers from China as well.&nbsp; This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest by Edmund Hilary and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/was-tenzing-a-tibetan-nepali-or-indian-it-does-not-matter">Tenzing Norgay</a> on 29 May 1953, and this is expected to attract more climbers and trekkers. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/mt-everest-city">Mt Everest City</a>, Monika Deupala  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023040413048_e9efc0626c853117574e17af075cd8e80f6bc50226b5fc6d64259aad606679f1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="2023040413048_e9efc0626c853117574e17af075cd8e80f6bc50226b5fc6d64259aad606679f1" data-rendition-name="original" width="750" height="498" loading="lazy" alt="Porter EBC"> <figcaption>Photo: HIMAL ARCHIVES</figcaption> </figure>  Many mountaineers already arrived at base camp before the climbing season officially began, in order to acclimatise to the high altitude. Even before they arrived, helicopters have already been doing the heavy lifting from Kathmandu and Lukla. Expeditions begin only after climbers have made sure that they have all the necessary supplies, and the Icefall Doctors forge a route and fix ropes, which is already underway.&nbsp; The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/peak-tourism-in-2023-9ukoi8iz">sheer volume</a> of climbers will mean that it will be difficult to get essential supplies to base camp in time. Now, tourism operators say that the difficulty will be compounded after the local government of the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality banned helicopters from making supply runs to base camp for environmental and employment reasons.&nbsp; At present, the municipality allows helicopters to transport supplies up to Dingboche (4,400m) and nearby Pheriche. Now choppers will only be allowed to fly gear up to Syangboche airfield (3,800m). The municipality has stipulated that porters, yaks or jokpe be used to move supplies from Syangboche. It can take up to four days for yak caravans and porters to carry supplies from Syangboche to &nbsp;base camp. Expedition operators complain that they are facing difficulty finding porters and pack animals. Local youth from districts to the south have <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/letter-from-sikles">migrated</a> to cities for better education and employment. Farmers in Khumbu are also moving away from traditional pastoralism, which means fewer yaks and jokpe.&nbsp; The sudden rule change at the cusp of the climbing season has not given expeditions time to prepare logistical alternatives. In fact, one expedition to Lhotse through Seven Summit Treks switched to climb Makalu after facing delays in supplies reaching Everest Base Camp. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/annapurna-dhaulagiri-double-take">Other expeditions</a> may &nbsp;follow suit. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/if-the-ice-is-gone-we-are-done">“If the ice is gone, we are done”</a>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023040413048_36f8a83e8280c3475f239a64a420139615cbf51fabb925791406e1c0aa47c1db.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="2023040413048_36f8a83e8280c3475f239a64a420139615cbf51fabb925791406e1c0aa47c1db" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="800" loading="lazy" alt="Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality"> </figure>  But some residents of Namche and surrounding villages are against what they see as “<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/so-far-so-good/the-season-of-summits">hyper-commercialisation</a>” of Everest by expedition operators and helicopter companies which have taken away local jobs. Chopper flights in the Everest region have increased after climbers who could afford the fares began paying to be flown down even from Camp 2 under the guise of rescue operations. Locals add that the amount of trash in the region has increased significantly since helicopters started transporting goods directly to base camp. This politicisation of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/peak-climbing-season-in-nepal">mountaineering</a> will hurt this season’s expeditions if the local government and tourism bodies do not find a solution on time, say operators. Fifty climbing clients are booked for Everest just through Lakpa Sherpa’s ATK Expedition, and 15 have applied to climb Lhotse, and 160 guides will be helping them. But Sherpa says his supplies are stuck at Syangboche. “I have 14 tons of supplies waiting for transportation, our guides at base camp are spending nights in cowsheds,” he adds. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/news/expedition-brings-down-11-tons-of-mt-everest-trash">Expedition brings down 11 tons of Mt Everest trash</a>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230404130412_0dd3ca72a7ada3980ce4468100696b36f3d0b1e4c200753f9e37bf982edcd020.png" data-media-id="editor_13" data-image-id="20230404130412_0dd3ca72a7ada3980ce4468100696b36f3d0b1e4c200753f9e37bf982edcd020" data-rendition-name="original" width="505" height="423" loading="lazy" alt="Yaks NT"> </figure>  Operators are worried that delays in organising base camp and fixing ropes will reduce the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/after-deaths-a-weather-window-on-manaslu">summit window</a> leading to a repeat of dangerous overcrowding on the peak. "The icefall team has not even made it to Camp 2 yet,” adds Lhakpa Sherpa. “I can already see traffic jams on Everest making headlines in the global media once again.” The Everest Pollution Committee is contracted by the operator’s association to fix the route up the Khumbu Icefall to Camp 2 for most expeditions. &nbsp; Some 11 climbers and guides lost their lives while summiting Everest in 2019, with many of the deaths attributed to long delays in the summit ridge. The Expedition Operator’s Association Nepal met with Hom Prasad Luitel of the Department of Tourism, after the local government banned helicopters to base camp warning that this would affect the industry adversely. The Department of Tourism has since written separate letters to the rural municipality and district administration office to find a compromise. “Concerns about employment are valid, but the timing of these demands just at the start of e climbing season has led to tension between locals and tourism operators,” admitted Bigyan Koirala at the Department of Tourism, "The local government must come up come up with a solution immediately. We cannot afford to prolong this problem." Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/letters-from-everest-base-camp-1-vfqcer0e">Letters from Everest Base Camp 1</a>

Chopper vs Chauri below Everest

<figure><img width="2048" height="1366" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230228150240/63fe12849c7e80680e0da529jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>The first flights from Kathmandu on 1 January 2023 when Pokhara's new international airport was inaugurated. The Yeti Airline ATR-72 seen here is 9N-ANC, the same one that crashed two weeks later. Photo: RSS</figcaption></figure>Pokhara is where so much of Nepal’s tourism prospects rest, with its lakes, proximate Himalaya, indigenous culture, adventure sports, unique geographical setting, and enchanting geology.Residents look to riding Pokhara’s placement and possibilities to achieve prosperity. The past has shown the future, provided there is proper stewardship of this unique place.But the 15 January air crash of Yeti Airlines that took 72 lives was a blow at a time when tourism was in revival. This was the biggest air crash ever of a national airline in terms of lives lost, and its worldwide publicity combined to devastate prospects of Pokhara’s new airport inaugurated just two weeks previously. It was a blow to a country already in the European Commission’s black list for poor civil aviation oversight.Boat owners on Lake Phewa are dejected, many eateries and businesses along Lakeside are shuttered, one Pokhara hotel lost Rs6 million in business in the month following the crash. If the roads were good, Pokhara could recoup with domestic tourists, but approach highways are horror stories. Pokhara used to be the staging ground for trekkers, but tourism has declined with the expansion of the road network. Over the years, the kind of urban blight that defines Kathmandu Valley has overtaken the city as well. The natural terraces that define the valley floor are no longer visible.The Yeti aircraft crashed right into the narrow and serpentine Seti Gorge; this unique canyon is no longer touted as a tourist attraction amidst the concrete sprawl.For all the hype surrounding its opening, we cannot call Pokhara’s new aerodrome an ‘international airport’ as long as it only serves domestic flights. Kathmandu has been lax in economic diplomacy to get cross-border flights to Pokhara.A calibration flight was conducted successfully before the airport was inaugurated, yet there is no explanation as to why instrumental landing system has not been in activity, which would also allow night flights.For decades, the old airport had been in use without incident as far as the Kathmandu-Pokhara trunk route was concerned, even though aircraft were required to take a sharp starboard turn just before landing. The very aircraft that carried out the inauguration flight with the same captain was the one that came down on 15 January. The co-pilot was wife of the pilot of a Tara Air aircraft that stalled while banking left into landing in Jumla 15 years ago, and a left bank stall was what took her life and that of 71 others over Pokhara. The preliminary crash report says the propellers of both engines were found to have been feathered seconds before, and we need to know why the pilots did that.Regardless of the economic and social costs of the Yet Airlines disaster, the national media and social media did not dwell long over the Seti canyon. The sell-immolation by frustrated entrepreneur Prem Prasad Acharya on 24 January even as the Prime Minister’s motorcade exited Parliament grabbed attention. Even before the intense focus on the public suicide had subsided, the citizenship issue of then Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane reverberated across the national psyche, and thereafter the national concentration has been on the selection of the new President of the Republic.The Yeti crash was a blow to Nepal’s national economy as a whole, at a time when tourism as a mainstay was struggling to revive. In Pokhara, like elsewhere, the industry was finally recovering from the decade of conflict and political instability, followed by the April 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, which was trailed by the Indian blockade – and then came the back-to-back disasters of Covid and Dengue.Chinese tourists had started arriving in large numbers in the mid-2000s, and before long Pokhara was full of signage and restaurant menus in Mandarin. But the Chinese have stayed away, and even President Xi Jinping’s declaration during banquet address at Shital Niwas in October 2019 that Nepal was where Chinese citizens most wanted to visit among all South Asian countries has not helped in a revival of arrivals.Beijing has not included Nepal in its January list of 20 ‘approved destinations’ for Chinese travelers after its Covid closures of 2022. However, the list includes nearby Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.It is no exaggeration to say that Pokhara is one of the finest attractions for tourists in all of Asia, and the reasons are many. Sub-tropical Pokhara Valley is 300m lower than Kathmandu and sits less than 50km from the semicircle of the Annapurnas. The steep viewing gradient that makes visitors gasp is Pokhara’s primary attraction, and the reflection of Machapuchre on Phewa Lake has been the stuff of postcards for decades. <figure><img width="1400" height="280" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230228150240/63fe12879c7e80680e0da52ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The geology of Pokhara is wondrous even if the tourism brochures pay no attention to it: massive lake outburst floods in historical time brought up to 5 cubic km of rock and debris down the Seti River, encasing the hills and dales like a viscous fluid.The earlier mid-montane hilltops ended up as ‘islands’ on Pokhara’s plains, Phewa and other lakes were formed when side rivers were blocked. The exceptional ‘natural terraces’ of Pokhara's debris plain were carved by water and gravity, and the Seti ultimately made its way across the plateau through a labyrinthine gorge cut through the boulders.Locals would do well to study the work of Harka Gurung, the multi-disciplinary scholar who studied and wrote on geography, anthropology, ecology, mountaineering, migration, and had a special place in his heart and mind for Pokhara Valley, the subject of his 1965 PhD thesis from the University of Edinburgh. He was also the person behind the International Mountain Museum at Rato Pairo, one of the few genuine attractions created in Pokhara over the modern era.Pokhara is the meeting ground of the Magar and Gurung communities, with their unique heritage that includes the mesmerising and meditative ghatu naach. The valley is further enriched by its mix of communities including the Newa of the bazars, the Bote fisherfolk and Gaine troubadours, the Thakali from up north who have sunk roots here, and the Chhetri and Bahun. Tibetan refugees were residents after the 1950s, but their presence is now much diluted.The environs of Pokhara are a bird-watcher’s paradise, and up below Machapuchre is a hill flank set aside as a pheasant sanctuary with five species. The promenade by the lake, boat excursions, eateries and tourist services have helped evolve a sophisticated ambience that South Asians travelers in particular find inviting. The café culture, the warmer climes of the relatively low valley, and quick escape to nearby  mountains has made Pokhara a cosmopolitan destination even for Kathmandu's recreation-minded.‘Trekking’ was a term whose modern meaning evolved in Nepal in the 1960s-70s under the stewardship of outfitters such as Col Jimmy Roberts and Mike Cheney. Pokhara was a staging point for treks to Jomsom and Mustang up the Kali Gandaki, ‘round Annapurna’ and down to Manang, straight into Annapurna Sanctuary, as well as midhill treks to places like Ghandrung, Sikles and Poon Hill.The road-building boom since the mid-2000s pulled the rug from underneath the trekking industry, with the roads mostly overlapping the trekking trails, and Pokhara was the most affected.For Pokhara to do good for itself and to benefit the national economy, it must understand the value of the prize it holds in its hand. It can start by plumbing the depths of history, geography and mountain lore related to the locale, with school children taught to distinguish between the peaks of the Annapurna range beyond Machapuchre – Gangapurna, Annapurna South, Annapurna II and of course the summit ridge of Annapurna I – to read up on Maurice Herzog as the first climber of a 8000m peak in 1950, or learn the geology that delivered ammonite (saligram) on the Kali Gandaki defile.Pokhara must protect its lakes from pollution and encroachment. The competition to place ever-taller statues and view-towers on hilltops is actually the path to hell, they attract picnickers rather than well-paying tourists, and distract from the indigenous culture and himal views that lie at the heart of what it means to come to Pokhara. Why not view platforms rather than view-towers?Let the homestays be welcoming for their warmth and comfort, rather than sheds masquerading as hospitality places. Respecting its own cultural depth, Pokhrelis should not let ghatu be the stuff of dohori restaurants, and require travelers to visit villages at appointed dates to watch performances in the community setting.For the sake of history, some of the simal dugout canoes must be retained on the Phewa amidst the rowboats and paddle platforms. The song-and-dance sequence from Maitighar film shot in 1966 must be studied for its adoration of Pokhara (‘Basanta nai basna khojchha yahan lolayera…’) and used to project what the valley has to offer.Let us remember Dharma Raj Thapa, who propagated Pokhara-based folk singing sensibility throughout the land. The great Pokhara panorama by Toni Hagen in his pioneer 1960 work Nepal: The Kingdom in the Himalayas must be put to better use, as also photographs of the DC-3s parked by the great pipal tree that used to serve as the terminal of old Pokhara airport. <figure><img width="956" height="960" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230228150240/63fe12899c7e80680e0da52bjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>It should not be difficult for Pokhara’s tourism entrepreneurs to wage a campaign to bring visitors from within flying range of narrow-body Boeing 737s, Airbus 320s that the airport can handle. This means marketing forays to Dhaka, Colombo, Lahore, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Also Chengdu, Kunming, Lhasa and Ulaanbaatar. Start with chartered flights before moving on to scheduled ones, but first pressure Kathmandu authorities for customs and immigration desks. The grand hang-gliding from Sarangkot allowing circles over Phewa Lake has been discontinued due to the new international airport, and the adventure travel companies need to quickly relocate to retain Pokhara's place as an international centre for the sport.Pokhara must push self-centric Kathmandu to wake up to the evolving needs of national tourism, such as the urgency for sub-regional understanding between India, Pakistan and Nepal to prevent the Indus-Ganga haze – which among other things is helping obliterate Himalayan views. The cost to tourism of soiled mountain vistas has not yet been calculated.Pokhara seems to be losing its charms before it gets to even fully understand them, as the city begins to urbanise. The fully empowered local government must develop a sewage system. As the capital of Gandaki Province, Pokhara must work on revival of surrounding farmlands to prevent the terraces from reverting to jungle.Many of the ‘hilltop islands’ on the Pokhara plain have been mined for stone, and one has just been decapitated to allow better approach to the new airport. The concrete jungle is covering up the Seti terraces. And there are harebrained ideas aplenty beyond more and taller hilltop statues – such as a local hotelier’s campaign to have Begnas Lake empty into Rupa Lake through a tunnel in order to create a waterfall. As if Pokhara needed additional attractions rather than nurture and project the heritage it commands.One identity marker of Pokhara used to be walls made of boulders and ubiquitous chautari of bar-pipal, but mostly they have not been preserved. Built as it is on a massive sea of stones and boulders, Pokhara must be attentive to seismologists’ warnings of the great earthquake that has been pending for 500 years along the western Nepal seismic gap.There are two large spaces in the centre of Pokhara’s urbanism that need to be kept open and un-encroached. Ratna Mandir, the royal estate on the banks of the Phewa, is an arboreal gem whose gates should be opened to the citizens and tourists alike. It will provide continuity to the lakeside walkway and add incredible texture to the Pokhara Experience, but already there are signs of encroachment – a military hospital has opened gates on one side, and the grove of trees that hosted hundreds of egrets by the lake shore has just been summarily chopped down. Whoever thought of that, and why?The prize that everyone is going to fight over is the old airport grounds. Most likely it will be apportioned between government entities and/or leased out to private developers in decades-long leases. Rather than such an abominable solution, Pokhara needs to decide on a ‘central park’, a large swathe of green within the urbanised valley. Only those with little imagination will be unable to see what an economic boon it would be for Pokhara, already attractive to the world, to have such a space.The old airport was small, but it had charm, and it was a less than ten minute drive from Lakeside. It had possibly the finest restaurant terrace in the world, providing views of the runway as well as the Annapurna ramparts. The new airport terminal resolutely turns away from the Himalaya, is an hour away from lakeside, and no restaurant seems to have been planned, with or without a view.Amidst the dislocating changes, Pokhara must take heart that the lakes will remain as will the mountains, even though the volume of snow and ice may reduce due climate change. And no one can take away the location. In fact, Pokhara is part of a touristic continuum that starts with Lumbini and Kapilvastu to the south, and the Kali Gandaki valley that leads right up to the Lo Manthang and the Tibetan plateau.Pokhara’s residents and planners must look to the future by incorporating the mindset that their valley is the true geographical mid-point of Nepal. Since historical time through the Panchayat era, down to the present, Kathmandu has perceived itself as the east-west centre of the country, and so the ‘Central Development Region’ was established in what was obviously the east.While Kathmandu was and remains the power centre, however, true geographical, demographic and economic balance is achieved at the Pokhara-Narayanghat longitude, and this scientific reality must help guide not just tourism, but equity-based economic planning. When the time comes that Pokhara understands its place and placement, we will all be richer. When Pokhara understands its riches and wonders, it will be appropriate to have a touristic slogan for worldwide marketing – simply put, ‘Only Pokhara’.

tourism