Nepal Homestay

Author: Bijay
Programs for Nepal homestays were much in focus during Nepal Tourism Year 2011 because if it
had been as successful as hoped for (if indeed the targeted one million tourists had visited the
country) Nepal would have had a daily shortfall of 822 beds. This figure was arrived at by the Nepal
Tourism Board taking into account the fact that the total number of Nepali hotels are 669 (all
categories) with a total capacity of 26,063 beds.

And so, much importance was given to the development of Nepal homestays in various parts of the
country including newly developed tourist destinations. In the hospitality sector, homestays are
universally considered to be an excellent alternative to hotel accommodation. Such an arrangement
provides the opportunity for visitors to live with locals and partake of their hospitality according to the
customs of the place.

In Nepal, homestays are based away from major cities, mostly in small villages where the way of life
is simple and straightforwarda pleasant change from the everyday hustle and bustle of urban life.
Bodies like village development committees (VDCs), district development committees (DDCs) and
local co-operatives were mobilized by the Nepal Tourism Board to manage home stay facilities. A
budget of Rs 30 million (About US $ 375,000) was allocated to train people for quality homestay
arrangements in rural areas.

Nepal homestay guidelines

Although Nepal homestay programs were developed to provide additional accommodations for
visitors during Nepal Tourism Year 2011, the prime aim of Nepal homestay programs is to engage
more locals participation in activities to do with Nepal tourism besides of course, enhancing incomes
of Nepalis living in rural areas. Nepal home stays are of two kindscommunity homestays and
private homestays. Here, it must be pointed out that while most Nepal homestays are in small
villages, some urban private homes have also been encouraged to allocate two rooms with two beds
each for homestay purposes.

Nepal homestay guidelines state that in a home with at least four rooms, vacant rooms can be used
for tourists homestay. It is also requested that the concerned family should make all efforts to give a
taste of the local Nepali culture and cuisine to visitors thus helping in further enhancing the image of
Nepal tourism. Interested homeowners have to register at the Local Homestay Management
Committee. It is essential for hygienic and well facilitated rooms and services to be provided. The
management committee determines the accommodation package and other charges.

All houses participating in the Nepal homestay program have to ensure cleanliness and a safe and
secure environment. There must be adequate toilet and bathroom facilities. These are the basic
criteria required for Nepal homestays. Regarding urban area homestays, a participating house can
accommodate only four tourists per night so that there is less negative impact on the business of
regular Nepali hotels. Nepal homestay guidelines also require visitors to be served whatever food
the homeowners themselves eat. Guests too are requested by the Nepal homestay guidelines to
adhere to a code of conduct which states that they should dress in an appropriate manner and
promote their Nepali hosts culture and tradition. Nepal homestay guests are also asked to enter and
leave homes only within the prescribed times and, use of drugs and narcotics is totally forbidden.
Sirubari (Syangja District, west Nepal) and Ghalegaon (Lamjung District, north-central Nepal) were
the first to implement the concept of homestays which actually was an offshoot of efforts to develop
village tourism by the government. Now, there are quite a few registered commercial homestay
homes. Kathmandu, too, has more than 10 community-based and two private homestay homes with
a combined capacity to accommodate over 300 tourists. Kavrepalanchok has over 26 registered
community-based homestay homes. Similarly, Chitwan has at least 10, Makwanpur has 11 Nuwakot
has twelve. Gorkha, Ilam, Palpa, Syangja, Kailali and Kalikot too are following close on their heels in
registering homestay homes. Living in a Nepali homestay in a village is a quick way to know the real
Nepal. And, the planned daily cultural activities at almost all Nepal homestays should certainly be a
major attraction for tourists.

SirubariNepals First Tourism Model Village

The concept of village tourism was introduced for the first time in Nepal in Sirubari village (1700 m)
inhabited mostly by people of the Gurung community. The picturesque village can be reached either
by jeep from Syangja bazaar or by bus from Naudanda along the Pokhara-Sunauli Highway
(Siddhartha Highway). The more adventurous tourist might prefer to travel from Helu-Lamachaur
(about 50 km south of Pokhara) along the same highway. This trip involves a fair bit of trekking along
the terraced farm land of Darau-Khola and a two hour climb from Arjun Chaupari. All tourists are
accommodated in homestays.

The village consists of 60 households of which many offer guests accommodation that is simple, but
comfortable. Meals are eaten with the family and each evening you are entertained by Gurung
dances and singing. Sirubari won the PATA Gold Award 2001 in the Heritage & Culture Heritage
Category.

Nepal Village Resorts (NVR) is Sirubari tourisms marketing agency based in Kathmandu. According
to them, the first commercial group taken to Sirubari in October 1997 was a group of 16 Belgian
tourists.

https://www.facebook.com/nepalvillageresorts, They can be contacted at: info@nepalvillage.com

Nepal Homestay Live the Simple Life
The logo of Kapan Homestay Village (KHV) in Kapan, Faika, Kathmandu, is simple: Live the Simple
Life. It is a Community Project Office and Training Center working in partnership with the Kapan
Village Development Committee. KHV aims to enhance development of this substantially populated
Nepali village that is only about an hour away from Kathmandu. KHV has improved the
management of homestays in the village thus making the idea a great success. Currently, there are
60 homestays in the village. The rule here is that not more than four rooms can be utilized in a
house for homestay purposes and the concerned homeowners have to undergo different trainings
such as: housekeeping, food and beverage, hygiene and English language so as to give a better
impression of Nepal homestays.

Kapan village is located just 10 km from the international airport. It has a clean and green unpolluted
environment and the villagers are a mix of various ethnicities (15) and cultures. Guests can stay with
Brahmins, Chettris, Newars, Tamangs, Sherpas, Magars, or with many other communities Kapan is
also popular as a center for Buddhist learning, it being home to the Foundation for the Preservation
of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) which was founded in 1975 at the Kopan Monastery. Kapan is
certainly an ideal destination for tourists coming to Nepal and preferring to have a Nepal homestay
experience.
Nepal Homestay
Author: Bijay
Programs for Nepal homestays were much in focus during Nepal Tourism Year 2011 because if it
had been as successful as hoped for (if indeed the targeted one million tourists had visited the
country) Nepal would have had a daily shortfall of 822 beds. This figure was arrived at by the Nepal
Tourism Board taking into account the fact that the total number of Nepali hotels are 669 (all
categories) with a total capacity of 26,063 beds.

And so, much importance was given to the development of Nepal homestays in various parts of the
country including newly developed tourist destinations. In the hospitality sector, homestays are
universally considered to be an excellent alternative to hotel accommodation. Such an arrangement
provides the opportunity for visitors to live with locals and partake of their hospitality according to the
customs of the place.

In Nepal, homestays are based away from major cities, mostly in small villages where the way of life
is simple and straightforwarda pleasant change from the everyday hustle and bustle of urban life.
Bodies like village development committees (VDCs), district development committees (DDCs) and
local co-operatives were mobilized by the Nepal Tourism Board to manage home stay facilities. A
budget of Rs 30 million (About US $ 375,000) was allocated to train people for quality homestay
arrangements in rural areas.

Nepal homestay guidelines

Although Nepal homestay programs were developed to provide additional accommodations for
visitors during Nepal Tourism Year 2011, the prime aim of Nepal homestay programs is to engage
more locals participation in activities to do with Nepal tourism besides of course, enhancing incomes
of Nepalis living in rural areas. Nepal home stays are of two kindscommunity homestays and
private homestays. Here, it must be pointed out that while most Nepal homestays are in small
villages, some urban private homes have also been encouraged to allocate two rooms with two beds
each for homestay purposes.

Nepal homestay guidelines state that in a home with at least four rooms, vacant rooms can be used
for tourists homestay. It is also requested that the concerned family should make all efforts to give a
taste of the local Nepali culture and cuisine to visitors thus helping in further enhancing the image of
Nepal tourism. Interested homeowners have to register at the Local Homestay Management
Committee. It is essential for hygienic and well facilitated rooms and services to be provided. The
management committee determines the accommodation package and other charges.

All houses participating in the Nepal homestay program have to ensure cleanliness and a safe and
secure environment. There must be adequate toilet and bathroom facilities. These are the basic
criteria required for Nepal homestays. Regarding urban area homestays, a participating house can
accommodate only four tourists per night so that there is less negative impact on the business of
regular Nepali hotels. Nepal homestay guidelines also require visitors to be served whatever food
the homeowners themselves eat. Guests too are requested by the Nepal homestay guidelines to
adhere to a code of conduct which states that they should dress in an appropriate manner and
promote their Nepali hosts culture and tradition. Nepal homestay guests are also asked to enter and
leave homes only within the prescribed times and, use of drugs and narcotics is totally forbidden.

Sirubari (Syangja District, west Nepal) and Ghalegaon (Lamjung District, north-central Nepal) were
the first to implement the concept of homestays which actually was an offshoot of efforts to develop
village tourism by the government. Now, there are quite a few registered commercial homestay
homes. Kathmandu, too, has more than 10 community-based and two private homestay homes with
a combined capacity to accommodate over 300 tourists. Kavrepalanchok has over 26 registered
community-based homestay homes. Similarly, Chitwan has at least 10, Makwanpur has 11 Nuwakot
has twelve. Gorkha, Ilam, Palpa, Syangja, Kailali and Kalikot too are following close on their heels in
registering homestay homes. Living in a Nepali homestay in a village is a quick way to know the real
Nepal. And, the planned daily cultural activities at almost all Nepal homestays should certainly be a
major attraction for tourists.

SirubariNepals First Tourism Model Village

The concept of village tourism was introduced for the first time in Nepal in Sirubari village (1700 m)
inhabited mostly by people of the Gurung community. The picturesque village can be reached either
by jeep from Syangja bazaar or by bus from Naudanda along the Pokhara-Sunauli Highway
(Siddhartha Highway). The more adventurous tourist might prefer to travel from Helu-Lamachaur
(about 50 km south of Pokhara) along the same highway. This trip involves a fair bit of trekking along
the terraced farm land of Darau-Khola and a two hour climb from Arjun Chaupari. All tourists are
accommodated in homestays.

The village consists of 60 households of which many offer guests accommodation that is simple, but
comfortable. Meals are eaten with the family and each evening you are entertained by Gurung
dances and singing. Sirubari won the PATA Gold Award 2001 in the Heritage & Culture Heritage
Category.

Nepal Village Resorts (NVR) is Sirubari tourisms marketing agency based in Kathmandu. According
to them, the first commercial group taken to Sirubari in October 1997 was a group of 16 Belgian
tourists.

https://www.facebook.com/nepalvillageresorts, They can be contacted at: info@nepalvillage.com

Nepal Homestay Live the Simple Life
The logo of Kapan Homestay Village (KHV) in Kapan, Faika, Kathmandu, is simple: Live the Simple
Life. It is a Community Project Office and Training Center working in partnership with the Kapan
Village Development Committee. KHV aims to enhance development of this substantially populated
Nepali village that is only about an hour away from Kathmandu. KHV has improved the
management of homestays in the village thus making the idea a great success. Currently, there are
60 homestays in the village. The rule here is that not more than four rooms can be utilized in a
house for homestay purposes and the concerned homeowners have to undergo different trainings
such as: housekeeping, food and beverage, hygiene and English language so as to give a better
impression of Nepal homestays.

Kapan village is located just 10 km from the international airport. It has a clean and green unpolluted
environment and the villagers are a mix of various ethnicities (15) and cultures. Guests can stay with
Brahmins, Chettris, Newars, Tamangs, Sherpas, Magars, or with many other communities Kapan is
also popular as a center for Buddhist learning, it being home to the Foundation for the Preservation
of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) which was founded in 1975 at the Kopan Monastery. Kapan is
certainly an ideal destination for tourists coming to Nepal and preferring to have a Nepal homestay
experience.