After a lovely morning exploring the beauty and charm of Bhaktapur, our group headed a short distance away to Nagarkot, a beautiful village nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas roughly 28 kilometers east of Kathmandu. Nagarkot is a popular tourist destination for its majestic Himalayan views, and rich culture and village life. We would spend two days at the Nagarkot Community Homestay as part of our trip with the Community Homestay Network in Nepal.

The Nagarkot Community Homestay located in Bastola gaun (village) began roughly 13 years ago when Suraj Bastola, one of six brothers, hatched the idea of offering tourists a unique experience to stay as guests in their homes.

After surviving the 2015 earthquake that destroyed their village, the community united and persevered, rebuilding one home at a time and slowly reopening their homestay program to tourists. Today, the community welcomes roughly 600 visitors to their village each year, significantly impacting the families’ economic, cultural, and social well-being. Now, many of the children study abroad at university thanks to the additional earnings from the homestays. Women have also seen their children’s health improve and their cultural traditions thrive.

When we arrived, our group of ten journalists and travel advisors were welcomed by the host mamas dressed in the traditional dress of red saris. One by one, we each received a marigold garland and a red dot (tika) on our forehead. After a brief welcoming ceremony, we split into pairs and were introduced to our host mamas. I was rooming with Sara, a delightful woman from the UK who is a travel advisor, and we were staying with Laxmi Bastola and her family.

As we walked to our homes, I noticed that each homestay was painted yellow and named after the host mama who runs it.  Furthermore, each homestay is unique. Some of our group stayed inside the family home with their own bedroom and bathroom while Sara and me stayed in a separate small building with two rooms and a bathroom located next to the family home.

After the 2015 earthquake, the entire village was destroyed, and it took years to rebuild. Slowly, the community rebuilt one home at a time, even surviving the shutdown of tourism after the global pandemic. Today, there are 9 homes in the Nagarkot Community Homestay program, and they are still working to rebuild.

One of the reasons why Nagarkot is such a coveted tourist destination is the chance to see the Himalayas not too far outside of Kathmandu. On a clear day, you can see the surrounding peaks of the Himalayas in all their glory. However, we were visiting during the start of the monsoon season so it was either cloudy or raining. Despite that, it was still achingly beautiful.

What I loved most about Bastola village is that everyone is related. The community was founded generations ago by the Bastola family and each host mama is married to one of the six Bastola brothers. I enjoyed the constant company of the cousins who loved to come to spend time with Sara and me outside on the family porch. Laxmi also has two daughters, Deepika (20) and Dilasha Bastola (16) who speak excellent English and helped to translate conversations for their mother. We adored the nights when Dilasha would sit outside and sing for us with her beautiful voice underneath the stars. When we asked her where she got this talent, she smiled and said “Listen inside to the kitchen”, and we heard her mother singing with her beautiful voice.

After settling into our rooms, our group met at the Nagarkot Community Center where we learned to make tapari (leaf plates) and bati (wicks) with the host mamas. We would use the tapari to bring our breakfast with us the following morning for sunrise yoga and we would use the wicks for offering to the Gods at the temple hike the next day.

After, the women put on a dance for us, followed by a traditional meal of Dal Bhat (curried lentils and rice) for dinner with our host families. Exhausted, I slept like a baby up in the peaceful hills of the Himalayas.

The next morning we rose to thunder and pouring rain. Unfortunately, we were unable to do our sunrise Hatha yoga and had to do our class indoors at the Community Center. While I was disappointed, obviously there was nothing we could do about the weather.  After yoga, we enjoyed a traditional breakfast of potatoes, chapati, fresh local honey, and a hard-boiled egg on our leaf plates.

The rain had not let up so instead of hiking, we drove to the Shanti Danda Temple. On a clear day, you have an incredible panoramic view which I can only imagine is sensational. As the thunder roared, we went inside a small coffee shop and ordered cappuccinos.

The Shanti Danda temple. 

Once the rain stopped, we set off on a group hike, walking through the different communities that live in the foothills.  There was not another tourist in sight. It was a pretty amazing experience that truly gave us a glimpse into daily rural life. I pinched myself, I felt so lucky to be there experiencing it all.

Our final destination was the Jalpa Devi Temple, a revered religious site for the local people of Nagarkot. We left our homemade offerings there and continued our hike passing through more villages along the way.

One of the highlights of our hike was enjoying a taste of freshly made Raksi, the local alcohol of the Tamang people. Raksi is made from wheat and cooked over wood-burning fire while it brews. It was quite strong and burned my throat, but of course, I had to give it a try. 

After an adventurous day, we ended our stay with a cooking class with our host families. It was such a special visit! We certainly felt like honored guests. Sara and me enjoyed another night under the stars chatting to the girls, who are the same age as my own children, about their hopes and dreams.

We rose the next morning to brilliant sunshine. It was time to set off on another hike and meet the host mamas at our next homestay in Panauti.

Saying Goodbye

As the mamas lined up to say their goodbyes, it was hard to imagine everything they had been through with the 2015 earthquake, a global pandemic, and more. Yet they persevered and never gave up hope. It is something to inspire us all.

The Nagarkot Community Homestay is part of the Community Homestay Network (CHN). CHN is a social enterprise that supports a network of community homestays throughout Nepal. CHN connects travelers with communities across Nepal, providing a unique opportunity to stay with Nepali families and immerse in real Nepali life. At the same time, local host families get the opportunity to share their culture and landscapes with travelers while gaining access to a sustainable source of income through tourism. The authentic experiences CHN offers travelers are created to have a positive impact on Nepali communities, women, and families, as well as on the travelers themselves. Best of all, all the homestays and experiences are created by the community. They are community-driven and community-led, mostly by women. Today, there are 362 households in 36 communities impacting the lives of over 1748 people. To book, visit the Community Homestay Network.