Nepal – Village experience – 8 days

Description

Nepal Village Experience

This great 8 day experience combines the rural Nepali lifestyle and the best of Kathmandu. It is specifically designed for travellers who want to really connect to a local community outside of the big city and leave a positive footsteps behind.

The experience highlights are:
Participate in agriculture
Support a school
Learn to prepare traditional dishes and cook for your hosts

Itinerary
Day 1 – A moment in Kathmandu 
Upon arrival in Kathmandu, a representative of Himalayan Asia Treks will pick you up from the airport for your transfer to your hotel in the city – Hotel Simal or a similar 3 start hotel. Your guide will then give you a short briefing about the program of the experience and talk about the local customs and culture of Nepal. A short walk around the city is next to get you acquitanted with your host country and we will help you to find a nice restaurant for your lunch or dinner, depending on your arrival time (meals today are not included).

Day 2 – Into the countryside
Today, we will begin our 8 hour drive from Kathmandu to the village of Suryapal after breakfast at the hotel. Driving alongside the Trishuli river you will see small towns and a beautiful mountain range of forest. There won’t be any time to engage in a positive impact activity today, but we will pick up some school supplies for later in the experience.
Upon arriving in Suryapal, we will introduce you to your local hosts and your homestay for the coming days.
Meals included today: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 3 + 4 – Suryapal village life
For the next two days, you will be integrated into the daily village life of Suryapal village. In Nepal’s villages, most people make a living for themselves through agriculture. We will help our hosts out in their daily activities and learn what it is like to live in a Nepali village.
You will interact hands-on with your local hosts and learn about their culture, customs and traditions. The activities that we engage in, will vary as per season and can be, for instance, helping to plant rice or maize. You will also learn how to prepare traditional Nepali dishes and cook meals in the morning and/or evening for your hosts so you can enjoy these meals together. Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If there are festivities going on in the village at the time that we are there, we will join in the celebrations.

Please note: if you would like to stay in the village and participate in the daily rural life longer, please let our partner Himalayan Asia Treks know and they will try to accommodate you.

Day 5 – Suryapal school day
Today, we will visit a local school, starting at 10am in the morning to join in the morning prayers of the students. After prayer, we will interact with the teachers about the learning process of the students and the schooling system in Nepal. We will also interact with the students on subjects like dustbin/trash management and library management and you have the opportunity to distribute some stationary supplies that you have bought on day 2.
We will make lunch with the help of the school’s staff today and enjoy it together in the school with the students and teachers. Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Please note: if you are interested to teach a class (for instance, English or painting lesson), we our partner Himalayan Asia Treks would be happy to accommodate you (max 1 hour). Please inquire at the time of booking to see if they can arrange this for you.

Day 6 – Back to the city
After breakfast, we say goodbye to the village of Suryapal and drive back to Kathmandu (8h). We will take our lunch on the way to the city.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch
Overnight will be at a hotel.

Day 7 – City vibes
Of course, no visit to Nepal would be complete without taking a good look at the city of Kathmandu. The capital city of Nepal is a vibrant and culturally rich destination with a history dating back thousands of years.
After breakfast, your guide will pick you up from the hotel and drive you to the highlights of this great city. Key attractions, such as the Kathmandu Durbar Square and the Swayambhunath Stupa are of course included in this half day city tour. Explore the ancient heritage and spiritual significance that is Kathmandu.
After the tour, you will have plenty of free time to explore the city even further on your own.
Meals included: breakfast

Day 8 – Homeward bound again
Unfortunately, after breakfast, your experience in Nepal  has to come to an end, as your guide will pick you up from your hotel for your transfer to the airport as per your flight schedule. We hope that you had a great time and thank you on behalf of the village of Suryapal for your great company and for leaving your positive impact!
Meals included; breakfast

Overview of the experience
Included:
–       Accommodation on twin/triple sharing hotels in Kathmandu.
–       Local homes in Suryapal.
–       Daily breakfast in Kathmandu.
–       Breakfast, lunch and dinner in Suryapal as per itinerary description.
–       Ground Transportation as per itinerary (transport will be  private and public -depending upon availability).
–       English Speaking Guide.
–       Entrance Fees and other necessary things.

Excluded:
–       Nepal Visa (Can get upon arrival in Kathmandu airport- https://nepaliport.immigration.gov.np/on-arrival/IO01)
–       Visa Cost (15 Days – USD 30 , 30 Days – USD  50, 90 Days – USD 125)
–       International and domestic flight
–       Insurances

Please note the following:
–       This experience can be booked from a minimum of 4 guests. Price per person $569.00.
–       Overnight stays will be in hotels in Kathmandu and in local homes in Suryapal.
–       We use private, tourist and public vehicles upon availability, with a preference for public vehicles.
–       In Kathmandu, we will suggest restaurants for you for your lunch and dinner.
–       In Suryapal, breakfast, lunch and dinner are enjoying in the house as there is no availability of restaurants. The pattern meals is: Morning 6am -7 am : Tea and light snacks , 9-11 am – Meal (Rice, lentils, vegetables, pickles) , 3-4 pm : some meal and 8-10 m – dinner Meal (Rice, lentils, vegetables, pickles). We will try to help with all the cooking.
–       We will be together with you to help you with what to do or not to do. Please respect their culture and do not engage in adulthood activities in public areas, like kissing.
–       We will stay in Suryapal with a local family. This means our group cannot stay together in one house, but we have to divide the men and women into different houses (all houses are secured and only 5-10 minutes apart in walking distance).

Things to avoid in Nepal:
Public displays of affection: In Nepal, public displays of affection, such as kissing and hugging, are generally considered inappropriate. It’s important to be culturally sensitive and refrain from such behavior in public.
Disrespecting religious customs: When visiting temples and monasteries, always remove your shoes before entering, dress modestly (cover your body), and follow any specific customs or rules posted at the site.
Disrupting wildlife: When on jungle safaris or wildlife excursions, maintain a safe distance from animals and avoid making loud noises that could disturb them.
Littering: Be responsible and dispose of your trash properly. Nepal’s natural beauty should be preserved, so do your part to keep it clean please.
Don’t take photos without permission: Always ask for permission before taking photos of people, especially in rural areas or of religious ceremonies. Some may feel uncomfortable or consider it disrespectful.

Important note:
– Clicking on the link to go to the website of Himalayan Asia Treks means that you will be redirected to the website of Himalayan Asia Treks and will leave the website of Positive Impact Tourism.

We love to hear your feedback, so please feel free to give us your input on the experience, our partner Himalayan Asia Treks and how we can work with them to improve the positive impact of the experience.