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Kapan Homestay Village. When in Nepal...Live the Simple Life. Beginnings.
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Kapan Homestay Village When in Nepal...Live the Simple Life
Beginnings • In March 2007, the Nepal Tourism Board approached the head of one of Nepal's most prominent spiritual centers, the Kapan Monastery. This monastery is not only a training ground for monks, but also part of an international organization called the FPMT, dedicated to training students worldwide in the foundations of Buddhist philosophy. The Venerable Kyabje Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, who is both the Spiritual Director of the monastery and the FPMT offered his expert advice on a way to increase the tourism industry in Nepal.
Principal Advisors • Rinpoche emphasized that in order to raise global awareness of Nepal’s cultural and spiritual heritage, spiritual pilgrimage and cultural homestay should be thoroughly organized.
How Homestay Works? • At the Homestay Village, visitors may rent a room from a host family and observe the daily life and language of the family in order to better understand the Nepali culture as a whole. • Therefore, the homestay environment creates an opportunity for cultural exchange between the host family and visitor and also provides the family with a good economic source while still being affordable for the guest • The host families provide the guests with a clean and well furnished room as well as wholesome, nutritious home cooked meals according to local traditions.
Logistic Obstacles • As that there were no rules and regulations for a legal homestay program in Nepal, the Kapan Homestay Village depended on the cooperation of the Village Development Committee to protect the demise of the project and systematically discussed from there with the national level to submit its true intentions and why the project would be economically beneficial for the government at this time, especially in the long run.
Kapan Homestay Village Objectives • The Kopan Homestay Village is meant to facilitate the economy and development of the Kapan area. • Train interested families in areas of customer service, environmental awareness, cooking & hygiene, housekeeping. • The income generated from homestay will directly benefit the host family while providing a “home base” for those wanting to embark on any treks, tours, or pilgrimage while in Nepal.
Trainingand education • English language • Hospitality • Hotel/ homestay management • Food preparation and kitchen hygiene • Waste management and cleanliness • Sustainable development within tourism • .
Sustainability • Any project in this modern age of tourism and development must be environmentally sustainable. Not only to abide by any necessary government regulations, but also to appeal to the international cliental, many of which come from countries who champion the cause of environment and sustainability.
Sustainability • Compost Garden • Compost and plastic recycling
PublicTransport • In fact, we are pushing to make Kapan Hill an example of a cleaner environment which should be replicated throughout the Valley. One way is that we encourage all our guests at the Village to take advantage of the Local buses which conveniently service the area to reach points of Kathmandu. The local buses are now featuring our “green” KHV signage to be easily identified by everyone as a logical alternative to motor bikes and taxis.
Ethnic Diversity • The Kapan Homestay Village Committee has established its purpose to give opportunity for all traditional communities to prosper from increased tourism and development in the community. 8 different castes are now cooperating in the Homestay Project (Rai/Limbu, Sherpa, Gurung, Tamang, Maggar, Brahmin, Chetrri, Newars)
Economic Development • Not only does the Homestay Village promote economic development through increased tourism which benefits the Homestay Members, but in cooperation with the Kapan Village Development Committee, KHV would like to see to it that local businesses that are doing reputable charitable work are promoted as well. • The Tibetan Handicraft Center employs local people as well as those from remote areas in the production of “lokta” paper for the making of notebooks, folders etc.
EducationalOpportunity/Social Giveback • The Tibetan Handicraft Center, through the success of their business, also sponsors the children of the staff to go to school at an academy founded here in Kapan. They also provide jobs and school scholarship to residents of the Dholaka district which is where the founders of the business have come from.
Orphanage CHHAHARI is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to provide food, shelter, education and health care for the multitude of orphaned and underprivileged children of NEPAL.Chhahari rescues Nepali Children from poverty, malnutrition, drug addiction, sex trade and murder for organs.
Recreation • Bike trails wind around the hills of Kapan from the Kapan Monastery to the Nangkyi Gompa, half way up the hill to the Shivapuri Peak. One can visit the Shyalpa Monastery, Pulhari Monastery and Amitabha Foundation along the way.
Spiritual access • Luckily, the Kapan Homestay Village is just 20 minutes walking distance from several important spiritual centers and monuments. • The historic Boudhanath Stupa is just below while Kapan Monastery, Amitabha Foundation, Shyalpa Gompa, Pulahari Gompa and Gachoe Khakil Gompa are just up the hill. • Various retreats for meditation and yoga are held at these important centers so homestay guests can gain spiritual access in between their exciting ventures of trekking, mountaineering and so forth.
Rooms • Ultimately, the question is also, how many rooms have opened up for tourism in the year 2011? 1000+ beds • Approximately 200+ beds have been made available by our 50 homestay members and another 20 members are aspiring for homestay registration. The number of beds offered by the Homestay Village is approaching 280 beds. • In addition, the Shambala Villlage resort offers 74 beds. The Kapan Monastery offers 250 beds for students and tourists. The Amitabha Foundation is building 65 retreat houses and the various other monasteries in the area offer 100+ beds as well.
