Tag: Nepal

Enjoy the view from Pokhara Lodge, Tiger Mountain in Nepal

This stunning mountain hideaway, set amoungst the Nepalese Himalayas, is leading the way in responsible tourism

Perched on a mountain ridge 1,000 ft above the Pokhara Valley in Nepal, the Pokhara Lodge at Tiger Mountain demonstrates daily why it has won TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence every year since 2011. Guests rave about the beautiful setting, the friendly staff and the delicious food – but it’s a dedication to supporting local community initiatives, and helping preserve local wildlife, that really sets it apart from the rest.

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Since the beginning, the Lodge, its staff and guests, have been involved in supporting various projects including funding local schools, school teachers, health posts, community forestry projects, forest rangers and a forest nursery,

The lodge’s trained guides are regularly involved in conservation research by monitoring butterfly and wildfowl populations for organisations including Birdlife International.

Accommodation

The lodge consists of stone cottages, clustered in the style of a Nepalese village, around a central lodge, bar and dining room. All cottages have en-suite bathrooms, private verandas and Himalayan views. Each cottage is furnished with Tibetan rugs, handmade wooden furniture and original artworks.

Facilities

Will you ever have a swim in such a glorious location as this? The outdoor swimming pool reflects the snowcapped mountain backdrop making a morning dip even more exhilerating! For cosy evenings the main lodge offers the chance to snuggle up to a warm log fire and browse the Colonel Jimmy library full of mountaineering literature.

Infinity Pool

Food

You can enjoy breakfast with a view from the terrace, while in the evening, the terrace is candlelit for cocktails and dinner. Daily menus include Nepali and continental dishes made using fresh, local, organic ingredients such as homegrown herbs and garden salads. And the bar remains open until the last guest retires…

Things to do

Guests can take day hikes or bird walks with local, trained guides. Yoga and meditation sessions are available, as well as Ayurvedic and Shiatsu massage. The more adventurous can try paragliding or microlight flights for a truly awesome experience in the mountains. Trips to nearly Pokhara can be arranged for sightseeing, museums and to visit the lively lakeside area.

‘Good’ credentials:

  • Pokhara Lodge and guests’ donations pay for an additional teacher at the local Shiva Shatki Primary School
  • The Lodge and guest donations have also funded the rebuilding of the school block at Amar Jyoti Secondary School, providing electricity, whiteboards, improved classrooms and desks – this means more children can complete their main schooling in the local community
  • The Lodge works with the International Trust for Nature Conservation and its Shillinge Project, which aims to combine non-timber forest product development with longer-term community forest management practices.
  • Guides monitor butterfly and wildfowl populations, providing data for conservation charities and projects including Birdlife International

 

For more information, availability and booking, visit www.tigermountainpokhara.com or e: info@tigermountainpokhara.com

 

Get involved with creative arts in Nepal

Do you love arts and crafts? Or enjoy getting kids involved in dance, music and drama? Then you could be the perfect candidate for a new volunteering project in Nepal.

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Creative Arts, Nepal, run by the charity PoD, is looking for volunteers with skills in drawing, painting, music, drama, dance, creative writing, pottery, puppetry, story-telling, anything your creative mind can offer! Volunteers will be teaching young children at the Street Children’s Centre in the Himalayan city of Pokhara, running creative classes to break from the norm of rote learning. The creative classes help broaden the children’s imagination, improve self-confidence, open up new ways of learning, and most of all, add an element of fun!

Schools and children’s centres in Nepal rarely have the budget to fund arts-related classes meaning additional support from charities and their volunteers is greatly welcomed.

The work

Volunteers work for around five hours a day, five days a week, at the centre and are encouraged to come prepared with their own lesson plans and activity ideas for children of all ages. Approximately two to five other volunteers will be working with PoD in Pokhara at the same time, and everyone will receive support from PoD volunteer manager and resident Chrissie. Volunteers receive a Nepali language lesson during their first week, with placements lasting from two to 16 weeks.

Accommodation

Volunteers stay in the beautiful Himalayan lakeside city of Pokhara, surrounded by mountains. Accommodation is at a family-run guesthouse – basic but clean and comfortable, with your own en-suite room. Owner Bindu and her family always provide a very warm welcome for guests.

PoD has been working in Nepal since 2007 with two members of staff who are based in Pokhara. The Street Children’s Centre rescues children from a life on the street. The children here could have run away from home, been abandoned by their families or have grown up on the streets as orphans. The centre is home to around 15 orphaned and disadvantaged children between two and 15 years old. The orphanage uses its limited resources to provide the children with accommodation, food, education and support. The child care centres allow low to middle income families to work while their children are at a day care centre in a safe and secure environment.

For more information about the project, including fees, dates and how to book, visit Creative Arts, Nepal.

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