Editor's note: In this weekly feature China Daily gives voice to Asia and its people. The stories presented come mainly from the Asia News Network (ANN), of which China Daily is among its 20 leading titles.
A view of Patan Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, which draws visitors with its Himalayan sights. ZHANG KAIXIN / FOR CHINA DAILY
Rajkali Rawat, from Patarasi Rural Municipality of Jumla, midwestern Nepal, had not heard about homestays until a few years ago.
Now, along with five other women, she hosts many visitors through the lodging arrangement in her Himalayan home.
Her homestay provides food made from traditional cereals like buckwheat, millet, rice and beans, among other crops. Tourists are attracted to the organic dishes and traditional culture.
"I used to think operating a homestay would be a lot of hassle. But I was wrong," Rawat said. "It has become a good source of income."
In a homestay, tourists live in people's homes, share meals, and experience local life and culture. Living in a Nepali village as a homestay guest is perhaps one of the fastest and best ways to get to know the real Nepal, according to locals and visitors alike, with daily cultural activities a major attraction.
Homestays in Nepal can be traced to 1980, when the late Captain Rudra Man Gurung opened the first homestay of its kind in the country's hospitality sector.
The women of Patmara village opened their community homestay four years ago and the model has since spread to other areas.
Locals said the homestay greatly promotes traditional dishes, preserves local culture and offers natural beauty.
Patmara is known as a gateway to the popular Rara Lake and trekkers visiting the lake often go to the village.
According to operators, a homestay can rake in 300,000 rupees ($2,200) to 400,000 rupees a year.
Rawat said that since homestays are new to Jumla, they usually hold monthly meetings to discuss improvements in hospitality. Facilities and services are reviewed, and they address any complaints made by tourists to improve the experience.
A boat traverses near the Himalayan foothills in Nepal, with the Annapurna mountain range as the backdrop. TIM GRAHAM / GETTY IMAGES
The community homestay in Patmara started four years ago and the community has held more than 100 meetings. Before operating the homestay, the women visited popular scenic areas like Pokhara and Ghale Gaun offering homestays.
Kalashi Budha, secretary of the community homestay, said many homestays focus on decoration. "But here, natural beauty is enough to attract tourists."
Tourists can enjoy the green highland pastures during the monsoon and in winter they are mesmerized by snow-covered pastures.
"The view and traditional food make tourists happy," Budha added.
The women initially took out loans to start the homestay, with many of them becoming financially independent and offering to support others in turn.
Rawat said women used to ask for money at home for the family expenses, but now they take care of their children's and husbands' expenditures.
Rawat's husband, Nara Bahadur, has been in Saudi Arabia for the last two years. Before that he worked for five years in Malaysia. His income has also been invested in the homestay arrangements.
Other villages have similarly started operating homestays and welcoming guests.
According to Budha, more than 1,000 tourists from Australia, the United States, France, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan have experienced Patmara homestays.
"With the arrival of tourists after homestays were opened, sanitation in the villages has improved," Budha said.
"Most of the tourists arrive by making phone contact, while some arrive after visiting Rara Lake."
Women operating homestays also have other roles. Once a month, they monitor the nearby forest to check on any illegal wildlife activities.
They are particularly concerned about the conservation of red pandas as most tourists come to see the shy animals.
Conservation efforts are underway to save red pandas and Maharudra Community Forest has been designated as a pocket area for their protection.
Patmara is located just beyond Urthuchautara, on the way from Khalanga. Tourists use the shortest route to reach Rara Lake, with 10 to 25 vehicles arriving daily.
In 2011, Nepal Tourism Year was rolled out and helped set off the homestay trend in the country in anticipation of a surge in tourism.
Homestays were conceived as an alternative arrangement for an expected hotel room shortage during the tourism campaign aiming to attract 1 million international visitors before it ended.
The lodging option became a permanent feature of Nepali tourism, with hundreds of homestay offerings across the country.
The Kathmandu Post, Nepal
