Homestay services have been initiated in Pakhathar, an area within the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, which spans the districts of Eastern Rukum, Baglung, and Myagdi. With support from the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forests, and Environment of Gandaki Province, new tourist destinations have been identified, and infrastructure has been developed in the region.
Jeevan Kumar Pun, the Secretary of the Dhorpatan Tourism Promotion Development Organization, announced that homestay facilities with a capacity to accommodate 120 guests across six homes have been established. Additionally, a trekking route from Pakhathar to Kiteeni via Kadeko Danda has been constructed. “To enhance the experience of tourists visiting Dhorpatan, we have increased our capacity by building new homestays,” Pun said. “We are committed to promoting and identifying new destinations to extend tourists’ stay.”
Through the ‘One Constituency, One Model Homestay’ program by Gandaki Province, a budget of NPR 1.2 million has been allocated to expand homestay capacity and develop tourist infrastructure. Stone stairways have been constructed in challenging areas, and informative wooden boards providing details about tourist sites have been installed, according to Secretary Pun.
The homestays are built in traditional wooden houses, offering guests rooms with a taste of local delicacies such as millet and buckwheat porridge, potatoes, mushrooms, ferns, local chicken, goat meat, and dairy products. According to the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, the 29 hotels and homestays in the area can accommodate 300 guests daily.
The demand for homestay services has increased with the growing number of tourists from various parts of the country, stated Ram Bahadur Gharti, the operator of Dhorpatan Community Homestay. Before the establishment of Pakhathar Homestay, there were only two homestays in Dhorpatan. Tourists staying at Pakhathar Homestay can enjoy hiking from Pakhathar to destinations like Kadedhuri, Tharsing, Gurans Park, and Kiteeni Dhuri.
After a three-hour uphill trek from Pakhathar, tourists can reach Kiteeni Dhuri at an altitude of 4,110 meters. From there, visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of the Dhorpatan Valley and mountain ranges, including Sisne, Putha, Gurja, Dhaulagiri, Churen, Nilgiri, Manapathi, Annapurna, Machhapuchhre, and Manaslu. The vast plains, cattle sheds for yaks, buffaloes, sheep, and horses, as well as the diverse wildlife and forests, further enhance the area’s appeal.
The Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, which covers an area of 1,325 square kilometers, occupies 60% of Eastern Rukum, 26% of Baglung, and 14% of Myagdi. In the fiscal year 2080/81, 15,573 tourists visited Dhorpatan, generating NPR 1.933 million in revenue under the eco-tourism category, according to Conservation Officer Mandip Pangeni.
Tourists entering the Dhorpatan Valley must register their details and pay fees at the reserve’s entry point in Deurali, where a post of the Nepalese Army is also stationed. The fee structure includes NPR 100 per person for Nepali nationals, NPR 1,500 for SAARC nationals, and NPR 3,000 for tourists from other countries.
