Agritourism is ideal for those who want hands-on learning experience while still having a very direct impact on their host community. The term ‘agritourism’ is gaining in popularity and is broadly defined as involving activities that bring visitors to farms for various activities.
In Nepal, these activities can include rice farming, feeding animals, picking fruit, and other activities that involve the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of local Nepalese produce. More than 50% of the population of Nepal is engaged in agriculture, and 65% of the population is dependent on it.
The production of rice, corn, wheat, millet, barley, sugarcane, and tobacco all play an important role in Nepalese life and lifestyle, and well as the production of milk, meat, and fruit. Nepal also has a longstanding tradition of natural healing and Ayurveda, a system of Hindu alternative medicine that uses plants such as roots, cinnamon, cardamom, and so on to cure many health problems. Through Agritourism, travelers will have the opportunity to learn in-depth about the Nepalese diet and the journey of the food from the farm to the plate.
What better way to share special moments with your host family than to learn to cook local dishes? The main diet in Nepal consists of a hefty portion of rice and lentil soup, called “Dal Bhat.” Dal Bhat is often served with pickled vegetables. This simple dish is healthy and filling, and tasty! Another famous dish is “momos”, dumplings filled with vegetables or chicken.
There are also many specialties that vary by region. Nepal’s geographic diversity allows for gastronomic diversity based on what types of food grow in each area. Near the Tibetan border, for example, you can find Thukpa, a Tibetan vegetable and noodle soup, and Gurung bread, fried Tibetan bread.
Homestays are a wonderful way to watch the local people cook and learn how authentic Nepalese food is made. Make sure you take the time to create some fond memories with your host family in the kitchen!
Guided Photography Tours
Guided Photography Tours allow visitors to see Nepal through their own lenses. Through your pictures, you can capture, as best as possible, the essence of your personal experience in the country. Your guide will be a professional photographer, who will help you in your creative process and show you the tips and tricks of taking beautiful photographs.
No matter where you are in Nepal, it is truly a place that engulfs the senses. From the chaos of the city to the peaceful mountain breezes, from majestic monasteries to farming villages, from country-wide holidays to tamed yaks and wild horses, the photographic potential in Nepal is absolutely endless.
On a guided tour, you will learn when to be where to get the best shots, while visiting the most photogenic sites. Your guide will show you what to do to capture the sunlight shining down on the temple, and how to capture the reddish hue on a young child’s cheek, so that when you go back to your home country, you can look at your pictures and continue to appreciate Nepal and its people. Through traveling, learning, and being inspired by this beautiful country, photographic tours explore the very soul of Nepal.
Tours can range from afternoon walks to multi-day outings. If you have any interest in going on a photographic tour of Nepal, we would be happy to work with you to find a plan that suits your interests!
Philanthropic Tourism is the perfect opportunity to visit Nepal through compassionate eyes. Through visiting local institutions such as schools, impoverished communities, and health centers, philanthropic visitors will merge being a tourist with continuously deepening their understanding of Nepalese life and how it can be improved through humanitarian action.
The purpose of Philanthropic Tourism is to expose visitors to all aspects of the country. Not only will you have the opportunity in Nepal to do many exciting tourist activities, but you will also have the opportunity to visit the communities that are left in the background. You will also have the opportunity to engage in helping those communities.
During your Philanthropic tourism experience, you will be exposed to the various communities that our organization supports. It is our hope that visitors who opt to be Philanthropic tourists will be inspired by the people they meet, and will not forget their experiences and the time spent playing with children in local schools. When you go back to your home country, we hope that you will keep in touch with these communities, and do your best to continue to support them. Philanthropic tourism is a way to engage first hand with communities in desperate need of humanitarian action and to make international friendships that you will never forget.