Doramba reclaims its lost glory with home stays

DORAMBA (RAMECHHAP): Being one of the hotbeds of decade-long insurgency in the country, local residents of Doramba VDC in Ramechhap district had hardly imagined that their village could ever recover its long lost fame of being a popular tourist destination.

Thanks to the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Ramechhap District Development Office (DDO), for operating home stays in the villages of the district that have boomed the economy of the locals and the entire VDC.

With a total of four home stays operating in the VDC over the recent days, the villagers have been getting a good peace dividend.

The locals not only benefit from the home stay earning but their harvested crops have found a better market. Everything they grow from corn, paddy, vegetables and even livestock and dairy products are used in the kitchens of the home stays and nothing is wasted.

“This scheme of home stay has become an elixir for the locals,” said Home Stay operator, RameshYonzon. Initially, each house could accommodate 25-30 people at a time but now they have upgraded the space inside the house to adjust more than 50 guests who come to relish the natural beauty and cultural diversity of the area.

They have marked different prices for domestic and international tourists.

“We charge Rs 400 in total for international tourist and Rs 200 for the Nepalis. This expense covers both lodging and food for a day,” said another home stay operator, Ashya Laxmi Thingle. “We serve them typical Nepali dishes and the houses are modesty furnished with all the essentials,” added Thingle.

According to Thingle, most of the guests are government officers, researchers, teachers, principals, students and businessmen by profession.

“We earn about Rs 50,000 from each house and the locals don´t have to worry about their crops being spoilt as we buy everything from them,” said Thingle.

source: republica,22 Dec 2013