Feeling at home

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.

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.