Launch into the final spurt for the German Involvement Award / Deutscher Engagementpreis

{EAV:400104519fefd4d1}

Please cast your vote until Tuesday the 1st of November ..... never before helping people has been as easy as that ... the award comes with prize money of 10.000 euro for an orphanage in Patan / Kathmandu

From the 28th of September tot he 1st of November there is no information on the state oft he ballot. The pupils’ Nepal project needs your support to win the German Involvement Award.

Please click on ....

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deutscher-engagementpreis.de%2Fprojekt_detail_ansicht_2011.html%3F%26id%3D14

Important information:
This is a serious request from a reputable organisation. The answer (address: Deutscher Engagementpreis) might get caught in your spamfilter but itis no spam. Please click on the link in the mail, only then your vote will count.

Contract Renewed with Save the Children

Brian (left) and Raj (right) signing the contract

A renewal contract between socialtours and Save the Children International has been signed between Vishwaraj (Raj) Gyawali, Founder Director and Brian Hunter, Country Director.

"We are planting seeds today that will lead to a better and direct involvement of the private sector in development in Nepal" said Brian, referring to the direct relationships between socialtours and partner NGO's of Save the Children International that have been set up as part of this contract

"socialtours has always been interested in channelising travel philanthropy into development. This relationship gives us an opportunity to work with projects and priorities that have been vetted out by Save the Children, thereby giving us confidence that the small development investments made by travellers are made in the right projects" said Raj Gyawali

Several volunteering options with Partner NGO's have been identified in the past year by Save the Children and socialtours and currently, one short term volunteer has already been placed in a small village school supported by a Partner NGO called Tuki Sangh in Sindupalchowk. Robert Dillingham, who works for Microsoft in the US, and is aspiring to do a 27 months stint with Peace Corps, is teaching English and helping advance computer skills in this remote district. He will be here for three months.

socialtours has also launched on their website, fixed departures for Charity Challenge treks to Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp starting September 2011, aimed at supporting causes developed by the Partner NGO's. Clients coming to these treks have to pay the logistics costs, and will also have to fund raise per meter climbed during the trek to support these educational causes.

Work is also underway to find programs that will directly support the Save the Childrens Everyone campaign, and find traveller and Nepali funding through tourism for developing model birthing centres in Lalitpur that can be replicated all over Nepal.

Dancing with Shamans | All Womens Trek

08th Aug | 0800 hrs | the group ready to set off

Not by design at all, but coincidentally, the yearly departure we have to Gosainkunda Lake for the August Full Moon, called Dancing with Shamans, this year, has taken an interesting turn. Its an all Womens' Group, and we are so proud of it!

It is led by Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, who is an accomplished mountain athlete; running extreme marathons, rock climbing, ice-climbing and mountaineering. She is leading a group of five women; two Austrian teenagers, one German (who is preparing for her 125+ days Great Himalaya Trail journey), one American teacher and a Nepali journalist.

They are of course also supported by men. Three porters and a small crew who will reach Gosainkunda with tents from the other side.

Every year, during the August Full Moon, Shamans and Nepali pilgrims converge at the 4300m lake at Gosainkunda for a full night of festivities. This is one of the most unique treks one can undertake in Nepal.

Lake Gosainkunda | 4300m

Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge!

Ride Statistics

Amounts Pledged:

1. For Max - GBP 4,095 (on justgiving.com)
2. For Shisang - GBP 225 + NRs. 40,400 (on justgiving.com & in Nepal)

Total distance of the Kora - around 50 kilometers
Time Taken - a little over six hours, with five punctures, a tea break and a lunch break
Total riders who started - 43
Total riders who completed - 34

Total distance covered by the riders - 34 x 50 = 1700 kms

Organisers: socialtours & Chain

Route:

Photo Gallery

Team Crank with the Challengers!

Riders on an uphill

The team from the British Gurkhas

Riding towards Kirtipur

A little downhill in Kirtipur

Waiting for the group

Lunch break at Boudha

Riders who completed the Challenge!

Press Release: Kathmandu Kora Bicycle Challenge

60 K | 23.07.2011

In Buddhism and Hinduism a ‘Kora’ is a circumbulation, done clockwise, usually around a religious structure. It is said that a single Kora around Mt. Kailash in Tibet for example is enough for one lifetime. Kathmandu, with its myriad religious structures is a perfect location to do a circumbulation. It boasts two of the most revered Buddhist Stupas of Boudhha & Swoyambhu, and one of the top eight... temples for Hindus worldwide, Pashupatinath. This Challenge circumbulated the valley, clockwise, right at the edge of the valley, away from the hustle of the city, passing by picturesque rural settings, raising money per kilometre biked for a worthy cause.

Maxim Hooper and Shishang Khyungba Lama, both 16 years of age but from two different parts of the world, will be taking up the Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge on July 23 to raise funds for the OCCED (Organization for Community Child and Environment) Orphanage at Naxal and Samata School at Jorpati.

The charity cycling event is similar to the fund run events organized in Germany and other parts of the world.

About Max

16 year old Max came to Nepal with his mother Susan (who is CEO of SAGA holidays in the UK) about a year ago, and had a great time playing with the students at the SAMATA School and the OCCED Orphanage. On going back to the UK, his commitment to come back to Nepal and give something back was huge.

About Shisang

Also 16 year old, Shisang is a Nepalese who will be also accepting the challenge and will ride with Max. He has just completed his school leaving exams and has started his A levels in Kathmandu. He is a cycling enthusiast and a music buff. This is his first foray into Charity, and he is keen to see the results!

The ride is expected to bring in biking enthusiasts from all over Kathmandu on a first ever organized cycling Kora of Kathmandu.

Pledges can be made at 4412508 or 5000547 or by emailing binita@socialtours.com until Sunday 24^th July 2011. Donating from abroad can be done via the just giving page at www.justgiving.com/shisang-lama

Chain Bikes is Nepal’s first Cycle company who has designed bikes for Nepalis. It conducts several events through its charity arm, Chain Inc to promote cycling as a pure sport in Nepal. www.chain.com.np

Socialtours is a five time responsible tourism award nominated company specializing in soft adventure. It has also mentions in National Geographic Adventure and Lonely Planet. www.socialtours.com

Participation is free for this event. Cyclist should come to Chain Bikes in Bhanimandal, Ekantakun at 0630 am on Saturday, 23^rd July, get registered, and the ride starts at 0700 hours. It is expected to take about six hours in total. It’s a fun ride and there are no winners. The idea is to help Max and Shisang to complete the challenge and raise the funds for charity. Donating to this cause is completely voluntary!

We request all to support this event through participation, spreading the news, coverage of the event, and donating to the cause.

INFORMATION / PLEDGES : 4412508, 5000547

I know where your rice comes from....

Danielle Shapiro (www.danielle-shapiro.com)

How do I know? Because I planted it! Well, some of it. And just that part that you might get from Nepal, which, in all likelihood, is not very much. But let’s not get stuck on the particulars. The point here is that Ilaria, Isabella and I spent a lovely, messy, fascinating day this past Wednesday wading through muddy rice paddies planting with locals in a village called Chapagaun about 10 km outside of Kathmandu. The farmers we met are ethnic Newari, Kathmandu’s native population.

The Rotaract Club of Mt. Everest and a social event management company called Life Entertainment planned our venture. We were there because Ila is friendly with a wonderful guy named Raj Gyawali who owns Social Tours (www.socialtours.com), a travel agency based in Kathmandu. He worked with the other organizations to get the word out about the rice planting trip. He and his daughter Tara joined us too.

Turns out, that June 29, is the 15th day of the Nepali month and the first official day of the rice-planting season. However, because the rains have been so good this year – and we have seen a few good downpours during my visit – farmers actually started planting earlier. Nonetheless, the day is one of celebration.

We started our journey with a short trip to a Buddhist stupa dedicated to Shiva near Chapagaun and then made our way to the rice paddies. When we arrived, the fields were already full of brightly-dressed women (and a few girls) bent over at the waist, water up to mid-calf and hands full of long, thin, green stalks of rice. Men also waded through digging up mud and, it seemed, thus prepping the earth for the planting.

Dressed as we were to get filthy, we shed our shoes and cautiously descended into the paddy. Isabella was a bit scared and wanted to be held the entire time, but Ila and I got to experience that weirdly unsettling yet simultaneously pleasant squish of the mud between our toes and under our feet. Our walking was unsteady until later in the day when Raj gave us the all-important tip that we needed to lift our feet out of the water with each step forward.

Once we were in the fields, the local Nepali women approached with a bunch of rice seeds and showed us how to plant them. Take two at a time, at least, and place them deep into the mud, standing upright so the greens stick out. Ila went first, while Isabella and I watched. I followed. With the Nepali women planting next to me, it was clear what a novice I was. For every row of rice I managed to plant, I think they probably completed five, at least. They move quick! The result, as we saw throughout the day, are the delicately beautiful paddies full of bright green slivers bending gently in the wind.

In truth, Ila, Isabella and I spent most of the day watching, quite happily so, and I taking pictures. But the others on our trip – we were a group of about 20 – got so into the spirit of the day that they ended up utterly doused in mud, tossing each other in, wrestling and playing a game that sort of looked like tag. Isabella and Tara, Raj’s daughter who is just about Isabella’s age, loved that I started calling them “mud monsters” and ran from them each time one approached.

After the planting was done, we boarded our bus and headed to lunch. We ate a traditional celebratory meal with our hands, much to Isabella’s delight. The food started with beaten rice – pieces of rice that are flat and crunchy, and sort of look like cereal. To mix with this was an assortment of vegetable and potato curries, buff and chicken and as a dessert, fresh yogurt. With a touch of honey, that and the beaten rice was a surprising treat.

Thus muddied, fully-fed and exhausted, we made our way home. It was a wonderful sneak peak into the daily lives of Nepalis, especially now during the Monsoon. Raj told us they will spend most of the next few months in their fields. We saw how the farmers remained in the fields even when the rain pummeled down, with ponchos perched on their heads and covering their backs. Undaunted, unperturbed. Impressive indeed. A really special day.

COOK like a LOCAL

Proud to announce that the GO LOCAL series product called Cook like a Local is doing fantastic. For almost every class (currently running at three times a week) we have some clients, and the feedback has started to pour in.

socialtours launched the GO LOCAL series a few months ago and this includes several different hidden secrets of Kathmandu, from special city walks such as the Kumari Trail, or nature walks such as the walks in Shivapuri National Park, or cycling around the city, or Newar village walks, the list is endless.

However, the one that is hitting the mark, and just what the doctor ordered, is the COOK like a LOCAL. At a small fee of 750 Rs, it is also a very high value product. One could learn cooking Aloo Parathas, momos and Dal Bhat.

A perfect way to get deep into Nepali culture!

Links:

socialtours website
Cook Like a LOCAL : on facebook, on the website
Testimonials of the GO LOCAL series
socialtours | nepal on facebook

Green Hiker - Green Planet Trek 2011

As socialtours led the GREEN HIKER GREEN PLANET campaign trek in the Langtang Region of Nepal, it was both one of the few opportunities to engage with a very influential Nepalese audience and a recognition of the socialtours way of conducting business. Three Constituent Assembly members, top environmentalists, social entrepreneurs, development specialists, celebrities were all part of this short trek and the joint organisers of WWF and USAID both showed confidence in us as mountain leaders who can showcase responsibility in the mountains.

No holds barred! It was a full on Responsible Tourism trek from our side. We used local labour as porters and two of our guides were from the area, we used lodges to prepare food, even though a group of 23 meant that some had to sleep in tents, the food was local (to the point of hand made noodles in the Thenthuk, and maize pudding - dhindo - and nettle soup - sisno ko john, potatoes, local cheese), the soap was biodegradable, the tea was organic, you name it… was full on as mentioned above! We were even scolded by the villagers at Thulo Syabru because we were feeding the delegation 'local food'. We followed Leave no Trace principles in camping, and left our camps cleaner than when we came in

And the beauty of all this - everyone loved it, barring a few who were a bit desperate for the Dal Bhat, which we eventually provided at the very end of the four days.

On the main theme, the success was unprecedented.. we experienced sunshine, rain, snow, mud, slippery roads, extreme downhills, landslides, road blocks, extremely long meetings, hospitable villagers, and tons of time sharing experiences and having debates - political as well as environmental. And this had an actual output - a joint decision to work together, and start an active action oriented joint stance on climate change. Exactly what the WWF / USAID mission was.

What a great way to celebrate 50 years of WWF and 60 years of USAID in Nepal! A big thank you to all who participated!

News from the USAID site here

See pictures of the trek here

truly Inspired!

Just after writing the Microfunding for Tourism blog on the Far West Chamber of Commerce, (which incidentally is vying for the top five position in the RT Network Meeting in Berlin), I thought I will not go on and on about this area, at least for a while.

No can do! These people are really inspirational, and motivated. Just concluded the first training of tour operators, and we already have two products described, itineraries made, costed out and ready to roll. How cool is that? Some things make consultancies worth it!

The first one is a day trip to Badha Village (I promise I will bring it out here once its fully finalised) off Dhangadhi, either on jeeps, motorcyles, bicycles or for the more authentic lovers, on a bullock cart! Done via one lake, and a Shiva temple, with the drive passing through community forests, is really wonderful. What awaits at the other end is also fantastic... authentic Tharu culture, complete with dances, music and authentic food, not to mention a bullock cart tour of the village. What fun!

The second is a overnight trip combining a Ramsar site marsh, a river beach picnic and culminating in the forests of Bardia, where one relaxes into the night over a fire, and the next day does jungle activites in search of a tiger!

Rounded, well thought off, costed, itineraries developed to minute accuracies!

Could not have asked to work with a more motivated bunch of individuals. So far, this WILD west rocks!

So, here is a way to participate... get on this facebook page for Destination Far West Nepal... and befriend these amazing people!

Microfunding for Tourism: Inspirational story!

NEPAL FAR WEST: A Case where microfunding is being used to develop Tourism in Far West Nepal

Kailali Chamber of Commerce and Industry, award winning chamber in Nepal, won because of their innovative approaches towards tourism promotion in this far west district of Nepal, ravaged by about two decades of insurgency, but zealous to bounce back.

The Far West house the remotest districts in Nepal, and have over the years been deprived of development and attention. They get under 20000 visitors a year, most of them pilgrims and aid workers. Reason, Nepal’s big four – Everest, Annapurna, Langtang and Chitwan take most of the visitors. Just across the border from these districts, in the Indian state of Uttarkhand, over 9 million visitors come every year, almost 80 percent of them Indian pilgrims.

In one inspired move in 2008, the Kailali Chamber of Commerce and Industry, decided to take a lead. They started a campaign called Mission One Paisa (one paisa being the equivalent of less than 1 cent), whereby they rallied all industries, and salaried employees in the district to contribute towards a Tourism Fund to make these districts known to the world. The campaign started with a pledge of 25 paise per notebook sold by a printing house. Within a few months, this house had put Rs. 10,000 into the fund, which started a wave in the district, bringing in Hotels (who put Rs. 50 for each booking), hospital workers giving Rs. 10 per month from their salaries, Doctors giving 50p per prescription written, and other people also joined in including the public, bus ticketing, flour mills, rice mills etc, bringing in a whopping 1 Million Rs into the tourism fund.

Not satisfied with this, the Chamber conducted consumer fairs and added a Corporate Tax to companied to total the fund to over 4 Million Rs, in early 2009. This done, they invited professional photographers and got them to tour the districts, resulting in the publication of 26 different designs of posters, 3 coffee table books and postcards. These were then publicized using the same money in cities such as Kathmandu. Innovation was central. They even got the students in the district write to people they knew outside but ensured that the District postcards were sent. They printed scratch proof posters and put them in every long distance bus out of the district, so the message can be spread.

They are not stopping at this. They want to reach into the international scene with this “lets make Far West Reknown” drive.

Not the end! They then realized that the airport not being hardtopped could be a problem. Another microfunding campaign, this time including even people like rickshaw pullers upto industrialists led to people putting money as less as Rs. 2 to personal donations of Rs. 55,000, bringing in Rs. 6.1 Million, which was handed over to the government to match.

Eventually the hardtopping of the runaway commenced, and currently Dhangadhi has the second longest runaway in Nepal. They are applying for the status of the airport to be made international.

This is one of the few examples of how effective a Private Public Partnership can be.

For this effort, the Chamber was awarded Best Chamber in Nepal.

At the moment, this campaign has resulted in renewed interest in the Far west and there are trainings going on to develop the industry, including Destination Management, Branding and Tour Operator trainings… the plan is to bring these products to OTM in Calcutta in July 2011 and to SATTE in February 2012.

Many destinations can learn from this approach to development, and involving the whole community in tourism!

We want to hear inspiring stories from Destinations!

Elephant Grass mats earn locals income in Chitwan, Nepal, preserving their traditional skills. photo: Fredrik Pettersen

Let the world know what you’ve been up to in your local destination.

Share your inspirational story about the destination you work in and have the opportunity to present at ITB Responsible Tourism Networking in Berlin. This is your chance to WOW industry associates and potential buyers with real life examples of how responsible tourism is powering positive change in your destination.

The Responsible Tourism Networking Event at ITB Berlin has grown substantially from its humble beginnings in a London pub. Four years on, this fringe event is now an official partner for ITB Berlin. Uniting dedicated initiatives around the world to propel the Responsible Tourism movement forward.

This year the Responsible Tourism Networking organisers from pocketvillage, Tripbod, The Green Circuit, The Blue Yonder, Vision and ITB Berlin are inviting inspirational stories direct from destinations. Story submissions are open to anyone with an amazing tale to tell. Successful selections will be based on the stories power to inspire responsible tourism in respective destinations.

Six successful entries will be selected to present their five minute story of local inspiration to kick off this years Responsible Tourism Networking Event at ITB Berlin on the 11th of March 2011 at 4:30 pm. In addition to presenting your story at the world’s leading travel trade show, selected applicants will be featured on the soon to be launched pocketvillage; an intuitive search engine to find and enjoy exceptional travel experiences.

Entries are requested to email their 5 minute stories (or 1 A4 page) to: stories@thegreencircuit.net by the 1st of March 2011. Successful applicants will be notified by email by the 5th of March 2011. Please mention the following information at the beginning of your story: Your Name, Email, Organisation and Destination.

Learnings in Responsible Tourism; The French ATR Certification

So, the French Tourism Industry is making a mark in the Responsible Tourism with the ATR (Actors in Responsible Tourism - in French in another order) Certification, with 13 companies already certified and some others along the way. Marie Laure, who works for Cavalier Al Monde, and specifically works with the certification, was speaking at a small gathering in Kathmandu (at Bhojan Griha, an old Rana Palace restored and used as a theme restaurant having a very low carbon FOODprint), and over a delicious Nepali snack and some ginger tea
Was interesting to hear that over 88% of the French travelers were interested in Responsible Tourism and that this is a growing trend in France. Even though this is a still a very niche market, a movement is underway, and ATR is carving a path of quite a high standard, asking operators to report every year, and also demonstrate improvement each year. The certification also mandates that operators work with their suppliers in partnerships and also work towards improvement of responsible tourism practices at the supplier level.
There was also an interesting presentation by Pramod Khakurel (Mandap Travels, Kathmandu) who shared his experiences of bringing Fair Trade and Fair Tourism together and how he saw this as one of the avenues of approaching the market for Responsible Tourism.
Perhaps what was most interesting was the debate that happened after these presentations on the complications and implications of such a certification process, and how these could be applied in Nepal. Agreed that Nepal has to move and not wait to be kicked in the backside by the industry worldwide, but how was the big issue. Options that were floated
1. Work alongside a Certification Insitute worldwide and get a Nepali Chapter started and confirm to it
2. Get a Nepali Certification established, based on local expertise and geared to local standards
3. Keep it loose and set Nepali standards, and then work alongside an international label/certification
Then there was the fourth alternative, as described by Jenefer Bobbin (who currently works at socialtours, but is also working on her own Responsible Tourism Verification Scheme), where one works on a self verification of practices, then gets it externally checked. This is cheap, and flexible enough to fit Nepali myriad levels of companies.
At the end of the day, the participants agreed to agree, and take this forward, at one level or the other, in the coming days.
Thanks to
1. Subecchya Basnet and Bharat Basnet, Explore Nepal Group for sponsoring the event
2. Pramod Khakurel and Marie Laure
3. Jenefer Bobbin
Of course, thanks to those who attended too - namely - Ester Kruk (ICIMOD), Steven Dawa Sherpa (Asian Trekking), William Ma (Asian Encounters), Marcus Cotton (Tiger Mountain), Birgit Lienhart-Gyawali (Karma Foundation), Chhewang Lama (Responsible Treks) and Suomen Latu (NETIF)

Bhojan Griha, Kathmandu

ADDENDUM:

Just received an email from the students who attended the meeting. I did not edit it.

"First of all, we will like to thanks to the PATA Group for inviting us in seminar. From the program, we learn a lot of things about tourism and the progress, Program done by them. But one thing that the place was selected for the program was so conjusted and full of crowd. So we didn't hear sound of some speakers that what they said or what their done for the tourism. We feel so proud to be a student of tourism when we heard their work and their interest to the tourism. These are changing tourism into socio and responsible which was best point we like.
At last we wish you all best for your future plans for the tourism industry. If ever need any kind of help form us, we will step forward to help you. "

Name of the students
Sujita Adhikari
Sanjeev Adhikari
Kul Singh Thapa
Tara Poudel
Sophiya Gurung
Keshav Chandra Gurung
Raj Kumar Gurung
Chitiz Rana
Naina Ghale

Isn't that what is all about? I think the program might have been a success! Yay!

Inspiring the Next Generation - The RT Fringe Meet in Pokhara

09th Feb 2010

The theme was to inspire the next generation and also to network amongst players in the industry, and what a success that was. About 30 people sat in a rather cramped corner of the Moondance Restaurant & Bar (which helped eventually, or we would not have heard each other at all - over the background noise of other customers, music, and a generator).

The 10 students from Nepal Tourism and Hospitality Management College, Pokhara were quickly asked to change their seating and intersperse with the industry people who came in, and that was an immediate hit. A buzz of conversation burst into life and Marcus and Raj were even discussing whether the inspiring words was required at all.

Moderated by Marcus Cotton, organisers of this event and from Tiger Mountain, Nepal, the group eventually heard a few words from:

Andrew Jones, Sanctuary Resorts, Hong Kong, on how his vision led him to start digging deeper into the responsibility of resorts to the community, and the wonderful work that they are doing now.

Lucky Chhetri, 3 Sisters Adventures, Nepal, on how her multiple award winning organisation has gone from strength to strength, from a vision of empowerment of women in the tourism industry.

Jenefer Bobbin, RT Verification consultant, on how the idea came of the verification scheme for tourism enterprises and how it works and where it is now.

Raj Basu, Help Tourism, on how his organisation went from one area of responsibility towards society to another, moving from using tourism for environment conservation to heritage conservation to now Tourism for Peace.

Ian Hall, Wild Asia Awards, on how his love of architecture and nature, led him into working in tourism and responsibility, one of the fields of work where something like this is possible, and how happy he was to see students and get a chance to meet with the future.

Later Raj Gyawali, socialtours, summed the presentations by mentioning how the different inspirational words proved the diversity of the field of responsibility in tourism, and how deep it can go. He also mentioned how his organisation brings all this together in its marketing of responsible tourism products and also how it attempts to dig deeper into the issues of responsibility, taking it to the office and the individuals in the workplace.

He went on to explained a bit about the history of these Fringe events, started in London by Sally (tripbod.com) and Gopi (The Blue Yonder) and how it now takes place in London, Berlin, Delhi, Singapore and since the last two years in Nepal.

There was an attempt made to bring Ron Mader, Planeta.com into the conversation using the internet and Skype, but the technology was drowned in the buzz in the restaurant. Ron did briefly come online to see the event.

The networking continued for a while after this, buzzing with conversation, before winding off.

Attended by:-

The students from Nepal Tourism and Hospitality Management College
Andrew Jones, Sanctuary Resorts, Hong Kong
Sophie, Production Tours and Travels, USA
Lucky Chhetri, 3 Sister Adventure, Nepal
Jenefer Bobbin, socialtours, Nepal
Travis Rabenberg, Trekking with Trav, USA
William Ma, Asian Encounters. Nepal
Craig, Kangaroo Travels, Brazil
Ian Hall, Wild Asia, Malaysia
Raj Basu, Help Tourism, India
Bharat Basnet, Explore Nepal
Subekshya Basnet, Explore Nepal
Fiona Marshall, KE Adventure Travel
Hannah, Explore, UK
Mircea Anitas, France
Jayne Low, Jet Airways, Singapore
Angela Gray, East West, Singapore
Markus, Germany
Sabin Shrestha, Tiger Mountain
Rajendra Shrestha, Tiger Mountain

The event was organised by Marcus Cotton, Tiger Mountain, Nepal and conceptualised by Raj Gyawali, socialtours, Nepal