Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Issue 2 | Page 36

Responsible tourism in Pokhara Responsible tourism in Pokhara View from Tiger Mountain, Pokhara. Photo: M Heredge. or small groups in its four bedrooms (9-beds).With a kitchen, guests can opt for a cook to do all the work for them, or they can cook for themselves, picking fresh from the farm next door. A small living area, and a large garden with an outside fire place. Furse Khola. Photo: M Heredge. A few places in Pokhara to look out for, all with an eye to practicing responsible tourism. Furse Khola, Pokhara Douglas Maclagan has been working in Nepal since 1994 and set up his first medical health centre one year later in Saimarang, Kaski. CWSN (Child Welfare Scheme Nepal) was set up to provide access to healthcare and education for underprivileged children. It now covers a wide area in Kaski and Lamjung with healthcare centers and a vocational center in Pokhara, and works in partnership with many like-minded organisations. Douglas has since handed this over to local management, and set up a new charity called Right4Children with a new and quite unique philosophy which focuses on ‘giveback’ and local sustainability. Moving to Furse Khola in 2000, Douglas set up the organic farm where he lives with his family. He built a farmhouse guesthouse as a way of ‘giving something back,’ generating income to cover the cost of pensions for the workers on the farm, as well 36 www.royalmt.com.np May 2014 as raising money to help pay towards the costs of CWS and for projects in the local village community. A healthpost has been built in the village at Furse Khola along with a community building for the dairy cooperative that has been set up there. Douglas is passionate about organic farming and encourages local farmers to follow. Tiger Mountain, Pokhara A boutique hotel, sitting on a hill outside of Pokhara overlooking the Annapurnas, Tiger Mountain is an island of serenity and comfort. Designed to blend into the scenery, the hotel nestles unobtrusively on a hillside where the Fish Tail Mountain looks close enough to touch. Following on the success of the Farmhouse, plans are to develop the concept of the Furse Khola Farmhouse further, turning the concept into developing a high-end, quality resort called ‘Pavilions Himalaya’ that can generate funds to support the work of Right4Children in a wider sense. Plans are still in their early days, but the land has been bought and construction has begun. Douglas is looking to create the new resort in the coming Year, and to provide up to 75% of all net profits to local Nepali charities. The Pavilions Himalaya has been designed in such a way that it will be the eco-greenest and most self sustaining resort in Nepal, if not Asia. Tiger Mountain is an ideal place to go not only for fantastic views of the mountains but also for its high Begnas Lake Resort, Pokhara Tucked away at the far end of Begnas Lake, the resort is secluded and a world apart from the hustle and bustle of Pokhara. A perfect place to relax, this is an ideal place to come to indulge in some pampering. The resort offers a full course of ayurvedic treatments and massages, or you could go trekking (the Royal Trek starts near here), go hiking or boating on the lake, try your hand fishing or go swimming in the beautiful lakeside pool. Marcus Cotton has been running the hotel since 2001. TMPL is one of only two hotels in Nepal that is independently audited and verified for its policy of Responsible Conservation Tourism by Responsible Tourism Reporting (www.rtreporting.org). Marcus sees responsible tourism to be not only about the environment, but also the local community, staff and guests alike. As well as helping fund construction of the local secondary school and paying a teacher at another local primary school, Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge supports volunteer teacher placements to improve English language and teaching skills in the local school in partnership with the leading UK volunteer tourism agency People & Places. Just outside Pokhara, Furse Khola Farmhouse provides comfortable accommodation for families quality of service and food, and a relaxed atmosphere that leaves you feel wonderfully rejuvenated. Village children enjoying books on their Saturday morning in the school’s library that is open every day. Photo: M Heredge. ROYAL www.royalmt.com.np 37