October 30: Amrit Tamrakar of Hetauda visited Manang to make good use of the Dashain holidays. He said, "I had been planning to visit Manang since a long time, but this year, I finally got the time to visit this beautiful place."

Like Tamrakar, Hari Tamang of Nuwakot is busy enjoying the natural beauty of Manang. According to Tamang, it is necessary to get proper information before the visit because the situation is getting colder and the risk is higher. He said that he is thoroughly enjoying the hospitality of Manang along with the experience of various customs, rituals, culture and traditions. “After coming here, you won’t feel like going back, you will want to keep enjoying the nature here,” said Tamang.

In recent years, the trend of Nepalis visiting various places has increased. They have started making full use of the vacation time. Nepalese returning home from abroad to celebrate Dashain and Tihar and students studying in colleges take advantage of the long vacation to visit Manang. Now, domestic tourists coming from different parts of Nepal to the Himalayan district of Manang have increased.

Thuten Lama, ward chairman of Nason Rural Municipality-1, said that the trend of Nepalis traveling within the country has increased which is evident from the rise in number of domestic tourists. According to him, the number of domestic tourists who come to Manang on a daily basis during the Dashain holiday has increased significantly.

With the increase in domestic tourists, businessmen are happy with the expectation that the business that slowed down due to Covid-19 will pick up pace.

“With the arrival of domestic tourists, we are jam packed with work,” said Baburam Tamang, a hotel businessman, adding that 1,500 domestic tourists visit Manang daily during Dashain holidays. He said that now all the hotels in Manang are fully occupied.

When domestic tourists visit Manang, the business of hotel and tourism increases. Binod Gurung, President of the Manang Association of Tourism Entrepreneurs said that the arrival of domestic tourists along with foreign tourists has breathed a new life to the business which was stagnant for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He suggested that tourists should get the necessary information for accommodation as there may be a problem of not getting a hotel in the cold weather.

"Only foreigners used to arrive here during this season in the past. Now, the arrival of domestic tourists has added great enthusiasm,” said Gurung. He further said that there are tourists in all types of hotels because this is the peak season. The best time to visit Manang is during the winter and before the beginning of the rainy season.

In addition to seeing the Himalayan mountain peaks, Manang offers the visitors the experience of its unique customs and natural beauty. Some travel to Mustang from Manang en route to Pokhara through the Thorangla Pass. A large number of tourists visit Manang while trekking along the Annapurna Circuit. The entrance to Annapurna Circuit is Lamjung’s Besisahar, which leads to Manange Chautara. Tourists start their journey from here and travel to Mustang. The Annapurna Circuit covers five districts including Lamjung, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi and Kaski.