Be it a foreigner or a domestic tourist, everyone is nowadays interested to visit tourist destinations with scenic beauty, relatively less crowded, easy to trek and are appropriate for family gathering. Far from the city crowd, the country has a number of such destinations that fulfil these demands and harnessing their potentials into the tourism industry can boost domestic tourism. 

 

Nearby Destinations

One of the promising tourist destination is Balthali village in Kavre district. Located just 40 kilometers Southeast of Kathmandu city, it has a lot to offer to its visitors. Easy to trek and a few hours ride from the main city the village has been receiving good response from its visitors and tourism websites. The Lonely Planet, a website renowned for its world class review of it tourist destination, has praised its magnificent beauty and trekking trails while terming it to be one of the world’s best multiday treks without high altitudes. 

 

“It was not a tourist destination earlier. People from tourism sector had never heard about this place. I started bringing people here for sightseeing and gradually over the years, it became popular tourist destination. Its proximity local city and the ample of opportunities it provides for trekking and for spending quality time with oneself and loved ones by being near to nature transformed it into a renowned tourist destination,” said Ram Prasad Humagain owner of the Balthali Village Resort, and the man behind Balthali’s transformation into a tourist destination.

 

Destinations for Cultural and Recreational Activities

Nature lovers and bird watchers can spend day exploring and discovering some exceptional species of wildlife, along with the local tradition and culture that are untouched by modernity. This "off beaten” location has endless trails that lead to some unknown villages of Tamangs, Newars and other ethnic tribes, and offering excellent short hikes and mountain biking experience, Humagain said. Jungle walking in the community forest is also popular among nature lovers that visit this place. “Tourist mainly come here for yoga, meditation, walking, and cycling around the village, along with cultural and tradition learning tours around the village,” Humagain said. 

 

 

Packages and Products

Besides it, another nearby destination that offers a good blend of adventurous sports and living near the nature is The Last Resort. This resort offers wide range of adventurous activities such as bungy jumping, canyoning, rafting, tandem swing, canyon swing, high ropes, and relaxation activities like sauna. “These adventure activities are highly preferred by youths and most of our customers are within the age group of 18-20,” Prakash Bhujel, marketing officer at The Last Resort said adding that flow of visitors to the resort is high between June-July with 10-15 bookings every day. The cost of Bungy ranges around Rs 4500, rafting costs around Rs 2700 and cannoning costs Rs 6800. And these prices, which fluctuate depending on customer’s preference of the sports, include transportation.

 

 Tourism entrepreneurs claim that there has been a surge in the number of domestic tourists willing to visit nearby destinations for recreation and to spend quality time with their family. Though there are no special packages tailored for the need of domestic tourists, Chitwan and Pokhara receive around 80 per cent domestic tourists from Kathmandu valley and around 20 per cent tourists from other parts of the country during weekends and festival seasons. Hotel entrepreneurs claim the trend to travel to local destinations is gradually increasing among the upper-middle class Nepali families who have a spending capacity of a minimum Rs 20,000 per person. This practice is especially popular among people from the age group of 16 to 40 who like to make a short travel in a group or a family for a couple of days or a week. Domestic tourist destinations receive good number of bookings from local tourists especially during winter vacations and summer holidays. Nagarkot, Balthali, Godavari, Bhotechaur, Nuwakot, Kavre are some of the destinations near Kathmandu that are more popular among local tourists.