What I love about G Adventures is the unique experiences that come with the tours. The tours are not only small but the relationships that are built with the local communities as part of the G for Good Moments are truly breathtaking experiences.
As part of the G Adventures Nepal Adventure tour we enjoyed 2 nights at the Barauli Community Homestay, hosted by the Tharu, an indigenous community from the Terel belt. This village is run by women and at the same time, they are taught valuable skills by running the homestay. This was one of my highlights of this tour. We left Pokhara after a few days of trekking and arrived at Barauli Community Homestay late afternoon. On arrival, we were welcomed into this community with flower garlands and tika’s (red dots made of dried turmeric and applied between the eyebrows) by the women dressed in their traditional wear. Tika has been part of the Nepali culture and religion. It is also known to be a good luck charm as well as a mark of celebration.
We all got settled in our rooms and had some time to freshen up before the culture dance and dinner later in the evening. Dinner was served in the main communal room, made and served by the local woman and it was a delicious feast of local foods, catering for vegetarians as well. After dinner, we all gathered outside for the cultural experience which consisted of Bhajayati, Thekara and Dafu dancing while using sticks and drums as instruments. We all got dressed similarly in traditional wear and joined in on the festivities. It was such a fun cultural experience.
The rooms were spacious and clean and we had our own bathroom with a hot shower which was a blessing as this is an eco-village. Each room is named after the woman who manages the room. I stayed in Tanu and decorated with local patterns, elephants and a chicken on the outside. After a well rested night, we enjoyed breakfast before heading out on bicycles exploring the area. We passed numerous Tharu traditional houses which are built making use of clay, mud, dung and grass.
We departed by 4×4 to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Chitwan National Park, also known as the Terai Tarai which means moist land. Unfortunately we did not see any tigers but we were fortunate enough to see elephants, crocodiles, rhinoceros, deer as well as numerous birds. The day was rounded off with a cup of chai masala tea watching the sunset on the Narayani river.
Barauli is equipped with everything needed for a few days. Wi-Fi is available in the main building as well as a bar with a few games and a volleyball net. All meals are available on order. You can stroll around the village watching the farm life, including goats and chickens.
This is a traditional village with modern touches but an experience I would highly recommend when visiting Nepal. It is not only a relaxing experience but an enriching one as well.
Happy Travels
Chrisyy