Sailung Homestay Village Tour

Day 01: Kathmandu- Charikot

Day 02: : Charikot - Dhunge-Sailung We will go on local bus from Kathmandu to Mudhe and then to Dhunge Village. From Dhunge, a short 90-minute climb will take you to Sailung hilltop. Following the short trail down to the Sherpa village of Khola Kharka we will spend the night in the newly established Khola Kharka Community Lodge run by local Sherpa and Tamang.

Day 03: : Sailung & Rajveer Environs Rise early to reach the summit of Thulo Sailung as the sun rises over the Eastern Himalaya. At 3,146m Sailung offers magnificent views of the Annapurna, Manalsu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Dorje-Lhakpa, Rowaling, Everest and Kanchenjunga ranges. Thulo Sailung is regarded by the Tamangs as the abode of their territorial deity, Sailung Phoi Sibda Karpo, which literally means ‘White Male Lord of the Earth’. The chorten atop Sailung is the seat of this divine protector and the Tamang Community are the age-old ‘custodians’ of the land. The souls of the ancestors together with the ‘Lord of the Earth’ guarantee the wellbeing of the people and the fertility of the soil. The four clusters of stone chhorten on the summit are related to the Tamang Communities in the surrounding area – the groups on the highest point facing south over Ramechhap, today in ruins, are the largest. At the chhortens Buddhist Priests perform ‘mandala offerings’ for the rebirth of the souls of the deceased. The lingams surrounding the Chorten are erected during Tamang death rituals and are left there to succumb to the forces of nature. The main rituals held here are Buddhist offerings to the souls of the deceased. During the festival of Janai Purnima (Saun Purnima), held on the full moon of July/August Tamang pilgrims crowd around the ruined Chortens at the highest point of Thulo Sailung. No blood sacrifices are permitted on Thulo Sailung as the shamans surrender to Buddhist Dominance and refrain from offering blood to the fierce female deities. Other sites of interest around Thulo Sailung include three formations of a tiger, snake and cow representing the coexistence between Buddhist, Shamanic and Hindu beliefs. Savour the evening Sherpa cultural programme before your overnight at Kholakharka.

Day 04: Day 4: Kholakharka-Rajveer-Surkey During the descent to Surkey Village through the Sailung forest, you will see a wide variety of nativetree, shrub and bird species. Tourists are welcome at Rajveer monastery to receive a blessing from the Lamas.Along the route you pass through the Sherpa village of Dadhuwa-Dara and a Tamang village, each with their own Buddhist Gompas. Prayer flags, chortens and mani stones are scattered along the route. The trail continues to descend where the spectacular 40 foot 'Thinghare' water fall crashes onto the rocks below. A short climb brings you to the beautifully terraced settlement of Surke where you will spend the night in one of five newly renovated Newari Home-stays houses. Spend a day in the village, enjoy Newari cultural, and visit the endangered Thami Community. The local Thami band is on hand to entertain and visitors can sample the local Raksi! Thangmi, known in Nepali as ‘Thami’, is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by around 30,000 people in eastern Nepal.

Day 05: Surkey-Tinghare-Doramba Experience the Thami cultural programme at Tinghare village before taking lunch at Deurali. Then move towards Doramba valley where the trail traverses along the forested hillside around to the terraced fields of Doramba.The trail leisurely follows the contours of the valley leading to the bustling Doramba Bazaar, where you can purchase cold drinks, snacks and music cassettes of a local Tamang singer, Shashi Moktan. Tonight you will sleep in a local Tamang Homestay. Doramba is one of the largest Tamang settlements in Nepal; in fact, most of the Thangka painters found in Bhaktapur and Bouddha are originally from this remote village. Enjoy a superb evening cultural performance.

Day 06: Doramba-Galba-Khandadevi After a pleasant walk out of the Doramba valley, the route ascends to the sacred Hindu shrine atop Agleshwari Danda where you will be rewarded with stunning views of the Himalaya and the rolling Mahabharat hills below. Descend through the local slate mine, through pine forests to emerging at Galpa Bazaar. Galpa Bazaar is a bustling centre where you can purchase cold drinks and snacks, an ideal place to break for lunch. About 2 more hours walking brings you to the Khandadevi temple. Perched on top of a 1985m peak, Khandadevi is situated around a captivating Hindu Temple complex encircled by ancient stone walls. The temple, dedicated to Goddess Khada Devi, was discovered in 1458 AD by a shepherd who discovered milk oozing from a sacred stone, an emanation of the Goddess. The site also served as a fortress during the Anglo-Nepal war. The setting is dominated by high hills of lush green Maharabharat Range with snowy peaks of Numburchuli and Gaurishankar on the northern horizon and southern views over the flat Tarai. Daily animal sacrifices, ‘Panchabale’, are still carried out today. Enjoy your night at the newly developed Home-stay.

Day 07: Khandadevi-Hiledevi/Dongme Following the pre-dawn and sunrise photographic experience start your trek towards Hiledevi following a long ridge of thick pine forest. The trail traverses up and down through thick pine forests before crossing into another valley. Amidst the forest you encounter with the several birds and mammals as well as the enormous rock adorned with a Shiva image before emerging at Dhonghme, an ancient Yolmo or settlement, inhabited by many Lamas. Much of the Yolmo youth are employed as Thangka painters in Kathmandu. In the evening, make the gradual climb to the summit of Sunapati, well-known for its spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Here amongst the Buddhist Chortens you can enjoy sunset over the Himalaya before returning to the monastery lodge to spend the night and enjoy a Yolmo cultural evening.

Day 08: Hiledevi-Sunapati-Lubughat The next morning you get to enjoy an equally stunning sunrise before the final descent to the village of Lubughat on the renowned golden Koshi River. You will be enjoying the newly renovated eco trails while reaching the Sunapati hilltop. After arriving in Lubughat, you will meet the Majhi people, renowned for their fishing expertise and extraordinary culture. Roaming through the rivers, men, women and children repeatedly hurl nets in hopes of catching fish. You will spend your last day and night here in Lubughat participating in Majhi fishing and enjoying a cultural demonstration before rising early the next morning. The Majhi fishing and BBQ experiences at Lubughat and further down at Seleghat have additional business potential as standalone products for short duration tourists due to close proximity to Kathmandu. Seleghat and Lubughat can also be a nice stop for rafting visitors as well.

Day 09: : Lubughat-Nepalthowk-Dhulikhel-Ktm A 45 minute walking through the River valley takes you to Nepalthowk. Catch the bus for the drive back to Kathmandu