April 17: Home stay service has been started in the Mustang for the first time. The service has started in 1, 2,3 number wards of Jomsome VDC and Thini village of the district. At the first stage, home stay has been started from four homes of the village with the initiative of District Development Committee of Mustang, Annapurna Conservation Project Area (ACAP), and local residents. The service has begun after the residents of Thini got the training on operating home stay from ACAP.

The home stay program is expected to lengthen the stay of visitors coming to study and investigate the cultural heritages, different landscapes of the village and Tibetan culture as well as tourists coming to visit Lomathanka. “16 domestic tourists from Kathmandu have reached to stay in a home stay homes started by the seniors of village Aash Bahadur Thakali, Mamita Thakali, Man Devi Thakali and Badi Thakali,” informs Niraj Thakali, a local of Thini.

 “As per the history, the culture of Thakali had started from this village. Being a destination near to district headquarter, it is easy to bring tourists for the home stay,” he informs. According to him, other houses in the village will also start home stay services very soon. 20 houses in the village of 100 houses have started the preparation of the service.

Thini village invites tourists regularly being the main entry point to the tourists going Dhumba Lake, Hyarojo View Point and Tilicho lake. Moreover, due to its high altitude visitors can get the direct observation of mountains like Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri. Similarly, about 80 percent land of the district can be observed from view point.

Currently, 300 small and large hotels are running in Mustang from Tele to Lomathanka.

“Different programmes will be organised for the development of home stay service,” informs Bel Bahadur Pun, Tourism Assistant of ACAP.