The Nepal Weekly 
November 19, 2024
Baglung is popular for Indian tourists as it has religious sites while tourists from Europe, America and other countries are not much attracted here. So as tourists seen in Annapurna, Dhaulagiri Basecamp, Muktinath, Tilicho and Pokhara are not usually seen in Baglung.
However, tourists from the vegan community have a few choices in South Asia to visit or trek for pleasure. Balglung is a suitable route for them to enjoy vegan food in local recipe and also assist locals in their day to day business mainly involvement in farming. Thus it is an interesting route for the vegans to be in Baglung.
Among the few routes chosen for the vegans, Baglung after Muktinath is preferred. Baglung’s Bhakunde, Rayadanda’s Buddhist monastery and Reshko Baur are the routes preferred by the vegan group.
Along this route, looking back towards the north, one can see a chain of mountains. Tourism entrepreneur Mahadev Sharma says that tourists choose this route because they can enter the settlement and work in the farmer’s fields and enjoy staying at the homestay.
The sunrise can be seen in the morning, a myriad landscape of Baglung and other districts can be observed from one single location in Baglung.
Tourists visit this route at an altitude of 1,900 to 2,500 meters above sea level to see the mountains, eat organic food and enjoy local atmosphere. Beside visit, but also they support the work of local people.
Other than vegan groups from abroad, Nepali vegans and other tourists also use this route as well. Moreover. number of vegans as tourists has increased every year on this trail. Significant increase in vegans in this route has been seen since last 5 years.
The hotels, restaurants and homestays are informed in advance about arriving of vegans in Baglung for trek. Then they make preparation for the vegans – vegan foods mainly as homestays on this route have also been made vegan friendly. Locals said that they prefer potato, hemp, corn, barley and wheat dishes.
In thus route, Nepali tourists spend normally 2 days while foreigners spend 6 days.
The International Vegan Organization and the Nepal Vegan Group have jointly prepared a schedule for the week-day tour by arranging the time on the route here. They work together with the locals of that place and take entertainment. Those who do not eat or use animal products are in the vegan group.
They work together with the locals of that place and take entertainment.
Barah lake view at Bhakunde, stay at Atithi Satkar homestay, sunrise view from Soorya, Dhaulagiri from Mulabari, Annapurna and Machhapuchche and other snow ranges.
After staying in Bhakunde, tourists used to walk for up to 3 hours daily and stay in the community. “Tourists from the vegans prefer to walk,” said Khim Bahadur Thapa, director of Bhakunde’s homestay.
Meddy, a British tourist who came for the visit, said that she enjoyed the Nepalese culture and farming during the introduction. She also suggested increasing agricultural production and branding local liquor. The members of the vegan group are not only tourists but also reach the village with a campaign to protect the environment. Last year, Jack, the president of the International Vegan Organization, also visited this route. (Courtesy Dhorpatan News, photo by Yam Thapa, translation by R P Narayan)
