Shiva Dhakal

"The primary motivation to start leading tours was to enable interactions through which perspectives can be exchanged and ideas can be shared."

Why did you decide to start leading experiential travel tours?

Travel is a great way to exchange perspectives across nationalities and different cultures. This exchange of perspectives fosters a greater sense of empathy and solidarity in people. The primary motivation to start leading tours was to enable interactions through which perspectives can be exchanged and ideas can be shared.

What do you hope to gain from showing people your environment and culture?

I hope people learn about the Nepali way of life, more specifically about our resilience, our easy-going nature, our perspective on life and our culture, which has many spiritual aspects to it. I hope travelers who come to Nepal to experience peace and the feeling of being in-tune with nature, find their trips to be fulfilling and rewarding.

What are you most excited to share with tourists?

The culture, the people and of course the beautiful Himalayas that most tourists come to Nepal to see.

What fears do you have about making your land and lifestyle more public?

Although a majority of the travelers that come to Nepal are fond of the Nepali culture, there may be a few travelers who disrespect our culture and our land. This should not happen in any place which is why it is very important for tour operators to educate travelers on the sustainable practices they should implement when they visit a place.

What specifically about your culture/history/environment would be beneficial for a traveler to learn about before taking their trip?

I think it would be helpful for travelers to learn about the ways they can be more sustainable. Our partner in Nepal has created a list of sustainable practices for travelers on their sustainability page. Learn more at https://royalmt.com.np/sustainability/

By choosing meaningful travel, travelers have a big potential to change local lives. We have seen this happen within our networks. As we promote community-based tourism, we have seen communities benefit socioeconomically. Families have reported increased standards of living, women have reported feeling more empowered and communities report increased interest towards preserving their cultures.

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