About Us
Who we are
Feel at home in your community homestay in Nepal, where you will experience genuine local hospitality, learn about the real Nepal, and leave behind a positive impact.
Who We Are
At Community Homestay Network (CHN), we believe the best way to experience Nepal is through its people. Our network of homestays and immersive experiences connects travelers with local families, offering a chance to live, share, and celebrate Nepal’s diverse cultures while making a positive impact. Whether you’re sipping chiya (tea) in a mountain village or learning traditional crafts in a bustling town, every experience is about meaningful connections and community support.
Authentic Connections
Travel is more than just places, it’s about people. At a CHN homestay, you’re not just a guest; you’re part of the family. Our hosts open their homes and hearts, sharing stories, traditions, and everyday life. You’ll cook together, laugh over meals, and experience Nepal in a way no guidebook can offer.
Community-Driven Experiences
Tourism should benefit the people who call a destination home while minimizing its socio-economic costs to the community. That’s why CHN ensures local communities take the lead, whether through homestays, cultural workshops, or guided experiences. Every experience is rooted in community ownership, empowering hosts as active participants in shaping tourism. By choosing CHN, you support local families, artisans, and entrepreneurs, ensuring tourism strengthens rather than disrupts local economies.
Co-Created with Locals
No one knows Nepal better than the people who live here. That’s why all CHN experiences are developed with local hosts and communities. Whether it’s a guided nature walk, a cooking session, or a heritage tour, our experiences reflect local voices, skills, and traditions, making your journey truly unique and deeply personal.
Crafted Journeys
Nepal is full of stories waiting to be discovered. Whether exploring a remote village, experiencing Kathmandu’s artistic pulse, or uncovering the spiritual depth of heritage sites, CHN curates immersive, responsible journeys. Even where homestays aren’t available, we connect you with local experience providers who offer a deeper dive into Nepal’s cultural and natural wonders.
More Than a Stay, a Shared Experience
Our mission goes beyond accommodation, we create experiences that bring travelers and communities together, making tourism a force for good. Whether you're a traveler seeking deeper connections or a business partner looking for meaningful collaborations, let’s shape a journey that leaves a lasting impact.
Destination Management Company (DMC)
Community Homestay Network (CHN) works closely with local agents to effectively manage and promote tourism destinations. This collaboration ensures tourism benefits local communities while providing travellers with authentic and memorable experiences. By partnering with DMCs, CHN leverages local expertise and resources to offer well-coordinated and sustainable tourism services that align with our values of community engagement, Authenticity, and Sustainability.
When you book
At Community Homestay Network, we serve as the liaison between travellers and the communities of Nepal.
Once you book your community home stay or experience with us, we coordinate with the communities and families and help you arrange all your logistics.
When you arrive at your homestay, the host family welcomes you warmly, like a friend and family member. During your stay in our community homestay, there are many ways you can get involved in the daily lives of the host family and the locals in the community. You can cook local dishes, explore the surroundings of the community, participate in local festivals, learn local crafts, and help out with daily work.
There’s no better way to experience and learn about Nepali culture and life and to share your own culture and ideas, too. Discover new perspectives, get inspired, and make your time in Nepal memorable! Check out our blog to read about the community experiences of past travellers.
How it works
Our story
2024
In 2024, Community Homestay Network (CHN) launched Community Connect,spotlighting Nepal's hidden gems with 30 global influencers. We support the empowerment journey of 50 communities, reaching 1,996 beneficiaries (including 916 women) and welcoming 7,900 travelers. Partnerships with ICIMOD, Planeterra, and USAID boosted sustainability while training revitalized places like Narchyang.Our new website and PUM Impact Award 2024 underscored our push for responsible tourism.
2024 Annual Report2023
Through collaborative efforts with organizations like Planeterra, PUM International,ICIMOD, USAID Trade and Competitiveness, and FWEAN, we've provided comprehensive training in hospitality, sustainability, and marketing to over 200 participants across 15 communities.
Partnering with ICIMOD and others, CHN is spearheading efforts to build Dhankuta as a resilient, green destination while showcasing its cultural richness.
Organized the “Community Haat Bazaar” in collaboration with Planeterra in effort to promote Community led initiatives in Nepal.
2023 Annual Report2022
In 2022, we are able to host 1829 travelers to 18 different communities within our network. We added 11 new communities to our network while facilitating various peer to peer learning sessions for community homestays in Eastern Nepal in partnership with ICIMOD.
Starting this year on, we have also joined hands with Lower Koshi Basin Initiative-ICIMOD to identify, develop and promote the concept of CBT in Dhankuta Municipality, Nepal.
In collaboration with Planterra, CHN organized its first Nepal Network Planeterra Partners Discussion Group.
Partnered with Imagine Nepal to promote the hidden gems of Nepal.
To encourage female travelers, CHN also supported Duluwa Outdoors's Fellowship Program.
2022 Annual Report2021
Community Homestay Network is awarded as one of the winners for UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competitionfor SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and winner of Front Runners 2021 in the category ofExperience Revolution.
Project Koseli also received recognition from the World Travel Market 2021 Responsible Tourism Awardsas Ones to Watch and receives the Dr. Andreas Schild Memorial Mountain Prize 2021 from ICIMOD.
Partnered with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to develop and promote community homestays within Kangchenjunga Landscape in Bhutan, India and Nepal.
2021 Annual Report
2020
The COVID-19 crisis, which has brought an abrupt halt to tourism since March 2020, has put tourism-dependent communities under financial pressure. With aid from Booking.com's booster program, we introduced “Collaboration for Communities” a project that supports tourism dependent communities across Nepal develop, brand and sell authentic local products (eg. traditional handicrafts) and generate income.
2020 Annual Report
2019
Established several partnerships with amazing companies. We created a Home stay Management training & redesigned our website for a better service experience. Our network of Communities across Nepal reached 22
2019 Annual Report
2018
€225,000 grant received from Booking Booster, CHN has created more jobs, more promotions, more social investment, overall more impact.
2017
Community Homestay Network P. Ltd was legally registered as a company and has been functioning through web platforms. The home stay program continues women empowerment project.
2016
The first dedicated staff were hired for the Community home stay program.
2015
With the increasing demand of various community home stays to be promoted with an international standard, we setup the website, www.communityhomestay.com
www.communityhomestay.com2014
A new model of Community home stay was set up in Barauli, a rural Tharu village in Chitwan.
2013
With tourists coming in, ten more houses joined to become Panauti Community Homestay which is currently one of the most popular community home stays in Nepal. With support from Royal Mountain Travel, Belkot Community Homestay in Nuwakot got a new platform for upliftment and promotions.
2012
With the motive of women empowerment and responsible tourism, It all began with just one house and one woman in Panauti, a place rich in culture but almost no tourists to observe.
Meet our team
We are a Kathmandu, Nepal based startup made of hip youth, driven to use tourism for good. We are mountaineers, artists, musicians, serial entrepreneurs.