Who we are
Community Homestay Network (CHN) is a social enterprise that supports a network of community homestays in Nepal. We connect travelers with Communities across Nepal, providing a unique opportunity to stay with Nepali families and immerse in real Nepali life. At the same time, local host families get the opportunity to share their culture and landscapes with the world while gaining access to a sustainable source of income through tourism. The authentic experiences we offer travelers are created with the goal of having a positive impact on Nepali communities, women and families, as well as on the travelers themselves. Learn more about our Impacts here.
When You Book
At Community Homestay Network, we serve as the liaison between travelers 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 to arrange all your logistics to get there.
When you arrive at your homestay, the host family welcomes you as a special guest, like a friend and a member of their family. During your stay with your in community home stay, there are many ways you can get involved in the daily lives of the host family and the local in the community. From cooking local dishes, exploring the surroundings of the community, participating in local festivals, learning local crafts and helping 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, inspire, and make your time in Nepal memorable! Check out our Blog, to read about the community experiences of past travelers.
How It Works
Our Story
From 2012 when the first homestay program started in Panauti, there are now 30+ Community Homestays all over Nepal and the number is growing.
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.
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.
Community Homestay Network is awarded as one of the winners for UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition for SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and winner of Front Runners 2021 in the category of Experience Revolution.
Project Koseli also received recognition from the World Travel Market 2021 Responsible Tourism Awards as 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.
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.
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
€225,000 grant received from Booking Booster, CHN has created more jobs, more promotions, more social investment, overall more impact.
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.
The first dedicated staff were hired for the Community home stay program.
With the increasing demand of various community home stays to be promoted with an international standard, we setup the website, www.communityhomestay.com
A new model of Community home stay was set up in Barauli, a rural Tharu village in Chitwan.
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.
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.