- AddressG21b, The Pier, Pier Point Road, Cairns QLD 4870 Australia
Our Nepal Village Volunteering program is open to people of all ages and interests. You don’t need to have a specific skill set to participate, just a willingness to assist with various jobs around the village. Traditionally, it’s a two-week itinerary with placement in Batase Village, which is located in the Lower Himalayas. While in the village, you’ll assist with various jobs each day, such as helping at the local school, cooking meals for some of the orphans housed in the village and/or assisting the hostel children with homework. You would never be expected to perform any work you felt you were unsuited to, and you could expect a wide variety of tasks to be presented to you, working alongside villagers as they go about their daily lives. Our Nepal Village Volunteering program is tailored to groups and individuals. Previous participants include teenagers from Australian schools and the elderly. Take on Nepal can cater to a group of friends wanting to volunteer together, a college class, a single person or a couple. Your program will be custom built to suit your experience, wishes and departure date. The price includes most meals and accommodation. Please note, although you are volunteering, there is still a cost to the villagers to host your stay, that is why there is a charge for the trip. Your fee is mostly contributed directly back to the village, to facilitate improvements. The Nepal Village Volunteering Program can be booked for a maximum of 8 participants and a minimum of 1.
Your arrival in Kathmandu. You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in the city, by a friendly Take on Nepal team member. All volunteers in your group, regardless of where they come from or when they arrive, will be housed initially in the same hotel, giving you the opportunity to get to know each other from Day 1.
Begin the day with breakfast at your hotel. A Take on Nepal Team Member will provide orientation and information about the following day’s trek, to Chisopani. You will be reminded of everything that is needed for your time in the village and shown shops to stock up for the trip ahead.
As Kathmandu is the starting point for all Himalayan trekkers, many shops do exist to cater to Western tastes, although they are quite basic. Any luxuries you cannot do without, should be brought with you from home. It’s also a good idea to carry a stock of energy bars (or chocolate), as these can be difficult to get hold of once you reach the village. These bars could prove a lifeline, if you find the local village food difficult to eat. As well as chocolate bars, we recommend that you purchase toilet paper and any other essential items that you may have forgotten. You will also be able to hire/purchase a sleeping bag from a shop in Kathmandu.
After breakfast and the introduction, you’ll be guided to the famous Buddhist Swayambunath Temple in Kathmandu. This temple attracts Buddhists and tourists from around the world. The view of Kathmandu valley from the top of the temple is stunning. The group will then enjoy a local lunch at a typical Nepali restaurant. The time after lunch is allocated for purchasing items for your time in the village.
The group will come together in the evening, to enjoy a traditional Nepali dinner, after which you will have the opportunity to discuss any concerns and will be briefed on the following day’s plans. [Breakfast, lunch & evening meal included]
Time to hit the road, so put on your walking boots. The day starts early, with a 7am breakfast at you hotel, after which a car/mini bus will take you on a one hour drive to Sundarijal, on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Your walk to Chisopani will begin in Sundarijal. The trek from Sundarijal to Chisopani takes about six hours. The unpaved road from Kathmandu turns into a trail near a small hydroelectric plant. The trail enters through the Shivapuri Watershed and Wildlife Reserve. The first settlement you will come across is Mulkharka, with Tamang inhabitants. The route heads down the ridge through a forest of oaks and rhododendron to Chisopani (2300m.) This will be a long day, taking in some truly stunning scenery, and should provide you with some great memories. The pace will be slow, so you don’t need to be super fit to enjoy the experience. [Breakfast, lunch & evening meal included]
NB: For those less fit or able, transport will be provided, but where possible, volunteers should walk to the village.
Wake up early to enjoy the sunrise over the Himalayan mountain range. We strongly encourage everyone to wake up to this unforgettable experience. After breakfast, we will commence our downhill walk to Patybanjyang, where you will experience some great views of the Himalayas. After a short stop in Patybanjyang, we will walk uphill towards Batase Village. The surrounding scenery is breathtaking, looking across a vast valley to see rice fields, villages and people going about their daily lives in rural Nepal. This section of the walk will take you along the ridge of a mountain overlooking the other surrounding mountains. Many travellers have commented on it being a humbling experience. Upon arriving in Batase village at approximately 3pm, you will meet Som’s family and enjoy your first meal in the village. [Breakfast, lunch & evening meal included]
Accommodation: Typically, you’ll stay in our purpose built volunteer home in the village, where you would prepare and eat your meals. The only transportation within the village and surrounding area is your own feet, so a pair of comfortable walking boots is a requirement. Though many of the villagers go barefoot, we don’t expect that from our volunteers.
The sounds and sights of the village, children chattering, cocks crowing and a sunrise over the Himalayas, is what will greet you this morning. Enjoy it with a hot cup of tea, in the shadow of snow topped mountains, followed by a group orientation session with your group leader. After breakfast, you will be guided to the village school where you will be introduced to the principal, teachers and students. You will return to the hostel for lunch.
When the children return from school, we encourage you to assist them with their chores (collecting firewood, cutting grass, preparing dinner, etc.), or you have the option of playing and teaching some new games with the younger children and assisting with homework.
Dinner will be provided at approximately 6:30pm. The evening is your free time to do with as you choose. Many volunteers have loved spending time with the hostel children, teaching and learning through stories, dance and song around the fire. [Breakfast, lunch & evening meal included]
After breakfast, you’ll go to the local school and be provided with orientation about your placement in the classroom. The local students have encountered Western volunteers before, and always find the experience enjoyable. You will return to the hostel at 1pm for lunch, after which you’ll be given the option of returning to the school to continue teaching the students, or carrying out light duties within the village, such as farm work, painting or dinner preparations. [Breakfast, lunch & evening meal included]
On these days your work at the school and in the village will continue as outlined in Day 6. During the week, you’ll be given choices of activities to participate in. Though the first day teaching in the school and working with the villagers can be a little daunting, you’ll find that you quickly get used to the experience. [Breakfast, lunch & evening meal included]
Time for some R&R! Enjoy a relaxing day with your group. Your local guide will take you to the highest mountain top in the village, where the views of the surrounding mountains are spectacular. Here you will enjoy a picnic lunch and some relaxing time, before walking back down to the village for dinner. This day will also be an opportunity for you to share your experiences and thoughts with your group members and leader. [Breakfast, lunch & evening meal included]
Your day will follow the same schedule as days 7-10. [Breakfast, lunch & evening meal included]
On this, your last day of volunteer work, you will spend the morning teaching classes. You will enjoy your last lunch in the village, with the school teachers. After lunch, you’ll say your goodbyes to the teachers and the students, before returning to the hostel to pack and prepare for your departure the following morning. [Breakfast, lunch & evening meal included]
Enjoy your final breakfast in the village, before a 2-3 hour walk down the mountain to catch a bus to Kathmandu. This is an experience in itself. Your last night will be spent at your hotel in Kathmandu. You will enjoy a final farewell dinner with a Take on Nepal team member that evening ,to mark the end of your volunteering time with us. [Breakfast, lunch & evening meal included]
NB: The itinerary is not fixed. It can change depending on circumstances on the ground, such as local events and time of year. Additional side trips might be made if something worthy presents itself.
| Dates | Available | Cost (AUD) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Available | $990 |
A sleeping bag, a comfortable pair of boots that have been worn in before you get on the plane, a warm fleece jacket, any medications you might require, basic pain killers such as Panadol, toilet paper, some energy bars or chocolate for those times that you tire of the local food, your mobile phone (there is mobile reception in the village thanks to a new mast on a nearby peak). A head torch (Petzel or Black Diamond) is essential in the village as the electricity supply is unreliable. The head torch makes it easier to do washing, use the toilet, brushing teeth, reading, etc. at night.
Don’t weigh yourself down with too many electronic devices. While we all love our Kindles, there’s no Wi-Fi in the village, so you won’t have the opportunity to watch any YouTube videos—but isn’t that the whole point of the trip, to experience real life in rural Nepal?
There isn’t much to spend money on in the village, so lots of cash is not a requirement. Your food and lodgings are all taken care of by Take On Nepal. If you bring travellers cheques, you won’t have anywhere to cash them. They’ll only be of use to you if you plan to spend time in Kathmandu independently after your stay in the village.
Please note: If you do not already own these items, we highly recommend that you purchase or hire these items in Kathmandu. They are made to a high quality and it’s always great to support the local economy. Another option is to hire a sleeping bag and jacket at a cost of approximately AUD$50 for each item for a period of 14 days.
Make sure you wear an old, trusted pair of reliable and comfortable trekking boots or shoes. If purchasing a new pair, do so a minimum of 4 weeks prior to departure, to allow time to break them in properly. It is so important to avoid the possibility of getting blisters, something as simple as that could negatively impact on your trek. We recommend you wear woolen socks when trekking, as they keep your feet warm and dry.
Your trekking fee covers most of your costs, including all of your meals, accommodation, permits and the flight in and out of Lukla (where this destination is included in your trek). However, the costs of “luxuries” are not covered (such as coffee, sweets, alcohol and other souvenirs you may wish to purchase along the way). We recommend you budget approximately $20 per day, to comfortably cover any additional expenses you may encounter.
This can happen due to weather conditions. If your flight in or out of Lukla is delayed, you may end up having to wait 1-2 days for another flight. We recommend that you allow an extra couple of days, when booking your flight out of Nepal, to allow for such an occurrence. The additional time spent in Lukla or Kathmandu will be a personal expense to you, but we will be very happy to organise any logistics, such as your accommodation in Lukla or Kathmandu. Another option is to use a privately chartered helicopter. The cost for this is high, but it’s a guaranteed way to ensure you meet any deadlines you may have.
We’re different to most other trekking companies, in that our porters are often female (to empower and provide employment), and we set the limit at 15kg. Many other trekking companies use 1 porter for 2 clients, with an expectation they carry up to 40kg; we do not agree with this and do not want to place such hardships upon our team members. 10kg is plenty for your trek and you would also be carrying your personal daypack, which generally weighs 5kg.
You will have reliable Internet access in most places. Many lodges on the Everest Base Camp Trek have Internet access, but you must purchase usage. On other treks it varies, but overall, coverage in Nepal is reasonable but slow. Our team has access to satellite phones during treks, to call for support in the event of an emergency.
Yes, please famialise yourself with our detailed terms and conditions and our cancellation policy. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have. We’re always happy to help!
If you’re in doubt about whether or not you would be able to undertake the trek, we recommend that you visit your doctor for a health check. Overall good health and determination, combined with good coordination and balance, will all work in your favour.
Your safety is our number one priority. Our professional guides are skilled and experienced when responding to emergencies. Take on Nepal have a comprehensive risk management document, that ensures most possibilities have been carefully addressed and plans put in place. Our guides are all trained in First Aid and through their experience and knowledge, know when to call a helicopter for an emergency evacuation. With Take on Nepal, you are in safe hands.
At altitude, sickness can set in at any time. We pace our treks to allow your body to adjust to the change in climate and our team monitoring your wellbeing, throughout the trek. The most common form of altitude sickness is actually called “Acute Mountain Sickness” (AMS). It’s the least dangerous form and symptoms include a light headache, nausea, loss of appetite, insomnia and fatigue. In most cases, it is treatable through rest and many people make it to their destination. If your condition worsens, you will be evacuated out of the region by helicopter, to receive medical treatment at a hospital.
As a female, Nepal is generally very safe. Many of our team members are female and much of our work centres around empowering young women and girls. Most, if not all of our treks, will have a female staff member on board, who will give you strength and inspiration as you trek through the mountains of Nepal.
Travel Insurance is compulsory if you wish to participate in the program. We will require a copy of the insurance certificate and you must also bring a hard copy of your insurance certificate with you to Nepal. You need to ensure that the travel insurance purchased insures for helicopter evacuation above 5500m.
Nepal does not require any vaccinations in order to enter the country. However, we strongly recommend that participants consult with a doctor before departing for Nepal, for information about immunisations and advice on how to stay healthy while traveling.
The mistake many people make is having too much stuff. There is nothing worse than carting clothing and equipment with you for 2 weeks (at altitude) in Nepal and ultimately not having needed it. The list below outlines the standard clothing we recommend, for trekking 14 – 15 days in the mountains.
Your packing list should include the following equipment:
If you do not already own these items, we highly recommend that you purchase or hire these items in Kathmandu. They are made to a high quality and it’s always great to support the local economy. Another option is to hire a sleeping bag and jacket at a cost of approximately AUD$50 for each item for a period of 14 days.
Jeans, Jumpers / Sweaters, Dress Shirts, Dress Shoes, Dresses or Hair Dryers.
We organise all this for you. All the costs are included in the cost of your trek.
All seasons have their pros and cons, but as a general rule, the best time to trek in Nepal is from February to May, when the temperature has warmed after Winter. September through to December is also a fabulous time to trek, during these months the clouds start lifting after the Monsoon rains of June and July, which often leaves you with spectacular views of the Himalayas.
Yes! If you are physically fit, if you love the outdoors and if you have a positive attitude, you will make it. Altitude sickness or injury can end your trek, but this only affects a small percentage of people who trek. Being amongst the tallest peaks in the world is a feeling that cannot be described in words and we recommend that you undertake some basic fitness training, prior to your departure, to ensure it is a positive experience for you.
You can go it alone, but we can assure you it would be a vastly different experience. Our guides bring with them knowledge and experience; this becomes a bridge between the two cultures. You are guaranteed to learn so much more about Nepal and the terrain through which you are trekking, when you are guided. You are also providing employment to people who rely on tourism to survive, they are passionate about their work and we are sure your guide will soon become a friend to you.
In the mountain villages of Nepal, opportunities for women are few. Many young girls have little or no education, and marriage at an early age is still common. Take on Nepal and Friends of Himalayan Children Charity have been working to change this, for many years.
As Take on Nepal has grown, we’ve begun hiring young women and girls from Batase, first to work as porters and then as guides, roles that up to now have been seen as exclusively male. For young village girls, early exposure to paid work as porters and the experience of interacting with Western women, is an eye opener. It provides them with a glimpse of other possible futures, futures far different from the lives their mothers lived and to the lives they may have thought they were going to live.
The trekking industry in Nepal is a male dominated environment. Women guides are unheard of, which is surprising when you consider that a huge proportion of Western trekkers visiting Nepal are women. Spend a few nights staying at various lodges on the trails and you will see that 60% of all trekkers are women, many coming from European countries. At Take on Nepal, we’re all about empowering women, giving the village girls the opportunities that their brothers have and opening their eyes to the possibilities of a larger world.
It is becoming quite common for families to trek to Everest Base Camp together. Children aged 9 and upwards have trekked comfortably to Everest Base Camp and why not take your parents too! Age should not be a barrier to undertake this experience, as long as family members are fit, healthy and have a positive frame of mind, it is a possibility. We can tailor a trek specifically for the needs of your family, as we do recommend adding a few extra days on to the trek.
This is highly recommended as the fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the experience. We offer a helpful training program for you, once you have booked, and we’re always on hand to answer your questions. Our team will support and encourage you throughout your trek. Our treks are paced to allow plenty of time for you to reach your daily destination. However, if you choose to undertake the trek without prior training, you will be fine, as long as you have great willpower and plenty of stamina to get you through the tough times.
Not ready to book a tour? Get in touch with us today to get more information about our great Treks.
Get in Touch© Take on Nepal 2018
