Subarnapur: Home stay entrepreneurs in Thori rural municipality-5, Subarnapur of Parsa district are experiencing increased enthusiasm with the Sunakhari buffer zone community homestay witnessing a steady rise of guests.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the Sunakhari community homestay has welcomed approximately 3,000 guests in the current fiscal year. Although the first community homestay of the Madhes province has not seen an increased influx of tourists due to insufficient publicity and branding, the year has still marked a notable rise in tourist visits.
The President of Sunakhari Community Homestay, Shambhu Ram Poudel, highlighted that over 60 film shooters and technicians resided in the homestay for three months, from November to February of the current fiscal year. “Around 1,800 tourists had visited Nepal in the last fiscal year,” he noted, adding that the number has increased to about 3,000 tourists by the third week of April this year. This rise in tourist numbers has also uplifted the spir
its of local homestay operators.
Film producer Anup Paudel utilized the scenic landscapes of Shikaribas and surrounding areas in Thori rural municipality for shooting the film ‘Elephant in the Fog’, which is based in Nepali and Bhojpuri languages. Last fiscal year, about 1,800 guests visited the area. The homestay has been operational in 15 houses since 2073 BS, offering a panoramic view of Thori and sightings of various wild animals.
Key attractions for visitors include Baghmorcha Mai, the monastery (Gumba), Pranami Temple, Martyrs Memorial, and Sunakhari Forest. Despite operating 15 houses, with two rooms each, Bhim Bahadur Pakhrin, chair of Sunakhari User Committee, mentioned challenges in transporting tourists to different locations during public holidays due to the use of white number plate safari vehicles.
Efforts to resolve this issue have been ongoing, with visits to the Madhes province ministry. Chief District Officer of Parsa, Ganesh Aryal, has committed to providing the necessary support to addr
ess the problem. Guests at the homestay enjoy locally produced corn specialties, local chicken, and corn husks, and are treated to cultural programs by the Tamang community during group visits.