The Mai Pokhari Community Homestay offers visitors a true rural experience. Each of the homes is surrounded by beautifully tended gardens, with forests and mountains beyond. There are mountain views from the village (when the weather is clear), and even from some of the homestays themselves.

Accommodation at the Mai Pokhari Community Homestay is simple but comfortable and will meet your basic needs. You may have a shared or private bathroom, with Western-style toilets. Fireplaces provide the cosy warmth that you’ll need at this higher elevation, and you can admire the views from the open-air terraces.

Like practically everywhere else in Nepal, at the Mai Pokhari Community Homestay you won’t be short of chances to eat delicious dal bhat tarkari. But, you can also try other local specialties. A standout local dish is wachipa, chicken fried rice that includes the powder of burnt chicken feathers! Why? Because the locals believe this ingredient helps relieve aches and pains. Another local delicacy is chhurpi, a hard cheesy chew that’s a popular snack in other parts of Nepal, too. There’s also a local cheese factory, where you can visit and try the eastern Nepali variety.

ABOUT MAI POKHARI

Eastern Nepal sees far fewer travelers than central and mid-western areas, but those who do make it there are treated to scenic tea fields, nature hikes with a lot of birdlife, and views of the eastern Himalaya, including Kanchenjunga. There are even red pandas in this far-eastern region of Nepal.

The area around Mai Pokhari in particular offers plenty of chances to hike in nature, visit attractive but low-key local temples, and visit water features like lakes and waterfalls. Favorite activities are to hike around the nine-armed lake, with the Bhagwati Temple beside it, and drive to the second-highest waterfalls in Nepal, Todke Falls. The sunsets are particularly beautiful from Mai Pokhari.

A worthwhile full-day trip from the Mai Pokhari Community Homestay is to Sandakphu, the highest peak in Ilam and on the border of Nepal and India. At 3636 metres, it offers great views further west to Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu, four of the highest peaks in the world. While it’s a whole day’s drive there and back from the homestay, it’s definitely worth it.

Climate and weather

While Ilam district has a large altitude range--from the plains to very high mountains--Mai Pokhari is located quite high in the hills. Winters (December-February) are cold, and the monsoon season (June-September) is wet. In between these extremes, spring and autumn provide warm and generally dry weather. Due to the altitude, Mai Pokhari is generally cooler than Kathmandu.

Best Time to Visit

The altitude at the Mai Pokhari Community Homestay is quite high, at around 3200 metres. This means it can be refreshingly cool in the summer months, but a bit chilly in winter. However, as long as you’re prepared, you can visit at any time of year.