If you haven't heard about Rainaskot, this is for you.

You do not have to go to exotic locations to have fun. The people that you travel with must be fun. Well, when you travel with 32 people, there is no chance that you won’t be having fun. Our group is such that one or the other keeps you entertained throughout. This is the biggest lesson that I got after I went to the village of Rainaskot. Most of you probably might not have heard about this location. Rainaskot is a place which lies in Lamjung and has great value in terms of history. Many people might have heard about Baisya and Chaubisya Rajya.

The beautiful village of Rainaskot.

This location served as a fort during that era as part of a war strategy. The main attraction here is a homestay that has been rebuilt following the massive earthquake. Rainaskot is a remote area, making transportation facilities quite challenging. Our group consisted of about 32 people, including friends and family, who traveled from Kathmandu to Rainaskot. There were roughly 13 houses, so we divided into groups of 8, with one group staying in one house and another group in another. The boys were grouped based on the house's capacity. As we arrived around 5, the house owner served us tea and makai bhatmas. Makai bhatmas is something all 8 of us enjoy, so we were competing for a plate without realizing we had been given two plates. We sipped tea and ate makai bhatmas while appreciating the view and the weather. It started raining as soon as we arrived. The green forest and the mountain below were shrouded in fog, yet the view remained stunning. If the sky had been clear, we could have seen the magnificent Manaslu, Lamjung, Annapurna, Machhapuchchhre, and Dhawalagiri.

The amazing view from the house we stayed in.

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After having tea, we strolled through the small village to look at the houses. The most enjoyable aspect was that some people with TikTok accounts began creating videos because they appreciated the weather and the scenery. Meanwhile, some of us were occupied with taking photos. The aamas in the village were just as excited to have their pictures taken. The funniest part was that they understood our photos were for social media, even though they didn't use it themselves.

Shanti with one of the owner of the homestay.

I completely forgot to mention something. A friend of mine had visited Rainsakot. She went there 4 years ago as a volunteer after the massive earthquake. She helped build toilets and houses in the village. It was incredible to see how the aamas still held her in high regard even after 4 years. During our ride, she shared with me how the village was and how much she enjoyed working there, despite having to walk 2 hours for their meetings while volunteering in a VSO program. She was also pleased to see that the road to the village was now better equipped than before.

The highlight of the experience was the food. They served us traditional Nepali cuisine for dinner, and it was so delicious that I still long for it. The next morning, we were bragging to friends in another house about how fantastic our food was, but they had the same reaction. Meanwhile, the boys were excitedly sharing how much fun they had, especially since they got to help prepare the chicken for dinner. Despite the lack of spice, the food was still flavorful. Even after we reached Bandipur, we wished we could enjoy that meal again. The best part of the dinner for me was the milk. As a vegetarian, they offered me a glass of milk, which tasted wonderful. We ended up going to bed a bit late that night because we had deep conversations, and even after that, others who were also enjoying themselves were singing and dancing, which kept us from sleeping right away.

The following morning, we embarked on a brief hike to witness the stunning sunrise. We woke up around 5:30 and set out to catch the sunrise. Since most of the group took time to get ready, my friend and I decided to leave them behind, fearing we might miss it. The sunrise viewpoint was breathtakingly beautiful, enveloped in clouds, creating a heavenly atmosphere. Had the clouds not been there, we would have seen the picturesque landscape of 16 districts, including Kaski, Tanahun, Gorkha, Chitwan, Dhading, and Nawalparasi. However, we were grateful for the weather, as the clouds provided a heavenly sight. After enjoying the sunrise, we headed to a place offering breakfast. We insisted that those who were still asleep and missed the sunrise join us for breakfast, as we planned another short hike afterward. Along the way, we encountered many kafal trees.

Kaafal that we picked up from the tree while hike.

The beautiful view of the cloud from the Rainaskot viewpoint.

View from the Hike.

Following the brief hike, we returned for lunch, and everyone had their meal at their respective homes. The lunch was just as delicious. After eating and taking a short rest, the aama of our house bid us farewell with tika and flowers.