018 TRAVEL
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AT THE TOP OF THE
world
There are some destinations that come with a magical allure, a mystical heritage and an attraction that doesn’t just captivate the visitor for a week or two, it can be life-changing. We meet two women for whom Nepal did just that…
David Leck
mongst its myriad charms, the most common remark from visitors to Nepal inevitably focuses on the people of
this mountain kingdom. Setting that aside for a moment though, this most signifi cant of Buddhist lands is also famed for towering Himalayan peaks, snowy crags and low-lying plains, national parks famed for their rare species, winged-roof temples and fl ag-draped shrines. Karen Bidois (pictured fi rst left, above) set-up Bikram Solo Travels (BST) last year after visiting Nepal to participate in a project designed to help local communities. “I’d wanted to visit for a long time, but I also wanted to fi nd a way of seeing the real, natural Nepal and not the tourist one,” says Kent- based Karen, who runs BST with her daughter Charlie and whose career has been spent as a counsellor and adult coach working across mental health, abuse and addiction. It was during the visit Karen met local tour guide Biki and the idea of starting a company was hatched. The objective was to afford people opportunities to travel beyond the ‘greatest hits’
while at the same time enabling them to give something back by supporting local guest houses, mountain families and Tibetan refugees. BST runs nine-day tours designed for those wanting to discover Nepal’s raw beauty and offering an alternative to the many trek-focused trips. It also removes the guesswork that can accompany holidays to more remote, less developed destinations and, interestingly, the trips have been specifi cally-designed for solo travellers. “There are so many more single people these days and not simply because they’re not in a relationship. There are couples with different interests or confl icting careers so, while the market is growing, it’s one that’s still not adequately catered for,” explains Karen.
Changing lives
Rachel Russell had worked in the travel sector for many years until redundancy gave her the chance to sit back and evaluate what she wanted from life. After studying to become a TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) teacher – and with career-instilled passion for
visiting new places – she found herself (in 2009) working as a volunteer in Ghalel, a small village in the Himalayan foothills two hours by jeep from Pokhara, Nepal’s second largest city. “The village and school were enormously welcoming, and I taught English for six weeks,” says Rachel. “I lived with a family who provided my meals and a room. It was quite basic with no hot water or phone signal. The children were so much fun to teach, and I guess I fell instantly in love with the country. “I returned to Nepal many times to teach and catch up with friends. After the earthquakes in 2015 people asked me how they could make donations to help the thousands who had lost their homes. With the help of a friend we set up a crowd fundraiser and, with a trusted Nepali team on the ground, began to send money to help those in desperate need,” explains Rachel. “When our work was completed it seemed the most obvious step was to set up a charity to continue helping Nepal’s villagers and, a year later, the Marigold Chain was born. We assist villagers in the Lwang Ghalel region, helping the schools, children and assisting small business start-ups
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