Aarush Bhupal Malla
The night before the winter trip began, I couldn’t sleep. A million thoughts swirled in my head, each taking its turn to speak and fueling my excitement for the days ahead. I stayed awake all night, my anticipation growing with every passing hour.
Finally, the clock struck 5:00 AM. I freshened up, had a light breakfast, and spent a little too much time on my device, knowing I would miss it dearly during our three-day journey. At exactly 5:55 on Saturday morning, I left home with my parents' blessings and a bright smile. I reached school at around 6:10 and met up with my friends. We chatted, laughed, and captured memories using the digicams and Polaroids they had brought.
Soon, our accompanying teachers, Kuldeep Sir and Astha Ma’am, lined us up on the futsal ground for a short orientation. After boarding the bus, we were introduced to our tour guide, Mr. Rajkumar. He provided us with notebooks for any observations we might want to record. After a brief introduction to the itinerary and our guide, we officially began our journey to Lwang Village at around 7:00 AM
The bus ride brought us rocky roads, majestic views, and unforgettable memories with my friends and classmates as we sang and danced to songs playing on our teachers' phones. On the way, we stopped at a small restaurant for a bathroom break. Most students crowded the small local shop, which sold all kinds of snacks and drinks, while others used the restroom.
Ten minutes later, we continued our journey to Blue Heaven Restaurant and Bar located in Malekhu, Benighat, where we were scheduled for lunch. After an excruciating hour of enduring the rocky roads, we finally arrived. We enjoyed a delicious meal and took plenty of pictures. The food was excellent, and the scenery from the lower level of the restaurant was truly amazing. Before heading back to the bus for the final leg to Lwang Village, some students bought snacks and desserts from nearby shops. We made one last bathroom stop before finally reaching the Pokhara district.
After an hour or so, we reached the Baglung Bus Stop and boarded one of the local buses to Lwang Village. The road to Lwang Village was honestly a little scary at first, with all the turns that pushed us from left to right, but it quickly became fun; I just took it as a game.
We soon arrived at the village and took in the view: greenery covered the walls and pathways, rivers flowed below, astonishing mountains rose in the middle, and a clear sky stretched above. Our accommodations were divided into many little Gurung houses, painted with mud and built with love. After a brief discussion, everyone settled into their respective rooms.
I was very happy with my room arrangement, as all my friends and I got to stay together in one spacious and comfortable room. It was a little spooky, though, as it was on the lower level, and the locals had warned us about wild animals wandering at night since the village is surrounded by dense forests that are home to many wild animals.
After we settled down and had snacks, darkness fell, creating a scary but warm atmosphere with the presence of all my teachers and friends. The girls skipped rope individually and in groups, then formed a circle and danced along with the teachers and our guide, while the boys did some exercises and formed a little dance group of their own with encouragement from the teachers.
Soon, it was time for dinner, and a plate full of Gurung delicacies was served. After a fulfilling meal, the local students gave us many performances relating to the natural beauty and cultural diversity of Lwang Gaun. Campfires were also started, some students contributed money to the group, and the performances ended with a heartfelt speech from their leader. Then, all the students changed into their pajamas and headed to their rooms to sleep.
The next day, we woke up early to watch the sunrise. We admired the beautiful scenery from the watchtower located right within our Gurung homestay. After taking a few pictures on our teachers' phones, we went downstairs for a tasty, energizing breakfast.
Next, we set off for the Tea Garden. Along the way, we visited the sacred tree of Lwang Gaun. Our guide explained the local traditions regarding the "sacred trust"—a cultural value where both genders respect one another’s privacy and dignity. We also passed the large “Lwang Village” sign and a massive statue of Lord Buddha, representing the local Buddhist culture.
We took short breaks during the climb, and upon finally reaching the top, we were welcomed by an astonishingly clear view of Mount Machhapuchhre. It truly felt like being in heaven. Everyone took turns taking photos, and some of the girls even dressed in traditional Gurung cultural attire. After our teachers captured both group and individual photos, we began our trek back to the homestay.
After reaching the homestay, we were asked to pack our belongings, double-check that nothing was left behind, and hand in our room keys. We then enjoyed a delicious lunch featuring a variety of dishes and drinks made from locally sourced ingredients. Once lunch ended, our teachers provided us with extra water and reminded us to refill our bottles for the journey ahead. We departed Lwang Gaun with the blessings of the local people, each of us wearing a traditional white Khada draped around our necks.
Our next stop was Pumdikot, a beautiful spiritual place that held a big statue of Lord Shiva as well as other small deities. We arrived in about an hour and walked up a very steep, tiring slope to the entrance. After entering Pumdikot, students were free to take photos or walk around the temple for 10–15 minutes, provided they maintained silence and absolute discipline. My friends and I made three rounds around the temple, making a wish during each one we completed. Then, all the students gathered in front of the architecture for a couple of group photos before heading towards the Peace Pagoda.
We covered half the way by bus and the other half by walking. Visiting the Peace Pagoda meant absolute silence, as there were people meditating inside. My three friends and I only completed one round of the bottom of the pagoda, admiring the detailed architecture of the place, while my Buddhist friends prayed and performed their prayer activities. We took a group photo in front of the structure as well, then moved to Gupteshwor Cave.
Our guide, Mr. Rajkumar, led us to the cave entrance, and we traveled through the narrow pathways inside the cave, which felt humid due to the crowd and lack of air circulation. After we passed through the tough pathways, we arrived at the place of worship and took photos in groups of five people. After that was completed, we traveled a short distance to the Devis Fall by foot and entered the park. The area itself was very beautiful, with little waterfalls, gardens, and water structures all around the place. We then made our way to Devis Fall where we clicked some photos and admired the waterfall as our teachers told us the history behind its name.
Pokhara, renowned for its beautiful lake and boating activities, was our next stop. We arrived at Fewa Tal shortly after, and each student was provided with a life jacket, a compulsory safety protocol. Our guide helped us divide into three teams: two groups of girls and one group of boys. Each boat was accompanied by a leader: Kuldeep Sir on the first, Astha Ma’am on the second, and Rajkumar Sir on the third-our boat.
My team had a friendly competition to see who could reach the middle of the lake fastest. Although we started last, thanks to my strong teammates, we surpassed the others and reached the destination first! We took turns pedaling, giving everyone a chance to experience it. It was my first time, and while I thought it would be hard, it was actually quite easy. I was mostly focused on the surrounding scenery, though I did help my team by taking two turns at the pedals.
Our team was thrilled with our hard-earned victory and pledged to win again on the way back. After everyone gathered at the Tal Barahi Temple in the center of the lake, some students bought souvenirs while others simply enjoyed the view. Then, we pedaled our way back. Just as we had pledged, we won again! Everyone contributed, but special mentions go to the hardest-working members of the team: Bimarsh and Srijal.
After a lot of walking and activities, we finally boarded the bus to go to our hotel. We arrived at our accommodation, named Hotel Niwas, about an hour and a half later. The hotel was beautiful, featuring warm lights, spacious resting areas, a large dining area, kind staff, and an elevator that went all the way to the top floor.
We were soon given our room assignments, and once again, I was very happy to be rooming with my friends. The hotel was also accommodating Grade 6 and Grade 7 students, but they were given rooms on the first floor while we were on the second, so it wasn't much of a problem.
We received our keycards but were asked to eat snacks first before going up to the rooms. Everyone quickly agreed, as we were all hungry after a whole day of activities that required a lot of physical strength and stamina. After our snack, we made our way to our rooms, settled in, and explored the space. Lucky for us, we had a room with a spacious balcony that offered a beautiful view of the mountains and hills.
At around 6:30, we exited the hotel and made our way to Pokhara Fun Park. On the way, we clicked a group photo at the famous Umbrella Street. After arriving at the fun park, we were given clear instructions not to go on any rides with too much movement, height, or speed, as that could cause motion sickness.
Instead, we played at the arcade where we could get coins for mini-games like table tennis, hammer smashing, and reward games. I didn't play any games myself as they didn't really interest me, but many of the students did. I enjoyed my time talking to my teachers and friends and eating the various overpriced snacks found there.
After an hour at the fun park, we gathered at the big Peepal tree right outside the skating rink and made our way back to the hotel. The packed shops and the number of tourists in Pokhara surprised me quite a bit. After a 15–20 minute walk, we arrived back at our hotel and ate dinner.
Then, we danced a bit in the large hall provided by the hotel and then had a barbecue right outside the hall where Grades 6, 7, and 8 all gathered together. Everyone was busy with their own things: some were talking and laughing, some were eating, and my group was playing the game "Mafia." It was quite fun; the warmth of the fire with the delicious snack was such a cozy mood setter. We all talked, relaxed, and had fun for about an hour before heading to our rooms to sleep.
The next morning, we had breakfast and celebrated my classmate Yashaswi’s birthday. Once breakfast was finished, we handed in our keycards and boarded the bus for Deerwalk Pokhara School. The school frankly amazed me; the campus was spacious and surrounded by greenery, which was my favorite part.
There was a playground as well as futsal and basketball courts. We were allowed to explore on our own before the teachers led us on a short, quiet tour, as the local students were currently having exams. After taking a group photo in front of the main building, we began our journey back to Kathmandu.
We stopped twice for washroom breaks and once more for lunch at Blue Heavens Restaurant in Malekhu. We took one final group photo there before finally reaching our school at around 6:30 PM on Monday evening and after that we went back to our home with our heavy hearts.
In conclusion, this trip was highly fruitful for us. We gained firsthand experience of the unique geography, local lifestyle, language, and culture of Lwang Gaun in Pokhara. These moments have become unforgettable memories of our lives. We are deeply grateful to our school for providing us with such a wonderful opportunity.
