Far from Chelsea: Made in Nepal

On arrival at Kathmandu airport, we were greeted by a man from our hotel. There was so much warmth and kindness that immediately we felt very welcomed and set the right mood for the rest of our trip.

One of the first places we visited was Patan, where the majority of the artists live. It was amazing to walk around the old Palace square and take in some of the sculptures and architecture. The roads an alleyways are very vibrant and colorful. It is best described as organized chaos, so definitely take a guide along. Swayambhunath, also known as the Monkey Temple, is a bit of a drive from the centre but another must see. This is one of the highest points in the city that offers incredible views of the town in one sweeping glance. We also tried out some yoga at our hotel to get us into Zen vibes before we headed to the mountains. It was definitely the most active yoga I have ever done, with some yogging and intense breathing exercises involved!

While we were here, we decided to check out some of the great work that NGOs on the ground were doing to help rehabilitation after the quake. We were honored to be invited to Camp Hope that currently houses 331 displaced Nepalese from Sindhupalchowk, one of the worst hit regions. The camp is home to many children and elderly. When we finally arrived at the Camp, the children ran up to us smiling and laughing with open arms. The camp was not at all what we had prepared ourselves for. The people were perhaps some of the most positive, happy and kind people I have ever met and it was an honor to be around them.

The kids were excellent, taking us on a tour of their camp and telling us their daily routine in fluent English, having taken classes for only five months! We spent the morning singing with them and watching them perform dance routines. My girlfriend is a model and all the girls were soon practicing their catwalks with her.

It offered an invaluable insight into their lives and this was a truly magical and life-changing trip for the both of us.

On our last morning in Nepal, we woke up to clear skies and finally were able to see great views of the Himalayas from our hotel. It made for the perfect end to the perfect trip and I couldn’t say enough to recommend a visit to the magical place more.

It is an amazing country, full of amazing people. Go visit Nepal and let the people change your life.

Oliver Proudlock of Made in Chelsea fame was in Nepal and wrote an article on his travel experiences for www.standard.co.uk. The above post has been adapted for length from his original piece.

You can read his full story in the link below: