Meaningful travel found in Kathmandu garden

Travel is the biggest industry in the world. There's tourist travel, green travel, eco-travel, spiritual travel, experiential travel. But for the global traveller who has been everywhere and seen everything there is a new genre evolving. "Meaningful travel" espouses the above values while placing the traveller in a position where he or she must make important decisions in the community they are visiting, such as donating money, adopting a cause, volunteering or getting involved.

While a strict definition of the genre may be hard to explain, one easy place to find an example is under the mango tree in the garden at the Kathmandu Guest House in Nepal. Fabled Kathmandu has been a destination for mountains climbers, trekkers and spiritual seekers since the 1960s, and the heart of the explorer's universe has always been the fabled Kathmandu Guest House, whose green inner garden is a centre of grace and tranquillity in a city gone totally mad.

Although a decade long civil war is finally over, Nepal has been a country in chaos for decades. The Maoist party managed to overthrow the monarchy, but no democracy or stable government has evolved. Any excursion into the city's wild streets to view the fabulous temples, squares, monasteries and markets, for which Kathmandu is justifiably famous, reveals utter chaos and noise, with thousands of beggars, refugees and street children begging for food or money. Although still scenically beautiful, Nepal has descended to become one of the poorest countries in the world.

What can a traveller to Kathmandu do in order to make a meaningful difference? Under the mango tree in the garden at the Kathmandu Guest House, hotel manager Uttam Phuyal describes a project designed to help the poorest of the poor. "Setunepal is a program to assist women prisoners in Nepal learn a trade. Often these women end up in jail because of poverty and ignorance. One day a tourist staying here at KGH told me she saw a woman and her child begging outside the gates of the prison because she had been released and had nowhere to go. Can you imagine being so poor that you are better off in prison?"

Travellers passing through Kathmandu on their way to the Himalayas or various spiritual sites are encouraged to become involved with Setunepal (www.setunepal.org) in several ways. There is a halfway house where released prisoners learn trades and where travellers can volunteer skills, time or money, or stay. Donations for food, medicine and training equipment can be sent online. Sponsorship of children is always in demand. Few global travellers ever get a chance to become friends with the destitute under a controlled and supervised situation like this. A few dollars donated to such a cause can change a life, and often that life is the one of the traveller.

For those seeking even deeper meaning on their trip to Kathmandu, meditation stays can be arranged at various Tibetan monasteries. Foreigners are allowed to attend and watch the Hindu cremation ceremonies at the fifth-century Pashupatinath temple on the grounds of the holy Bagmati River. Here, one is sure to meet various sadhus, a common term for a mystic, an ascetic practitioner of yoga or wandering monk. The sadhu is solely dedicated to achieving the fourth and final Hindu goal of life, moksha or liberation, through meditation and contemplation. Sadhus are easy to spot because of their colourful appearance, often with painted faces and wearing ochre-coloured clothing, symbolizing renunciation. Although spiritual liberation is their stated goal, should you require a photo make sure you have a 100-rupee bill handy.

Nepal, despite its poverty, remains a safe and popular destinations for hundreds of thousands of travellers every year. For those seeking something more meaningful than a walk in the woods or a souvenir shopping expedition in the wild and crazy streets, Setunepal is just the ticket.

Sourced=vancourier