Overlooking the Kathmandu valley and up on a beautiful hill just 30 min north from the centre of Kathmandu is Shivapuri Heights Cottage. This luxury cottage located on the edge of Shivapuri National Park is a perfect retreat for those looking to spend a day away from the noise of city life, never ending traffic and urban pollution.
Getting there is quite easy. Loads of local busses go to Budanilkantha, a renowned temple at the foot of the Shivapuri hill. From there the cottage is only a short hike. If you aren’t comfortable getting there by yourself, they also provide a pick up services that is charged depending on your location.
The cottage is owned by Steve Webster, a British national who’s been in Nepal for over 2 decades and been a part of the tourism evolution. He has done his best to give the cottage a delightful Nepali and English vibe with its wooden celling, neat interiors and red tiles. You might just feel you’re in the English countryside when you get here.
The 18 rooms at Shivapuri Heights Cottage are divided into 3 cottages – Jasmine House, Bougainvillea Cottage and Poinsettia Cottage. The Bougainvillea and Poinsettia cottages are perfect for family and groups. Along with the cottages, there are tents available for those who want a different experience. These lodgings are available for both individuals and groups and offer all the facilities of a full-fledged hotel. They don’t take walk-ins so it’s recommended that you book in advance.
The Jasmine House along with its deluxe rooms has a lounge where you can sit and watch a movie or head upstairs and enjoy board games while enjoying looking at the valley. The greatest appeal of Shivapuri Cottage is perhaps the magnificent view you get from there. Looking down from the Jasmine Terrace or any of the cottages, you get a panoramic view of the Kathmandu Valley. On a clear day, they view is splendid with lush green vegetation and the valley below all giving the place a very scenic appeal.
The staff are really good too. All of them have been trained by Steve and his wife Neeru and are always around if you need them. The food is fresh and most of it is from the local garden within the premises itself. Unlike other places, Shivapuri Cottage doesn’t have a specific menu to order from. Here dinner is an experience itself where all the guests sit on the same table which Steve calls the United Nations and enjoy a set meal together. Lot of interesting stories are shared here including Steve’s travel tales and incidents he experienced around Asia.
Once you’re in Shivapuri Cottage there are a lot of activities you can indulge in. The Shivapuri National Park is next door and they can arrange a guide for you to take you around the national park. They also provide a short walk through the surrounding area taking you to the Namkha Dzong Monastery which passes through a traditional Tamang village.
The cottage also has a wonderful spa which offers relaxing massage, manicure and pedicure. The spa is quite well known and certainly worth enjoying while there. Steve’s wife, Neeru, has created a unique out-door spa area at Shivapuri Heights Cottage where guests can rejuvenate. Along with the spa there is also an outdoor jacuzzi that guests can relax and enjoy.
Neeru also provides cooking lessons to those who want to learn how to cook Nepali food. Steve says that many foreigners have come to Shivapuri Cottage to brush up their culinary skills and left enriched with the knowledge of how to make momos and other local Nepali dishes.
The establishment is also involved in many social responsibilities around the area including the development of Dadagaun village for a number of years now. They have been helping Dadagaun Village School by providing them with computers, helping them build a library and installing solar panels among other things.
Shivapuri Heights Cottage is a peaceful little private paradise. A place to unwind and discover yourself, especially if you are a writer, not only because it’s nice and quiet, but because you get to hear a lot of stories from people who’ve travelled across the globe.
For booking and info contact:
Shivapuri Heights Cottage
Bhudanilkantha Hills, Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: (+977) 98020 12245 or (+977) 98413 71927
Email: info@shivapuricottage.com
Shashwat Pant is a content writer at Nepal Traveller. He is writer by day and a dreamer by night. He loves to spend time discussing about sports and Geo politics.
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