Gaun Ghar

Gaun Ghar is in the charming, traffic-free, hilltop village of Bandipur which is about 3 hours from Kathmandu. Built on the narrow ridge of a hill, the front facing rooms look onto the quiet main street with its attractive houses and temples, while the rear rooms have unobstructed views of the mountains.

There are just 15 simple en-suite rooms and the whole place has been restored very sympathetically and in a very eco-friendly way, from a traditional ancient house. There is electricity, but it's quite unreliable in this remote village. There are wooden shutters instead of glass windows and a lovely small courtyard plus a terrace at the back with gorgeous mountain views.

The restaurant serves excellent Nepalese food, and the staff are really friendly.

Come here for traditional, quaint and unique rather than anything luxury, but a couple of days here is a great way to spend some time, and discover something of traditional Newari life. It is also a great place to break your journey if you're travelling between Kathmandu or Pokhara and Chitwan.