About Yangrima Eco-Lodge
How Did It All Begin?
In the 1970s, Colonel Jimmy Roberts founded Mountain Travel, Nepal’s first trekking company, and began bringing trekkers to Helambu. By the early 1980s, the late Tashi P. Lama, a local priest, built the first trekking lodge in the traditional Hyolmo village of Sermathang (8,600 ft), welcoming adventurers from Mountain Travel and other agencies. Helambu thrived as a trekking destination until the Maoist civil war in the mid-90s, which caused a sharp decline in tourism, leading many local lodges to close.
After the 2008 peace agreement, tourism slowly began to recover in Nepal. Yet, the expansion of motorable dirt roads affected trekking routes across the country. Fortunately, the classic Helambu Circuit, Ganja-La crossing, Gosainkunda, and Panch Pokhari remained untouched by modern development.
In 2020, the old lodge reopened its doors as Yangrima Eco-Lodge, embracing a new vision of sustainable tourism. Now, it provides an authentic experience for trekkers, wellness seekers, families, and special interest groups, while also creating opportunities for the local Helambu community.
The Yangrima Eco-Lodge is built using sustainable materials including Hemp, Lime and Bamboo. It uses passive solar heating like double-glazed windows, solar for electricity and water heater. We harvest rainwater and recycle greywater reducing half of our freshwater consumption. Besides that, we grow our own organic vegetables and fruits and raise free-range chickens for eggs and grass-fed buffaloes for healthy milk.
Help Promote Education and Local Community Development
All profits from Yangrima Eco-Lodge directly support the work of the Just Nepal Foundation in promoting education and fostering local community development. Through the Visit Helambu campaign, we have taken on the role of a destination management organization, working to boost sustainable tourism across the Helambu region.
We collaborate with local homestay owners to enhance their operations, improve their collaborative skills, and expand their marketing reach. Helambu is a unique area rich in biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, and a wholesome lifestyle, just a short distance from Kathmandu. Our mission is to invite more people to discover and enjoy the beauty and culture of Helambu, while also supporting the region’s sustainable growth.