The hotels and lodges in the renowned tourist hotspot at Ghodepani of Ghar VDC – 1 are filled to the brim with Chinese tourists celebrating their New Year holidays.

The influx of Chinese tourists at this time of the year to celebrate their holidays in what is essentially viewed as a tourist off season by the tourist entrepreneurs has been a boon for the Ghodepani hoteliers.

The Ghodepani is located in the world famous Annapurna Circuit which is now busy greeting 200 Chinese tourists a day, according to local hotelier, Teksar Budduja Pun. "The arrival of Chinese tourists who are celebrating New Year holidays during this off season has given us good business," shared Pun, who runs Snow View Lodge. He added, "The snowfall on Friday has excited the tourists who are here."

The sudden snowfall has given backpackers an opportunity to play with the snow and added to their holiday excitement. The 23 upscale hotels in Ghodepani are now jam-packed with Chinese tourists. The hotel rooms are booked at least for the next one week if you are planning for a visit anytime soon.

The blizzard has covered the Poon Hill, Ghodepani and Deurali areas under two feet of snow. The tourists are ecstatic to see the snow-capped hills and the mountains verging on stratospheric heights.

Poon Hill is the prime destination for tourists who arrive at Ghodepani via Kaski's Nayapul, Gandruk and Myagdi's Bhurung Tatopani. The Poon Hill stands 3210 meters above the sea level offering a sweeping view of 20 majestic mountains including the Dhaulagiri, Annapurna range and Machapuchare (Fishtail). RSS