Rafting resort owner

Dhading was never called 'excellent' in the classroom of Uddhav Vidyalaya in Benighat Bahuntar. Not particularly. In the eyes of the teacher, he was an 'unsuccessful student'. It was our team. No one would listen,'' Uddhav recalled his school life, 'I used to focus more on swimming in the river than studying. Many times the school has thrown the bag in the bush and spent the whole day swimming.'

After studying up to class 12 in Nepal, he went to Greece to pursue a higher diploma in hotel management. At that time, he washed cars to cover expenses in a foreign land. He has accumulated experience working as a laborer in various factories and baking bread in a bakery. Hanging on a rope to clean the glass of a skyscraper is fresh. 'These and similar struggles have inspired me to continue working,' says Uddhav.

After studying, Uddhav returned to Nepal in 2013. Then Trishuli started looking for the future on the banks of his childhood memories. Got a river guide's license and bought a boat and started a rafting company. Since starting the rafting business till now, Uddhav has played a lot with water. He used to spend his days in the water for fun when he was a child, but he has been engaged in water-related business for decades.

In a decade, Uddhav has also expanded his business. He has two resorts on the banks of Trishuli. Trishuli River Side Resort on Prithvi Highway and Trishuli Villas across. But Uddhav has done a lot to reach this point. They are working day and night. "None of these structures that are visible now are built on the same plan," he says, "Each of these structures that have stood on the river bank in the last decade has a different story."

Uddhav laid the foundation of the business especially through rafting. At that time, the number of Nepalese rafting was negligible. The business depended on foreign tourists. And it was not easy for people like us to bring foreign tourists,'' Uddhav recalled in the past, 'We had to go to travel agencies in Thamel, the tourist area of ​​Kathmandu, in search of customers. A lot of work had to be done to bring one tourist.' Uddhav says that after a few years, the number of domestic tourists doing rafting increased. Marketing has also become easier with the increased use of social media. The number of domestic tourists also increased due to word of mouth publicity, Uddhav said, "After that, we did not have to rely only on foreigners for business."

As the rafting business began to do well, he added a boat. Now there are 12 boats from one to two to three. The number of tourists enjoying rafting from his company in Trishuli is the largest. His Riversite Spa and Retreat Pvt Ltd has been giving a taste of rafting to around five thousand tourists annually. After the rafting business went as expected, he started serving the tourists through a tent on the shore of Trishuli. As the number of tourists increased, he added the facilities of the cottage.

'When the people who come for rafting started spending the night on the river bank, I added a safari tent along with the resort, swimming, DJ and live music,' said Uddhav, 'the idea that we should build a villa after the increase in the number of people coming with their families.' Uddhav said that there is a capacity of 57 people.

According to Uddhav, there was some slowdown in the business due to the earthquake and Covid. But he says that the incident taught him something. 'Money alone is not enough to do business, strong will, support from everyone, positive energy are the main elements,' he says, 'not only support from family to business partners, but if you don't have deep knowledge about the business, the ground of the business will be weak.' I did a new job even during the Covid period. "I built a zipline to reach the Trishuli Villa across the highway from Trishuli Resort," he said, "I started sky cycling to return from there." ``To build a riverside villa, people have to carry all the goods, so only about 20 million have been spent on transportation. Because of this, it took more time than expected to complete the construction, he said.

As the size of the business has increased, Uddhav has divided the work among the family. He works in marketing and public relations while staying in Kathmandu and has entrusted finance to his wife. The management of the business rests on the shoulders of the father. Uddhav's activism is not limited to this. He has not forgotten his land. He works by himself on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays when the number of guests is high. The food is served and the plate is picked up.

On Saturdays and Sundays, tourists take boats and enter the river themselves for rafting. Uddhav says that it is easier to operate rafting business in Trishuli than in other rivers. "It is close to cities like Pokhara, Kathmandu and Chitwan," he said. As a rafting guide, he has the technical knowledge to steer the boat with the speed and ups and downs of the river.

is going to address the interests and needs of tourists. The kitchen is using local produce as much as possible. And, most of the locals are employed in the company. Currently more than 60 people work in his company. Recently, Uddhav said that he is also planning to show the art and dance of the local Chepang, Magar and Gurung communities for more entertainment for the tourists who spend the night.

Uddhav, who recently turned 35, is currently spending most of his time expanding his business. But he wants it to slow down his busy activism after a while. And, because of that, social service. Now the bank loan has to be paid. But after a few years, he plans to focus on social service, he said. However, he is clear that he does not do politics in the name of social service. Some friends say you should join politics. But I think that politics is not for me,' he said, 'I know very well that politics cannot be done with business style and thinking.'