The Story Of The Family Of Skiers To A Perfect Host In A Village Called Palchan Manali
Tourism is one of the catalysts for economic development of a region. It provides employment.
Opportunities for the local populace and uplifts their standard of living. The Homestay concept involves the participation of the local community through providing accommodation and enriching cultural experiences to the tourists. Homestays have helped uplift the economic and social lives of the locals.
Homestay provides a more authentic cultural experience. That is, by living with locals you have an opportunity to experience the realities of daily life. Effectively, you will experience local food and get inside information about different events and places to go to.
During your stay at a homestay, you are not only surrounded by different people, cultures, and food, but also with a different language. You will get to be a part of real conversations every day and learn the local slang quickly. Host families will also be interested in learning your language and culture. It may start from celebrating your country’s festivals, holidays and special occasions – while learning theirs! Learning local customs and visiting attractions together can be a good way to gain knowledge about your host family’s way of life.
Through this blog we would like to highlight an inspiring story of a family of skiers and now a perfect host in Palchan, Manali.
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The family, I call my second home in Manali. I have learnt so much from them about their local culture, cuisine and gained a lot of knowledge of the region.
There are very few individuals who stand out in a crowd. Some do so by their looks and some by the sheer dint of their overall personality.
This family story unfolds:
Kapil Thakur, a well known skier and a perfect host of Clifftop – Boutique Stay in Manali. Kapil hails from a beautiful village – Palchan in Manali. He did his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Tourism Studies from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla.
Kapil started skiing from a very early age of 4 years. Solang Valley was his home ground for skiing. It was the place where he stood on his ski for the very first time. After that, he won many medals. He was a Gold Medalist in Sub Junior and Junior Categories in the National Championship in 2002 and 2005. He was given a Best Skier Award during the Championships. He represented India in Asian Games in South Korea in 2001 and Japan in 2002. Later he was given an Award of Honor for his distinguished achievements in the fields of Sports by Youth Sports Service, Department of Himachal Pradesh in 2008. In 2016, he participated as a ski coach from India in a Ski Program organised by the Japanese Govt. in Japan. Kapil has vast experience of adventure sports and in-depth knowledge of the tourism industry as he has travelled to many countries like South Korea, Japan , Thailand , Kazakhstan etc.
Vikrant Thakur, a younger brother of Kapil Thakur is also a well known skier from the family. Vikrant is a tech guy who is a BCA graduate from Himachal Pradesh University Shimla. He is also a well known web designer in the town. Like his elder brother, Vikrant also learned ski lessons from a very early age in Solang Valley. Vikrant also won many medals in his ski career. He is also a Gold Medalist in National Ski Championships. He also represented India in the Asian Games in Lebanon in 2007. He has a great experience of adventure sports. He was also given an Award of Honor for his distinguished achievements in the fields of Sports by Youth Sports Service, Department of Himachal Pradesh. He has a vast knowledge of the tourism industry as he has travelled to many countries like Lebanon, Dubai, Thailand, Kazakhstan etc. Presently, he works as a Web Developer in Manali.
Pooja Thakur, the youngest sister of a family is MA. B. Ed from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. Like brothers, she has also learned ski lessons from a very early age. She has also won many medals in State and National Ski Championships in her ski career. She was also given an Award of Honor for his distinguished achievements in the fields of Sports by Youth Sports Service, Department of Himachal Pradesh. Presently, she is a state govt. employee in Sub Divisional Magistrate Office Manali.
Ghanshyam Thakur, a proud father of the children. He is a well known Mountaineer and Skiing Instructor in Manali. He worked as a Senior Mountaineering Instructor in the Himachal Pradesh government department of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering And Allied Sports. ABVIMAS is a government institute with its headquarter in Manali. He has 31 years of experience in mountaineering and skiing. Thousands of students across India have done their mountaineering and skiing courses under him. He retired in 2019 from his services. Presently, he provides his expertise to his sons in their adventure business.
Kapil Thakur with his younger brother Vikrant Thakur with their vast experience now organises various Skiing Programs, Adventure Camps, Community Works, Culture Trips, Leadership Camps.
Perfect Host at Clifftop – Boutique Stay in Manali
Kapil Thakur with his family members now hosts a beautiful property named Clifftop – Boutique Stay in Palchan, Manali. Clifftop is an experience for those who love snow capped mountains, pristine nature and adventure. It’s for those who are not in a hurry and wish to spend quality time with family and friends. It’s for those who wish to witness the ethnic culture, customs and tastes local cuisine. Clifftop is a wonderful base for a traveler to explore the Himalayas and unwind in the pristine valley of Gods. Clifftop is located in beautiful village called Palchan which is just 15 minutes drive from main Manali town. Clifftop has a privilege of 360 degree views of mighty Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal Ranges. Beautiful Valley of Solang, Engineering Marvel Atal Tunnel, Sissu and the mighty Rohtang Pass is nearby to this place. Rooms at Clifftop are neat, clean and cosy with all modern amenities. Food at Clifftop is prepared by the family members with local taste. Hosts with their helping hands are all there at Clifftop to make the stay of guests a memorable one.
Ideal things to do here are exploring the vistas of nature, getting on your trekking shoes, if you like skiing this is the ideal place, by the way Kapil Thakur owner of Clifftop is a national level skier, you can enjoy his guidance. If you still have time, don’t forget to sip in some coffee by gazing at the Dhauladhar and the Pir Panjal mountain ranges of the Himalayas.
Impact To The Local Community
This homestay is playing a vital role in conserving the culture by increasing local products and to empower education by increasing the economic conditions. It helps to improve communication skills as well as reduce migration problems and hence is supportive for local employment.
Memories of the stay with the host family at Clifftop Cottage, Palchan Manali.
Interaction with the locals
Local Festival- Diyali
Sukha Meat- a local delicacy
Askalu- a local food
With the host
Ain’t they cute
With my friend and host Kapil
For booking you can contact-
Kapil Thakur- 94599 60282
Vikrant Thakur- 98170 08067
What is Salamat Raho ?
Team NomadLawyer’s ambition is to positively impact the world through the stories of HumanKind. We believe in the art of storytelling. Through “Salamat Raho ”, we are creating a database for social good in the form of “Impact Stories”, which will help us achieve our goal and reach out to the world at large.
BY CONTRIBUTING THROUGH YOUR STORIES AND EXPERIENCE YOU CREATE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY AND AN EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR YOURSELF.
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