Located in the lower area of the Solukhumbu region in Nepal lies the peaceful village of Waku. Being nearby the highest mountain of the world the Mt. Everest Waku has access to some of the world’s most beautiful views and mountain panoramas. Being remote and far from modern development Waku village was targeted by a huge potential landslide that would have destroyed the entire village! Luckily for the village a group of visionaries discovered this threat and relocated the entire village to a safe and agriculture friendly location.
Rebuilding and relocated an entire village is not an easy task and as the families of Waku village are all supporting and helping each other in this endeavor the community bond is stronger then ever! Travelers and volunteers from all over the world come to visit Waku village to offer support and to witness the culture and unique lifestyle of rural Nepal!
Waku village is accessible by different ways. If you like to travel by land it takes a local bus or a private jeep about 7 to 8 hours from Kathmandu the Capital of Nepal to Salleri. Here you will need to spend the night and take another jeep for about 3 hours the next morning that will bring you to Damku. The settlement of Damku is a great place to get that first feeling of the Nepalese highlands, the air is fresh and pure and the views are just amazing. From Damku a hike will take place that brings you to the remote but beautiful Waku village.
Another way to travel to Waku village is by air flight. This way lets you see the aerial beauty of Nepal and its unique geography! A domestic flight of about 30 minutes brings you from Kathmandu to Phalpu village. Although a short flight the views are just indescribable, the valley of Kathmandu makes places for the highlands of the Solukhumbu region home of Mt. Everest. After reaching in Phalpu jeep transportation will be arranged for a 3 hours scenic drive to Danku village from where we hike to Waku for about 3 to 4 hours.
Waku village started out small but thanks to the effort of the entire village a proud population of 1500 families are currently residing. The village population come from different ethnical groups and live together in harmony. Khaling Rai, Chettri, Brahman, Magar, Tamang, Gurung, Kami, Dami and Sherpa make up for most of the village, and with each of them their own culture and traditions the village of Waku is a cultural paradise. The festivals celebrated in the village attract many outsiders to participate in the celebrations! During one of the Rai festivals called the Khaling Festival everybody comes together and participates in large circle dances. Amongst the Rai caste the Kirat people perform a ritual dance called the Sakela dance, wearing their traditional attires and inviting all people of every age to dance and enjoy this wonderful festival is truly worth seeing!
Other festivals greatly celebrated in Waku village are Dashan and Tihar, they are family festivals and give a joyous feeling similar as Christmas. Lhosar is also celebrated in Waku village and is a Buddhist festival celebrated two times per year. Food and companionship plays a big part in this festival! Teej is a Hindu women festival where all ladies where their best or newest red sarees and pray for prosperity of their spouses.
For visiting Waku village and participating in these amazing festivals please contact us for the exact dates as these fall every year on different dates.
