Before coming here, I would have loved to see some more pictures and information on the housing-situation. Therefore, I have dedicated the first blog post of the semester to a mini-house tour, and some descriptions of the facilities, so that potential and incoming students can get a better insight into what could be your home for 10 weeks.
We are divided into two different houses, however they are right next to each other, and in this post, I will only focus on the main house, as most of us live here, and everyone else hangs out here as well.
The main house is Hotel New Darshan which feels much more like a normal house than a hotel. It has a small front garden, a rooftop terrace, several smaller balconies, and two housedogs (!!) named Victoria and Pondi. This makes it feel like a proper home. The house is centrally located at Lake side, Pokhara, within a short distance of everything you might need, such as cafes, restaurants, shops etc.
Common areas, garden and kitchen
The student house has several common areas to hang out in, some of our favorites being the balconies at floor two and three, as well as the biggest seating area in the front garden. We gather here every day whether it is for schoolwork, meals, chatting or other social activities. It is worth noting that all the common areas (except the kitchen) are outside, however this isn’t much of a problem as the temperatures are pleasant all day, and if it is raining the balconies always have a roof covering them.
As for the kitchen, there is a simple one at the hotel which all the students can use. It has all the basics such as a fridge, freezer, dry storage, as well as a stovetop for cooking. Only thing missing is an oven. A lot of us make breakfast and dinner here, although ordering take out or going out is undoubtedly the most popular choice. As for drinking water, this is available in the hallway of each floor, as well as in the kitchen.
If you prefer a quieter place alone to read or journal, the rooftop is my personal favourite. It is not a rooftop terrace in “Norwegian standards”, however it is all the more charming that way. This is also where we hand wash our clothes. Don’t worry; there are plenty of places nearby with washing machines, but I highly recommend washing your most precious clothes yourself, as things easily gets discolored at the laundry service.
Bedrooms
I think I can speak for most of us when I say that the quality of the rooms exceeded our expectations. All rooms have a private bathroom, TV, a small wardrobe and a clothing rack. Most of the rooms have one double bed and one single bed, so you can fight your roommate over who gets which bed. It is also possible to request a private room, for those who prefer that. The rooms are cleaned twice a week, and the hotel staff changes the bed linens. Luxury!
The pictures don’t do the bathrooms any justice, but I promise they are actually quite nice. It is a simple standard, containing the basics in terms of a sink, mirror, shower and proper toilet (no holes in the ground, as you encounter in many other places in Nepal). The hotel provides towels as well, but I would recommend bringing your own regardless.
I hope this gave you a bit more insight as to what your future home might look like. We definitely enjoy it here and hope you will as well.
– Amalie