Food · Panauti
Shape yomari with a Panauti homestay family
Stay a night with a Newar family through Panauti's community homestay network. Help cook dinner, learn to shape yomari dumplings, eat on the floor with the family and join morning puja. Simple rooms and real hospitality.
Panauti's homestays are run by local women, who share the bookings among their families and train each other as hosts. You stay in a traditional Newar house in the old town, in a simple private room. Bathrooms are basic but clean. Hosts speak some English, and your guide helps with the rest.
In the afternoon, your host takes you to the market and then into her kitchen. Together you prepare dal bhat, seasonal vegetables, achar and, if you ask, yomari: dumplings of rice flour shaped by hand around a filling of chaku and sesame, then steamed. Shaping the pointed tail takes practice, and most first attempts are lumpy.
Dinner is eaten with the family, often sitting on mats. In the morning you can join the household's puja, walk with your host to the temple or ghat, and help with breakfast before setting off. Many guests say this night is the most memorable of their trip to Nepal.
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Questions
What is a homestay in Panauti like?
You stay with a Newar family in their house in the old town, in a simple private room, and share home-cooked meals. Bathrooms may be shared and basic. Hosts are local women trained through the community network. It is about connection and daily life, not hotel comfort.
What is yomari?
Yomari is a Newar sweet dumpling made from new-harvest rice flour, shaped by hand and filled with chaku (molasses) and sesame or sweet milk solids, then steamed. It is made especially for Yomari Punhi, the full moon in December, but homestay hosts can show you at other times.
How much does a Panauti homestay cost?
A night with dinner and breakfast costs roughly USD 20 to 40 per person, depending on the season and activities such as cooking lessons. Most of the money goes to the host family and the community network. Prices change, so check current status before you travel.
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