Located in the north-eastern region of Nepal, Happy House, encased in pine trees and rhododendrons, is an extremely special place to stay and base yourself while you explore the nearby landscapes: snow-dusted peaks, windswept valleys, glaciers, rivers and of course Everest Basecamp. It’s partly to do with its meaningful past and fascinating story – it was here that explorer Sir Edmund Hillary loved to stay, and the house is furnished with some of the antiques from Count Guido Monzino’s extravagant Everest expedition that saw 6,000 porters carrying leather sofas, gambling tables and furniture to Everest basecamp.

It’s also the cultural immersion you’ll be privy to when you stay here. Using Happy House as your comfortable base, you will have an itinerary fitted to your group – making sure you get the best out of your Nepalese adventure. You might head out on a camping trip for a few nights, hiking jaw-dropping Himalayan landscape and watching stars, sunrise and sunset amongst the highest mountains of the world. You can also enjoy guided cultural tours of Kathmandu, visiting the Boudhanath Stupa and a cashmere workshop. You can also discover monasteries like the Thupten Choeling Monastery, once the largest in Tibet or Chiwong where you can have a traditional lunch with the monks or a meditation session.

Even just being at Happy House is an immersive experience, sitting by the fire poring over maps or books from the library, just like Sir Edmund Hillary did or walking around the village, seeing smiling faces. You’ll eat well here too with home cooked Nepalese food including a traditional sherpa dinner. You can also indulge in luxuries – perhaps a massage in the candlelit Ayervedic room or yoga or meditation in the specially designed centre. Whatever you do here, it’s laced with the pervading charm of Nepalese culture and the legacy of the mighty Himalayas.