BAGLUNG: The number of tourists visiting Dhorpatan—the only hunting reserve in Nepal—has been steadily increasing each year. According to the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve Office, Baglung, domestic tourist arrivals have risen by 8,000 over the past year.
Ranger Sagar Subedi of the reserve office reported that 15,573 tourists visited Dhorpatan in the fiscal year 2024/25. This figure rose to 23,692 in 2081/82. Of these, only 12 were citizens of SAARC countries and 213 were other foreign nationals; the vast majority were domestic tourists.
Subedi attributed the growth to increased publicity, improvements in tourist infrastructure, and growing interest in destinations like Bukipatan and the surrounding water bodies. He also noted that the rise in tourist numbers has contributed to increased revenue. Domestic tourists pay an entry fee of Rs 100 to enter the reserve.
Over the last fiscal year alone, more than Rs 2 million was collected in entry fees. “The rise in visitors is due to better promotion, added infrastructure, discussions around destinations like Buki and Jaljala, and improved management of hotels and guesthouses,” said Subedi.
While international tourists traditionally visited Dhorpatan primarily for hunting, domestic tourists are now drawn to the scenic Dhorpatan Valley, the Nisheldhor and Dhorbarah temples, and trekking routes such as Bukipatan and Jaljala.
Ram Bahadur Gharti, operator of the Dhorpatan Community Guesthouse, shared that around two dozen hotels and guesthouses are currently operating in the valley. He added that package tours from Pokhara have made it easier for tourists to access the area.
Tourists have also begun reaching Bukipatan, located at an altitude of 4,000 meters, from the Dhorpatan Valley, which lies at around 2,900 meters above sea level.
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