Resort built using discarded beverage bottles

By Anil Parajuli,Hetauda, Mar. 20: In the construction of houses, walls, and stairs, materials like wood, bricks, and blocks are commonly used. However, a resort has been built in Makwanpur using discarded glass beverage bottles.

The resort, located in Chitlang, Ward No. 9 of Thaha Municipality, Makwanpur, has been constructed only with glass bottles. Devendra Nepal, 44, has adopted an innovative approach to attract tourists. He has used discarded beverage bottles to build the resort.

After seeing a house built from glass bottles in Toudaha, Kathmandu, three years ago, Nepal decided to build a resort with bottle cottages in Chitlang. Having operated a resort in Chitlang a decade ago, he used bottles accumulated from that time to build the cottages, eventually constructing the entire resort. 

He built and operated Chitlang Organic Village Resort with approximately 150,000 glass bottles. The resort, spread across 20 ropanis of land with 25 rooms, is entirely made from glass bottles. Pathways, pillars inside the resort, walls, and other structures are crafted using the glass bottles.

Nepal, who holds a Master’s degree in tourism management, had previously worked in Dubai. After he was struck with an idea of doing something in his own country, he returned to Nepal and began his tourism business in Chitlang. 

The resort serves local produce to visitors. He also runs Chitlang Resort Pvt. Ltd., having invested around Rs. 150 million in both resorts. Approximately 50 people are employed.

Tourists visiting Chitlang are taken to several attractions, including the spot where poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota wrote his poems, the palace built by Chandra Shamsher, seven springs, Ashoka Stupa built by Emperor Ashoka, a Malla-era village, Bhairab Temple, the Government Goat Farm, and Bhalewshwar Temple.

Nepal has expressed concern over the decline in tourism due to the poor condition of the road section of Ganeshman Singh Highway on the Chandragiri-Thankot route, which remains unpaved for about five kilometers. 

He mentioned that the poor road causes difficulties for tourists, and the lack of infrastructure development hampers the preservation of natural resources. To help, packages including transportation from Kathmandu to Chitlang are available for tourists. Visitors enjoy the scenic views, historical sites, and the chance to learn about the area.

Chitlang, located close to Kathmandu, is gaining popularity as a tourist destination. The area is attracting students from Kathmandu as well as tourists from Hetauda, Chitwan, and neighboring India. The resort built from glass bottles, along with the botanical gardens, is becoming a favourite among the visitors.