Happy House
Kathmandu
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Amid bronze figurines of the demon goddess, Kali, sunken leather arm-chairs, old-world lampshades and murals of dragons breathing smoke, is a home away from home.
Happy House lives up to its name. There’s an indescribable feeling of being that uplifts your soul, the minute you step over the threshold.
Once upon a time, it was a layover for Edmund Hillary when he returned from his Himalayan expeditions. But for us, Happy House is a destination in itself.
A large part of the joy is in the journey. You take a helicopter from Kathmandu, across the snowcaps and forests, to arrive in Phaplu, a tiny hamlet, where all roads lead to Everest, where prayer flags flutter, and pine trees sway in the wind.
Happy House was originally constructed by the flamboyant Italian count, Guido Monzino, on land which belonged to his Sherpa climbing companion, Rinzi Pasang Lama.
In the mid-90s, the region was the heart of a bloody civil war. Lama and his family fled and sought asylum in the USA. While the family was living abroad, Happy House was left in the care of a German film-maker who used it as the set of his film and kept its spirit intact.
In 2017, Lama and his son, Ang Tshering, returned to Happy House, and it has since become a destination unto itself — as well as a terrific jumping off spot for expeditions and experiences in the mountains.
Whether it’s helicopter trips into remote regions of the Himalayas, breakfast on a mountain peak, or a soothing yoga and meditation session with singing bowls, Happy House is that happy place where one goes to recalibrate one’s mind, body and spirit back to optimal equilibrium.
