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“I have to come to Nepal to meet the people, to visit heritage sites, national parks and Himalaya. The people and the beauty of this country is hard to leave.” – Prince Harry

British Prince Henry Charles Albert David ‘Harry’, who came to Nepal on 19 March 2016 for a five-day long official visit to celebrate the 200 years of Nepal-Britain relationship, extended his stay by six more days after the conclusion of his official trip.

During his official visit, he visited the Patan Durbar Square (which is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites) and Bardiya National Park in mid-western Nepal. He also visited Gurkha and other communities in Lamjung, Gorkha and Kaski districts.

He won the hearts of Nepalese people by staying as a guest for one night at the home of Mangali Gurung, an 86-year-old Gurkha widow living in a remote village in Lamjung and celebrating Holi festival with the locals at Gauda.

The prince, who had worked with Gurkha soldiers in Afghanistan, also visited the British Gurkha Camp in Pokhara.

“I hope that everyone back home who took an interest in the tour can see that Nepal is a country that you really have to come and visit,” he said in his speech at the British embassy in Kathmandu upon the conclusion of his five day official visit. “You have to come and see world heritage sites like Patan Durbar Square and be inspired by Nepal’s history. You have to come to see beautiful Bardia National Park. The work there is an example of how the conservation battle can be won. You have to come and walk in the foothills of the Himalayas – watching the sunrise there is something I’ll never forget.”

After the conclusion of his official visit, he spent 6 more days in Nepal, donating his help as a volunteer to rebuild a school hit by the earthquake at Lapu village of Gorkha.

Nepal’s tourism industry, which has been facing a major restrain after the earthquake of April 2015, hopes that his visit has given out the message to the world that Nepal is safe to visit.