The Happy House

Why book?

This is a house with soul in its bones: the walls hand-painted by traditional Buddhist thangka artists in earthy madder reds and valley emeralds, the kitchen steaming with the smells of just-plucked garden greens and foraged mushrooms, the open fire and evening candlelight creating a mood of thoughtful introspection.

Set the scene

It is the absolute antidote to corporate hospitality – a private home-turned-guest house where you are made to feel like family, in a part of the world where mid-altitude hikers navigate ancient pilgrim paths that wind through pine forests to monasteries and valleys sacred to the Buddhist faith. The Happy House employs only local people, including a wider network of hiking and mountain biking guides. This deep access to the authentic layers of the Eastern Himalayas is made possible by the hyper-engaged attention of the home’s Sherpa family. As for its customers, this is a rare hotel with a reputation built over a long period through word of mouth: filmmakers, writers, painters, actors – the sort of people who don’t want their names out in the world, but you’ll soon find out who they are when you visit, in the photographs that hang beside the stairs.

The backstory

The house was originally built in 1971 by a Sherpa family called the Lamas, who still own it today. The design was instructed by the Italian mountaineer Count Guido Monzino (he summited Everest two years later). At that time, it was called Hostellerie des Sherpas and functioned as a lodge for Everest mountaineers. It was where Sir Edmund Hilary used to stay; he gave it the nickname of ‘The Happy House’, which is the name it retains today. In 2018, Ang Tshering Lama — the son of Rinzi Pasang Lama, who had built the house with Monzino — completed a total overhaul of the 1970s plumbing and electricity. For the first time since the Monzino era, The Happy House officially opened to paying clients, not just family friends, in October 2018.

The rooms

With the 2018 renovation came new, beautiful en-suite bathrooms, beds loaded with the finest Mongolian cashmere, and striking hand-carved furniture, with beds positioned to make the most of the views. All the rooms are filled with Himalayan light, looking out towards the garden lawns or the pine forest behind, with the largest suite facing the head of the valley and its snow-capped peaks. Key pieces of contemporary Himalayan art include works by Nepal’s first-ever artist to represent the country at the Venice Biennale: Tsherin Sherpa.

The spa

Yoga is part of the daily practice here, with an on-site teacher and a dedicated room with a view of the snowy Himalayas. Massage is an essential part of the experience too, especially after a day’s hiking or biking.

The neighbourhood

Phaplu is a Himalayan village with an airstrip where helicopters and small planes arrive from Kathmandu. It’s getting busier with improved road connections, but the essence endures: farmers, orchards, smallholders, with daily lives closely wound to the Buddhist festive events held at Chiwong Monastery at the head of the valley.

The service

Genuine, with excellent spoken English. Nothing is ever too much trouble, from specific dietary requirements to a sudden change of itinerary when the Himalayan weather makes a dramatic turn.

For families

This is a house that suits a family takeover – a multi-generational group, including young children, with the main event the evening meal, when everyone gathers around the long table, in front of a roaring fire. There are so many people ready and available to help; you can spend your days doing different things: hiking, biking, reading, cooking, visiting a monastery. Daily itineraries have a natural, easy flow to them – a hospitality that refuses to be reduced to anything less authentic than staying with friends.

Eco effort

Respect for the environment is built into the Buddhist DNA of the region, and the belief that all living things matter, and deserve our respect. The food, for instance, couldn’t be sourced any closer to the home where it is served. The wood for the fires is sustainably sourced. During the Covid pandemic, the staff voluntarily used their fallow time to repair some of the old pilgrim trails winding through the forest behind. Eco is a way of life here, not a marketing tick box. Every part of this house honours the land, the water, and the air.