Story behind the origin of a dream destination

This was a time during 2007 at the hills of Chobar when Mr. Hem Raj Dhakal shared his vision to his brother & his team regarding a set up of an integrated tourist destination in Kathmandu, which would create countless memories for millions of Nepali families. This dream of his would leave nobody out—a fun park that would incorporate great retail and food outlets, exciting play zones for children, and a cultural and historical experience within the beautiful valley of Kathmandu. His team started on to make his dream a reality and search for the place, began. After two years of intense search, the hill of Chandragiri was considered an ideal place for establishing the project.

Much inspired from the Genting Highlands of Malaysia, on 29th July 2009, when Mr. Dhakal returned back, he along with his team registered a company named Kathmandu Fun Park Pvt. Ltd at the office of the company registrar. Further on 9th March 2010 this company was registered with Department of Industry, as an eco-tourism industry.Under the leadership of Mr. Dhakal, Kathmandu Fun Park Pvt. Ltd was expected to create a city out of city. The idea was to build a multifaceted tourist destination, targeting all age groups—utilizing superior technology and providing service of optimal quality. It would be an experience that visitors wouldn’t forget for years to come!

On 11th July 2010 this project was recognised as National priority project from National Planning Commission. On 7th September 2011, 36 hector of land was leasehold from the Government of Nepal for 40 years. This made way for a detailed techno economic feasibility study by Mahindra dated 8th June 2012. Eventually, on 5th September 2012 the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study report by Ness was approved by the Nepal Government. On 14th June 2013, the contract for building the cable car system was awarded to the world leaders in cable car manufacturing Austrian company, Doppelmayr. On 18th August 2013 the contract for developing the project design was awarded to a local consulting firm named Design Cell. The detailed analysis & review of the master plan for the project was then conducted by international thematic entertainment design and construction Australian company named Sanderson Group based in Malaysia which has done its collaboration with names like Disney, Universal Studios, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon & Fox Studios.

Since the registration, the project team undertook grueling hard work, planning and designing the architecture all while getting permissions from the 22 relevant government authorities. Finally on 18th April 2014, the team’s hard work resulted in the construction of the project. A final investment of US$ 40 Million was registered and work commenced on the 36 hectares of leased land.
On 16th July 2014, the company was changed to public limited company.

On 2015, contractors broke ground and the construction was underway. Eleven towers were built along the 2.5 km stretch of wilderness, with a steep elevation of 1,000 meters from the bottom station to the top. The different sections of the towers were airlifted and assembled. Soon after the towers were erect, they were tested by the two unfortunate earthquakes of April 2015, both of which left the construction unscathed.

On 16th May 2016, the project was rechristened to Chandragiri Hills Ltd.

Work progressed rapidly and by the end of July 2016, the cable car installation and the construction of the parking areas, the bottom and top stations, view tower, restaurants & bar and the stunning Bhaleshwor Temple was completed.

On 8th August 2016 a soft opening of Chandragiri Hills Ltd was organized. This was soon followed by a gala inauguration ceremony on 15th December 2016 when the Rt. Hon’ble Prime Minister of Nepal Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ officially inaugurated Chandragiri Hills Ltd .24th September, 2017, became another historic day for Chandragiri Hills Ltd , as well as the country, when Rt. Honorable President of Nepal, Mrs. Bidhya Devi Bhandari unveiled the statue of King Prithivi Narayan Shah.

In just a few years, Chandragiri Hills Ltd has become one of the most visited retreat sites in the country. With activities to entertain and amuse guests of all age groups, the location now stands as the ultimate fun destination. But the project has no intentions of stopping just there. By the end of 2018, a 100-room boutique resort, an adventure park including two, 900 meter, ziplines and a natural history exhibition gallery, exploring the bio-diversity and the environment of the area, will be inaugurated.

Today, Dhakal brothers & their teams dream project is a reality that truly is for everyone!