Our History
Growing up in Gorkha District, Rajendra Bajgain had a lot of history all around him. A history that started, in fact, from Guru Gorkhanath, who gave the area its name. A name that has been adopted by the British for Gurkha (hence Gurkha soldiers), but both Gorkha and Gurkha are correct. It was also here in Gorkha that Prithvi Narayan Shah was born, the last King of Gorkha and the person who went on to unite Nepal into its current form, becoming King of Nepal in 1768.
After completing his secondary schooling, he came to Kathmandu for higher education. He joined a tour agency in Kathmandu to provide for his education and began explore the world of tourism. He was quickly fascinated by the industry and captivated by the possibilities. He established Gurkha Encounters (GE) in 1998 and has been helping travelers explore magnificent destinations.
He was determined to make Nepal a premium destination among travelers. With his dedication and exceptional services, he promoted unique packages of Nepal worldwide and traveled to many countries for promotion. With all his hard work, he was able to bring a lot of highly influential individuals to Nepal.
Raj was always aware of the possibility tourism could bring to the backward community. He also believed in responsible and sustainable tourism practices, which he incorporated into his business module. During his tenure as an Executive TAAN member (Trekking agency association of Nepal), he introduced TIMs (Trekking Information Management System), which made the tourism industry more systematic while also helping the porters (the unsung heroes of Himalayas) get services of emergency rescue and insurance. In 2009, he also held a cabinet meeting of Nepal government bodies to attend their focus on climate change.
He has been an active part of many charitable organizations and helped many local people from backward communities access education and health facilities. All this inspires GE itself to become a responsible enterprise. From holding donation programs to supporting the local communities in preserving nature, GE always has stood up front as an image of Rajendra Bajgain. After the end of a decade-long civil war in Nepal, GE and Rajendra assisted UNMIN in the peaceful discharge process.
GE is a manifestation of Raj's belief, and Raj is the soul of GE. For 25 years, we have been committed to uplifting the communities, catering to the wanderers, and promoting responsible tourism, and we commit to another 25.
