The beauty of Nepal attracts thousands of people from all over the world every year. Not only is it visually breathtaking, but the culture, history and the stories originating from Nepal are also fascinating. So, it’s bound to get noticed by tourists, especially the ones involved in artistic fields like filmmaking.
It’s not rare for Nepalese people to see a foreign movies being shot here in Nepal. However, what does seem to be rare is foreign celebrities coming in as tourists and not as actors!
Here are 6 foreign celebrities who have visited Nepal as tourists.
1. Bear Grylls
The popular TV personality Bear Grylls has made a name for himself as a fearless man. And on his hunt for adventure, Grylls has now arrived in Nepal along with his family. Apparently, he is in Lukla right now preparing for a hike and a skydiving experience. But what might have been unknown to most Nepalis is that it’s not his first time in Nepal. Turns out, he even climbed the Mount Everest back in 1998 which was his childhood dream!
2. Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons is an Academy Award winning actor, most known for his work in movies like Lolita, Die Hard with a Vengeance and The Lion King. The actor visited Nepal way back in 2001 along with his family. They stayed at the Kathmandu Guest House and it is said that Jeremy cut his son’s hair in the garden of the hotel. Jeremy has constantly been attached to Nepal, even helping with fundraisers. Recently, during covid, he partook in a poem reciting on the National Poetry Day as a fund raising event too.
3. Richard Gere
Richard Gere is best known for his acting roles in movies like Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride. But, a lesser known fact about the actor’s personal life is that he’s a faithful buddhist, and a devoted student of Dalai Lama. So, Richard Gere is known to have visited Nepal numerous times, and his most recent visit was this year, 2022, to celebrate Dalai Lama’s 87th birthday.
4. Ricky Martin
The iconic Living La Vida Loca singer Ricky Martin seems to have visited Nepal twice already, during the years 1999 and 2000. Like a completely normal traveller, he too stayed at the Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel. The hotel has now practically named the room he stayed in as the ‘Ricky Martin room’ which seems to serve as an attraction to fans.
5. Jonathan Bailey
Even the biggest Nepali fans of the popular series Bridgerton might be unaware of Jonathan Bailey’s visit to Nepal. Turns out, Jonathan had a whole trip in Nepal back in 2018. His Instagram feed has a number of of pictures of his visit to the beautiful Himalalays of Nepal. He seems to have explored the Everest base camp along with places like Dingboche, Namche Bajar. Bailey seems to have even hiked along the Everest region’s trekking route.
6. Bhagyashree Patwardhan
Recently, the Nepal Tourism Board invited the veteran Indian actress Bhagyashree Patwardhan to visit Nepal. Bhagyashree arrived at Kathmandu and roamed around the major landmarks like Patan Durbar Square and the Pashupatinath Temple. She spoke highly of the country’s culture, people and landscape while encouraging others to visit the country at least once.
