Buddhi Chettri is a clever businessman.
Well, actually he’s mostly an Annapurna trekking guide but he’s found a very powerful way to make himself stand out among the rest, and if you’ve been to Nepal, you know how many guides will solicit you daily to use their services.
So what did Buddhi do that was so clever? He started his own line of cotton bags with an environmental message that include his contact information subtly in the design. They sell for around 150 Rupees (which is less than $2) within tourist shops in the lakeside Pokhara area and they’re becoming a bit of a trend there.
Spreading an important message, marketing himself and making a buck along the way – not bad, huh?
Buddhi and his wife run a little shop called “Binita Cold Store” in Pokhara that offers essential trekking consumables such as water, soft drinks, confectionery and toilet rolls. They can also refill your bottles for 10 rupee per litre “thus saving the Annapurna Conservation area from needless plastic waste” as was listed on their website.
Though the bags are not what you’d consider well-designed, there’s something very appealing about their simplicity and the noble message behind them. No doubt they’ll also come in handy while trekking or souvenir shopping along the lake.
If the Bag Fits 