Olly Margry can’t explain exactly why he fell in love with Nepal but there’s no disputing he’s got the place under his skin.

His first visit to the South Asian country was by chance – he was originally supposed to be volunteering in India on his gap year but the company organising the trip was unable to get the necessary visa so suggested Nepal as an alternative. By the end of his three-month placement he knew he had to find a way to prolong his stay.

He returned to the UK to begin a degree at Edinburgh University but dropped out, taking a series of jobs to fund annual visits back to Nepal where he found work leading trekking tours around the foothills of the Himalayas.

Still this wasn’t enough and, realising he had to find a way to make Nepal a more permanent part of his life, he decided to launch Himalayan Footsteps, a travel company specialising in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and India.

Offering trekking, adventure and cultural holidays, he set up shop in Edinburgh city centre with the aid of a Government start-up loan and a small inheritance.

“Over the years I had seen the tourism market first-hand and I just knew I wanted to do things in a different way.

I wanted to be able to give something back to this incredible country but at the same time share it in the best way I know how. We weren’t offering a different product as such but we offered – and continue to offer – a different experience.

No mass tourism, no herding people on and off coaches. Our holidays are tailored to the individual.”

The business quickly grew, with Margry making regular visits back to Nepal to meet guides, hoteliers and restauranteurs.

Six years after his first visit, he met the Nepalese woman who would become his wife.

“Isha and I met through mutual friends and hit it off. Next time I went back to Nepal I decided to look for her but no one had seen her.

I went on a three-week trek and just before I was due to fly back from Kathmandu I was having a few beers with friends when she walked into the restaurant completely by chance. I was sunburnt and sporting a big, bushy beard but we spotted each other across the room and I knew then it was meant to be.

“We were never out of touch again after that. We spoke every day and then I flew back to Nepal and went to ask her father if I could marry her.”

They were married a year after they met in a five-day Hindu ceremony in a remote hilltop village.

Margry didn’t tell his family – “I’d tried to drop some hints about the relationship but they weren’t having any of it so I decided to go ahead and get married anyway.” Fortunately, they have since given the relationship their blessing.

Last year, the couple moved back to Eastbourne where Margry, 30, grew up and was educated (firstly at St Andrews Preparatory School and later at Eastbourne College). Their son George was born three months ago and the couple now run Himalayan Footsteps together from offices on the seafront.

In October, they will launch the first bespoke culinary adventure holidays to Nepal from the UK, offering travellers Travel company founder Olly Margry tells Nione Meakin why, through a series of happy accidents, he has fallen in love with the Nepalese way of life the opportunity to see the country through its food.

“Food is at the heart of Nepalese life,” says Margry.

“It’s what brings everyone together. We hope these holidays will help bring travellers closer to understanding the country.”

Despite Nepal’s proximity to India, Margry describes its cuisine as being closer in style to Thai food. “It’s fresh, healthy and light and everyone who visits Nepal seems to love it.

I’ve never understood why there aren’t more authentic Nepalese restaurants in the UK.”

Through a series of outdoor cookery courses set against spectacular backdrops including the Himalayan peaks at Fewa Tal and the banks of Lake Fewa, travellers will be taught to make everything from curries to the popular momo dumplings.

The classes will be interspersed with visits to local markets, light trekking and meals at local restaurants and private homes.

As Nepal’s popularity as a tourist destination continues to grow, Margry hopes the holidays will provide an interesting introduction to newcomers and a new angle for the seasoned visitor.

“It’s an incredible country that really has everything – wonderful people, staggering scenery, great food and fascinating culture.

I love being able to share that.”

*The first Himalayan Footsteps cookery holiday launches on October 2. Visit www.himalayanfootsteps.com.