Okhle is situated in the Mahabharat or Middle Hills of Northern Nepal, to the north west of Kathmandu, almost due north of the main Kathmandu to Pokhara road at Dumre. The village and surrounding communities lie at over 1000m above sea level, in the sub-tropical zone but in sight of the Himalaya massif. Okhle is accessible only by bus ride up the mountain paths; the community remains traditional and reliant on the land for its survival. The visitor to Nepal rarely gets the opportunity for an insight into life in what is undoubtedly one of the most remote and beautiful parts of the world.

Okhle is named for the Hindu goddess Okhlepanidevi, meaning stone basin of Devi, the water goddess who has a temple dedicated to her in the village. The area is home to the Gurungs, historically Tibeto-Burmese people who make up a large proportion of the famous Gurkha regiment. The people are a mixture of Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims, though the first two are so closely interlinked (this is typical of Nepal) that they share many religious festivals. The vast majority of the villagers are subsistence farmers, though most men of working age leave the village to earn enough money to support their families, by enlisting in the army or police (the British and Indian armies, Singapore and Nepali police forces).