HIGHLIGHTS
Given the country's primitive transport network, most travellers
stick to a well-worn circuit, with the result that certain
sights and trekking routes have become rather commercialized.
Don't be put off. The beaten track is remarkably thin and
easy to escape in Nepal - and this guide is intended, first
and foremost, to give you the confidence to do just that.
It's the out-of-the-way places, the ones not written up
in any book, that you'll remember most fondly on your return.
Everyone touches down in Kathmandu at some point, but for
all its exotic bustle, the capital is rather rough going
these days - logistically it makes a good base, but you
won't want to spend lots of time there. Hindu temples, Buddhist
stupas, rolling countryside and huddled brick villages provide
incentives for touring the prosperous Kathmandu Valley ,
as do the historically independent city-states of Patan
and Bhaktapur . The surrounding central hills are surprisingly
undeveloped, apart from a couple of mountain view points,
yet a few lesser routes, such as the road to the Tibet border
and especially the Tribhuwan Rajpath , make for adventurous
travel - especially by mountain bike or motorcycle.
The views get more dramatic, or at least more accessible,
in the western hills . Pokhara , set beside a lake under
a looming wall of peaks, is the closest thing you'll find
to a resort in Nepal. Other hill towns - notably Gorkha
and its impressive fortress, Manakamana with its wish-fulfilling
temple, and laid-back Tansen - offer scenery with history
or culture to boot.
It's in the teeming jungle and ethnic villages of the Tarai
that Nepal's diversity really becomes apparent. Most travellers
venture no further than Chitwan National Park , where endangered
Asian one-horned rhinos are easily viewable, but Bardia
National Park and two other rarely visited wildlife reserves
are out there for the more adventurous. Lumbini , Buddha's
birthplace in the western Tarai, is a world-class pilgrimage
site, as is Janakpur , a Hindu holy city in the east. Rolling
tea plantations, weekly markets and a rich cultural mix
figure prominently in the spectacular and little-visited
eastern hills , most easily reached from the Tarai.
And of course Nepal is probably the most famous destination
in the world for a growing range of outdoor activities.
Trekking from village to village through the hills and up
into high Himalayan valleys is an experience not to be missed.
The scenery varies from cultivated terraces to lush rhododendron
forests to glacier-capped peaks, but the cultural interactions
are often, in retrospect, the most rewarding part of a trek.
Nepal's rivers, meanwhile, are the liquid counterparts to
its mountains, and rafting offers not only adventure but
also a different perspective on the countryside and wildlife.
Yet another alternative means of locomotion, mountain-biking
, brings you in contact with the land and its people at
your own pace.
GETTING THERE
Getting
there by air
If Nepal is your only destination, flying direct to Kathmandu
is the logical option. However, not many airlines serve
this route, so you may well find yourself making several
hops with two or even three different carriers. Flights
in the autumn and spring high seasons (early October to
mid-November, and late February to late March) fill up months
ahead, so make sure you book well in advance if you plan
to travel at these times.
Since it's a long way to Nepal, consider stopping over
on the way there or back. If you're coming from North America
or Australia and New Zealand, it should cost little or no
extra to stop in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore or a number
of other Asian cities. From Europe, a stop in Karachi, Delhi
or Dhaka may be free. Another option is an "open jaw"
ticket , which entails flying into one city (in this case
Kathmandu) and returning from another (say, Delhi), allowing
you to travel overland in between. The price is usually
calculated by halving the return fares to each destination
and adding the two figures together.
If Nepal is only one stop on a longer journey, you might
save money with a round-the-world ticket . Many discount
travel agents can sell you an "off-the-shelf"
RTW ticket that will have you touching down in about half
a dozen cities including Kathmandu or at least Delhi (customized
RTW tickets are apt to be more expensive). For greater flexibility,
if not economy, buy a one-way ticket to Hong Kong, Bangkok
or Singapore, where onward tickets are very cheap.
CLIMATE AND WHEN TO GO VISIT NEPAL
It's hard to generalize about the climate of a
country ranging in elevation from near sea level to Mount
Everest. About the only thing that can be said is that all
but a few parts of Nepal are governed by the same monsoonal
pattern, with temperatures varying according to elevation.
Five seasons prevail in Nepal, but these are based on more
than just weather: whenever you choose to go, you'll have
to weigh other factors, both positive (mountain
visibility, festivals, wildlife)
and negative (crowds, disease).
Probably half of all tourists visit
Nepal in the autumn (October to November),
and for good reasons. The weather is clear and dry, and
temperatures aren't too cold in the high country nor too
hot in the Terai. With the air washed clean by the monsoon
rains, the mountains are at their most visible, making this
the most popular time for trekking. Two major festivals
also fall during this season. The downside, however, is
that the tourist quarters are heaving and hustle, prices
are higher and it may be hard to find a decent room, you'll
wait ages for food and for trekking permits, and people
are short on ready smiles and chat.
Winter (December and January) weather is for the most part
clear and stable. It isn't especially cold at lower elevations
- it never snows in Kathmandu, and afternoon temperatures
are balmy - but the "mists of Indra" can make
mornings dank and chilly (especially in unheated budget
lodgings). Most travellers head down into India, leaving
the tourist areas fairly quiet - too quiet, sometimes, as
many restaurants pare down their menus for the season, and
most trekking lodges close. This is an excellent time to
visit the Tarai, where temperatures are relatively mild.
Spring (February to mid-April) brings warmer temperatures,
longer days, weddings and more festivals. The rhododendrons
are in bloom in the hills towards the end of this period,
and in the Tarai the thatch has been cut, so despite the
increasing heat this is the best time for viewing wildlife.
All of which creates another tourist crush, albeit not quite
as bad as in the autumn. The one factor that keeps people
away is a disappointing haze that obscures the mountains
from lower elevations, though it's usually possible to trek
above it.
The pre-monsoon (mid-April to early June) is stifling at
lower elevations, and dusty wind squalls are common. People
get a little edgy with the heat; this is the time for popular
unrest, but also for the Kathmandu Valley's great rainmaking
festival. Trek high, where the temperatures are more tolerable.
Nepalis welcome the monsoon (June to September), which
breaks the enervating monotony of the previous months, and
makes the fields come alive with rushing water and green
shoots. The rains rinse and renew the land. This can be
a fascinating time to visit, when Nepal is at its most Nepali,
but there are many drawbacks: mountain views are rare, leeches
come out in force along the mid-elevation trekking routes,
roads become impassable, flights get cancelled, and disease
runs rampant as the rising water table brings the entire
contents of city sewers to the surface.
Average temperatures
(°C) and rainfall (cm)
|
City/Town
| FEB |
APR |
JUN |
AUG |
OCT |
DEC |
| Min/Max
|
Min/Max
|
Min/Max
|
Min/Max
|
Min/Max
|
Min/Max
|
| rain |
rain |
rain |
rain |
rain |
rain |
| Kathmandu
(1290m) |
4/20
3cm |
11/27
6cm |
19/29
29cm |
20/28
36cm |
13/26
6cm |
2/20
0cm |
| Namche
(3450m) |
-6/6
2cm |
1/12
3cm |
6/15
14cm |
8/16
24cm |
2/12
8cm |
-6/7
4cm |
| Pokhara
(80m) |
8/21
3cm |
15/30
9cm |
20/29
57cm |
21/29
71cm |
17/26
22cm |
7/20
0cm |
The monsoon
Nepal's climate is governed by the MONSOON,
one of the world's great weather phenomena. A seasonal wind
(the word derives from the Arabic for "season";
the Nepali word for monsoon is barkhaa), the monsoon is
driven by extreme temperature fluctuations in Central Asia.
As air over the Asian landmass warms in late spring and
early summer, it rises, sucking air in from the ocean periphery
to take its place. The air drawn from the south, passing
over the Indian Ocean, is laden with moisture; as soon as
it's forced aloft and cooled (whether by updrafts over hot
land, or by a barrier, such as the hills and mountains of
Nepal), it reaches its saturation point and drops its moisture.
With the arrival of autumn, the flow reverses: cooling over
the continent blows dry air outwards, bringing clear, stable
conditions.
That's the theory, though in practice this huge, complex
system is affected by countless variables such as land temperatures,
jet-stream patterns, topography and late-season typhoons.
The further inland you are, the harder it is to predict
the outcome. Nepal is at the end of the line of the eastern
arm of the South Asian monsoon sweeping up from the Bay
of Bengal, which means it gets a month or so of pre-monsoon
- a period of false storms and dry
lightning - before the moist air arrives.
In Nepal, the rains generally advance from east to west
in early to mid-June, and drop more precipitation overall
in the east than in the west. They build slowly, reaching
a peak in July and early August, then taper off again until
clear weather returns by early October. Even at the monsoon's
height, however, it doesn't bring continuous torrential
rain - more usually it's intermittent showers and longer
overnight soaks. Local terrain and other factors can affect
rainfall considerably: areas lying in the "rain shadow"
north of the Himalayas see very little monsoon moisture,
while south-facing slopes may receive precipitation long
before the plains to the south do. The latter effect is
most dramatic where monsoon winds slam into high ranges
with few intervening foothills, as they do around Pokhara.
RED TAPE AND VISAS
All foreign nationals except Indians need a visa to enter
Nepal. Tourist visas are issued on arrival with a minimum
of fuss at the Kathmandu airport and at official overland
entry points. Have a passport-size photo at the ready, and
if possible bring exact change for the visa fee - in US
dollars if you're entering by air.
Transit Visa: US$
5 per visa (valid for 1 day).
Multiple Entry visa: US$ 25 per visa (valid
for 15 days).
Multiple Entry visa: US$ 40 per visa (valid
for 30 days).
Multiple Entry visa: US$ 100 per visa (valid
for 90 days).
Getting a visa from an overseas Nepalese
embassy or consulate will cut down on paperwork on arrival,
but it's really only worth doing if you happen to be in
the neighbourhood or if you're one of those people who has
to have everything sorted out before you go. The fees are
supposed to be the same as those given above, but are actually
often higher.
Nepalese embassies and
consulates
Australia: Level 13, 92 Pitt St, Sydney 2000 (tel 02/9233
6161); Level 5, 277 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000 (tel 03/9650
6683); Suite 2, 16 Robinson St, Nedlands 6009, WA (tel 08/9386
2102).
Belgium: 21 Ave Champel, B-1640 Rhoke St, Genese (tel 32-02-3585808).
Canada : 200 Bay St, 32nd Floor, Toronto, ON M5J 2J9 (tel
416/865-0200).
China: No. 1 Sanlitun Xiliujie, Beijing (tel 5321795).
Denmark: 2 Teglgardsstr, DK-1452, Copenhagen (tel 3312 4166).
France: 45 rue de Acacias, 75017 Paris (tel 4622 4867);
7 bis Allée des Soupirs, 31000 Toulouse (tel 6132 9122).
Germany: Im Hag 15, D-5300 Bonn 2 (tel 0228/343097).
India: Barakhamba Rd, New Delhi 110001 (tel 11/332 9969);
19 Woodlands, Sterndale Rd, Alipore, Calcutta 700027 (tel
33/452024).
Italy: Piazzale Medaglie d'Oro 20, 00136 Rome (tel 06/345
1642).
Japan: 14-19 Todoroki, 7-Chome Setagaya-Ku, Tokyo-158 (tel
03-3705-5558).
Netherlands: Prinsengracht 687-1017-Jv, Amsterdam (tel 020/241
530).
Norway: Haakon Viis Gate 5B, PO Box 1483, Vika, 0116 Oslo
(tel 02/283 5510).
Sweden: Eriksbergsgatan 1A, S-114 30, Stockholm (tel 08/679
8039).
Switzerland: Asylstrasse 81, 8030 Zurich (tel 01/475993).
Thailand: 189 Soi 71, Sukhumvit Rd, Bangkok 10110 (tel 2/391
7240).
UK: 12a Kensington Palace Gdns, London W8 4QU (tel 0171/229
1594).
USA: 2131 Leroy Pl NW, Washington DC 20008 (tel 202/667-4550);
820 Second Ave, Suite 17B, New York, NY 10017 (tel 212/370-4188).
Trekking permits
A tourist visa is technically valid only in the fraction
of Nepal served by roads. To visit anywhere more than about
a day's walk off a main road you need to get a trekking
permit from Central Immigration - even if you don't intend
to trek. Trekking Permits will be provided by the Compnay
once you have booked the tour/trek for Nepal.
Nepalese money
Nepal's unit of currency is the rupee , which is divided
into 100 paisa. At the time of writing,
the exchange rate was Rs70 to the US$ (£1=Rs90). The Nepalese
rupee floats freely against most other currencies but is
generally pegged to a fixed rate against the Indian rupee,
which is 160 Nepalese rupees to 100 Indian rupees. (Where
confusion might arise, it's common practice to refer to
the two currencies as NC and IC respectively.)
Almost all Nepali money is paper: notes come in denominations
of Rs1, 2, 5 10, 20, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1000. Coins
are 25 and 50 paisa and 1, 2, 5 and 10 rupees.
Travellers' cheques and
credit cards
Travellers' cheques are of course more secure than cash,
and in Nepal they bring a slightly higher official exchange
rate, just about offsetting the one-percent commission you
pay when buying them. Any major brand will do. US dollar
cheques are most widely accepted, though cheques denominated
in other currencies are easy enough to change in tourist
areas. Make sure to keep the purchase agreement and a record
of cheque serial numbers safe and separate from the cheques
themselves. In the event that cheques are lost or stolen,
the issuing company will expect you to report the loss immediately
to their office in Kathmandu. Most companies claim to replace
lost or stolen cheques within 24 hours.
Some hard-currency cash may also
come in handy - again, US dollars are best. Bring a selection
of small and medium denominations, and make sure the bills
are relatively new.
HEALTH AND INSURANCE
Hygiene is not one of Nepal's strong points.
Sanitation is poor, and a lot of bugs make the rounds, especially
during the monsoon and immediately after it. But don't panic
- by coming prepared and looking after yourself while you're
in the country, you're unlikely to come down with anything
worse than the local version of Delhi belly.
These pages deal with health matters mainly in the context
of Western-style medicine, as opposed to the traditional
ayurvedic and Tibetan practices.
Before you go
No inoculations are required for Nepal,
but hepatitis A, typhoid and meningitis jabs are recommended,
and it's worth ensuring that you're up to date with tetanus,
polio, mumps and measles boosters. Malaria tablets and injections
for Japanese B encephalitis and rabies may also be in order,
depending on where and when you go. All of these can be
obtained in Kathmandu, often more cheaply than at home,
but obviously it's better to get nasty things like injections
out of the way before starting your trip.
If you have any medical conditions or concerns about your
health, don't set off to a place like Nepal without first
seeing a doctor . Medicines are sold over the counter everywhere,
but obviously bring any prescribed medications. Also, consider
having a dental checkup before you go. If you wear eyeglasses,
bring an extra pair; if you wear contacts, bring a backup
pair of glasses because of the dust and pollution.
Precautions
The lack of sanitation in Nepal is sometimes overhyped -
it's not worth getting too uptight about it or you'll never
enjoy anything, and run the risk of rebuffing Nepalese hospitality.
A few common-sense precautions are in order, though, starting
with the water : stick to tea or bottled drinks, or purify
water with iodine. Many guest houses provide water in drip-filter
units, but you can't always be sure the water was boiled
first, or that the filters are clean. Clean or dirty, water
is regarded as a purifying agent, and plates, glasses and
cutlery are customarily rinsed just before use: if you're
handed wet utensils it might not be a bad idea to give them
a discreet wipe.
When it comes to food , usually it's flashy tourist restaurants
and "Western" dishes that bring the most grief:
more people get sick in Kathmandu than anywhere else. Be
particularly wary of fruit juices and lassis (which often
contain water or ice), prepared dishes that have to be reheated,
and any food that's been sitting out where flies can land
on it. Nepali food is usually fine and you can probably
trust anything that's been boiled or fried in your presence,
although meat can sometimes be dodgy. Raw, unpeeled fruit
and vegetables should always be viewed with suspicion, and
you should verify that salads in tourist restaurants have
been soaked in an iodine or potassium permanganate solution.
Kathmandu's polluted air gives many people respiratory
infections within a few days of arrival. Asthmatics and
others with breathing problems are particularly affected.
Minimize your exposure by staying off the main boulevards,
or wear a face mask if necessary, and avoid breathing around
people who are hacking and wheezing tubercularly. You can
help your immune system by keeping warm, dry and well rested
(especially if jet lagged). Most importantly, get out of
the valley to where the air is fresh as quickly as possible.
You need to be particularly vigilant about personal hygiene
while travelling in Nepal. That means, above all, washing
your hands often. Keep any cuts clean, and treat them with
iodine to prevent infection. If you're staying in cheap
guest houses, bring a sleeping sheet to keep fleas and lice
at bay. Wear shoes at all times, since scabies and hookworm
can be picked up through bare feet.
When travelling in the Tarai, minimize your exposure to
malaria by depriving mosquitoes of the opportunity to bite
you. They're hungriest from dusk to dawn: during these times,
wear repellent and/or long-sleeved clothes (watch out especially
for ankles), and sleep under netting or use mosquito "mats"
(small tablets that release a mosquito-repelling scent when
heated in an electric device) or old-fashioned coils. Remember,
though, that very few mosquitoes carry malaria, so you don't
need to worry over every bite. If you do get bites or itches,
try not to scratch them as infection may result. Tiger balm
and even dry soap may relieve the itching.
Take the usual precautions to avoid sunburn and dehydration
. Obviously susceptibility to sunburn varies by individual,
but during the sunny times of year you'll probably want
at least medium protection, and high protection will be
necessary while trekking. Sunscreen is available in tourist
areas.
Self-diagnosis
Chances are, at some point during your travels in Nepal
you'll feel ill. In the vast majority of cases, it won't
be something you need to see a doctor about, and sod's law
says it will happen somewhere remote and inconvenient anyway.
The information on these pages should help with self-diagnosis
, although it is not presented as a substitute for professional
medical advice.
Antibiotics definitely shouldn't be taken lightly: they
pre-empt the body's ability to develop its own immunity
to the disease, and can increase susceptibility to other
problems by killing off "good" as well as "bad"
organisms in the digestive system (yogurt can replenish
them to some extent). Some may cause allergic reactions
or other unpleasant side effects. Also, the more a particular
antibiotic is used, the sooner organisms build up a resistance
to it. It's not a bad idea to travel with a course of one
or more of the drugs mentioned here, but make sure you have
the dosage explained to you. In the case of serious or persistent
intestinal problems, you're strongly urged to have a stool
test done at a clinic, where the doctor can make an authoritative
diagnosis and prescription.
Getting medical help
In a non-emergency situation, make for one of the traveller-oriented
clinics in Kathmandu. Run to Western standards, these can
diagnose most common ailments, write prescriptions, and
also give inoculations. A veritable cornucopia of Indian-manufactured
medicines is available without prescription from pharmas
(pharmacies) in all major towns, but always check the sell-by
date.
In the event of a serious injury or illness, contact your
embassy for a list of recommended doctors in Kathmandu,
which is where virtually all qualified GPs and specialists
are based. Most speak English.
Hospitals are listed in the Kathmandu and Pokhara pages;
other hospitals are located in Dhulikhel, Tansen and the
bigger Tarai cities. Most are poorly equipped and the standard
of care is variable. Should you be unlucky enough to have
to spend time in a Nepali hospital, note that nursing staff
do not perform many of what we would consider to be routine
functions: relatives are expected to feed patients, change
bedpans, monitor IVs and so on.
Insurance
Travel insurance is too important to
ignore, and your travel agent can usually recommend a company.
Policies vary: some are comprehensive while others cover
only certain risks (accidents, illnesses, delayed or lost
luggage, cancelled flights, etc). The most important part
of any policy is its medical evacuation provision: believe
it or not, the cost of evacuating a really sick person from
Nepal to his or her home country can be as high as £30,000/$50,000,
which would be a catastrophic expense if not covered by
insurance. Coverage of medical expenses is less important
because treatment in Nepal is cheap. It's nice if the policy
has a provision for lost or stolen baggage, but standard
per-article limits are usually quite low and supplementary
coverage is prohibitively expensive. Note that it's almost
impossible to buy or extend a travel insurance policy once
you're overseas.
The best premiums are usually to be had through student/youth
travel agencies such as STA, USIT/Council Travel or Travel
CUTS. These policies cost about £35-55/US$85-105 for a month
(depending on coverage), £65-100/$150-200 for two months,
on up to £230-400/$500-700 for a year. If you plan to go
trekking or rafting , check whether the policy specifically
excludes such "dangerous activities"
. You might have to pay extra for this coverage, but without
it you could be left footing the bill for an expensive helicopter
rescue - worse, the chopper might not even be sent if it
looks like you won't have the funds to pay for it. If you
plan to climb a trekking or expedition peak, you'll probably
have to get a policy through your national mountaineering
organization, such as the British Mountaineering Council
or American Alpine Club.
Before you spend money on a travel insurance policy, though,
find out what coverage you already have or might qualify
for. For example, if you're eligible for certain student/teacher/youth
ID cards , by all means sign up, as the health insurance
benefit more than pays for the cost of the card (inquire
at student travel agencies). Students also may find that
their student health coverage extends for one term beyond
the date of last enrolment. Bank and credit cards (particularly
American Express) often provide certain levels of medical
or other insurance, and travel insurance may also be included
if you use a major credit card to pay for your trip (but
usually only while you're actually travelling to and from
your destination). Homeowners' or renters' insurance may
cover theft or loss of documents, money and valuables while
overseas. Canadian provincial health plans include some
overseas medical coverage, although this is unlikely to
pick up the full tab in the event of a mishap.
Keep receipts for any treatment or medicines paid for while
overseas. Similarly, should you have anything stolen, report
the theft to the police as soon as possible, and keep a
copy of your statement to substantiate any later claim.
GETTING AROUND
Getting around is one of the biggest challenges
of travelling in Nepal. Distances aren't great, but the
roads are poor and extremely slow, and public transport
is uncomfortable. If you can afford it, occasionally flying
or hiring a private vehicle makes life easier.
Nepal has one of the least developed road networks in the
world. Of the few highways that are paved, only one is wide
enough for two buses to pass without having to slow down
or go over onto the shoulders. Highways are irregularly
maintained, and each monsoon takes a toll on road surfaces,
so in the space of one year a stretch of road can go from
wonderful to hellish (or vice versa). Whenever and wherever
you travel, the route will probably be new in parts, disintegrated
in parts, and under construction in parts.
The state of Nepal's roads has had an unfortunate effect
on tourism. Most travellers just aren't willing to endure
the long, bumpy, cramped journeys it takes to get far afield
in Nepal, so they stick to a circuit of a few easily accessible
destinations in the middle of the country. In response,
private operators have created tourist bus services between
these destinations, making them even easier to get to, and
making everywhere else seem even more out of reach. The
result is a well-worn path between a few rather un-Nepali
tourist ghettoes. Ironically, while most "independent"
travellers are packing themselves together in these budget
barrios, nowadays it's the group tourists who are doing
a better job of getting off the beaten path by air and private
vehicle.
If you're on a budget, don't allow yourself to be limited
by the tourist buses. There are other, increasingly affordable
options. For example, in the main cities you can hire a
motorcycle, or club together with two or three others to
charter a taxi on a daily rate. For longer journeys, consider
going by hired jeep or van, or if you've got the time, by
mountain bike. And don't rule out flying , even if only
one way, which can make possible itineraries that would
otherwise seem out of the question.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN
Kids always help break the ice with strangers, and in Nepal
they unleash even more than the usual hospitality (although
the lack of privacy may prove to be a problem). They can
also open a door into the often closed world of Nepali women.
However, parents will have to take extra precautions in
the light of Nepal's poor sanitation, dogs, crowds, traffic,
pollution, bright sun and steep slopes. It may be hard to
keep hands clean and yucky stuff out of mouths. Small children
will have to be kept a firm grip on most of the time. Drum
into them the necessity of keeping away from dogs and only
drinking clean water. If your child comes down with diarrhoea,
it's extremely important to keep him or her hydrated and
topped up on salts - have oral rehydration formula on hand.
Naturally you'll want to plan a more modest itinerary and
travel in greater comfort with children than you would on
your own. Nepal's winding, bumpy roads are likely to make
kids travel sick, so take bus journeys in very small doses,
or rent a car. Most cheap lodgings will be out of the question
on account of their bathroom arrangements. In tourist areas
it should be no problem finding food that kids will eat,
but they're bound to turn their noses up at "spicy"
food. Baby food and disposable nappies/diapers are available
in Kathmandu and Pokhara, but are hard to come by elsewhere.
Trekking is logistically awkward with children, especially
ones who are too old to ride in a backpack and too young
to hike on their own. You'll need one or more porters for
all the kiddie paraphernalia; porters can also carry young
ones in modified doko (wicker baskets). Trekking with an
agency can alleviate some of the hassles.
DISABLED TRAVELLERS
Although disability is common in Nepal, it's a poor country
without the means to cater for disabled travellers. If you
walk with difficulty, you will find the steep slopes, stairs
and uneven pavements hard going. Open sewers, potholes,
crowds and a lack of proper street crossings will all make
it hard for a blind traveller to get around.
With a companion, however, there's no reason why you can't
enjoy many of Nepal's activities, including elephant rides,
scenic mountain flights, and sightseeing by private car.
Nepalis are also likely to be very helpful. Guides are readily
available and should be prepared to provide whatever assistance
you need. If you rent a taxi for the day, the driver is
certain to help you in and out, and perhaps around the sites
you visit.
Basic wheelchairs are available for use in the airport
in the Kathmandu airport, and the Pokhara airport is mostly
at ground-level. Generally, however, facilities for the
disabled are nonexistent, so you should bring your own wheelchair
or other necessary walking aids or equipment. Hotels aren't
particularly geared up for disabled guests, though the most
expensive ones have lifts and ramps.
A safari in one of the Tarai wildlife parks should be feasible,
and even a trek, catered to your needs might not be out
of the question.
WHAT
TO BRING
As a rule, travel light. You can buy or rent most things
in Kathmandu. This page goes over the essentials that are
worth bringing from home or picking up specially in Nepal.
An internal-frame backpack is probably best for heaving
your things around on buses and rickshaws, especially if
you're also travelling in other parts of Asia as well. A
travel pack , with shoulder straps that can be zipped out
of sight, will help dispel lingering "hippy" prejudices
when dealing with officialdom; best of all is one in which
all compartments can be secured with a single padlock. A
lightweight daypack also comes in handy for short excursions.
The clothes you bring will depend very much on the time
of year, and where you expect to be going. For warm weather
you'll want lightweight cotton garments - loose-fitting
but modest, and covering enough to ward off sun and bugs.
Shorts and a swimsuit are worth bringing (especially for
rafting). A lightweight waterproof jacket or poncho is advisable
at any time of year. For cooler seasons, try to dress in
layers: a T-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, sweater or fleece
jacket and shell will set you up for almost any weather.
Trainers or any sort of durable, lightweight footwear will
be adequate for most conditions in Nepal, even on a trek,
though higher up you'll need something sturdier. You'll
also need a backup pair of shoes in case those get wet.
Flip flops, available locally, will do in warm weather;
sport sandals are better, and perfect for rafting.
For the sun , bring sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses and
a brimmed hat; an umbrella (available locally) acts as an
effective parasol at low elevations, and is indispensable
during the monsoon. If you're heading to the Tarai, especially
between April and October, bring mosquito repellent and/or
mosquito netting (you can buy coils locally). Toiletries
are pretty easy to come by in Kathmandu, but bring anything
out of the ordinary. Alcohol-based antibacterial gel is
good for keeping hands clean.
Carry valuables in a money belt or neck purse ; a small
padlock (available locally) is an effective deterrent to
would-be thieves. Earplugs are a must for shutting out the
ubiquitous honking vehicles, barking dogs and general commotion
at night. In cheap lodgings, a sleeping sheet is an insurance
policy against bedbugs and the like (unnecessary if you
bring a sleeping bag for trekking). A musical instrument
, juggling balls (can be purchased in Nepal), portable game
or photos of home will help break the ice and while away
some dead hours. Binoculars are great to have in the Tarai
wildlife parks.
And finally, some odd essentials (all of which can be purchased
in Nepal): a flashlight (torch), small towel , sewing kit
, a length of cord for drying clothes , a pocket alarm clock
(for early-morning departures), sealable plastic bags for
keeping things separate in your pack, passport-size photos
for visa and trekking applications, and photocopies of the
pages in your passport containing personal data and your
Nepalese visa.
