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).
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.
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.
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.
Insurance
Travel insurance is too important to
ignore, and your travel agent can usually recommend a company.
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.
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.
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.
