Country Information - Nepal 1. FACTFILE for holidays in Nepal, but you should be cautious of mosquitoes as they carry more than malaria; ensure Capital: Kathmandu. you take measures to prevent bites by using insect Population: Approx. 29 million . repellent sprays, sticks or lotions and sleeping under Languages: Nepali is the National language but a mosquito net. there are thought to be 20 main language groups and many dialects. Religions: 81 % Hindu, 9 % Buddhist, 4 % Muslim, 6 % other. Voltage: Major towns have electricity and the voltage available is 220-volts and 50 cycles. Load shedding is a seasonal phenomenon during the dry season and eases off once it begins to rain. However, most major hotels have uninterrupted power supply through their own generators. Sockets are of the European two pronged, round pin variety. Visas Time Zone: 5 hours 45 ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+5.45 GMT). Daylight Saving All nationalities except Indians require a visa for Time is not observed. Nepal. Tourists are allowed a total of 150 days per Telephone Codes: 977, country code for Nepal; year in Nepal. Visas are obtainable from embassies 1, city code for Kathmandu. abroad or on arrival at Kathmandu’s airport, be pre- pared for long queues. 2. PREPARING TO GO If getting your visa on arrival you will need to pro- vide one passport photo (just a small photo of your- Vaccinations self, no rules about how you tilt your head etc!) and the following fees (US dollars are recommended): It is advisable to make an appointment with your health care professional for required immunizations 1. US $ 25 or equivalent foreign currency for before traveling to Nepal. Different doctors tend Tourist Visa with Multiple Entry for 15 days. to recommend different things depending on their 2. US $ 40 or equivalent foreign currency for travel medicine experience, so try to find a doctor Tourist Visa with Multiple Entry for 30 days. or centre that specializes in travel medicine for the 3. US $ 100 or equivalent foreign currency for most up to date vaccination/health information – this Tourist Visa with Multiple Entry for 90 days. could save you having to take shots that you don’t 4. US $ 2 or equivalent foreign currency per day for really need (thereby saving you money) or, worse, visa extensions (and you have to spend time in not getting a shot that you do require. the immigration office, so best to get the full time you need in your first visa!) If you are traveling from an area which is known to 5. Tourists with passport from South Asian have yellow-fever, you will be required to provide Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) a certificate, stating that you have been vaccinated. nations aren’t required to pay visa fee for the first Malaria medication is generally not recommended 30 days. Explore the Himalayan trails of your choice, your way http://www.himalayan-trails.com Country Information - Nepal It’s a good idea to carry the cash with you in US dol- amount you wish to bring in. Indian Rupees (INR) lars and to fill out your two forms on the plane (you are widely accepted in Nepal (with the exception of may have to ask for them), as you will get further up 500 and 1000 INR notes) even though in theory it is the visa queue! When you come into the arrival hall, illegal to export them from India. The rate is set at look for the sign at the far end that says ‘without 100 INR = 160 NPR. visa’ – just past the diplomats! Changing Money, Credit Cards & ATM’s Please note: regulations and costs for visas change Changing money is a quick and simple process in frequently so it’s advisable to check the current major tourist centres (Kathmandu and Pokhara) rules with your nearest Nepalese embassy or consul- where there are many banks, exchange offices and ate. For information on the location of your nearest hotels. It is easy to get away from carrying cash and embassy or consulate we recommend the following travellers cheques, as ATM’s are widely available in website: http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/ Kathmandu and Pokhara and credit cards are often nepal1.html accepted in larger shops and more Permits expensive hotels and restaurants. The ATMs In some areas of Nepal you require a trekking permit are the easiest way and all treks require a registration. If you visit a to get your money and National Park then you need to pay National Park provide the best rates, entrance fees. We can make all these arrangements as you withdraw direct for you and include them in the price of your tour. from the bank, rather We will need a copy of your passport for any flight than going through an bookings and will need passport photos for permits exchange agent. and registration. Please be prepared to give these to us upon request. In more remote areas, particularly while trekking, exchange/ATM facilities will not be available so you Money matters must make sure you have enough currency to last the duration of your trek. Your hosts will be able to Local Currency advise you of the best places to change money and Nepal’s monetary unit in is the Nepali Rupee (NPR), how much you should budget during treks. which are found in denominations of 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Credit cards like American Express, Master and Visa are widely accepted at major hotels, shops, and Approximate exchange rates (of course they fluctu- restaurants, with a bank charge added onto the total. ate) are as follows: Remember to keep your Foreign Exchange Encash- 1 Pound Sterling = 140 NPR ment Receipt while making foreign exchange pay- 1 US Dollar = 87 NPR ments or transferring foreign currency into Nepalese 1 Euro = 115 NPR rupees. Check current exchange rates with this handy cur- rency converter: http://www.xe.net/ucc/ Left over Nepal Rupees can only be exchanged back on production of your original encashment receipt. It You do not have to declare the amount of foreign or is not possible to change back more than is shown on local currency you are bringing into the country, if your encashment receipt. it is less than US$5000, nor are you limited to the Explore the Himalayan trails of your choice, your way http://www.himalayan-trails.com Country Information - Nepal Tipping Working out your Budget Tipping is appreciated in tourist restaurants, with 10% being the accepted norm. These days many Here is some general information about things you’ll places include a 10% service charge on top of the need to consider when budgeting for your holiday. bill, in which case there is no need to tip unless you are very happy with the service. Round up the fare Entrance Fees for taxi drivers. For city sightseeing it is nice to tip Although many of our tours include entrance fees to your guide if you had a great day and learnt a lot. If all sites specified in your itinerary, there are addi- you go trekking, tip your porters and guides well as tional sights that you may like to visit. On average they work very hard to ensure your safety and enjoy- entrance fees are not more than US$1-2, although a ment. Some of our trips include a tips kitty to take handful of sites cost a few dollars more than this. the hassle out of this sensitive issue for our guests – please ask for this if you would like us to handle it The historic towns of Bhaktapur and Patan levy a for you. charge on tourists of US$12 and US$6 respectively to help towards heritage conservation. Likewise, Departure Tax entry to Kathmandu’s Durbar Square is subject to There used to be a departure tax levied on all depar- a US$8 fee (once purchased your ticket is valid for tures through the Kathmandu airport. Most flights in- 7 days and can be extended by visiting the Durbar clude it now, but do be sure to check when you book Square site office). Three of the most popular tem- your flight that it is included and you don’t need to ples in the Kathmandu Valley; Bouddanath Stupa, take rupees to the airport. Pashupatinath Temple and the Swayambhunath Temple cost approximately US$3 each. A Word of Advice Take along a little bit more money than you think Optional Excursions & Activities you will actually need, just in case – you don’t have All of our itineraries include some free time, the to spend it! Remember, few insurance policies will amount of which usually depends on the style of tour provide you with instant cash in an emergency and you are travelling on. If you wish to take optional you cannot count on borrowing money from fellow excursions your tour leader will be able to advise travellers. you of the possibilities in each area. A very popular excursion is the Everest Sightseeing Flight which takes about 1 hour to fly to Mt Everest and back along the incredible Himalayan Range. Meals Your trip itinerary will clearly indicate which meals are included in the tour price; while camping on our tours all meals are included in the tour price. Ap- proximate costs for meals and snacks not included are shown below; Simple snack US$1-2 Light meal US$2-5 Fancy restaurant US$7-10 Explore the Himalayan trails of your choice, your way http://www.himalayan-trails.com Country Information - Nepal Drinks What to Bring Tea and coffee is always provided with breakfast on our tours.