Nepal Travel Information

Transcription

1 Nepal Travel Information Time Local time is GMT minutes ahead of Indian Time. Electricity Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. Round two- and three-pin plugs are used. Passports and Visa All foreigners (except Indian nationals) require visas, which can be obtained in advance from Royal Nepalese Embassies & Royal Nepalese Consulates abroad or upon arrival in any ports. Single-entry tourist visa costs US$30 valid for 60 days. You will be provided visa application on your flight Varanasi Kathmandu or upon arrival at Kathmandu airport. You can also download it from Royal Nepalese Embassy Website. If your visit to Nepal is for 3 days or less, you will get a gratis visa. Attach one passport size photographs. Please pay visa fee in exact amount in US $. Sometime, it s hard to get changes back. Make sure that your passport validity is at least 6 months at the time of travel. Climate and Weather Nepal's weather is generally predictable and pleasant. There are four climatic seasons: March to May (spring), June to August (summer), September to November (autumn) and December to February (winter). The monsoon is approximately from the end of June to the middle of September. About 80 per cent of the rain falls during that period, so the remainder of the year is dry. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons; winter temperatures drop to freezing with a high level of snowfall in the mountains. Summer and late spring temperatures range from 28ºC (83ºF) in the hill regions to more than 40ºC (104ºF) in the Terai. In winter, average maximum and minimum temperatures in the Terai range from a brisk 7ºC (45ºF) to a mild 23ºC (74ºF). The central valleys experience a minimum temperature often falling bellow freezing point and a chilly 12ºC (54ºF) maximum. Much colder temperatures prevail at higher elevations. The Kathmandu Valley, at an altitude of 1310m (4297ft), has a mild climate, ranging from 19-27ºC (67-81ºF) in summer, and 2-20ºC (36-68ºF) in winter. Lightweight and tropical clothes with umbrella are advised for June to August. Between October and March, lightweight clothes are worn in Kathmandu, with a coat for evenings and warm clothing for the mountains. During winter, we recommend LAYERED CLOTHING! This means that the majority of your clothing can be worn in layers, so that you can put on more clothing if it is cold or take off layers as it gets warmer. For example, it is much better to wear a T-shirt, cotton shirt (long sleeve), light sweater and windbreaker than to wear one bulky parka. This idea also comes in handy when you are packing and trying to keep under the weight limit. Kathmandu air is polluted with dust and vehicle emissions. It s good to wear pollution mask when you are out of the hotel. Chitwan has sub tropical climate with high temperature and humidity. You will wear light cotton shirts, t-shirts and pants. Shorts are recommended as chance of getting scars or scratches from shrubs 1

2 or tree branches will be always high. Safari colors or dark colored cloths are preferred in Chitwan National Park. Medical Advice No immunization is required, but vaccinations for cholera, hepatitis A, meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria and typhoid are recommended. Nepal is declared Malaria free longtime back. Outbreaks of Japanese encephalitis occur annually, particularly between July and December; vaccination is advised. Untreated water should be avoided; visitors can buy bottled water or purify their own. When trekking it is preferable to treat one's own water rather than leaving a trail of plastic bottles behind; purifying water with iodine is the cheapest and easiest way to treat water. Stomach upsets are likely to be the most common cause of illness in travelers; food in tourist restaurants or 'Western' food should be treated with caution as it is often reheated or left to stand out, and drinks or salads can contain ice or have ingredients washed in dirty water. Standard of care in hospitals varies, but there are traveler s clinics in Kathmandu and numerous pharmacies in the major towns. Medical insurance is essential. For travelers health advice, visit the websites Money Matter The official currency is Nepali Rupee (NPR), which is divided into 100 paisa. Nepali Rupees are available in denominations of Rs 1, 2, 5, 20, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500 and Coins are available for paisa 5, 10, 25, 50 and Rs 1. But coins are not much in use. As change can be a problem it is recommended that visitors have a supply of small notes handy. Tourist activities are often quoted in US Dollars and it is advisable to carry new dollar bills in varied denominations. Both Euro and US dollar travelers checks are widely accepted in tourist areas and can be cashed easily in most banks and major hotels throughout the country. There are ATMs in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards are accepted in many tourist hotels, shops, restaurants and travel agencies. When you make purchases in souvenir shops with your credit card, do not sign on the sales receipts without reading. Make sure that your card is charged the right amount. Some Kashmiri vendors of Kathmandu have been found involved in scams. What they do is offer you drinks, snacks and draw your attention to something else while they make you sign on the blank sales drafts. There are bad people everywhere. Banks and moneychangers are present in all tourist places and in the major cities; all receipts from foreign exchange transactions should be kept so rupees can be exchanged back into foreign currencies on departure (15% of the total exchange only). Exchange rates in hotels are bad. Exchange Rate by Yahoo: Tipping Tipping is becoming fairly common in up market restaurants in Kathmandu, so leave around 10% of the bill if service was good. There's no need to tip in cheaper establishments or to tip taxi drivers. At the end of the trip, its good to tip the guide and driver as an appreciation of their service. There are no limits of the amount. However, think about tipping like US$ 15 per person to the guide and US$ 8-10 to the 2

3 driver are good amounts. If you want to tip the lobby boys at the hotels, who help with your luggage, have some loose changes handy like Rs (less than a quarter dollar). There is no obligation, so far. Photography Do not intrude with a camera, unless it is clearly OK with the people you are photographing. Ask before a temple compound whether it is permissible to enter and take photographs. In some places like Pottery Square in Bhaktapur or Pashupatinath Temple, have some loose changes like Rs 5 ready if you want to photograph a potter or a sadhu (holy man). Early tourists who took their picture also paid them money and it has been customary. Some shrines are prohibited for photography. There will be sign posted or your guide will warn you about that. Visiting a Temple Always walk clockwise around Buddhist stupas, chortens or mani walls. Always remove your shoes before entering a Buddhist or Hindu temple or sanctuary. You may also have to remove any items made from leather, such as belts and bags. Many Hindu temples allowed admission to the Hindus only. It's the custom to give a white scarf or Khata to a Buddhist abbot when you are introduced. The honorific title Rimpoche is usually bestowed on abbots. The scarves can easily be found at Tibetan shops. Language It's quite easy to get by with English in Nepal; with those you have to deal with in Katmandu & Chitwan valley, English is widely understood. However, Nepali on the other hand is fairly easy language and useful to come in contact with the local. Nepali is closely related to Hindi and, like Hindi, is a member of the Indo- European group of languages. Although Nepali is the national language of Nepal and is the linking language between all the country's ethnic groups there are many other languages spoken. The Newars of the Kathmandu Valley, for example, speak Newari and there are other languages spoken by the Tamangs, Sherpas, Rais, Limbus, Magars, Gurungs and other groups. In the Terai, bordering India, Hindi and Maithali, another Indian language of their region, are often spoken. Namaste! The magic word Namaste -translated it means I salute the god in you, but it is used as an everyday greeting encompassing everything from Hello to How are you? and even 'see you again soon'. Properly used it should be accompanied with the hands held in a prayer like position, the Nepali gesture which is the equivalent of westerners shaking hands. Dhanyabad-This means Thank You. Using words like Namaste and Dhanyabad, it will help you develop closeness with Nepali people. Safety On 1 February 2005 the king dismissed the government, assuming direct control of the country. On 21 April 2006 he finally agreed to give up his power following weeks of violent protests by political parties and the Maoists; Parliament has been reinstated. All bans and curfews have been lifted; the Maoists extended their truce for a further three months on 28 July 2006, in a bid to support peace talks. The democratic government and Maoists are in peace process and negotiations are going on. However, occasionally there are street demonstrations and strikes. Those demonstrations and strikes are no direct threat to the tourists but you have to be watchful. In case of any last hour strike or demonstrations, our local management might have to alter the itinerary and route of your travel. All the hotels have safety lockers for your valuables. Do not leave your belongings unattended. In the sightseeing places, you will encounter with street vendors who will try to sell you handicrafts which are often 3

4 fake or over priced. If you buy with one vendor, dozens of others will surround you, thinking that you are a good buyer. Simply ignore them. Do not trust the people who are trying to be unnecessarily friendly with you. Customs Nepal has numerous cultural practices that are unusual to foreigners. In the tourist areas there is a high degree of tolerance towards visitors, but away from these places foreigners should be sensitive to local customs. Never accept or offer anything with the left hand. Do not eat from someone else s plate or offer food from one s own. Women should dress conservatively and cover as much as possible. Permission should be sought before taking photographs. The Nepalese are warm and friendly, and business tends to be conducted with a combination of formality and sincerity. Much time is given to small talk and socializing. Handshakes are fairly common, though one should wait to see if greeted with a hand, or a namaste - a traditional greeting of a small bow accompanied by hands clasped as if in prayer. Visitors should return the greeting. Dress tends to be formal and conservative, with suits and ties the norm. Titles and surnames are usually used; the elderly in particular are treated with great respect and the word 'gi' is added after the name as a polite form. Punctuality is important, although it may take some time to get down to business, and negotiation can be a long process. English is widely spoken and understood, though discussions in Nepali may occur between Nepalese themselves within a meeting. Business hours are usually 9.30am or 10am to 5pm Sunday to Thursday (closing at 4pm in winter). Saturday is a holiday. Communications The country code for Nepal is +977, and the outgoing code is 00, followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 001 for the USA). City/area codes are in use, e.g. (0)1 for Kathmandu and (0)56 for Pokhara. Two mobile phone operators provide GSM 900 network coverage in the main cities and towns. Kathmandu has cyber café s offering internet from Rs per hour. Although speed is pretty low. Post Office The postal service in Nepal isn t the most reliable service in the world so don t be surprised if your postcards don t make it home. If what you post does get sent to its destined address it will take anything between 7-14 days to get there. If you want to mail the post cards, take the help of your guide or office person. Do not leave at hotel reception!! Duty Free Travelers to Nepal do not have to pay duty on 100 cigarettes or the equivalent in other tobacco products; 1 liter of alcohol; and perfume for personal use. It is illegal to export goods which are over 100 years old. Food and Drinks Nepali food can be quite simple with lentil soup, steamed or boiled rice and curried vegetables, pickle, featuring in a lot of the main courses with chicken or mutton curries. Nepalese people have meat in dinner very occasionally, though. Nepali food is spicy but not as much as North Indian foods. Kathmandu has wide range of restaurants-indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, mostly concentrated in Durbar Marg and Thamel area. A decent dinner costs around US$ 6-7 in Thamel area and US$ in Durbar Marg Area. Your hotels also have quite a few restaurants and meals costs around US$ 15. 4

5 The most popular drink is the Tea, called Chiya by Nepalis and chai by Indians. Its tea brewed with milk, sugar and light spiced with clove or cinnamon powder. Local Nepali beer is called Everest Beer. Other foreign collaboration beers such as Carlsberg, Tuborg and San Miguel are widely available. Bottled mineral water costs Rs 15, A can of pepsi or coke Rs 15-20, Beer can costs RS and bottle of 650 ml beer costs Rs , if you buy them in small convenience stores which are called Cold Stores in Nepal. But price will be almost 50% more expensive in regular restaurants and almost double when you buy them in your hotel. Some Ethics and Etiquette Nepalis practice cultural etiquettes that may sometimes appear unusual to visitors. However, a handful of tips could acquaint visitors with these otherwise strange practices. 1. The form of greeting in Nepal is 'namaste' performed by joining palms together. 2. As a mark of respect Nepalis usually take off their shoes before entering someone's home, temple or stupa. 3. Food or material that contains another's saliva is considered 'jutho' or impure. So, never ask a Nepali to taste the food from your plate or give the left over. 4. While drinking water out of bottle or jug, they pour the water in the mouth from little higher so that they don t touch the vessel with their mouth. 5. Touching something with feet or using left hand to give or take is considered offense among Nepalis. 6. Women wearing skimpy outfits are frowned upon especially in the rural parts of the country. 7. As a part of the tradition some Hindu temples do not allow non Hindus to enter. 8. Leather articles are prohibited inside temple precinct. 9. Walking around temples or stupas is traditionally done clockwise. 10. Do not take photos without permission or take a long zoom snapshot!! 11. Public displays of affection between man and woman are scandalous. But its common to see the same sex holding hands in the street, although they are not homo sexual. 12. Unlike westerners, Nepalis nod head slightly dangling from left to right to say Yes and shake head to say No Note: Information provided here are subject to change and we will not be responsible for any loss or mishaps caused due to change of information and so forth. 5