{"id":37,"date":"2007-12-01T13:22:44","date_gmt":"2007-12-01T13:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/nepal-travel-guide\/"},"modified":"2007-12-01T13:22:44","modified_gmt":"2007-12-01T13:22:44","slug":"nepal-travel-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/nepal-travel-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Nepal Travel Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Nepal<\/strong> is a cheap<br \/>\nand relatively safe country with amazing scenery of the<br \/>\n<strong>Himalayan<\/strong> mountain range. It&#8217;s perhaps the best place in the<br \/>\nworld for <strong>trekking<\/strong> and short day walks also. It&#8217;s backpacker<br \/>\nparadise with a <strong>cheap<\/strong> cost of living and a friendly tourist industry.<\/p>\n<div class=\"information-box-important\"><strong>Safety<\/strong>: There is unrest in Nepal due to<br \/>\nthe Maoist party, but they do not target tourists and foreign visitors are<br \/>\n<strong>safe<\/strong>.<\/div>\n<div class=\"information-box-important\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"information-box-important\"><strong>Royals<\/strong>: The King of Nepal has been reduced<br \/>\nto a figure head, due to governmental changes and unrest in the past.\u00a0 Many<br \/>\nthings around Nepal are changing names to remove any reference to &#8220;Royal&#8221;.<\/div>\n<div class=\"information-box-important\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"information-box-important\"><strong>UN &amp; Human<br \/>\nRights<\/strong>: Nepal relies heavily on external aid and you are likely to see<br \/>\nUN and Human Rights vehicles passing around.\u00a0 These groups are well<br \/>\nexcepted in Nepal and are making good progress, don&#8217;t be put off by their<br \/>\npresence, but rather be assured.<\/div>\n<h2>Sights<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The main city of <a href=\"\/travel-guide\/asia\/nepal\/kathmandu\">Kathmandu<\/a> is overflowing with various temple<br \/>\nsights such as Bodnath Stupa, Swayambhunath and Durbur Square.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/kathmandu-to-pokhara\/\">Pokhara<\/a> is a<br \/>\nbeautiful quite town with outrageous sights of the lake and Himalaya mountain<br \/>\nrange. A great place to go trekking, take shorter walks, mountain biking,<br \/>\nrafting and kayaking.<\/li>\n<li>View<strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/mount-everest\/\">Mount Everest<\/a> <\/strong>and the other peaks of the Himalaya (of which Nepal has\u00a08 of<br \/>\nthe worlds\u00a010 highest).<\/li>\n<li><strong>National Parks<\/strong><br \/>\ninclude <a href=\"http:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/royal-chitwan-national-park-nepal\/\">Chitwan<\/a>and Langtang where you can see elephants,<br \/>\nlions and more.<\/li>\n<li>Visit <strong>Bandipur <\/strong>the town that stood still and see traditional Newari<br \/>\npeople and architecture.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lumbini<\/strong>is the birthplace of Buddha, where you can meditate on the<br \/>\nnature of existence.<\/li>\n<li>Visit <strong>Tansen<\/strong>with its traditional village and<br \/>\nhilltop Himalayan views.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wildlife Reserves<\/strong> include Koshi with traditional thatched villages and rice paddies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Activities<\/h2>\n<p>Nepal is packed with activities, read more about Nepal&#8217;s<br \/>\noutdoor activities.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nepal is the worlds ultimate <strong>trekking<\/strong> destination. From Mount Everest, to 21<br \/>\nday treks around the Annapurna range, to easy walks around Pokhara and<br \/>\nKathmandu, there is something for everyone. Read about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/nepals-outdoor-activities\/\">trekking in Nepal<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Paragliding<\/strong> in the subcontinents<br \/>\nbestlocations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rafting<\/strong> and <strong>kayaking<\/strong> is available for novices and<br \/>\nthe experienced. The diverse rivers and mountains provide an ideal backdrop.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mountain biking<\/strong> tracks from<br \/>\nthe sublime to the ridiculous are found all over the country.<\/li>\n<li>Take a <strong>mountain flight<\/strong> to see the Himalayas and Mount Everest up close.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Suggested Itineraries<\/h2>\n<p>Trekking or rafting\/kayaking can be taken in when in<br \/>\nKathmandu or Pokhara.\u00a0 Allow time for bus journeys\u00a0&#8211; about 6 hours between most big stops.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>3 days &#8211; stay in the Kathmandu valley, visit Durbur<br \/>\nsquare and the stupas<\/li>\n<li>1 week &#8211; 3 days in Kathmandu,\u00a04 days in Pokhara<\/li>\n<li>2 weeks &#8211;\u00a03 days in Kathmandu,\u00a01 day in<br \/>\nBandipur,\u00a04 days in Pokhara,\u00a01 day in Tansen, 1 day in Lumbini, 3<br \/>\ndays in Chitwan National Park, 1 day in Nagorkot<\/li>\n<li>More than 2 weeks &#8211; Consider Everest Base Camp, other<br \/>\nnational parks, long treks, and those out-of-the-way places.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Costs<\/h2>\n<p>Nepal is one of the worlds poorest countries, and the recent political problems have left a slump in tourism which can lead to good discounts.<br \/>\nMinimal living costs are US$7 per day. With<br \/>\ntaxis and temple admission expect to pay US$15 per day.\u00a0 Read about <a href=\"\/a-cheap-day-in-nepal\">a cheap day in Nepal<\/a><br \/>\n.<\/p>\n<h2>Is Nepal safe?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes, generally Nepal is a safe country.\u00a0 There is<br \/>\ncurrently a risk from the\u00a0 Maoist party (see below) but tourists are not<br \/>\ntargeted and you are unlikely to ever see any effects of their actions.<br \/>\nDon&#8217;t be put off, tourism has slumped and discounts are widely available.<\/p>\n<p>Since 13 February 1996 the Communist Party of Nepal<br \/>\n(Maoist) has been fighting a People&#8217;s war against the Nepal state in the hills,<br \/>\nand other parts, of Nepal.\u00a0 The war started after the Maoists presented the<br \/>\nthen prime minister with a 40 point list of demands to make Nepal a better<br \/>\ncountry.\u00a0 Since then the Maoists have grown in arms and troops and now<br \/>\ncontrol 40% of the country, but attacks have occurred throughout the<br \/>\ncountry.\u00a0 The Maoists terrorize politicians and local farmers alike.<br \/>\nThe USA have made donations to Kathmandu to help their &#8220;war on terrorism&#8221;. The<br \/>\nMaoists are moving towards a political part, and have asked the UN to mediate,<br \/>\nbut the government has rejected this.<\/p>\n<p>The Maoists do <strong>not<\/strong><br \/>\ntarget tourists, and there have only ever been a few incidents involving<br \/>\ntourists who did not pay the requested donation.\u00a0 When traveling in<br \/>\nKathmandu, Pokhara and most of the tourist areas you<\/p>\n<p>are unlikely to see any Maoist action.\u00a0 The road from<br \/>\nKathmandu to Pokhara often has a Maoist road block, but the bus just pays a<br \/>\ndonation and passes through.\u00a0 You are unlikely to be at risk.<\/p>\n<h2>Visas for Nepal<\/h2>\n<p>Most nationals are issued with a 60 day visa upon<br \/>\narrival at Kathmandu airport or several land crossing points with India.<br \/>\nThe process is easy, requires 1 passport photo and payment of US$30. 30 day extensions are easy to gain within the<br \/>\ncountry.\u00a0 It&#8217;s a good place to spend a long time.<\/p>\n<h2>When to go to Nepal<\/h2>\n<p>Nepal has a two season year.\u00a0 The dry season is<br \/>\nOctober to May and the wet monsoon season is June to September.\u00a0 September<br \/>\nto November and March to May bring perfect weather for viewing\u00a0the<br \/>\nHimalaya, trekking and water sports, and are the times to visit. The weather is<br \/>\nwarm during the day but gets chilly at night in high areas.\u00a0See the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/nepals-outdoor-activities\/\">trekking<\/a> section also.<\/p>\n<h2>What to bring<\/h2>\n<p>You might want to bring some of the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sunglasses and high protection sunscreen.<\/li>\n<li>For trekking (all but shoes are available at good<br \/>\nprices in Kathmandu and Pokhara)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hiking shoes for trekking as they are one of the<br \/>\nfew trekking items that are hard to find.<\/li>\n<li>A sleeping bag<\/li>\n<li>Fleece<\/li>\n<li>Warm coats<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>A fleece if visiting between October and March.<\/li>\n<li>A face mask against Kathmandu&#8217;s air pollution<br \/>\nproblem.<\/li>\n<li>A torch for power cuts<\/li>\n<li>Insect repellent for national parks.<\/li>\n<li>Swimming costume for rafting, kayaking, canyoning,<br \/>\nswimming and elephant washing in Chitwan National Park.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Transport<\/h2>\n<p><a name=\"flights\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Flights to Kathmandu, Nepal<\/h3>\n<p>All international flights land at <strong>Kathmandu airport<\/strong>. <strong>Visas<\/strong> are available upon landing. There is a photo machine in the airport. You cannot pay with Nepali Rupees, so bring US Dollars, Euros or British Pounds. There is an ATM downstairs.<\/p>\n<h3>From Delhi<\/h3>\n<p>For a view of the Himalayas sit on the left hand side of the plane.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.JetLite.com\">www.JetLite.com<\/a> (was Air Sahara) fly daily at 12:00, Rs 7,000. Flights last 1.5 hours. There is a ticket office at Delhi International airport, and tickets can be bought in Indian Rupees after 10:00.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Accommodation in Nepal<\/h2>\n<p>The best places to stay are in guesthouses.\u00a0 Some<br \/>\nare family run offering quiet places to relax, and others are amongst the bustle<br \/>\nfor the more social.\u00a0 Guesthouse prices range from US$2 &#8211; $10 per<br \/>\nnight.\u00a0 Hotels can be found in Kathmandu and other areas, and cost $US10+.<br \/>\nIf trekking then you&#8217;ll probably want to stay in the trekking lodges, offering<br \/>\nsimple beds and food on the trekking routes.\u00a0 Camping is possible when<br \/>\ntrekking, in Pokhara and other places.<\/p>\n<h2>Weather in Nepal<\/h2>\n<p>Outside of summer all areas of Nepal are warm with sunshine during the day, but it does get cold after sunset. If you are going out for the day keep an extra layer of clothes with you.<\/p>\n<h2>The People of Nepal<\/h2>\n<p>Located between India and Tibet, Nepal is made up of a<br \/>\ndiversity of ethnic groups.\u00a0 The different groups of Nepali hill people are quite distinct, and with the combination of new residents to the country there is a quite a variety of faces, foods and fashions on the streets.<\/p>\n<p>Nepal also has a caste system, similar to that of India.<\/p>\n<p>Hinduism and Buddhism both being strong in Nepal which has led to great religious tolerance, with almost no religious tension in Nepal.<\/p>\n<p>The people\u00a0of Nepal are generally good humored and<br \/>\npatient, quick to smile and slow to anger.\u00a0 But they have a reputation as<br \/>\nfierce fighters, read about the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/gurkha-forces-of-nepal\/\">Gurkha<br \/>\nforces<\/a> .<\/p>\n<h2>Communications in Nepal<\/h2>\n<p>Internet access is everywhere in the Thamel region of<br \/>\nKathmandu and in Pokhara.\u00a0 The broadband service is heavily shared and<br \/>\nslow, but cheap. In other areas access is very limited.\u00a0 There are a couple<br \/>\nof WiFi cafes in Kathmandu and Pokhara.<\/p>\n<h2>Facts about Nepal<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The Nepali calendar is 57 years ahead of the<br \/>\nGregorian calender used in the west.\u00a0 So 2007 becomes 2064.<\/li>\n<li>The Newars, on the other hand, are 880 years<br \/>\nbehind.\u00a0 So 2007 is 1127.<\/li>\n<li>Trekkers in Nepal leave behind an estimated 100<br \/>\ntones of unrecyclable water bottles every year.<\/li>\n<li>Public shows of affection are frowned\u00a0upon in<br \/>\nNepal.\u00a0 But you will see men holding hands.\u00a0 This is not<br \/>\nsexual,\u00a0but\u00a0a social thing, like in India.\u00a0 Until recently<br \/>\nNepali men rarely shook hands.<\/li>\n<li>Hashish<br \/>\nhas been illegal in Nepal since 1973, but<br \/>\nit is still readily available.<\/li>\n<li>Killing a<br \/>\ncow<br \/>\nis illegal in Nepal and carries a punishment<br \/>\nof two years in prison.<\/li>\n<li>Nepal&#8217;s flag is totally unique.<\/li>\n<li>The first cars were transported to\u00a0Kathmandu valley on the backs of porters, before<br \/>\nthere were any roads or petrol.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Theft in Nepal<\/h2>\n<p>Petty theft is not on the scale you&#8217;d find in many countries, theft from tourist<br \/>\nhotels is commonplace.\u00a0 Follow these tips<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A common form of theft is rifling backpacks on the<br \/>\nroofs of buses.\u00a0 Always padlock you bags.<\/li>\n<li>First floor hotel rooms are the easiest to break<br \/>\ninto, stay higher up.<\/li>\n<li>Never leave valuables in hotel rooms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Scams in Nepal<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Young kids (and mothers with babies) ask you for<br \/>\nmilk, you buy the milk at a designated store at an inflated price, the scammer<br \/>\nreturns the milk and pockets some of the mark-up.\u00a0 You can buy and open<br \/>\nthe milk to prevent the scam and still benefit the kids.<\/li>\n<li>Kids and touts who know the capital of any country<br \/>\nyou can think of, or know all about your country &#8211; a request for money will<br \/>\nsoon arrive.<\/li>\n<li>Credit card scams, where you buy some souvenirs only to find thousands of dollars worth of Internet<br \/>\nporn subscriptions charged to your card.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Begging in Nepal<\/h2>\n<p>Begging is relatively common in Nepal, partly because both<br \/>\nHinduism and Buddhism encourage the giving of alms.\u00a0 This can present a<br \/>\ndilemma, should you give? It is often worth checking how the locals react, and<br \/>\ndecide whether this is a genuine beneficiary. At bigger temples there can be<br \/>\nlong lines of beggars.\u00a0 Pilgrims customarily give a coin to everyone in<br \/>\nthe line.\u00a0 The Sadhus (holy men) are another special case and usually<br \/>\ncompletely depend on alms.<\/p>\n<h3>Useful websites<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tourism.gov.np\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nepal Ministry of Tourism<\/a> &#8211; Tourism information<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.welcomenepal.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nepal Torusim Board<\/a> &#8211; Official tourist board website<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.trekinfo.com\/\">TrekInfo.com<\/a> &#8211; Great trekking information, especially\u00a0the forums<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.visitnepal.com\/\">Visit Nepal<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; Comprehensive details for travellers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nepal is a cheap and relatively safe country with amazing scenery of the Himalayan mountain range. It&#8217;s perhaps the best place in the world for trekking and short day walks also. It&#8217;s backpacker paradise with a cheap cost of living and a friendly tourist industry. Safety: There is unrest in Nepal due to the Maoist [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/37"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/37\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itravelabout.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}