TRAVEL FACTS - NEPAL
COUNTRY PROFILE Nepal is situated in the lap of the Himalayas between the latitude 26°22' to 30°27' North and longitude 80°4' E to 88°12' East, and elevation ranges from 90 to 8848 meters. The average length being 885 km east to west and the average breadth is 193 km from north to south. It covers an area of 147,181 sq. km. Nepal is bordered by China (Tibet) to the north and by India to the south, east and west. The Northern range (Himalayas) where the highest peak of the world, the Mount Everest, stands is covered with snow throughout the year. The middle range (Hill) has amazing mountains, peaks, hills, valleys and lakes. The southern range (Terai) is the gangaitic plain of alluvial soil and consist of dense forest area, national parks, wildlife reserves and conservation areas. The climate is sub-tropical in low lands to arctics in higher altitudes. The temperature and rainfall differ from place to place. The hill, mid-hills and particularly the Kathmandu valleys are pleasant with warm summers and cool winters. Temperature ranges between maximum of 37 and minimum of 6 degree Celsius in the plains, 28 and 2 degree Celsius in the Kathmandu valley and 16 and 6 degree Celsius in the mountains. The rainy season lasts from June to August. The population of 23.2 million people of more than 60 ethnic groups is the inhabitants of this geographic diversity and varied climatic conditions. Nepal presents an example of being united in diversity over the history and has maintained it's pride as being an independent sovereign state. There is constitutional monarchy where people exercise right of adult franchise. The executive, legislative and judiciary bodies function and exercise their rights independently. There is two tier system of legislation, the upper house, called the Rastriya Sabha, consists of 60 members and the Lower House, called the Pratinidhi Sabha is the house of Representatives for which members are elected from 205 electoral constituency distributed in 75 districts of the country. The elected Prime Minister heads the government.
Geographically, the country is divided in three regions; Mountain, Hill and Terai accommodating 7.44 and 49 % of the population respectively. Based on area of districts these regions constitute 35, 42 and 23% of the total land area. There are 5 development regions and 75 administrative districts. Districts are further divided into smaller units, called Village Development committee (VDC) and Municipality.
Currently, there are 3914 VDCs and 58 Municipalities in the country. Each VDC is composed of 9 wards, Municipality ward ranges from 9 to 35. Kathmandu is the capital city. Nepal is the member of the United Nations and has established diplomatic relation with 113 (Jun 2001) countries of the world. Major export commodities are paste, pulses, oil cake, catechu, jute good sacking, twins, carpets (Hand knitted wollen), readymade garments, handicrafts, ginger.
Economic growth of the country has not improved markedly over time to over take population growth. As the country estimated population growth is 2.3 per annum, the gain achieved by developmental activities has been concealed by growing population. Little over half (57%) of the population of working age reported economically active in 1991 and among them 81% were engaged in agricultural activities. Contribution of non-agricultural activities are gradually increasing in the GDP. Per capita GDP is estimated in the order of US $ 240 (preliminary estimate) for 2000/01.
The currency is Nepalese Rupee and the official language is Nepali. The main religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Muslim and Christianity.
HOW TO GET THERE? By air: You can fly directly to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu from most major cities around the world - London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna, Amsterdam, Doha, Dubai, Dhaka, Karachi, Munich, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Paro, Lhasa, Kuala Lumpur, Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Patna, Calcutta and Varanasi. However, it may not be a direct flight, some transits and connections might be required.
These are the few airlines that flies to Kathmandu - Nepal Airlines, Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, Indian Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Biman Bangladesh, Gulf Air, Indian Airlines, Air Sahara, Jet Airways, Austrian Air, Martinair, Air China, Druk Air fly to Nepal regularly. For travellers from Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, you might consider Thai Airways that flies daily and direct to Kathmandu while Nepal Airlines flies in to and depart Kuala Lumpur at least 6 times in a week.
Airfares fluctuate with the changes in exchange rates and are to be paid in foreign currency by foreign nationals. Only Nepalese and Indian nationals are permitted to pay in rupees for air passage between Nepal and India. Departure flight tickets should be reconfirmed three days in advance to avoid inconveniences by possible flight cancellation or changes in the flight schedule. Overweight luggage charges are levied in foreign exchange.
By road: All visitors entering Nepal by land must use no other entry points other than:
The overland tourists entering the Kingdom with their vehicles must possess an international carnet.
WHEN TO GO? Between September to November (autumn) is the best time of the year to visit Nepal is . It is the end of the monsoon and summer. Skies are clear and the weather is perfect for trekking and a good view of the Himalayas. This is also the high season for tourist arrivals to Nepal and it can be crowded. From December through February (winter), the crowds thin out. Though it rarely even gets to freezing in the Kathmandu Valley, it can be quite cold at the higher elevations. With a good sleeping bag and windbreaker, it will keep you warm. Winter snowstorms can be a problem for trekkers, so it's important to keep a close eye on the weather and plan for a couple of snow days during any winter trek. Down in the Terai, this is the best time to see wildlife, such as rhinos, in the national parks. March to May (spring) is the other popular months for trekking. The weather is once again mild (and can be hot at lower elevations), the mountains are still in view, and, best of all, the rhododendron trees are in blooming in the hills. The flowers of these trees, called laligurans in Nepali, are the country's national flower. June through August (summer) is the monsoon months in Nepal. During this time thick clouds obscure the Himalayas from view, and torrential rains cause frequent landslides. Although it is not a perfect time to trek, it happens to be one of the best times to visit the remote, desert-like regions along the Tibetan border, including Mustang and Dolpo.
Click here to check out the weather forecast for Nepal and mountaineering.
You might also want to check out if there are festivals during the time of your visit. Go to the Festivals & Events in Nepal.
TOP WHAT TO PACK? For trekkers:
For travellers who are going for sightseeing trips only, please see the information on What to Bring in your respective programme.
TOURIST VISA A tourist entry visa is necessary to enter Nepal and can be obtained from the Royal Nepalese Embassy or Consulate or other mission offices or at the entry points in Nepal. Single entry tourist visas can be obtained by paying US$30 for 60 days. A valid passport with two passport size photos is required during your visa application. For more information, go to Nepal Department of Immigration.
TRAVEL INSURANCE You are to buy and insure yourself with substantial travel insurance that covers medical, surgical and evacuation during your trip to Nepal. It is especially important for trekkers to have insurance for emergency evacuation from the mountains.
CUSTOMS All baggage must be declared and cleared through the customs on arrival at the entry. Personal effects are permitted free entry. You can proceed through the Green Channel for quick clearance without a baggage check if you do not have any dutiable goods. If you are carrying dutiable articles, you have to pass through the Red Channel for detailed customs clearance.
IMPORT Apart from used personal belongings, you are allowed to bring to Nepal duty free cigarette (200) or cigars (50), distilled liquor (one 1.15 liter bottle), and film (15 rolls). You can also bring in the following articles free of duty on condition that you take them out with you when you leave: binocular, movie or video camera, still camera, laptop computer, and portable music system.
EXPORT The export of antiques requires special certification from the Department of Archeology, National Archive Building, Ram Shah Path, Kathmandu. It is illegal to export objects over 100 years old like sacred images, paintings, manuscripts that are valued for culture and religious reasons. Visitors are advised not to purchase such items as they are Nepal's cultural heritage and belong here.
AIRPORT TAX (PASSENGER SERVICES CHARGE) The airport tax levied on all passengers departing Nepal from the Tribhuvan International Airport is NRs 791 (including VAT) to SAARC countries and NRs 1,130 to all other International destinations. Airport tax for domestic departures is NRs 165. For more information, refer to Tribhuvan International Airport.
TOP
FOREIGN CURRENCY & CREDIT CARDS Payment in hotels, travel agencies, and airlines are made in U.S. dollar. Major credit cards such as American Express, Master and Visa are widely accepted at major hotels, shops, and restaurants. Remember to keep your Foreign Exchange Encashment Receipt while making foreign exchange payments or transferring foreign currency into Nepalese rupees. The receipts may be needed to change leftover Nepalese Rupees into hard currency before leaving the country. However, only 10% of the total amount will be converted by the bank. ATM is widely in use in Kathmandu. Major banks, hotels, and the exchange counters at Tribhuvan Airport provide services for exchanging foreign currency. Exchange rates are published in English dailies such as The Rising Nepal, The Kathmandu Post and The Himalayan Times. Nepalese Rupees are found in denominations of 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are found in denominations of 10, 25 and 50 paisa. One rupee equals 100 paisa.
TIME ZONE Nepal is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT.
BUSINESS HOURS Government offices are open from 10 am to 5 pm from Sunday through Friday. Banks are open from Sunday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm. Mostly banks remain open until 12 pm on Saturday. Embassies and international organizations are open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Most shops open after 10 am and close at about 8 pm and are usually closed on Saturdays. Government offices observe all the holidays and banks observe most of them. Businesses observe the major holidays only.
POSTAL SERVICES The Central Post Office located near Dharahara Tower, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The counters are open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and provide stamps, postcards and aerograms. Post Restante is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Express Mail Service (EMS) is available at GPO and at Thamel, Basantapur and airport postal counters.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS Telephone, fax, telex and telegraph services are available at the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation at Tripureshwar, hotels and private communications centers provide long distance telephone. For calling from outside, country code for Nepal is 977 and the area code for Kathmandu is 1.
INTERNET SERVICES Several Internet cafes and communication centers have opened up in the Valley and around the country in the past few years. Visitors only have to find a place they are most comfortable with to use the facilities. E-mail and internet services are also offered by hotels.
ELECTRICITY Major towns have electricity and the voltage available is 220-volts and 50 cycles. Load shedding is sometimes experienced. However, most major hotels have installed their own generators. Electricity is also available in villages along the Tamang Heritage Trail for the convenience to charge camera batteries when necessary.
ETIQUETTE
EMBASSIES & CONSULATES Embassies and consulates are all located in Kathmandu. Click here to check out the list of embassies or consulates.
RESTROOMS You won't find many public restrooms in Nepal. In cities such as Kathmandu and Pokhara, there are toilets in all restaurants and in the lobbies of more-expensive hotels. The Nepali word for toilet is “charpi”, and in English you should ask for the toilet, not the restroom.
SAFETY Nepal is relatively safe. However, you should never trek alone. Like anywhere in the world, take extra precautions with your valuables when traveling on crowded areas and buses, where you are easy prey to pickpockets. Keep your money (preferably traveler's checks), passport, and airline tickets in a money belt or neck bag worn under your clothes. Try to avoid displaying large amounts of money in public. If you require a porter at the hotel or your trekking trips, allow your luggage to be carried by porters authorised by your travel agency or hotel only.
MEDIA
TIPPING Tipping is done to compliment good service. Suggested amounts for tips: porters expect Rs20 to Rs25; hotel staff Rs10 to Rs20 or look for a tip box on the reception desk; waiters, 10%; service personnel, 10%; taxi drivers, round up by Rs5; trekking porters and rafting staff, roughly 1 day's wages per week of service.
WATER Water in Nepal is not safe to drink directly from the tap unless it is purified. Several methods of purifying water includes use water purification tablets and to boil the water before consumption. You are encouraged to get enough supply of mineral water for your trip or trek.
DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is posted in good faith and we endeavour to keep the information up-to-date and correct, but we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information.
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FIND OUT MORE ABOUT: Tribhuvan International Airport Kathmandu Nepal Weather Forecast Tourist Visa for Nepal
