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Welcome to Nepal for your everlasting memoirs
in the land of mystique, home of gods, and
legendry place for Sherpas and Gurkhas.
Nepal is a country that flourishes in spiritual
and scenic wealth. You can take pleasure in
its geographical richness in a number of ways.
You could either just walk around the country
in luxury, or if you happen to be the more
adventurous types, discover Nepal by trekking
and river rafting. But one thing is for sure,
whatever your chosen mode of travel in Nepal,
you will fall prey to its thrilling magic charm.
The Tribhuvan airport
in Kathmandu is Nepal’s
only international airport. The important airlines
that serve Kathmandu are Indian Airlines, Thai
International, Singapore Airlines, Bangladesh
Biman, China Southwest Airlines, Druk Air and
Qatar Airways, PIA and Gulf Air. The national
carrier - Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation
(RNAC), operates flights to Europe and Japan
as well as the regional destinations.
The business week begins on Sunday and Saturday
is the rest day.
Immunize Yourself Well In Advance
It is best to get your vaccination
well in time, at least 6 weeks prior to travel.
The best is to check with your doctor, the
vaccinations you are most likely to require
for Nepal could be for the following:
- Diphtheria
and Tetanus
- Polio
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Cholera
- Hepatitis B
- Yellow Fever
- Yellow Fever
- Rabies
- Japanese B Encephalitis
- Tuberculosis
(TB)
Malaria Alert
Please seek expert advice on the medication,
which could depend on various factors. You
may want to carry a treatment dose of medication
for use, especially if you are visiting the
Terai region.
Altitude Sickness
Caused due to lack of oxygen at high altitudes
(over 2,500m), symptoms could range from headache,
lethargy, dizziness, loss of appetite to the
more dangerous lack of coordination and balance,
confusion, irrational behavior, vomiting, drowsiness
and unconsciousness. If you join the trek,
guide provides you appropriate pre-medication
information.
Prevention
- Ascend
slowly with frequent rest days to acclimatize
yourself.
- Always sleep at a lower
altitude than the greatest height reached
during the day.
- Drink extra fluids to
prevent dehydration.
- Ascend slowly with frequent
rest days to acclimatize yourself
- Avoid alcohol,
a major cause of dehydration.
- Avoid sedatives.
Handy
Medical Kit: The
basic kit should have Aspirin or paracetamol,
Antihistamine for allergies, Antibiotics on
consultation with your doctor, tablets for
diarrhea, rehydration mixture, insect repellent,
sunscreen, lip balm, eye drops, calamine lotion,
anti-fungal cream or powder, antiseptic, bandages
and band-aids, water purification tablets or
iodine, scissors, thermometer, throat lozenges
and nasal decongestant, and multivitamins.
Apart from this don’t hesitate to carry
anything you think necessary.
Health
Insurance: Make sure you have adequate health insurance.
Food: Wash and peel vegetables and fruits. Make sure
you eat off clean places. Eat sensibly
and trust your instinct.
Water: Your
safest bet is boiled water or tap-water treated
with iodine because you can be sure of its
purity. Avoid untreated tap-water though bottled
water is accessible widely.
Carry all your important documents, original
as well as a photocopied set. Leave one set
of photocopies back home.
Your documents should include passport data,
visa page, credit cards, travel/health insurance
policy, and flight ticket.
Visas
On-arrival Visa:
Volunteers can get tourist visa upon arrival
at Tribhuvan International Airport, at Kathmandu.
One can get 60-day entry visa costing US$30,
- CASH (no traveler checks, no credit
cards accepted) and two-passport photos
are required. Our volunteers join our
program having a tourist visa and one has to
extend the visa every month. NVCYE Program
does not manage working visa for volunteers.
VISA EXTENSIONS: A
tourist visa can be obtained from the Department
of Immigration in Kathmandu or Pokhara, telephone
+977-1-4494273, +977-1-4476813 (office hours:
Monday to Friday: 9:00 am-3:00PM) Extensions
are valid for 30 days (whether you need for
a day, a week or a whatever) and cost in
Nepalese rupees the equivalent of US$30 at
the government exchange rate. You must pay
for visa extensions.
You are allowed to
stay up to 150 days on a tourist visa around
the year. If you hit the next calendar year,
you can stay another 150 days with normal
visa extension. This
way a volunteer can do his or her volunteering
for 10 months maximum on tourist visa. This
is the policy of Nepal government. If someone
likes to join for six months, they should come
in Nepal first of December and for 10 months
in August. This is how it works.
Theft
Though the chances of a theft are rare, but
just in case of a mishap, go to Interpol
(ph: 412602) at the Police Headquarters in
Naxal, Kathmandu.
Tourist Police
A special unit of the Nepal Police, the Tourist
Police is trained specially to assist visitors
with security and travel related problems.
An English-speaking officer on duty is just
a call away between 11am and 5pm at 4 -247041.
These officers are also stationed at all the
major tourist sites, and their blue van is
always on constant patrol.
As a foreign visitor,
one must be careful to respect local customs
in order not to cause offence. The following
are some local conventions it is advisable
to adhere to: never step over the feet of
a person, always walk round; never offer
food and drink which is ‘polluted’,
in other words, food that you have tasted or
bitten; never offer or accept anything with
the left hand, use the right or both hands.
It is rude to point at holy statue with a foot.
Often when people shake their head, it means
'yes.' Shoes and footwear should be removed
when entering houses or shrines. Kitchens and
eating areas of houses should also not be entered
with footwear, as the hearth of a home is sacred.
Shaking hands is not a common form of greeting;
the normal greeting is to press the palms together
in a prayer-like gesture (Namaskaar).
Casual wear is suitable except for the most
formal meetings or social occasions. Men only
remove their shirts when bathing. Overt public
displays of affection, especially near religious
places, are inappropriate. Seek permission
before entering a temple, some do not allow
westerners or non-Hindus to enter. Do not take
leather articles into a temple. Nepalese cities
are generally safe, but take sensible precautions
with personal possessions.
Photography: Please
always take permission first before taking
pictures. In general, it is allowed outside
temples and at festivals, but not at religious
ceremonies or inside temples; however, there
is no hard and fast rule and the only way to
be sure of not giving offence is to ask first
and accept the answer.
Climate
in Nepal: Nepal has a diverse climate; summer is normally
the hot, humid and rainy season. Winter is
cold in the morning and warm during the daytime.
The temperature drops during winter nights. Volunteers
should bring appropriate clothing according
to the season and activities. The months
of fall and spring are wonderful.
Month |
For working |
For Trekking |
Sept – Feb
March – August |
Winter clothes
Summer Clothes |
Winter Clothes
Warm (light winter) Clothes |
*Please bring a raincoat in June-July-August
Temperatures in
Degrees Celsius (maximum – minimum
Temperature)
Place |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Kathmandu |
19 - 2 |
20 - 4 |
25 - 8 |
30 - 11 |
30 - 16 |
30 – 20 |
30 – 21 |
29 – 20 |
27 - 19 |
23 - 15 |
23 - 4 |
20 - 2 |
Pokhara |
20 - 8 |
21 - 8 |
27 - 11 |
30 - 16 |
30 - 19 |
30 – 20 |
30 – 21 |
30 – 21 |
29 – 20 |
27 - 18 |
23 - 11 |
20 - 8 |
Chitwan |
24 - 7 |
26 - 8 |
33 - 12 |
35 - 18 |
35 - 20 |
35 - 23 |
33 - 24 |
33 – 24 |
32 - 22 |
31 - 18 |
29 - 12 |
24 - 8 |
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