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Nepal is the mecca for trekking and mountaineering. Nearly 30% of the Himalaya range is located in Nepal. Nepal is situated between India in the South and Tibet in the North. It looks like a rectangle, 800 km from East to West, 200 km from South to North. 8 of 14 peaks above 8000 m are located in Nepal. In more or less 100 km you start from fertil plains, cross tropical forest then subalpine hills and reach higest mountains of the world.
General information
Currency: Nepali rupee - US$1 equals approximately Rs.130 and 1€ equals approximately Rs.140 as at August 2023.
Political System: Federal Democratic Republic.
Tourist visa with multiple entries:
- 15 days: 30 USD
- 30 days: 50 USD
- 90 days: 125 USD
Before arriving in Nepal you can fill and print a pre-arrival form. This will save you from having to do it at the electronic counter at the Tribhuvan airport.
Airport transfer: there is a fixed rate taxi service from the airport to the city (6kms). The service is available almost round the clock.
Private Taxi (car): there is a 24 hours private taxi service operated by major hotels. The fare is slightly higher than metered taxi. You can also arrange it through travel agency.
Hiring private cars: for long tours (within or out of the valley) one can rent a private car or taxi through a travel agency or a car rental firm.
Around town, metered taxis can be hailed on the streets. The charge for metered taxi is based on per km. There is an extra 50% charge from 8pm to 6am.
There are buses, mini buses, micro buses and three wheelers that ply on fixed routes at regular intervals. The service is fairly frequent. Most of these buses operate from morning to evening. City buses (that ply within Kathmandu and go to Bhaktapur, Patan as well as those going to Kiritpur, Banepa, Dhulikhel and Thankot) leave from the city's bus-park located at the eastern side of Tundikhel parade ground. Buses on long route leave from Central Bus Terminal located at Gongabu via Kalanki. Tourist coaches for Pokhara and Sauraha leave from Kantipath.
There is a wide variety of accommodations available in Kathmandu, ranging from budget hotels to five-star hotels as well as rental apartments. In the mountains, there are many basic lodges and tea houses, as well as camping sites.
Climate
We can distinguish the following periods:
- From mid September to mid October: the monsoon is finished but some residual rain or snow may fall.
- From mid October end December: the best trekking period, clear sky most of the time, fewer and fewer risk of rain and snow, colder and colder as entering in winter but temperature during the daytime stays very acceptable with the sun.
- January to March: the snow is coming in this period. March can be fine.
- April to beg June: warmer and warmer, another good period for the trekking.
- Beg June to mid September: this is the monsoon, warm and wet. Somes areas in Nepal are less influenced by the monsoon (Mustang, Dolpo).
Heritage Site Entrance Permit
The following sites have a entrance permit:
- Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Swayambhunath Temple
- Baudhanath Stupa
- Pashupatinath Temple
- Patan Durbar Square
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square
