A visa is required for Nepal for Citizens from all of the European countries, Canada, and the United States of America. A tourist visa can be obtained on arrival at the airport and cost approx USD 30 per person. You will need also need a passport photo to obtain the visa It is your responsibility to ensure that your passport has a minimum of 6 months validity before start of travel and that your visa requirements are met. If you would like some advice on where to find up to date information for each country’s entry requirements and how to organise your visas, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Money
The official currency of Nepal is the Nepalese Rupee. However it is best to take US Dollars. ATM’s are available throughout Nepal and American Express is widely accepted, with Master card and Visa accepted in most shops, hotels and restaurants.
It is advised to keep any foreign exchange receipts as this will help in many transactions including getting visa extensions and trekking permits.
Climate
Nepal’s weather is generally predictable and pleasant. There are four climate seasons being March to May, June to August, September to November and December to January.
The best time to travel is the spring (March–May) and Autumn (September-November) with temperatures ranging from 28’c in the hill regions to more than 40’c in the Terai. The monsoon season is generally from June to September.
Food and Drink
Finding food of your taste in Kathmandu will not be a problem. Breakfasts will usually be local breads, pancakes, cereal, muesli, porridge, eggs, tea, and coffee, hot lemon or hot chocolate.
Lunch will generally be vegetables, salads, breads, and cheese and pasta style dishes. Afternoon tea is biscuits and tea or coffee or hot chocolate.
Dinner is often three courses - soup, seasonal vegetables, meat and a dessert. Meals are based on fresh food where possible.. Sometimes the seasonal vegetables are of a limited variety.
Chocolate, snack cheese, cookies, energy bars, dried fruit and nuts are excellent along the trail as snacks.
Soft drinks and beer are available at some places on the trail. Please don't drink alcohol during the day and be aware that alcohol limits your ability to acclimatize to altitude during your ascent. If you wish to drink tea at a tea house, your exposure to harmful bacteria may be reduced if you use your own cup, however, do not follow this procedure to the point of insult.
Altitude sickness can be a real risk for trekkers. There is a risk of malaria between June and September in the low-lying areas including Chitwan National Park. 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 travellers; 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 traveller’s clinics in Kathmandu and numerous pharmacies in the major towns. Medical insurance is essential.
Immunisation
Required vaccinations and health risks can vary greatly from country to country and region to region. It is strongly recommended that you arrange a visit to your GP, or
ideally a specialist travel clinic, prior to your trip. We are unfortunately not qualified to advise you on specific medical requirements. Taking along a copy of your itinerary can be helpful for doctors to identify the areas you may visit.
