Nepal, the beautiful land of the Himalayas, welcomes about a million tourists every year. The majority of them visit the country for trekking purposes. The lush green hills and majestic mountain trails form over two dozen excellent trekking routes. Tramping through these trails, you reach closer to the Himalayas and witness the unique landscapes ever.
Owing to the diverse terrain the country holds, there are many activities for tourists to do. From bird watching and jungle safari in the national parks to enjoying adventure sports like white-water rafting in the gushing rivers, there are many activities that tourists can indulge in.
Nepal is also a center for yoga and meditational retreats. Each year, thousands of tourists visit Nepal to refresh and reenergize their souls and body through this ancient practice.
Apart from the natural wealth, Nepal has a rich cultural and historical heritage. There are even treks and trips especially designed to learn about a particular culture, such as the Tamang Heritage Trail. This trek is designed to explore the culture and lifestyle of the ethnic Tamang people. Similarly, the Upper Mustang trek lets one explore the mysterious historical and cultural heritage of the last kingdom of Nepal.
- Key Facts
- Location: South Asia, bordering China and India
- Geography: diverse terrain divided into three distinct regions: Terai, Hilly, and Himalayan
- Capital: Kathmandu
- Area: 147,181 square kilometers
- Population: 3 million
- Political System: Democratic Republic
- Major Religion: Hinduism
- Time zone: +5 hours 45 minutes
- Official Language: Nepali
- Working hours: 10 am to 5 pm (summer) 10 am to 4 pm (winter)
- Electricity: Available through the majority of the region
- Visa Information
To make traveling to Nepal easier, the country allows “On arrival” visas for the majority of the nationals. However, this is not valid for some countries. The citizens from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, and refugees with travel documents have to acquire their visa before arriving in Nepal.
The immigration counter will issue the Nepalese tourist visa at Tribhuvan International Airport. If you are traveling by land, you can issue your visa at the border crossings in Mahendranagar, Dhangadi, Nepalgunj, Sunauli, Birgunj, Rasuwagadhi, or Kakarbhitta.
To obtain the visa, the visitor should have a hold a passport that is valid for at least six months from the arrival date and pay visa fees. First, you will have to fill out an online form, then make the visa fee payment.
The visa fees depend on your duration of stay. The visa costs as per the duration of stay are as follows:
- 15 Days – 30 USD
- 30 Days – 50 USD
- 90 Days – 125 USD
During peak travel seasons, the queue at the immigration counter might be very long. So, to make the process easier, you can get your visa beforehand from the Nepalese Diplomatic Missions stationed in your country. For more detail about getting your visa, including visa extension, visit http://www.nepalimmigration.gov.np/page/tourist-visa.
- How to reach Nepal?
Nepal is a landlocked country; hence, there are only two ways of arriving in Nepal.
You can either fly to Tribhuvan International Airport, the only international airport in the country, or travel by road through the India-Nepal border or China-Nepal border. If you are planning to arrive in Nepal by road, you can hire a cab or even catch a bus that is available from Patna, Darjeeling, Lucknow, Delhi, and Varanasi.
Flying to Kathmandu is easy. Over 30 international airlines run daily flights to the capital city from most of the countries in Asia. The connecting flights from the rest of the world are also easily accessible.
- Popular destinations to visit
Depending upon your duration of stay and activity of interest, you can plan to visit various places in Nepal. The country has many trekking regions like Everest, Annapurna, Dolpo, and Manaslu.
These regions offer different long and short trekking options. Some of these trekking options include Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Tamang Heritage trail, Poon Hill Trek, Nar-Phu Valley Trek, and Upper Mustang Trek.
Apart from trekking regions, tourists enjoy visiting places near Kathmandu like Bhaktapur and Patan for sightseeing, and places like Nagarkot, Shivapuri, and the Godavari for hiking. Furthermore, there are many places for sightseeing around Kathmandu Valley and other cities and towns like Pokhara, Chitwan, and Bandipur.
- Internet and Communication In Nepal
With the expansion of telecom networks throughout the country, the Internet is easily accessible in most parts of the country. However, as you travel to the more rural areas at a higher elevation, the network signals become poor.
In more popular trekking regions like the Annapurna and Everest region, teahouses and lodges do have WI-FI connections. However, it might or might not be free of cost. Some teahouses charge 2- 4 USD for WI-FI connection.
In areas with no WI-FI connection, you may use mobile data for internet usage. To have access to mobile data, you will need a Nepalese SIM-Card first. You can buy a pre-paid SIM-Card easily after arriving in Kathmandu. After filling out the form and providing a photocopy of your passport along with a certain fee to the local distributor, you will receive a SIM-Card. After activating and recharging it, you can buy mobile-data packs.
In Kathmandu, Pokhara, and other bigger towns, all most all hotels, bars, and restaurants provide free Wi-Fi facility.
- Local Currency and Foreign Exchange
In Nepal, the local currency is Nepalese rupees. Foreigners can easily exchange USD, Pound sterling, Euro, and Swiss Dollar at a foreign exchange counter at the airport, at a bank, or a money exchange counter. Nepal Rastra Bank publishes the exchange rate for different currencies every day.
If you are planning to go for trekking, it is advisable to exchange your currency either at Kathmandu or at Pokhara because other parts of the country may not exchange any currency except US Dollars.
Alternatively, you may use Visa, Master card, or American Express. If you plan on withdrawing your money using ATMs or travelers cheque, you will have to do so at Kathmandu or Pokhara. ATMs on other parts might not work correctly or accept international cards.
- Weather and climate
The weather condition differs from one region to another in Nepal.
The Terai region experiences sweltering summer and mild winters. During summer, the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, and during winter, it varies from 7 degrees Celsius to around 20 degrees Celsius. Even though the temperature does not reach the freezing point, some places experience harsh conditions due to fog and cold wave.
Generally, as you elevate 1000 meters, the temperature is likely to decrease by 6 degrees Celsius. Thus, the Hilly region has cool summer with bearable heat and somewhat cold winter. During the summer season, the temperature ranges around 25 to 35 degrees Celsius, and during the winter season, it ranges from about 0 to 10 degrees Celsius. The sun rises late; the morning can be foggy usually.
The Mountainous region faces cold winter and mild summer. The temperate in high altitudes is always on minus degree Celsius and even reaches up to – 35 degrees Celsius in the base camps. The sky does not clear up for many days. During summer, the temperature increases up to 15 degrees Celsius.
Winter reaches its peak in December-January while the peak summer is during June-July. The country experiences monsoon during July-August. Although you can visit Nepal throughout the year, the best time is during spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November).
- People, Culture, and Festival
The Nepalese people and their culture is another intriguing part of traveling in Nepal. The country is home to 36 different ethnic tribes. Each tribe has its own unique culture, festival, and tradition.
The biggest festivals of Nepalese are Dashain and Deepawali, and they fall during autumn (October-November). Other than that, different ethnic groups have their unique festivals. For the Sherpas living in the Himalayas, Lhosar, Dumje, and Mani Rimdu are the major festivals that fall during spring.
After the Hinduism, Buddhism is the second major religion in Nepal. Hence, Buddha Jayanti (birthday of Lord Buddha) is also celebrated joyously throughout the country.
Irrespective of the religion and race, all Nepalese people consider their guests to be an incarnation of God, so they welcome visitors into their homes with a warm and open heart. They will ensure that your stay in Nepal is comfortable and that you feel at home.