1, Is it safe to travel to Nepal?
A: When anybody says Nepal you can think one thing: Mount Everest. Although having a few dangers to be concerned about Nepal is safe to visit.
– The threat of earthquakes
– Blizzards
– Monsoon rains in the mountains
However, Nepal is really a safe place to travel for international visitors in fact and feels safer than most other countries around the globe, possibly due to the religious nature of the people and their natural kindness.
The local people are very hospitable, friendly and welcoming. They accept that tourism is a mainstay of the economy.
Serious crime is almost unheard of, you just have to watch out for the occasional pickpocket or beggars like when you are visiting any other destinations.
The political situation in Nepal is relatively stable, so you should not be worried about this.
In terms of its ‘official’ safety, Nepal comes 84th out of 163 countries ranked on the Global Peace Index (2018), it’s 3rd safest in South Asia!
2, Do I need a visa for Nepal?
A: Regarding the visa to Nepal: Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months at the time of travel and there should be enough blank pages for entry and exit seals. You can obtain a Nepali visa at Kathmandu airport. Please bring two passport size photographs and US$ 30 in Cash per person.
You can also fill the online form on: http://online.nepalimmigration.gov.np
In case you cannot get a Visa online, you can get Visa on arrival in Kathmandu as well. To obtain a visa upon arrival by air in Nepal you must fill in an application form at one of the automatic registration machines, which will also take your digital photo. You can save some time by filling in the form beforehand online at www.online.nepalimmigration.gov.np/tourist-visa and uploading a digital photo (you can find the instruction on this weblink as well). Please find Nepal Visa Application Form which you can print out, fill the information with a photo and give its hard copy to Immigration officer in the airport, remember to pay the Visa fee is US$30 cash (*Note: no need to fill in No 12)
3, What is the maximum weight for check-in luggage with domestic flights?
A: The maximum allowable weight/person in a Domestic flight is 15kgs for checked-in luggage and 7 kgs for cabin luggage. You can carry as many luggage as you can but the total weight of all of them should not exceed 15kgs.
4, How should I dress for the tour with you?
A: While packing your luggage for Nepal, it’s important to remember that the country is very conservative and deeply religious. Bare shoulders or knees will be seen as disrespectful and will make it nearly impossible to visit ancient ruins, temples, or UNESCO World Heritage sites.
What to wear in Nepal: Scarves, Trousers/Long Skirts, Jumpers, T-shirts, A Jacket, Hats/Mittens/Warm socks, Shoes.
5, Advices for the Time zone, telephone charges, communication methods
A: Time zone: Nepal Standard Time (NPT) is the time zone for Nepal. With a time offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) of UTC+05:45 all over Nepal, it is one of the only three time zones with a 45-minute offset from UTC.
– Telephone charges: Buy SIM cards at Kathmandu airport on arrival or at Nepal Telecom (Namaste) or Ncell outlets across the country.
Ncell (www.ncell.com.np) is the most popular and convenient provider for tourists, but in mountain areas, Ncell reception is often non-existent. To get a SIM card, please take a copy of your passport and one photo to an Ncell office. Ncell offer a ‘traveller package’ for Rs 1000 that gets you Rs 600 worth of local calls, Rs 500 of international calls and 500MB of data, for 15 days. Otherwise, local calls cost around Rs 2 to Rs 3 per minute and incoming calls are free. International calls cost around Rs 5 to Rs 15 per minute depending on the destination. It’s easy to buy a scratch card to top up your balance, in denominations from Rs 50 to 1000.
If you are staying longer than 15 days, you can buy a SIM card for Rs 150 and top up your balance with scratch cards. Call *101# to check your balance and *102# to add balance with a scratch card.
For data use, you can choose a pre-paid data package; a 2.5GB package costs Rs 800 for 30 days.
With a 3G connection, you can even get internet access on the Everest Base Camp Trek! (The first tweet from the summit of Everest was sent in May 2011…)
– Communication methods: During your stay in Nepal, for sure you will want to keep in touch with friends and family at home, or you may need to contact a tour operator or someone you know in Nepal. For this, we provide you with some information on communications in Nepal such as: Telephone, Internet, Postal, Freight and Cargo Services, Mass Media.
If you have any questions that not covered on the above answers, please kindly do let us know by email. We are more than happy to clear your concerns as soon as possible. For fully detailed travel tips in Asia, please click the Travel guide on our website.
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