Travel Guides

What’s the weather & geography?
Nepal is a landlocked kingdom sharing borders with Tibet to the north and India to the west, south and east. The latitude and longitude of Nepal are 28.3949° N, 84.1240° E respectively. The land mass of Nepal is generally divided into 3 regions: Terai, Hilly & Mountainous. Among which Terai occupies 23%, Hilly area occupies 43% and Mountainous area occupies 34% of the total land mass. The greater part of the country lies on the southern slope of the Himalayas, extending down from the highest peaks through hill country to the upper edge of the Ganges Plain. The hilly central area is crossed by the Lower Himalayas, where there are eight of the highest peaks in the world, leading up to Mount Everest. Wildlife in Nepal includes tigers, leopards, gaur, elephants, buffalo, deer and rhinos.

What is the best time to visit?
Monsoon season begins around the end of June and lasts until the middle of September. About 80% of Nepal’s annual rainfall is during that period, so the remainder of the year is pretty dry. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons; winter temperatures drop to freezing, with a high level of snowfall in the mountains, while high summer can be blisteringly hot. Summer and late spring temperatures range from 28ºC (83ºF) in the hill regions to more than 40ºC (104ºF) in the Terai.
In winter, average maximum and minimum temperatures in the Terai range from a brisk 7ºC (45ºF) to a mild 23ºC (74ºF). The central valley’s experience a minimum temperature often falls below freezing point and a chilly 12ºC (54ºF) maximum. Much colder temperatures prevail at higher elevations. The Kathmandu Valley, at an altitude of 1,310m (4,297ft), has a mild climate, ranging from 19-27ºC (67-81ºF) in summer, and 2-20ºC (36-68ºF) in winter.

Information regarding Passport & visa
To enter Nepal, a passport valid for six months is required by nationals and Visas for Nepal are required before entering inside the territory of Nepal. You may conduct business on a tourist visa for up to 30 days.
Types and cost:
Tourist visa on arrival: US$25 (15 days); US$40 (30 days); US$100 (90 days).

Availability of Health Services
Pharmacies in Kathmandu offer a wide range of Western drugs at low prices. In Kathmandu, you can get certain vaccinations free at the Infectious Diseases Clinic. Full medical insurance is crucial while you stay in Nepal. And the most convenient hospital for visitor care is Patan Hospital in Lagankhel.

Religion and culture in Nepal
Nepal is a sovereign nation of different religions with more than 102 castes and ethnic groups Nonetheless; Nepalese people have managed to find a peaceful way to live together with all the disparity and differences between them. According to the census done in 2001, 84.2 % of Nepalese followed Hinduism, 10.74 % followed Buddhism, 4.20 % followed Islam, 3.60 % followed Kirant, and 0.45 % followed Christianity.

Food and water in Nepal
You should eat well-cooked meat and vegetables should be cooked otherwise you there is a huge risk of food poisoning. All water should be regarded as potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or sterilized. Milk is unpasteurized and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and advised. Avoid dairy products as they might have been prepared without proper health standards.

Nepalese Banking Hours
Banks in the Kathmandu valley are open Sun-Fri 0900-1530 and Fri 0900-1300. Licensed money changers are open 12 hours per day.

Nepal’s duty free
The following goods may be imported into Nepal by foreign visitors without incurring customs duty:
– 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars and 20g of tobacco.
– 1.15L of spirits or wine or 12 cans of beer.
– Medicine not exceeding Rs10, 000 in value.
– Canned food not exceeding Rs5, 000 in value.
– Fresh fruit not exceeding Rs2, 000 in value.
All baggage must be declared on arrival and departure. Certain goods including cameras, videos and electronic goods may only be imported duty-free if they are exported on departure. They may not be left in Nepal.

Major Festivals in Nepal

Nepal: a memorable nation to experience high-class festivity and drama.”
Unrest often leads to renewal and here in Nepal, you are bound get awe-struck with the cultural festivities available in every corner of this mystical Himalayan nation. The youthful ostentation of the so-called Nepalese festivity makes Nepal a country with diverse and exotic place to visit. More than 50 festivals are celebrated during the entire year by all group of Nepalese community in Nepal; among them we have listed few major festivals of Nepal down below:

• Shivaratri
  Shivaratri is one of the most annually well-celebrated Hindu festivals in nobility of the divine Hindu God Shiva. Shivaratri in the heavenly term means the “Great Night of Shiva” which is celebrated in late winter and before the coming of spring. If you plan on visiting Nepal during Shivaratri, then as a tourist you are bound to see that the entire nation shall be celebrating this festival widely in the temples all over Nepal but especially in the Pashupatinath temple. Visit to the Pashupatinath temple shall give you a sight of thousands of Hindu devotees lining up to enter the prominent temple. The Nepalese people and many other Hindu devotees from around the globe come to visit and pay homage to the holy god by performing many sanctified rituals. Get ready to give your eyes and ears the amusement of diverse conventional music and dance forms performed throughout the Kathmandu valley.
• Holi
  Holi festival in Nepal is known as “the festival of colors” which celebrated to welcome the spring season and the end of winter. This is an ancient Hindu festival with a real virtue of this festival being the triumph of good over evil in religious and spiritual sense. In general Holi is celebrated in early March and sometimes in February. People from many countries plan a direct to visit to Nepal during this festival and as a result Nepal gets a huge influx of tourists particularly in Kathmandu Valley. Generally people throw colored water and drench each other during the entire day of festivity. Tourists can witness the view of streets filled with people having soaked with water and colors on their faces. In tourism perspective this festival is truly important as it helps to attract many visitors in terms of celebratory exoticness and excitement.
• Teej
  Mainly knows as the “festival of sisterhood”, Teej is first and foremost the celebration of traditional values of women in Nepalese society. As the festivity gets nearer women and girls from many ethnic communities start to prepare for this upcoming festivity. Women in general wear new and pleasant clothes, ornaments and little make-up. Generally falling on the period of mid-August to mid-September, Teej is celebrated in the entire nation with huge enthusiasm and zest to women in the society. Tourists who like seeing the sights of beautifully yet culturally dressed women dancing to the Teej festival songs with all their heart and joy are recommended to plan their visit in Nepal during this festivity as you are bound to get invited for a participation in this festival.

• Bijaya Dashami
  Bijaya Dashami is considered as one of the most largely celebrated festival in Nepal. It is also known as “Dashain” in general by the people of Nepal. With its popularity in rising this auspicious festival is celebrated throughout the globe with utmost devotion and passion. Typically people return back to their homeland from all over the world to celebrate this festival with their home community and their personal close family members. During this time of the year, tourists who willingly stay will see that the streets and many highways are less crowded with people and vehicles in Kathmandu due to the fact that people leave Kathmandu to visit their home village. You shall be flabbergasted with the sight of people’s forehead covered with Red and White tikas. Music, drinks, dances and playing of cards can be seen all over the valley during this festival. So this becomes one of the most prime time to visit Nepal for a real and authentic observation of Nepalese culture.
• Tihar
  Popularly known as “the festival of lights”, Tihar is the well thought as the second biggest Nepalese festival which is celebrated after the extensive festivity of Dashain in Nepal. Tihar is of great significance to the Nepalese communities and has risen in popularity in the recent years as it shows great admiration to the animals such as dogs, crows and cows. So tourists with a camera with them get a lot to capture. From the amusing plays of musical instruments and the flattering dances along with the sights of animals with “Mala & Tika” make this a time of true ecstasy for both the people and the animals.  Get a time of your life while strolling around the valley with the scenic yet culturally defined values of Nepalese flowing in the air.