Passport and visa
All visitors to Nepal expect the Indian nationals
must hold valid passport and visa. The Royal Nepalese
Embassies or consulates aboard or the entry point
or the Immigration offices provide a visa upon the
presentation of a valid passport. Two passport size
photos and a payment of visa fees. Tourist can extend
their visa at the department of immigration, NTB
building, Bhrikuti Mandap Kathmandu. Visa
can also be awarded in Int'l Airport upon arrival
at Katmandu also.
Embarkation and Disembarkation
Cards
Tourists are required to fill up disembarkation
and embarkation cards upon arrival and departure.
Air Port Tax
Airport tax Rs770.00 is levied on departure to SAAC
(south Asian) countries and RS1100.00 to other international
destination. Those flying within Nepal are required
to payRs165.00 as the airport tax.
Foreign exchange
The foreign currency exchange counters of different
banks are also opened at different places in the
city. Foreign currencies must be exchanged only
through the banks or authorized foreign exchange.
Tourists other than from Indain are not allowed
to import or export the Indian currency. The rate
of exchange of the foreign currencies is determined
by Nepal Rastra Bank and is announced in the press
daily.
Banks
Banks are open between 10.00 am to 14.30 P.M. They
are closed on Saturday and Sunday and other holiday.
Time
Nepal time is 5hrs 45 minute ahead of GMT and 15
minute ahead from India Standard time.
Official Holiday
Saturday and Sunday are the weekend holidays in
Nepal.
Working hours
Government and private offices open from 0900 to
1700 PM.
Restaurant and food
Almost every kinds of food representing the culinary
areas of many parts of the world are available in
restaurants. Hotel may have several restaurants
under one roof serving a wide variety of dishes
while individual restaurants cater several types
of cuisine's like Chinese, Indian Continental, Japanese,
Tibetan etc.
Adventure
Nepal is a trekker's paradise. One can trek along
the beaten trails or virgin tracks. There is something
for everyone- the magnificent tumble of great snow
summits, the high test in the world or great carpeted
in alpine flowers, forests of rhododendron, isolated
hamlets, village, small mountain towns, bird, animals,
temples, monasteries an d many different culture
and people.
Altitude sickness
Altitude sick ness, often known as acute mountain
sickness or AMS, if not treated when symptoms first
appear, can lead to death. It is the effect of altitude
of those who ascent too rapidly to elevations above
3000 meters. Early mountain sickness will manifest
itself in headache, loss of appetite and sleeplessness.
Do not ignore these warnings
otherwise more serious symptoms can occur which
can even cause death sometime within few hours.
Being a young, strong and
fit does not help. Medicine is no substitute for
descent. If a doctor is available, he may give medicine
or oxygen. However, the patient must go down even
if given treatment, If you travel in Khumbu region
you can contact the hospital in Kunde and Pheriche
and if you travel to Manang you can contract at
Manang Hospital for altitude sickness and information,
Doctors are available there during trekking season.
Some other important hints
Beware of touts who climb to be reprehensive companies
and offer to take bargain hunting.
Use hotel safety boxes for your valuables. Do not
leave cash and other valuable things lying around
the room.
Shopping
Shopping can be very rewarding and exciting in Kathmandu.
There are numbers tourists' shops on the main street
and in the arcades of hotels bursting with tempting
jewelries, image, clothes and typical Nepalese craft.
In some of the small village shops one can obtain
traditional makes and beautiful potteries. Antiques
can be taken out of the country with special permission
granted by the Dep. of Archeology only. Traditional
crafts mans colony in Patan is also famous shopping
center for Nepalese handicraft.
