Frequently asked Question (FAQ)

The country Nepal is pronounced as NAY PAHAL. It is a land locked Republic country southern Asia, located between India and China.

Currently over 26 million people of different races and tribes, living in different regions, wearing different costumes and speaking different languages occupy a total of 147,181 square kilometer (885 km east to west, and 193 km north to south) of this tiny country.Nepal is one of the world's poorest countries, about half the population of Nepal lives below the poverty line.

Nepal is a little larger than North Carolina state of America. Nepal is geographically, culturally, and linguistically diverse. The capital of Nepal is 'Kathmandu' but many love to call it by the name Catmando or Woodmandu or simply by the name `city of temples'. Nepal is a Republic Himalayan country  artistic monuments, exotic wildlife, and a unique harmony of diversified cultures. Nepal attracts visitors for casual holidays, tours, and adventure activities including `Everest Expedition'. Nepal is also popular for having it's land the birth place of Lord Buddha, and birth place of Lord Sita the female Hindus God . Agriculture and Tourism are two important revenues that keeps this nation exist.

How is big Nepal country ?

Nepal is 147,181 square kilometers.Nepal has a rich geography. The mountainous north has eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, called  (Sagarmatha it means talest) in Nepali. It contains more than 240 peaks over 20,000 ft (6,096 m) above sea level. The fertile and humid south is heavily urbanized

Do I need a visa to travel to Nepal?
All foreign nationals, except Indian Citizens, need visas to enter Nepal.

What do I need to get my visa?
You need a valid passport, two passport size photos and US$ 30.

Where do I apply to get my visa?
The best way to apply for visa is from the Nepalese diplomatic missions in your home country. The other choice is to get it from Immigration office at the entry points of Nepal.

What if I decided to stay more than 60 days in Nepal? Where and what should I do to extend my Tourist Visa?
There's no problem in it. The Immigration Department of Kathmandu or Pokhara can extend the visa for another 30 days and the charge for this is US$ 50. Indeed the visa can be extended for a total of 120 days, an additional 30 days visa may be granted on reasonable grounds from the Immigration Office. Nevertheless, a tourist cannot stay in Nepal under tourist-visa for more than 150 cumulative days.

How to Enter Nepal?
In order to fly directly to Nepal from your home country, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu is the only international airport in Nepal. TIA has direct airlink with Osaka, Shanghai, London, Frankfurt, Hongkong, Singapore, Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, Bombay and Calcutta. Lufthansa, Royal Nepal Airlines (RNAC), Air India, Singapore Airlines, Thai are the airlines that carry most of the foreign travelers into Kathmandu; and if you buy tickets from any other airlines, you will probably connect with one of these airlines for the final leg of your flight. Alternatively, if you have time and enthusiasm, traveling overland to Nepal via India is an option. British overland travel operators can take you from London to Kathmandu on a six to eighteen week trip for anywhere between $1200 to $ 2500 depending upon the nature of your trip. You will travel from continental Europe through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India to Nepal. For specific details on traveling overland from India to Nepal, read below.

When is the best time to travel in Nepal?
The weather is probably the best guide for deciding when to plan your trip to Nepal. The best time to visit Nepal is between September to November and February to May.

What is the national language of Nepal?
Nepal's national language is called Nepali. It is written in Devnagri Script. This script is the same as the one used in Hindi language - the national language of India. There are more than 72 different spoken languages in Nepal. It is also official language of Nepal.

What's the common form of greeting in Nepal?
It is called Namaste or Namaskar. You can say the greeting in words as well as do it using a gesture. Join your palms together and bring them close to your chest and about 5 to 7 inches below your chin. The word Namaste has many meanings such as Hello, How are you?, I am glad to see you, nice to meet you, good morning, etc.

What are some basic Nepali customs that I should know about?

• Take off your shoes before entering a temple or one's home
• Ask for permission before entering a Hindu temple
• Taking photographs inside the most temples are considered illegal
• Ask for permission before taking photographs of objects, and including Nepali people.
• Nepali people are friendly by nature. Have a genuine interest in them. Talk to them. Be friendly as you travel.

What time is it now in Nepal and what’s the phone code?
Nepali time is GMT/UTC plus 5 Hours 45 minutes. Area code for dialing to Nepal: Country Code: 977 Kathmandu City Code: 1 (e.g. 977 1 4374738 First three digits is the country code, second is the area code, the last digits are telephone numbers.

What is the currency of Nepal?
Nepalese currency is spelled as Nepalese Rupees or Rupee (Rs) or Nepali Rupee, and in short it is written NRS or RS. 100 Paisa equals 1 Rs. Currently Notes of the following denominations are used: 1000, 500, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2, and 1 rupees. Coin hasn't been popular in Nepal and hence is almost always ignored in business. The coins of the following denominations can be found: 1 paisa, 5 paisa, 10 paisa, 50 paisa and 1 Rs, 2 Rs, and 5 Rs. It is recommended that you travel with smaller notes in less populated areas, while large notes are easily accepted else where.

Are there ATM facilities in Nepal?
Yes, in Kathmandu and Pokhara. International credit cards (Master Card, Visa Card etc) are also accepted in all leading hotels, shopping centers, bars and restaurants in Nepal.

Will my Cell phone (mobile phone) work in Nepal?
Please, Contact your service provider and check if Nepal country is included in their `Global roaming' package. Please note, not all parts of Nepal are covered by the GSM Network in Nepal.

What are health requirements to visit Nepal?
Nepal does not require any specific immunization for visitors. It is however best to have vaccine before coming to Nepal. Your doctors can advice you on the type of vaccine to be taken to travel to third world countries like Nepal.

What about getting to Nepal from Tibet?
The crossing between Nepal and Tibet via Kodari is only open to organized groups but not to individual travelers heading north. Be prepared with alternative plans if you're thinking about using this route, because landslides regularly make it impassable during the monsoon.