TREKKING AND TRAVEL INSURANCE
One of the most important travel safety tips for Nepal is that one should always make sure they are accompanied by other travellers or at least by a guide if you are going for a trek/hike. There are many online sites and platforms where you can find fellow trekkers planning treks in Nepal, for those of you who are travelling to Nepal alone and are looking for a trekking companion.
The last thing you want to worry about when preparing for a trekking excursion to Nepal is the possibility of getting sick or injured. Having the appropriate Travel Insurance (check out World Nomad) is crucial for this reason. Check carefully the wording of your insurance as most plans exclude trekking above 5,000 metres and in Nepal you will need insurance upto 6,000 meters – DO NOT RISK YOUR HEALTH, ALTITUDE SICKNESS CAN BE LIFE THREATENING.
CASH IS KING
Of all the important tips for Nepal travelers, one of the most useful ones has to be to that you absolutely must have cash on you at all times and you cannot rely on using your card all the time. Most of the places in rural towns and villages don’t accept cards and there may not be an ATM available in the vicinity.
Finding an ATM in the main towns is not an issue (they even have ATM Lounges with multiple bank machines), but be aware there is a flat fee for withdrawing money – plus possible bank charges in your own country. Withdraw the highest possible amount to save on these charges e.g. Nalib Bank allows upto 35,000 Nepalese Rupees in one transaction.
SIM CARDS
Using a travel SIM in Nepal is essential, as outside your Hostel/Hotel/Guesthouse there is limited wifi – and if you are hiking you need to be able to contact if you get into difficulty.
Aside from letting you stay connected to your loved ones while you’re abroad, having an internet connection allows you to access Google Maps and translating apps—both of which are very important. Nepal has the top three mobile service providers currently. They are Nepal Telecom (NTC), Ncell, and Smartcell. All of them are huge mobile service providers in Nepal with thousands of subscribers – please note that coverage varies e.g. NTC does not have coverage for 50% of the Everest Base Camp Trek.
Buying a SIM card is easier for foreigners due to its availability at the airport, which is quite visible from the arrival gate. There are several outlets at Tribhuvan International Airport where you can purchase Nepali SIM Cards as soon as you arrive. If you forgo this experience there are plenty of stores in Thamel, and every other town where you can purchase a SIM and recharge your plan.
To purchase a SIM card in Nepal, you have to fulfill some requirements. You have to fill out a registration form and submit some documents. You need to provide a photocopy of your passport, which you can get from the same outlet and show your Arrival Visa (and one passport-size photo).
Of course, if you use an eSIM this is all done digitally and as such can be pre-loaded before you arrive in Nepal.
EATING AND WATER
These are two pretty essential things.
Firstly water, the tap water in Nepal is NOT drinkable. However, a number of guesthouses and hostels will provide free water for guests to drink and refill their bottles. The use of ‘single use bottles’ should be discouraged and therefore come prepared with either ‘water purifying tablets or drops’. These two essentials are also readily available in Pharmacies and Hiking Shops and really helps reduce waste.
Secondly the food, which I can only describe as ‘yummy’! There’s a touch of spice and a touch of colour. Nepalese food is filling, tasty, and varied. The most famous dishes in Nepal are perhaps Momo’s and Dal Bhat. If you haven’t eaten at least one Dal Bhat per day when trekking in Nepal, you’re not doing it properly – especially as it comes with unlimited additional servings (but not meat).
To save between 50%-75% of costs, eat where the locals eat. These establishments may only have two tables and the food is cooked in the same room, but it is authentic and a great experience – don’t be put off. If you really want an authentic drink, ask for Raksi (local rice wine) which will not be on any menu, but it’s cheap and goes down well (especially after the first glass!!).
PASSPORT PHOTOS – CARRY SPARES
When visiting Nepal, you must be aware of the fact that you can either get a visa prior to your trip or you can apply for a visa on arrival. Both options are absolutely fine, but if you’re planning to get a visa on arrival, then make sure to carry a passport photograph with you. Otherwise, you will have to get your photograph taken at the airport, which is very time-consuming. Therefore, make sure to carry a photograph with you, it’ll save you a lot of time, and you never know when else on your trip it will come in handy
TRAVELLING AND ROAD CONDITIONS
Well, getting around in Nepal is a bit tricky. Distances between cities are not that great, but the roads are very poor, travelling is slow and the buses are not in the best of conditions. Some of the roads are pretty decent, but there are few that do not deserve to be called roads!! There is significant upgrade work going on for the major routes, so journeys are slow, bumpy and dusty.
Tourist buses are the most common way of travelling across Nepal. There are AC buses with reclining seats, as well as non-AC buses. They run between all the major towns like Kathmandu, Pokhara, Sauraha (Chitwan National Park), Lumbini, Jomson etc. These vehicles are generally in better conditions than the local buses. In high seasons, it is better to get the tickets to these buses a day in advance, as they tend to get filled. Please note that you pay a fare for the total journey of the bus e.g. if you want to travel from Kathmandu to Bandipur (which is 80 kilometres away from Pokhara), you will still pay for the total cost from Kathmandu to Pokhara with no reduction in the fare.
If you really want to be adventurous you try to travel on local buses. These buses are definitely much cheaper (approx 50% of the Tourist Bus price) but are old, and can be uncomfortable and prone to breakdown – but fixes are applied quickly. The best thing about them is that you will experience the ‘real’ Nepalese lifestyle and Trey are so easy to use (in almost all cases you pay on the local bus not before).