Nepal

We only managed to venture to Thamel in Kathmandu and then on to the Everest Base Camp Trek. With so many more beautiful areas within Nepal we certainly plan to visit again! Even though it was incredibly chaotic in Kathmandu, once up in the Himalayas all that is forgotten. It really is incredibly stunning. Nepal offers travellers the best of both worlds and once in a lifetime memories and friendships. To top it off, we haven’t met more genuine people and it really is budget friendly!

Top Travel Tips!

Use water purification tablets
Use hand gels
dont freak out when you’re relying on someones word- we never got scammed

Transport:

Taxis are the only way to go in Nepal. There are cycle rickshaws but even we were not brave enough to try them! Traffic is horrendous all times of day and as the taxis were not expensive we did feel safer in them although we did a lot of our exploration on foot. For long distances there are the buses although as Nepal often experiences mudslides be sure to check routes before you travel. Kathmandu also has an airport so should you want to explore the Himalayas there are regular flights to the gateway towns of both Pokhara and Lukla.

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Currency and costs:

Nepal uses Nepalese Rupees (not the same as Indian Rupees) with an exchange of about 134nr to £1.

For a solo traveller staying in a dorm with 3 meals a day your daily budget should be around £15-20

As a couple in a private double room between us we were spending around £35 a day.

Tours to the Himalayas will run you close to £1000 for 10-14 days if not more, but going independently with a guide is far less at about £40-50 a day.

Don’t forget to pack!

sun cream
closed toe shoes (its really dirty)
currency (hardly anywhere accepts debit/credit card)

Food:

You can buy any food you desire in Kathmandu. The Himalayas will still offer a limited western menu of spaghetti and burgers as well as noodles, rice and the heavenly Nepalese dish of momos. Be careful with your selections though in Thamel. Eat where everyone else is eating as food hygiene is very questionable (we were incredibly ill for a week).

Visas:

I would recommend getting your visa on arrival to Kathmandu airport it was really easy. Just make sure you bring with you 2 passport pictures and have 6 months validity on your passport and you will be granted 60 days to visit this beautiful country.