Nepal Information

LOCATION : It borders with Tibet on the north and India in the east, south and the west.
AREA : 147,181 Sq. Kms.
ALTITUDE : FROM 70 Mts. TO 8848 Mts.
CAPITAL : KATHMANDU
POPULATION : 1,84,91,097 Aprx.

LANGUAGE : Nepali is the national language. Educated people understand and speak English as well.

TIME : Nepal time is 05 hrs. and 45 minutes ahead of GMT

CLIMATE : Nepal has four major seasons - The winter (December - February), Spring (March - May), Summer (June - August), and Autumn (September - November).

PEOPLE : Nepalese people are mainly divided into two distinct racial groups - The Indo-Aryans and the Mongoloids. KATHMANDU valley has been the region of confluence of these two group since historic times. The Nepalese people have culturally inherited the best elements of these ethnic groups making them very lively and their lifestyle very colorful.

RELIGION : Nepal is the only Hindi kingdom in the world. Hindu Temples and Buddhist Shrines are scattered all over the mountains and valleys that make up the geographical shape of the kingdom. The cool and peaceful lofty mountains, the freshness of the nature expressed at its best in the crystal clear water and clean air basically, the un spoilt surroundings are perhaps the features of this lovely land that might have inspired all those Hindu sages and the Buddhists monks in quest for peace, to set up their spiritual institutions here. Nepal is the birth place of LORD BUDDHA - The light of Asia. There is a complex blending of Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal.

OUTFITS : Except in formal gatherings, informal clothes are acceptable everywhere. Warm garments are required in October - March. An umbrella or a raincoat is a must for the rainy season ie. July - September.

CURRENCY AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE : Nepali rupee notes come in Rupee1, RS.2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, & 1000 denominations. Coins come in 5, 10, 25P, RS.1, RS.5 denominations. Foreign currency must be exchanged only through the banks or authorised foreign exchange dealers. The receipts from such transactions are to obtained and retained. Visitors can exchange foreign currency at the foreign exchange counter at the airport upon arrival. Visitors other than the Indians Nationals have to make the payments in hotels, travel or trekking agencies and air tickets in foreign currency. Non-Indian visitors are not allowed to import or export Indian currency. The approximate value of one US Dollar is equivalent to Rs. 51.

ENTRY PROCEDURES : The visas can be obtained at the Nepalese Diplomatic Missions & Consuls abroad and entry points issue visa for a 15 days. The visa will be extended at the Department of immigration, Tridevi Marg, Thamel, Tel: 977-1-4412337/4418573. The Department also issues multi entry visa for the visitors.

ENTRY POINTS:

BY AIR: Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu.

BY LAND: (1) Kakarbhitta (2) Birgunj (3) Belhiya (Bhairahawa) (4) Nepalgunj (5) Dhangadi (6) Jogbani (Biratnagar) and (7) Mahendra Nagar in Nepal-India border and Kodari in Nepal - China border.

CUSTOMS :

All baggage is subject to custom's check at the point of entry. Visitors are allowed to bring in the consumable articles such as liquor one bottle up 1.15 litres, 200 sticks of cigarette, 15 rolls of photo film and 12 rolls of movie camera film. Visitors are also allowed to carry 1 binocular, 1 camera, 1 movie camera, 1 video camera, 1 radio, 1 tape recorder, 1 bicycle, 1 wrist watch, 1 set of fountain pen, 1 perambulator, 15 radio cassetes & 10 disk records into the country on the condition that they are declared and are to be taken back on return. Carrying narcotics, arms & ammunitions are strictly prohibited. Visitors can export souvenirs to their respective countries. The export of antiques requires special certificate from the Department of Archaeology, National Archive Building, Ram Shah Path, Kathmandu . Gold, Silver, precious stones, wild animals and their skins, horns, etc, all drugs whether processed or in their natural state, are prohibited to export.

TRAVEL: Royal Nepal Airlines the national flag carrier of Nepal and other International airlines operate scheduled flights to Kathmandu from Bangkok, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Dubai, Dhaka, Paro, Varanasi, Frankfurt, Paris, Hongkong, Karachi, London, Moscow, Singapore & Lhasa. The international Airlines operating their flights to Kathmandu include Aeroflot, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, China South West Airlines, Druk Air, Indian Airlines, Lufthansa, Pakistan International airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai international and Qatar Airways.

INTERNAL TRANSPORT : Royal Nepal Airlines has an extensive network of air services in the interior of Nepal. This include Taplejung, Bhadrapur, Rajbiraj, Bhojpur, Phaplu, Lukla, Lamidanda Tumlingtar, Rumjatar, and Biratnagar in the east; Nepalgunj, Chaurjhari, Surkhet, Dang, Ropla and Jumla, in the Mid-west, and Kolti, Mahendranagar, Dhangadi, Silgadi (Doti), Tikapur, Sanphebagar, Baitadi, and Darchula in the Far-Western Region. Besides Royal Nepal Airlines, the other domestic airlines such as Nepal Airways, Everest Air, Asian Airlines Helicopter, Necon Air provide regular and charter services to different popular domestic destinations.

AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION

In addition to metered taxis, limousine service is also available at the airport for transport to major hotels in the city.

OTHER TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS: Metered taxis having black plates with white figures are available in Kathmandu. Metered tempos (three wheeler Scooter) are also available and are slightly cheaper than taxis, Bicycles, motor cycles and rickshaws are also available on hire. The fare for the bicycles or motorcycles is fixed whereas the fare of rickshaws is to be negotiated. There are regular bus services between the main town of the Kathmandu Valley. The Bus Terminal is located at Gongabu (new bus terminal) and Bagbazar (old bus terminal).

Similarly, scheduled bus services for outside the Valley operate from the Gongabu Bus terminal which is located at Balaju, Kathmandu.

MAJOR FESTIVALS OF NEPAL :
New Year's Day - April 14, (First day of Baisakh)
Matatirtha Aunsi or Mother's Day - (April)
Buddha Jayanti - (April)
Machchendranath Rath Jatra - (May-June)
Guru Purnima - (August)
Gaijatra (August)
Krishnashtami - (August-September)
Gokarna Aunsi or Father's Day - (August-September)
Indra Jatra - (September)
Bada- Dashain - (September-October)
Tihar - (October-November)
Constitution Day - (November 9)
Bala Chaturdarshi - (November-December)
Birthday of His Majesty the King (December 28)
Birth-anniversary of His Late Majesty King Prithvi Narayan Shah, The Great -(January 10)
Basanta Panchami - (January- February)
National Democracy Day - (February 18)
Maha Shivratri - (March- April)
Ghode Jatra - (March-April)