Nepal (Nepali) Travel

Air

Airports
The only international airport in Nepal is Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu.

Airlines
Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) has a London to Frankfurt to Kathmandu service. They are known to be very unreliable and often have delays and cancellations.

There are flights to Kathmandu from Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong. Thai International and RNAC have flights to and from Bangkok. Flights from the west coast of the US and from Australia usually go through these cities.

Austrian Airlines and Transavia (a Dutch airline) has direct flights between Europe and Nepal. Aeroflot has flights from European cities going via Moscow. Gulf Air and Qatar Airways have flights from Europe, but you have to change planes in the Middle East.

Many people take a flight to New Delhi in India and chance planes take a short Indian Airlines or RNAC flight to Kathmandu.

Where to Sit
To see the mountain while flying into Nepal you have to sit on the correct side. Flying from the west – New Delhi or Varanasi – you want to sit on the left side. Flying from the west – Calcutta, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok or Yangon (Rangoon) – you want to sit on the right side. To get a good seat you should arrive at the airport early — for an international flight 3 hours.

Highways in Nepal
There are two main highways in Nepal. For the most part the roads are pretty bad in Nepal. Mahendra Highway is the main road and goes from Mahendranagar on the western Indian border to Kakarbhitta on the eastern Indian border.
The Prithvi Highway connects Pokhara to Kathmandu.1ff

Departing Nepal by Air
It is usually a good idea to get to the airport three hours before a flight departs and is a bad idea to not get there at least two hours before the flight departs. You must reconfirm your flight at least 72 hours before the flight departs.

There is a good restaurant on the 2nd floor. After going through immigration that is a restaurant on the first floor.

It is possible to re-exchange up to 15% of the Nepalis rupees that you changed. You need to show unused encashment certificates. If you are departing to India you can get Rs 500 to Rs 2000.

If you have an item that looks like an antique, it is good idea to have gotten clearance for it.

The x-ray machines for check-in baggage are not film safe. The x-ray machines that check carry-on baggage is supposed to be safe, but it is a good idea to have it hand checked.

There is a post office on the ground floor.

Arrival in Kathmandu
Touts are not allowed inside the international terminal, but you can expect them to jump on you when you leave the terminal.

There are two branches of the Arab Bank at the airport — one before you clear immigration on the first floor and one at the departure area on the ground floor. They are open during flights, which usually means until around 7.30 pm.

Departure Tax
A departure tax of Rs 1000 has to be paid at the Arab Bank in the departure terminal in Nepalese rupees.

Special Needs
Guide dogs usually have to travel with a special pressurized baggage compartment that carries animal. Guides are subject to quarantine laws (often six months of separation), as other animal when you returning to a country that does not have rabies, such as Australia.

UK and Europe
The Globetrotters Club, BCM Roving, London WC1N 3XX, publishes the Globe, a newsletter about destinations and a way to find traveling companions.

London to Kathmandu on RNAC is £650 return and on Gulf Air is £799. Austrian Airlines departing from Vienna to Kathmandu is US$899 round trip.

The USA
Travel Unlimited (PO Box 1058, Allston, MA 02134) is a magazine that has information on the cheapest air fare and courier flights for destination across the world. A round trip flight is around $1500.

Australia & New Zealand
Flight Centres International and STA are large companies found all over Australia that offer discount tickets. Flight Centres advertises that they will beat any price.

Prices change depending on the season. An average price is around Aus$1500 round trip. Flights usually go via Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong, and you can usually stop over at one of these places along the way. To stop at a place you usually the only extra you have to pay is the airport tax.

A one way ticket from eastern Australia to Singapore is US$650.

India
Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) and Indian Airlines have most of the flights between India and Kathmandu. Both airlines give a 25% discount for travelers under 30 on flights between India and Nepal. Necon Air has flights between Kathmandu and Patna. Buddha Air may also start having flights.

Flights between Delhi and Kathmandu are US$142. RNAC has two flights daily and Indian Airlines one flight. There are also flights to Kathmandu to and from Calcutta (US$96), Varanasi (US$71) and Patna (US$75).

Flight to Southeast Asia
Some flight prices are:
Bangkok, Thailand $
Singapore $
Lhasa, Tibet $
Dhaka, Bangladesh $
Karachi, Pakistan $

On Biman Bangladesh Airlines a direct flight from Kathmandu to Bangkok is $220. On Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Kathmandu–Dhaka–Yangon–Bangkok is US$311.

Land
There are three main places to enter Nepal by land, three from India and one from Tibet.
It is possible to take your own motorbike or vehicle overland from Europe. To bring your vehicle into Nepal you need an international carnet.

India
The main border crossings are at Sunauli/Bhairawa, Raxaul Bazaar/Birganj and Kakarbhitta (on the eastern border near Darjeeling). There are other places where it is possible to cross the border.

Through Tickets
Two established travel agencies in Kathmandu are Wayfarers Travel Service (417-176; fax 245-875; email wayfarer@mos.com.np), Thamel, Kathmandu; and Yeti Travels (221-234; fax 226-152), Durbar Marg, Kathmandu.

Tibet
At the present time only organized tours can enter Tibet from Nepal (via Kodari) and it is expensive. Individual travelers can not enter from Nepal. Individual travels have been able to enter Tibet from China and from there traveled to Nepal.
The road between Kathmandu and China is not in good shape and is often closed because of landslides during the monsoon. Sometimes Tibet is closed because of political problems.

Individual Travel
If you can travel individually to Tibet you first need to get a visa to China.

From Khasa (Zhangmu), the town on the Tibetan border, has just two buses a week to Lhasa. You should take food and water on the trip because there is not much available. It is possible to get a truck to Shigatse, which is a really tough 15 hour trip. From Shigatse there are local buses to Gyantse and from there are buses to Lhasa from there. By road it is a tough trip and there is a possibility of altitude sickness as a height of 5140m is reached along the way.

To get to Kodari and the Tibet border from Kathmandu you first get a bus to Barabise and from there it is a two hour bus ride to Kodari on the border. There are no direct buses to Kodari from Kathmandu. You can see the section on the Arniko Highway, which describes this route.

Organized Tours
Several travel agencies organize package tours to Lhasa. The cost is around US$100 per person per day for seven to 14-day tours. Tours within China are organized by China International Travel Service (CITS), the state travel agency.

Most tours from Kathmandu take eight days and include a flight either to or from Lhasa and an overland trip in the other direction. There are no flights because of the weather from the end of November to the end of March.

Some travel agencies that do tours to Tibet.

Green Hill Tours
PO Box 5072, Thamel, Kathmandu
(414-968; fax 424-065; email: ghill@wlink.com.np)
Kathmandu Travels & Tours
PO Box 459, Ganga Path, Kathmandu
(471-577; fax 225-131)
Natraj Tours & Travels
PO Box 495; Durbar Marg, Kathmandu
(222-014; fax 227-372; email: natraj@vishnu.ccsl.com.np)
Nepal Travel Agency
PO Box 1501, Ram Shah Path, Kathmandu
(430-188; 431-861; email: nta@vishnu.ccsl.com.np)
Tibet Travels & Tours
PO Box 7246, Tridevi Marg, Thamel, Kathmandu
(249-140; fax 249-986; email: kalden@tibet.wlink.com.np)
Yeti Travels
PO Box 5376, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu
(221-234; fax 226-152; email: yeti@vishnu.ccsl.com.np)

Travel within Nepal
Getting around in Nepal can be tough at times. Often travel does not go as plan. Weather conditions and the difficult terrain can really slow things down. It is a good idea to be patience and to just accept things going wrong without getting mad. Getting angry will very seldom help. When I travel in Nepal, especially if I am going to take local buses is to shut down my system and just expect to totally suffer and that things will go wrong.

During the major festival times during Dasain and Deepawali, it is a good idea to travel at the bare minimum, because public transportation will be packed. Planes and buses are both booked well in advance at these times. During this time flights should be booked weeks in advance.

Air
Nepalis pay about 75% of the prices paid by foreigners on domestic flights. Airlines are supposed to only take foreign currencies from foreign visitors.

There are several airlines that have flights within Nepal. There is Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC), Buddha Air, Cosmic Air, Gorkha Airlines, Lumbini Airways and Necon Air. The prices of the private companies for flights are usually the same as those of RNAC. The private companies are usually more efficient and offer better service. Necon and Buddha Air and both considered to be first-class. The private companies have a tendency to come and go and some may not exist a year later.

The main airports in Nepal are at Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar in the east, and Nepalganj in the west.

RNAC ahs the most flights including flights to Bajhang, Bajura, Bhairawa, Bharatpur, Bhojpur, Biratnagar, Chaurjhari, Dhangadhi, Dolp, Janakpur, Jomsom, Jumla, Kathmandu, Lamidanda, Lukla, Manang, Nepalganj, Phaplu, Pokhara, Ramechhap, Rumjatar, Rukum, Sanfebagar, Simara (Birganj), Simikot, Surkhet, Taplejung and Tumlingtar.

Necon Air has flights to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Nepalganj, Janakpur, Biratnagar and Bhairawa.
Lumbini Airways has flights to Kathmandu, Bajura, Bhairawa, Bharatpur, Jomsom, Lukla, Simikot, Jumla, Dolp, Napalganj, Surkhet, Phaplu and Simara (Birganj).

Buddha Air had the most modern and fastest aircraft. They have flights to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Bhairawa, Biratnagar and Nepalganj.

It is a good idea to book a domestic flight at least one week in advance. It is extremely important to reconfirm and to even reconfirm flights again. Flights are often overbooked and it is not unusual to be bumped off a flight

Some of the flights are mainly for trekkers such as the Kathmandu to Lukla flight and the Kathmandu to Jomsom flight. There are frequent flights to trekking places during the season and they are usually heavily booked, so they should be booked well in advance. The flights to and from Jomsom are often canceled because of bad weather. Flights departing from Kathmandu are often delayed because of fog, and if they can not reach Jomsom by 11 am they often can not land because of heavy winds. Often flights departing from Lukla can be delayed because of bad weather and sometimes the airport can be closed for a week.

Domestic Airport
It is best to check in at least an hour in advance. There is an Rs 100 airport tax that is paid when checking in.

A pocket knife, batteries and gas cigarette lighters can not be carried onto the flights.

Bus
The main form of transportation in Nepal is bus. They are usually very cheap and often very uncomfortable.

It is usually best to book a bus a day or two in advance.

Public buses connect to most places that have road connection. There are special tourist buses from Kathmandu to Pokhara and Chitwan.
Many people prefer to ride on the top of the buses. Often the views are better, you can watch your bags and often you have more room. It is a good idea to always look forward, so you can see low wires or branches. The sun can be hard on the roof and you may need sunscreen.

Type of Buses
There are both government and private buses. The government bus government is called Sajha Yatayat and they have blue and white Japanese buses. They go on almost all routes except in the far west and far east. In the main town there is a Sajha Yatayat office, where you can reserve a bus in advance. Often these buses are in bad condition and do not run on schedule.

There are many private bus companies. Buses vary greatly from rarely bad buses to brand new one. If you are booking a long distance bus, especially with a travel agency it is good idea to ask what the quality of the bus you will be taking. Private buses run on most routes. On main routes there are often express buses, which either don’t stop at all or stop much less often.

It is usually better to take a day bus instead of a night bus because there are often great views along the way and the day buses are safer. Day buses are usually cheaper than the night buses. Night buses usually travel at a faster pace, because there is less traffic on the road at night.

Traveling on a local bus can be very slow, crowded, and painful and should be avoided as much as possible.

Highways in Nepal
There are two main highways in Nepal. The main west to east highway runs along the entire country from Mahendranagar on the western border to Kakarbhitta on the eastern border of India. The Prithvi Highway goes between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Between Kathmandu and Mugling the road goes along the Trisuli River, which is the most popular river for rafting. It then goes along the Marsyangdi River, which meets the Trisuli at Mugling, until Dumre. The road follows the Seti Gandaki River from Damauli to Pokhara.
There are two other highways. The Tribhuvan Highway (or Rajpath) goes south from the Prithvi Highway, about 30km from Kathmandu at Naubise. It goes to Hetauda and to the Indian border at Birganj. The Siddhartha Highway connects Pokhara and Butwal on the Mahendra Highway. It goes via the interesting town of Tansen (Palpa).

Mahendra Highway

East—Kakarbhitta to Narayanghat
The road is in good condition between these two towns.

About fifteen minutes from Kakarbhitta after going past some tea plantations is the town of Birtamod. A road goes from this town to Ilam, which is where treks to the Kanchenjunga region begin.
The first main town you come to is Itahari after 100km. From this town a road heads south to Biratnagar, the second largest city in Nepal. Another road goes north to Hile and Basantapur, the beginning place for treks to Makalu, Kanchenjunga and Arun Valley.

The road that comes to the flood plain of the Sapt Kosi, which is a tributary of the Ganges. The road is built on a raised levy. There is often a lot of water in the low lands and many water birds can be seen such as cranes, duck egrets and Brahmani kites. Houses are built are the areas of high ground, as the area has annual floods. Sometime houses are built on silts. The people are similar to those found in India.

Once you past Mohanpur, you go along the Chure Hills. About 100km past the Kosi Barrage you come to Lalbiti, where there is a road that turns off to Janakpur, 25km south. The area has many people and there are many green fields. Between Dalkebar and Amlekhganj is an area of nice sal forest.

Car
It is not possible to rent a self-drive car in Nepal. It is easy to rent a car with driver. The cost is around $40 a day, plus the fuel, which is around Rs 40 per litre.

Many people rent a car to go from Kathmandu to Pokhara and Royal Chitwan National Park. Prices often go up higher during the high season.

Motorcycle
Motorcycles can be rented in Kathmandu. For more information see the Kathmandu section.

Bicycle
Riding a bike is a convenient and cheap way to get around. There are many places in Kathmandu and Pokhara to rent a bicycle. It is possible to ride a bike almost everywhere in the Kathmandu Valley. Every leaving Kathmandu, it is a good idea to have a mountain bike. A normal bike cost around Rs 50 per day and a mountain bike is around Rs 150 to Rs 200 per day.

See the Mountain Biking section for more details.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides