Travel Information >> Nepal
>> Nepal : overview
|
|
Nepal : overview
|
Nepal Guide
Nepal is still a heady place, whether you're a trekker on a trail to Annapurna, a climber on your way to Everest or a seeker on the path to enlightenment. There are few countries on Earth that can match its combination of spectacular scenery, exotic culture and hospitable people. Along with the world's deepest canyon and eight of the world's 10 highest mountains, Nepal has steamy jungles and terraced valleys laced with ancient villages, remote temples and wildlife preserves.
For all its dizzying beauty, though, there are plenty of problems in Nepal these days that can bring you down to earth in a hurry: Smog and pollution fill its valleys, piles of trash litter its peaks, and robbery has increased on several of its most popular trekking trails. More important, Maoist rebels have attacked government positions in about half of the country's 75 districts, and even the Kathmandu Valley cannot be considered fully safe. Though the good hearts and spiritual nature of most Nepalis remain unchanged, the situation is too unstable for casual tourists at this time. Budding Siddharthas or would-be Edmund Hillarys should wait to visit Nepal.
The Essentials
Official Name: Kingdom of Nepal.
Passport/Visa Requirements: Citizens of Canada and the U.S. need passports and visas (available on arrival). Reconfirm travel document requirements with your carrier before departure.
Capital: Kathmandu.
Population: 23,314,681.
Languages: Nepali, dialects.
Predominant Religions: Hindu, Buddhist.
Time Zone: 5.8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+5.8 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed.
Voltage Requirements: 220 volts.
Telephone Codes: 977, country code for Nepal; 1, city code for Kathmandu.
Geography
The country can be divided into three different regions. The south consists of plains, swamps and forests. The north is covered by the Himalaya, the mountain range that includes the world's tallest peak, Mt. Everest, which rises to 29,000 ft/8,850 m. Kathmandu and most of the country's population can be found in the (relatively) low mountains of central Nepal.
Weather and Climate
If you're going to Nepal for trekking, there are only two seasons - October-November and March-April. The former is best, when the air has been washed clean by summer monsoons and the passes haven't yet been snowed in. The weather is brisk but not too cold. In spring, the passes are open again, but the air is hazy, and the views, while good, aren't the same as in autumn. (If spring is the only time available, it's still worth going.) Because it's so far south, Kathmandu freezes only during the winter. Pokhara is warmer. The higher-altitude areas are quite cold, however. If you're going only to Royal Chitwan Park, be aware that it can be very hot and humid anytime during its season, October-May. The monsoons, which occur June-September, affect the entire country, and flooding is a possibility in the Chitwan region.
History and Culture
While Nepal is an ancient land, it has only been a country for about 300 years. Independent hill states ruled the area until the late 18th century, when Prince Prithvi Narayan Shah united all of what is now Nepal. The nation became a constitutional monarchy in 1950, before slipping into a dictatorship eight years later. Demonstrations in the late 1980s against oppressive rule resulted in multiparty elections in May 1991.
The transition to democracy has not been an easy one, however. The country is plagued by an ineffective bureaucracy, corruption and an ever-widening gap between rich and poor. Partly because of these problems, Maoist rebels based in western Nepal have been fighting a small-scale war against the central government since the mid-1990s.
In June 2001 the popular King Birendra and much of the royal family was killed in the palace by a gunman, apparently the crown prince, who himself died of a gunshot wound sustained that night (believed to be self-inflicted). Public grief and conspiracy theories about the unknown motivation of the massacre paralyzed the country for several weeks. The country's monarch is now the late king's brother, Gyanendra.
Dining
There is a surprisingly wide variety of restaurants in Kathmandu, serving everything from bratwurst to pizza to sushi. Most are found in the Thamel district, while a few more upscale eateries are located in the shopping plaza known as Baba Mahal (which few people can afford to visit and which is therefore rarely crowded). Pie shops abound - most were started by cooks who formerly served in British colonial households. They used to be concentrated on a rather dirty lane called Pie Alley, but they're now found almost anywhere.
For a true Nepali meal, order dal bhat - spiced lentils and rice - often served with curried potatoes. The Tibetan momo dumpling is available in areas where many refugees have settled, notably in Bodhnath. "Buff" on a menu indicates water buffalo meat. Cows are seen as sacred to Hindus, so don't expect to find a true hamburger anywhere. A handful of restaurants, however, import beef from nearby non-Hindu countries, such as Bangladesh. The cooking of the Newari people (who are found in the Kathmandu Valley) is also popular with visitors. Try the Newari-style duck or wild boar. Outside Kathmandu, Pokhara, jungle lodges and organized treks, there is a very limited choice of food. Try chang at your own risk: The home-brewed alcoholic beverage has been known to upset the stomach of many a trekker.
Be aware that because of sanitation standards, it's very easy to get very sick on very appealing food. We urge you to do your experimenting after your trek, or you may not get to go.
Tipping
In Kathmandu and Pokhara restaurants only, tip 10% (if a service charge is not already on the bill). If you go trekking, tip porters and guides (consult with the trek organizer for the proper amount).
Shopping
Shop for tanka (religious) paintings and Tibetan articles, such as prayer wheels or tea bowls and jewelry. It's officially forbidden to export precious stones, gold or silver, but customs officials may not care about small pieces of silver jewelry, especially if you are wearing them. (Items in your luggage tend to get closer scrutiny, though wearing purchased items is not 100% foolproof.)
Other goods include bronze and copper items, shoulder bags, knives, wooden masks and statues, silk handbags, colorful sweaters and jackets, used camping gear, bamboo flutes, carpets (test to see if they are colorfast), papier-mache masks, Nepalese caps, block prints on rice paper, Nepalese violins and woven cloth. For Western-style clothes, cameras and other electronic equipment head for New Road, the busy street leading up to Kathmandu's Durbar Square. And remember, bargaining never hurts. You can get cheap custom-made shirts, skirts, etc., but the material is usually of very poor quality and the colors will soon fade. Most stores are closed on Saturday, not Sunday. In general, it's wise to carry, rather than mail, packages home.
Shopping Hours: Sunday-Friday 10 am-7 pm.
Banking Hours: Monday-Friday 9:30 am-3:30 pm.
|
|
| Next Subjects of "Nepal : overview" : |
+-Add your travel guide in nepal
+- ...
+- ...
+-Geography information of Nepal : Nepal s'Geography is very mountain and hilly.
+-----The Mountain Region in Nepal : Mountian region accounts for about 64 percent of total land area.
+-----The Hill Region in Nepal : The hill landscape was both a natural and cultural mosaic, shaped by geological forces and human activity. The hills, sculpted by human hands into a massive complex of terraces, were extensively cultivated.
+-----The Tarai Region in Nepal : The Tarai includes several valleys (dun), such as the Surkhet and Dang valleys in western Nepal, and the Rapti Valley (Chitwan) in central Nepal.The low-land Terai oceupies about 17 percent of the total land area of the country.
+-----Climate in Nepal : Nepal has a great deal of variation in climate. Outside the Tarai, however, the climate is completely different. The remarkable differences in climatic conditions are primarily related to the enormous range of altitude within such a short north-south distance.
+-History of Nepal : Nepal has a long interesting history.
+-The Society of Nepal : Nepal has two different world.
+-----Population of Napal : Population: 27,070,666 (July 2004 est.)
|
|
|
|
