Discover Nepal

Nepal is a landlocked country between China and India, about 147,500 square kilometres, with roughly 30 million people.

It holds eight of the world's fourteen peaks above 8,000 metres, including Everest — Sagarmatha in Nepali, Chomolungma in Tibetan — and that is what most visitors come for. But the mountains are only the top of it. The country runs from subtropical jungle at about 60 metres above sea level to 8,849 metres, and the whole span fits inside roughly 200 kilometres north to south.

Nepal was never colonised. It was a kingdom until 2008, when the monarchy was abolished at the end of a decade-long civil war, and is now a federal democratic republic still working out what that means in practice.

Lumbini, in the southern plains, is where the Buddha was born — in Nepal, not India, which is a point worth getting right. Hinduism and Buddhism are both long established here and, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley, are woven together to a degree that makes separating them artificial.

What are the emergency numbers?

100 police, 101 fire, 102 ambulance. The Tourist Police in Kathmandu are on 1144 and are the better first call for a visitor problem; in Pokhara it is +977 61 462761, and the tourist police line is +977 1 424 7041.

Do I need a permit to trek?

Yes, and two of them. All foreign trekkers must have a permit and a TIMS card — from the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, the Nepal Tourism Board or an authorised trekking company — plus a national park entry permit for regions such as Annapurna, Everest and Langtang, from the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu or Pokhara or at a park entry point.

Can I trek without a guide?

No — independent trekkers are required to hire a local licensed guide.

What is the helicopter scam?

Documented cases of unnecessary evacuations, pressure to be evacuated without a medical assessment, falsified medical or evacuation documents and inflated billing. Use registered helicopter companies and trekking agencies, and avoid packages that look unusually cheap.

What should my insurance cover?

High-altitude trekking and medical evacuation, explicitly, and to your maximum altitude — many trails go above 5,500 metres. Serious conditions often mean evacuation to Bangkok, New Delhi or Singapore.

Can I use Indian rupees?

Yes, widely in the larger cities and tourist areas — but notes greater than 100 INR are prohibited, so convert them before arriving. It is also illegal to take Nepalese banknotes out of the country, and cash over US$5,000 must be declared at customs.

What is a bandh?

A general strike, called at short notice, that shuts roads and shops. Do not travel on public transport during or immediately before one — tourists have been injured — and expect airport transport to be affected.