Welcome to the Himalayan country of Nepal, the incredible staircase to the top of the world. Sandwiched between the vast Tibetan Himalayas to the north, India to the south, the Indian Himalayas to east and west, Nepal is packed with romantic landscapes, fascinating history, rich art and architecture, abundant wildlife, adventure and picturesque views of Mount Everest and the Himalayas. This is the land where Lord Buddha, the greatest apostle of world peace was born (Lumbini), the only place in the world where Hinduism and Buddhism co-exists, a country where ancient and modern culture meet. If you are keen for an exotic experience you'll find it here.

How Nepal looks like?

Thanks to the mighty Himalayas, Nepal enjoys the widest range of altitude of any country in the world. Altitudes vary from as little as 70m on the Terai plains to Mount Everest's colossal peak at 8848m. As a result, our vegetation zones include tropical, subtropical, temperate and alpine areas.

In these diverse natural environments an incredible range of flora and fauna flourish, attracting nature lovers all year round. Nepal is an ornithologist's paradise, with over 800 species of birds, including storks, pheasants, cuckoos and enormous birds of prey. For those who prefer larger animals, a visit to one of the National Parks could reward you with a sighting of our famous royal Bengal tigers, bears or one horned rhino. You do not have to go far to see the monkeys, many of whom live side by side with the residents of towns and villages! Neither do you need to go to a museum to find evidence of Nepal's long and fascinating history: it's all around you in the towns and villages that dot the Kathmandu valley and lie hidden in the mountain ranges. Villages where everyday life still follows long established traditions, and where time almost seems to have stood still.

Nepalese are friendly by nature and welcoming people. We enjoy meeting people from around the world, and are proud to share our wonderful country with you. Visitors to Nepal often return time and time again, drawn by the stunning scenery, the warm and smiling people, the outdoor adventure and the special atmosphere that pervades the clear mountain air.

Geography
Nepal is a small, landlocked country, 800 km long and 200km wide. Longitudinally, the terrain changes from glaciers on the Tibetan border to the flat jungles of the Terai, barely 150m above sea level. The country does not ascend gradually from the plains. Rather, it rises in several chains of hills that lie in an east-west direction, genially terminating in the highest hills in the Himalaya, beyond which is the 5000m-high plateau of Tibet. desoit the height of the Himalaya, the peaks do not from a continental divide. Al-though most rivers flow southward from glaciers of the Nepal Himalaya to join the Ganges in India, several rivers do flow from Tibet through deep gorges in the main Himalayan range. These rivers have scarred the country with great gorges in both north-souths and east-west directions and created a continual series of hills, some of which are incredibly steep. The primary difference between eastern and western Nepal is that the influence of the monsoon is less in the west. In the east the climate is damp and ideal for tea growing. In the far west the climate is quite dry, even during the monsoon season.

Another influence on the east-west division is the large rivers that flow south in deep canyons. These river often limit east-west travel as they wash away bridges during the monsoon. For this reason the major trade routes are from south to north, from India border town to hill villages in Nepal and then across high mountain passes to Tibet.

History
What is now Nepal was once a collection of feudal principalities sandwiched between Moghul India and Tibet. You can see the palaces of these ancient rulers as you trek through places such as sinja near jumla, Besi Sahar (lamjung) near Dumre , Lo Manthang, Gorkha and, of course ,the Kathmandu valley . many of these small kingdoms had little or no contact with Kathmandu. The early history of Kathmandu valley, with its Licchavi danasty from the 3rd to the 13th to the 18th century, had little effect on the remote hill regions.

In 1768 Prithvi Narayan shah, the ruler of the House of Gorkha, unified these diverse kingdoms and established the general shape, and the present borders, of Nepal. He founded the shah dynasty , defeated the Newar kings of Kathmandu, patan and Bhaktapur, and established the capital in Kathmandu. The current king, Gyanendra Bir Bikram shah Dev, is direct descendant of Prithvi Narayan Shah.

In 1814 the British East India company declared war on Nepal. After a fierce war with imperial India, Nepal conceded a large section of its territory, which now comprises the northern areas of the India state of Kashmir, Himanchal, west Bengal, Bihar and uttar Pradesh. Nepal also agreed to allow a British ‘resident’ in the country, but he was not permitted to leave the Kathmandu valley.

People and Population
Nepal’s population is more then 24 million people and is growing at an alarming rate of 2.3% per year. Almost half of the people live in the Terai, and most of the rest are spread throughout the country in small hill villages. The bright lights and perceived opportunities for wealth in Kathmandu valley are attracting many village people, and the valleys population has grown to an estimated 2.5%

Climate
Nepal has four distinct seasons. Spring (March to May) is warm and dusty with rain showers. Summer (June to August) is largely dominated by the monsoon. When the hills turn lush and green. Autumn (September to November) is cool with clear skies, and is the most popular trekking season. In winter (December to February) it is chilly at night and can be foggy in the early morning, but afternoons are usually clear and pleasant, although there is occasional snow in the mountains.

Because Nepal is quite southerly (the same latitude as Miami and Cairo), the weather at lower elevations is generally warm and the winter is quite mild, including Kathmandu at 1400m. It rarely snows below 2000m. Above 4000m. The weather is always chilly, but the permanent snow line is much higher, at about 5500m.

The monsoon in the Bay of Bengal governs the weather pattern, creating a rainy season from mid-June to mod-September. During the monsoon it is hot and rains almost every day, but it is a considerate rain, limiting itself mostly to the night. During this season, clouds usually hide the mountains; the trails are muddy and infested with leeches and few people trek.

In Kathmandu, spring and the autumn days are comfortable and the evenings are cool, usually requiring a light jacket or pullover. Winter in Kathmandu brings cold, foggy mornings and clear evenings, but pleasant daytime temperatures with brilliant sunshine most days after the morning fog has lifted. It never snow in Kathmandu, although there is frost on cold nights in January and February. The hottest month is May, just before the rains start.


Religion
In Nepal, Hinduism and Buddhism are mingled into a complex blend that is often impossible to separate. The Buddha was actually born in Nepal, but the Buddhist religion first arrived in the country around 250 BCE (Before Common Era or BC). Introduced, so it is said, by the great Indian Buddhist emperor, Ashoka. Buddhism later gave way to Hinduism, but from around the 8th century CE, the Tantric from of Buddhism practiced in Tibet also began to make its way across the Himalayan range into Nepal. Today, Buddhism is mainly practiced by the people of the high Himalaya, such as the Sherpas, and also by Tibetans who have settled in Nepal. Several ethnic groups, including the Tamang and Gurungs in the Middle hills and Newars in the Kathmandu valley, practice both Buddhism and Hinduism.

Officially Nepal is a Hindu country, but in practice a pantheon of Tantric Buddhist deities is tagged onto the list of Hindu gods or, in many cases, inextricably blended with them. Thus Avalokitesvara, the prime Bodhisattva, a manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva, and then appears as Machhendranath, one of the most popular gods of the Kathmandu valley. Is he Hindu or Buddhist? Nobody can tell.

The vast majority of the population is Hindu and Buddhists make up most of the balance. There are also small groups of Muslims and a few Christians. The Muslims are manly found close to the border with India, and in the odd isolated village. Some ethnic groups, such as the Tharus and the Rais, have their own from of religion and worship the sun, moon and trees, although their practices still retain many Buddhist and Hindu influences.

 
Entry Procedures:
Visa Formalities

• Free visa for all tourists who visit Nepal only for 3 days.
• Free visa for tourist of SAARC countries and People’s Republic of China.

VISA FEE:

• Single entry – US $ 30 for 60 days
• Multiple entries – US $ 50 + US $ 30

Visa fee will be extended subsequently for 30 days upon payment of US $ 30 for a maximum period of 150 days in Visa year (January – December)

• Visa can be obtained either on arrival in Nepal or from Nepalese Embassy or Consulate or other Mission offices abroad.
• One passport size photograph is required.

Currency & Foreign Exchange:
Foreign currencies must be exchanged only through the Banks or authorized foreign exchange dealers.  The receipts from such transaction are to be obtained and retained. Visitors can exchange money at the foreign exchange counter at the airport upon arrival also. Indian Currency Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 paper note is not allowed to be brought in to Nepal and will not be exchanged and will not be accepted for transaction of any kind.

Entry Points:
By Air: Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu.
By land: (1) Kakarbhitta (2) Birgung (3) Belhiya (Bhairahawa) (4) Nepalgunj (5) Dhangadi (6) Jogbani (Biratnagar) and (7) Mahendra Nagar in Nepal-India border and (8) Kodari in Nepal-China border.
The overland tourists entering the kingdom with their vehicles must possess an international carnet or complete customs formalities.

Customs Formalities:
All baggage must be declared and cleared through the customs on the part of entry.  Personal effects are permitted free entry.  The duty on articles brought by the visitor varies according to the volume and value of the goods.  A tourist may bring in dutiable goods, such as tobacco and liquors, within the prescribed quantity free of duty.  Carrying narcotics, arms and ammunition are strictly prohibited.  Visitors can export souvenirs to their respective countries. Gold, silver, precious stones, wild animals and their skins, horns, wild flora and fauna etc. and all drugs whether processed or in their natural state are strictly prohibited to export.
 
Passenger Service Charge (Airport Departure Tax)
NRs. 1,356 Per Person for departure to SAARC (South Asian) countries: Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. And NRs. 1,700 for departure to other international destinations. 

Govt.  Office-Hour:

From	To	Day	Month
10 AM	5 PM	Sunday to Friday	February to mid to November mid
10 AM	4 PM	Sunday to Friday	November mid to February mid

Banks:
10 AM 4.00 PM Sunday to Friday Round the year
Note: Government offices and banks are closed on Saturdays and other official Holidays.

Electricity:
220 Voltage

Communication:
Communication facility available in the popular trekking route: Telphone, Fax, Inernet, e-call, telegram

Trekking Permit:
The Department of Immigration located at Bhrikutimandav, Ramshahpath issues permit for the tourists who intend to trek to any part of the country.  Trekking to Makalu, Kanchanjunga, Humla Lower/Upper Dolpa, and Upper Mustang can be undertaken through registered trekking agencies only. Trekking permit is not essential for the general trekking areas such as the Everest, Annapurna, Langtang and Rara. Trekking permit fees for different remote trekking areas are fixed as follows.

Trekking Areas	Permit Fees
Lower Dolpa, Makalu and Kanchanjunga	Equivalent to US $ 10 Per Person per week for the first four weeks and US $ 20 per week thereafter.
Manaslu	US $ 90 Per Person per week for trekking during September to November and US $ 75 per week during December to August.
Humla	US $ 90 Per Person for the first seven days and US $ 15 per day thereafter.
Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpa	US $ 700 Per Person for the first 10 days and US $ 70 Per Person per day thereafter.

National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
For trekking through National Park Areas, an entrance fee of NRs. 1000 is levied. Likewise, an entrance fee of NRs. 2000 is levied for trekking at the Annapurna Conservation Area.

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