Living NEPAL

Volunteers Useful Information

VISA Requirements

The visa in Nepal is ON ARRIVAL, easy to get it at the airport, either at the Immigration
offices situated at the borders if you enter by land.

What do you need to bring with you:

• Passport: valid at least 6 month after you enter Nepal.

• Photo: you can take a photo a the passport VISA validation machines, buts is very
useful to carry some photos with you, just in case.
• Cash: Better to pay in USD currency, cause if you pay in EUR or other currencies you
may have to pay extra exchange fees.

Types of VISA:

• Multi Entrance 15 Days (25$)

• Multi Entrance 30 Days (40$)
• Multi Entrance 90 Days (100$)

To volunteer with LivingNEPAL you may

apply for the 30 or 90 days tourist VISA,
cause we consider it is the enough time
to explore the country by yourself for the
first days and then join us in our current
projects.

You can extend your VISA up to 5 months

(extra paying fee) but you’ll need to go to
the Immigration Office in Kathmandu and
wait to get the approval.

Money Exchange

You can bring cash with you (US Dollars or Euros) and exchange to Nepalese Rupees NRS
in Thamel, touristic area in Kathmandu, in any exchange money center.
You can also withdrawal money at the airport in ATM, or exchange a little amount
(10 dollars/euro) so you can also pay the taxi until the Guest House.
Nowadays (2018) the exchange rate is 1 EUR = 125 NRS.
We don’t recommend to change much money at the airport, the exchange rate is always
worse than in Thamel. The best place where you can change money is at the Tourism Bank
in Kathmandu, they have the best exchanging rates.
The main cities in Nepal are Kathmandu and Pokhara, before you start your trekking or
volunteering period make sure you have enough cash, because in the mountain areas there
are not many ATMs.
All the ATMs, since 2016, charge a fee to withdrawal, and you can only withdrawal up to
40.000 NRS.
Lift from/to the airport
The best choice to move inside anywhere in Kathmandu is to hire a cab/taxi.
Depending on your ability to bargain the price, it can change. There is no taximeter for
tourists, generally, so you have to fix price in advance. From airport, the price for a full taxi
is 500 NRS, not more. Find other travelers and share a taxi.

Accomodation in Kathmandu

Our suggestion are the “Nirvana Peace Guest House”, “Kathmandu Peace Guest House”,
“Shantipur” or “Secret Garden”, all near Paknajol Street. It is a peaceful area just nearby
Thamel, and not as crowded as Thamel use to be. You can check it out on Tripadvisor.
There are plenty of other options available nearby. The price of the double room start from
500 to 1500 rupees depending of the size and comforts you want to get.

SIM Card
It is very useful to buy a Nepali Sim Card for your calls, messages and Internet data packs.
There are two main companies: NCell and Namaste. You can buy a Sim Card for only 100
rupees at the official store (there is an NCell store 5 min walking from Nirvana Guest House
in Swayambu Marg). They will ask you to apply a form, with a photo and a valid document
passport. You can buy recharge cards in almost every Pasal (little shops) around Nepal,
then purchase data packs and save money.
For the Himalayan region the best company is CDMA, but it’s only working with own cell
phones that you can purchase all over Nepal.
Where to eat
The main dish in Nepal is “Dal Bhat”: lentils soup (dal), rice (bhat), vegetable curry (tarkari)
or meat curry (chicken or buffalo), spinaches (saak), achar (spicy pickle) and sometimes
yogurt. Outside Kathmandu and the big cities it is the main and only dish option, and
sometimes is very simple. You also can get omelettes and noodle soup (Chaw-chaw),
fried noodles (Chow mein) or Mo:mo, wich is like a steamed dumpling made of vegetbles
or meat.
Thamel, the touristic area, hosts a bunch of restaurant with international food: italian,
israeli, chinese, japanese, indian, etc. Our recommendations in Thamel are the Takali
Kitchen Restaurant “Muktinath”, the OR2K, the Places, The Japanese Restaurant and Phat
Kat, both in Thamel Square, and the Western Tandoori, which is the cheapest option. All of
them are worth to visit. The food is really good, but we always recommend to eat in local
restaurants, and try the local food which is delicious.

What to visit
“Dustmandú”, even in the worst polluted days, has something to show you before to leave
to the pure mountain areas. In our opinion you must visit Pashupatinath temple (main Hindu
temple in Nepal), Swayambunath or Monkey Temple, Boudhanath area, Kopan Monastery
and the different Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bakthapur.
Bring a mask for the pollution always with you, people use to get sick often in Kathmandu.
You can also visit Ratna Park, where the Parliament is, and the Garden of Dreams, a
tou- ristic place nearby Thamel, but really quiet and beautiful.
Nightlife in Thamel is also very interesting.
Stay healthy and safe
Learn actions you can take to stay healthy and safe on your trip.
Vaccines cannot protect you from many diseases in Nepal, so your behaviors are important.

Always eat and drink safely. Unclean food and water can cause travelers’ diarrhea and
other diseases. Reduce your risk by sticking to safe food and water habits. Eat food that is
cooked and served hot, like hard-cooked eggs, fruits and vegetables you have washed in
clean water or peeled yourself and pasteurized dairy products.

Don’t eat food served at room temperature or from street vendors, raw or soft-cooked
(runny) eggs, raw or undercooked (rare) meat or fish. Unwashed or non peeled raw fruits
and vegetables, unpasteurized dairy products or ”bushmeat” (monkeys, bats, or other wild
animals).

Drink bottled water that is sealed, water that has been disinfected or ice made with bottled
or disinfected water. Carbonated drinks are also safe. Hot coffee or tea, always with pas-
teurized milk.
Don’t drink tap or well water, ice made with tap or well water, drinks made with tap or well
water (such as reconstituted juice) or unpasteurized milk.

You can buy portable filters like “LifeStraw” or “Swayer” brands, or water pills that can
solve you a water problem in the mountains. In the main cities you can find access to
filtered water, or water bottles, but in the villages is very rare to find them, so bring with you
filter/pills to avoid intoxication, such as Giardiasis (common parasite bacterias that live in
the water and can cause you very bad sickness).
Water purifying systems (tablets, ceramic filters, life straws, nano filter straws) are very
useful.

Take medicines and talk with your doctor about taking prescription or over-the-counter
drugs with you on your trip in case you get sick.
Vaccinations
All travelers should be up-to-date on routine vaccinations while traveling to any destination.
Some vaccines may also be required for travel.
Routine vaccines make sure you are up-to-date before every trip. These vaccines include
measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella
(chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.
If your not up-to-date with vaccines you can choose having them or not, at your own risk,
but you need to know that World Health Organization (WHO) recommends this.

WHO also recommends the following vaccinations, so most travelers get travel vaccines
and medicines because there is a risk of these diseases in the country you are visiting.

• Hepatitis A, B:
It is recommended to have this vaccinations because you can get Hepatitis A through con-
taminated food or water in Nepal, regardless of where you are eating or staying.
You can get hepatitis B through sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood prod-
ucts, so WHO recommends this vaccine if you might have sex with a new partner, get a
tattoo or piercing, or have any medical procedures.

• Japanese Encephalitis:
You may need Japanese Encephalitis vaccine if your trip will last more than a month, de-
pending on where you are going in Nepal and what time of year you are traveling.
You should also consider this vaccine if you plan to visit rural areas in Nepal or will be
spending a lot of time outdoors, even for trips shorter than a month. Your doctor can help
you decide if this vaccine is right for you based on your travel plans. See more in-depth
information on Japanese encephalitis in Nepal.

• Thypoid
You can get typhoid through contaminated food or water in Nepal. WHO recommends this
vaccine for most travelers, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting
smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.

• Malaria
When traveling in Nepal, you should avoid mosquito bites to prevent malaria.
You may need to take prescription medicine before, during, and after your trip to prevent
malaria, depending on your travel plans, such as where you are going, when you are trav-
eling, and if you are spending a lot of time outdoors or sleeping outside. Talk to your doc-
tor about how you can prevent malaria while traveling. For more information on malaria in
Nepal, see malaria in Nepal.

• Rabies:
Can be found in dogs, bats, and other mammals in Nepal, so WHO recommends this vac-
cine for the following groups:
Travelers involved in outdoor and other activities (such as camping, hiking, biking, adventure
travel, and caving) that put them at risk for animal bites. People who will be working with or
around animals (such as veterinarians, wildlife professionals, and researchers). People who
are taking long trips or staying with children, because they tend to play with animals, might
not report bites, and are more likely to have animal bites on their head and neck.
• Yellow fever:
There is no risk of yellow fever in Nepal. The government of Nepal requires proof of yellow
fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. This does
not include the US or Europe, for example.
Check this list to see if you may be required to get the yellow fever vaccine: Countries with
risk of yellow fever virus (YFV) transmission.
For more information on recommendations and requirements, see yellow fever recommen-
dations and requirements for Nepal. Your doctor can help you decide if this vaccine is right
for you based on your travel plans.

Climate
The weather in Nepal is always changing and depends on the season you visit:

January and February is cold season, and over 1000m the temperature gets low.
Kathmandu is at 1400m so in December it gets really cold. There is not heater in the
guest house’s rooms and electricity goes off sometimes. You should keep yourself warm
with good thermal clothes.

From February to May the climate is mild and mostly sunny everywhere, but very dry and
dusty. Sometimes the views are not good due to dust and pollution. Kathmandu gets very
polluted at this time.
You can see the rhododendron flowers “Lali Gurash” (national flower of Nepal) blooming
around the mountain areas.

Between the end of May and the beginning of September is the monsoon season or
the rainy season. The weather is hot, humid and it rains every day. The sky is covered by
clouds, mountain sightseeing is rare, you can find leeches on the trails, and there are lots
of road problems, with many landslides and mud everywhere.
It is time to plant and harvest the rice. The vegetation and forests are green and exuberant.
It is low season in Nepal, so the tourists are mostly gone.

Between October and November, after the monsoon, dry season starts again and it is con-
sidered High Season, the best period to trek, with clean skies, green landscapes, mountain
views, mild climate and the Dasain Festival, the most important festivity in Nepal, but also
it is very crowded and busy in the touristic areas, and maybe you need to book in advance
some services like accommodation or guiding tour.
Trekking Permits
Trekking Information Management System:
The famous trekking trails in Nepal (Everest, Langtang,
Annapurna, etc) require a permit that you can get in
Kathmandu or Pokhara Tourism Board Offices and
they cost around 35 EUR per person with TIMs CARD
included.

You can ask in travel agencies but they charge you a

commission. We recommend Swissa Travel Agency in
Thamel, they are very kind and they can give you all
the information you need.

Mountain Gear
Make sure you have a good pair of trekking shoes before you reach Nepal, they are really
useful in the mountain areas and it is difficult to find good quality ones in the mountain gear
shops in Kathmandu. They have shoes but usually they don’t last long. Even to work in the
rebuilding project you need good shoes for your own safety.

Flip flop and sandals can be bought in Kathmandu easily.

Buy a good backpack. If you are a traveler you know that it is really important to have a
good and comfortable house on your back.
We recommend one between 35 and 60 liters.

Clothes and other equipment

Depending on which is the season you visit Nepal the clothes’ needs change.

We suggest:
• Windproof and waterproof jackets
• Down jackets.
• Thermic clothes.

You can easily buy this kind of clothes in Thamel, Kathmandu.

We will recommend the best shop, which have quality and reasonable price.
It is very useful to buy a “plumas” jacket (feathers). It’s the warmest and lightest jacket you
can buy for a really good price (3.800 NRS) compared to western standards (200 EUR)

The villages were LivingNEPAL is working since 2015 are located at 1000m and depending
on how we set up the volunteer camp in the current year you will need:
• Camping tent (we recommend 4 seasons).
• Sleeping bag (-5ºC or -10ºC comfort).
• Mat.
• Waterproof bag to protect your electronics and belongings.
• Knife.
• Sunglasses and sunscreen cream.
• First-aid kit (we have one for all the volunteers but it’s better to bring your own)
• Water bottle.
• Trekking sticks (useful but not necessary).
• Mosquito net.

You can buy most of this equipment in Thamel, it is plenty of shops. We believe that buying
in this country, mostly in local places, means helping local economy to recover after the big
loss of tourism after the earthquakes of 2015.

Electronics
Keep in mind that electricity in Nepal is not always working properly, mostly in the mountain
areas, so we recommend to be as self-sufficient as possible. Here you have a list of what
you may want to bring with you.

• Portable solar charger.

• Power bank (external battery).
• Tablet / computer.
• Pen drive / SD cards.
• Photo Camera.
• Headlamp.

Respect local culture and traditions

Since you are in a deeply traditional country and you will be surrounded by many different
cultures and uses, we strictly recommend to follow certain rules of behave like avoiding
consuming alcohol and smoking substances in public places and, in case of outdoors
bathing, try to have as more discretion as possible on your hygiene activities.
The human interactions have to follow a deep respectful way of approaching and all the
volunteers have to follow this mainlines of attitude.
In case you need to hire porters or guides, go for local people supporting their rural
economy.

Control of your belongings

Remind that you are full responsible of all your belongings and it is a must to be self-suf-
ficient on all your lifts and journeys within the country. We are not responsible of any loss
or damage on your personal belongings.
How to reach our project?

Our finished projects are located in two small rural villages in Laharepawa VDC in Rasuwa.
Our base camp is located in Bettrawati, a little town between the borders of Nuwakott and
Rasuwa districts, next to Trishuli Bazaar, biggest village in the area. The best option to
reach us is hire a jeep (one or two days before) in Machapokhari Chowk, in Kathmandu, or
buy a bus ticket at the Deluxe stand.

Keep in mind that bus maybe overcrowded, the roads are not good, and sometimes can
be very bumpy and scary.
Prices for a jeep are 500-600 NRS per person or 250 NRS for a bus ticket to Betrawatti.
If the conditions of the weather and the road are good you can reach Betrawatti in 4 hours
more or less (80km from Kathmandu).

When you arrive to Betrawatti ask for accommodation to LivingNEPAL team. Most of the
times there is always some of us waiting to welcome you. You can go to our meeting point
in Ganga Didi Pasal (Tea Shop).

Thanks for your attention.

For any other inquiry don’t hesitate to contact us at info@livingnepal.org

Enjoy your experience and NAMASTE!