General information about Nepal

Activities

Many volunteers like to try something in addition to volunteering during their time in Nepal. Activities include trekking, rafting, visiting the jungle, bungee jumping, visiting Lumbini, paragliding, Para hawking in Pokhara, elephant bathing, tiger spotting, mountain flights for the best view in the world, rock climbing, mountain climbing. The list truly is endless! 
At FUN Nepal we can suggest itineraries or arrange whatever your adventure requirements are. 
 
Tourist Visa Information

A tourist visa is valid for up to 150 days from the date of issue. 
For more information about visas, please contact the Nepali embassy in your country.
 
15 days multiple entry - US$25
30 days visa multiple entry - US$40
100 days multiple entry - US$100
 
The government has revised the fee required to extend days of stay and visa renewal. As per the revised fee structure, Tourist Visa can be extended by paying US$2 or equivalent Nepalese currency per day. 
 
Likewise, Multiple Entry facility can be obtained for the extension period by an additional US$ 20 and visa fee for the extended period.
 
Similarly, tourists can renew their visa by paying Nepalese currency equivalent to US$3 on the regular visa extension fee.
 
Please use this link for more information about visas to Nepal http://www.immi.gov.np. 
 
Embassies

You might want to register with your embassy whilst in Nepal - give them FUN Nepal\'s details as your contact address in Nepal so that they will always be able to contact you through us. 
 
For more details please use this link: http://www.tourism.gov.np/neplese_mission.php
 
Length of stay

 We require you to work with us for a minimum of two weeks. The amount of time you are able to give has a direct impact on what you will be able to achieve and what you will take away from the experience.  If you are here for longer, there will be even more opportunity to explore the country\'s natural beauty and take part in heart stopping adventure travel. 
 
Health

Several vaccinations are required prior to coming to Nepal, some need a course of treatment before you leave. Visit your doctor or nearest traveler\\\'s medical centre to discuss your needs. Ensure you have adequate travel insurance. The vaccinations you may need include: 

•   Tetanus
•   Diphtheria
•   Polio
•   Hepatitis A & B
•   Typhoid
•   Yellow fever
•   Rabies
•   Tuberculosis
•   Malaria 
  NOTE: Please consult your doctor before traveling. More information is available from the WHO\'s (World Health Organization) Travelers health information.  
   

Money

Nepali rupees are the local currency. There are about 75 rupees to US$1, 55 rupees to AUD1, approximately 105 rupees to 1 Euro and 125 rupees to a Pound Sterling. There are ATM facilities in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara; US traveler\\\'s cheques can be easily changed. Credit cards, though accepted at most places, usually incur 3-4% additional charge. Generally, US$12-18 per day is sufficient for food and accommodation in a budget hotel or lodge. Nepali rupees can be obtained on arrival at Kathmandu airport. 
 
Food and Drink

The local staple meal is dal bhat (rice with lentil soup, vegetables, and pickle). On trekking routes and in tourist areas, a variety of Western dishes are also served. Drinking tap water is not recommended unless it has been treated with chlorine or iodine tablets which are readily available. Otherwise you can get the water boiled or buy bottled mineral water. 
 
Weather

The width of Nepal is only about 200 km on average, but within this short distance the altitude of the land rises from a lowly 60 meters to all the way up to above 8,848meter high. Hence the weather depends upon the altitude of the place in Nepal. However, in general Nepal has four climatic seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. 
 

• Spring starts from March to May. The temperature of this season fluctuates between 20 °C to 30 °C (68 °F to 86°F).
  
• Summer starts from June to August. These are also the pre-monsoon months with occasional evening-thunderstorms and hot temperature.
  
• Autumn starts from September and ends by November. During this period, the climate is dry and mild with temperature fluctuating between 20 °C to 30 °C (68 °F to 86 °F).
  
• Winter starts from December to February. The morning and evening are very cold while the afternoon is pretty sunny. The temperature during these months rises from 15 °C to 20 °C (59 °F to 68 °F).
  

People and Cultural Attitudes

Staring at things and people in Nepal is a national pastime, and is something you will have to adjust to. One of the most amusing things that you will encounter is the fact that the concept of personal privacy does not exist in Nepal. Also all your property will be treated as public property by your Nepali friends. And you will be expected to share their property as well!

Getting to Kathmandu
 
By Air:- Nepal has only one international airport which is in Kathmandu. So all international flights and the majority of domestic flight start or terminate here. Although a number of major airlines sell flights to Nepal, most of these do not operate direct flight themselves so most people will arrive on flight via Dubai, Bahrain, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Qatar or India. Among the airlines that fly direct to Nepal are Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Austrian Airways, Korean airlines, Korean airlines and Indian Airlines as well as a number of smaller Indian airways. Nepal Airways operate flights to a number or locations although they do not have the best reputation for reliability. Tribhuvan airport is located about 20 minutes from the center of Kathmandu and all volunteers will be met by a FUN Nepal representative at the airport. 
 
 
NOTE: Most international flights require confirmation 72 hours before departure. Try and obtain the confirmation telephone number before you go to your placement, so that wherever you are 3 days before you are due to leave you can easily confirm that you still have a seat. 
 
Overland:- Volunteers occasionally arrive in Nepal overland after traveling in either India or Tibet. It\'s possible to arrive in Kathmandu by bus, or sometimes a combination of bus and train from Delhi, Varanasi, Kolkata and Darjeeling among other places in India and also from Tibet. The majority of buses arrive at the city bus station in Kathmandu although arrival times can obviously vary dramatically so we will arrange arrival information with you once you have booked. 
 
Meeting Volunteers

You will be met outside the airport terminal by a FUN Nepal representative holding a placard with your name on it who will then take you to your guest house. Please provide us your flight information as soon as possible so that a punctual pick-up can be arranged. If you are planning to arrive by bus let us know when and what time you are arriving in Kathmandu. Just in case, give us a call. 
 
Volunteers Work

The number of hours worked by volunteers will depend upon the area of volunteer work. The Nepali work week falls from Sunday - Friday with Saturday being the only day off. Volunteers work from 3-5 hours per day with the opportunity to work more if you choose. Times for each placement vary, when working in children\'s homes or at the monastery you will teach and help them in the morning before school and for a few hours after school. Hours are approximately 6:30-9:00am and 5:30-7:30pm. However these are just approximations, as we try and tailor your hours to the needs of the children. 
 
Accommodation

Volunteers either stay at a home with local families or if working in an orphanage they often stay in the orphanage and volunteers working at monastery stay at the monastery. Nepali people are extremely hospitable and volunteers will be well looked after however the accommodation will be typically Nepali and therefore basic by Western standards. Toilets and showers are usually Nepali style and the electricity supply in many places can be unreliable. Most of our home stay families have lots of previous experience in looking after volunteers. Volunteers staying in orphanages or at the monastery are given their own room within the orphanage or monastery. 
 
Application Process

Our application process typically takes two or three days, but can be speeded up if there is a need. When we receive your application, we will send a confirmation email to you with payment details.
 
Program Fees

The program fee can be paid into our bank account within 1 week of your confirmation email. 
 
Letter of appreciation

Once you finish your placement, you will receive a FUN Nepal\'s letter of appreciation stating the time and place you have worked.
 
Internet

Kathmandu has plenty of internet cafes, all of which charge the same kinds of rates. When you first arrive in Kathmandu, you\'ll probably be shocked at the slowness of the internet here. Get used to it. Once you leave Kathmandu things get slower and slower and taking an hour to open your inbox will become a regular occurrence. That\'s before you think about things such as electricity cuts and telephone line failures. By the time you return to Kathmandu, you\'ll be amazed at the speed of the internet there and when you return home you won\'t quite believe how fast you can send emails! Whilst in Kathmandu take advantage of the better internet to tell people that you may not be able to read emails or reply to emails for weeks at a time and that they shouldn\'t worry. Maybe also threaten them with dire consequences should they decide to send you attachments - attachments make it almost impossible to do anything with your email.
 
Haggling

Everywhere you go in Nepal you will find yourself haggling, especially once you speak a little Nepali. Practise haggling from day one and always offer less than what the shopkeeper asks. 
 
Sightseeing

You\'ll usually get to see some of the sights in Kathmandu with FUN Nepal, but you may want to see some places yourself as well. Try to get your FUN Nepal identity card first, as it will help to get you into places such as Swyamhunath, Durbar Squares, and Bouddhanath for free. 
Some temples may insist that you remove all leather before entering, so if you have a non leather belt and bag that may be useful. Many places in Kathmandu are so used to tourists that they may not say anything, but out in rural areas this may happen more often.
 
Clothes

When you first get here it\'s tempting to go out and buy yourself a whole new wardrobe simply because it\'s so cheap. DON\'T. It\'s amazing how many volunteers lose or gain weight during their stay, so wait until you\'re ready to leave before buying clothes. 
 
Shopping

As per clothes, when you first get here it\'s tempting to buy lots of things due to their low prices. Again, DON\'T. Once you\'ve spent some time in Nepal and seen the prices outside of Kathmandu, you have a better idea of the kind of prices that you should be paying for things. In addition, once you speak Nepali it\\\'s amazing how much easier it is to get a discount. Wait until the end of your trip when you have a clear idea of what money you have left, how much space you have and you know what kinds of things you really want to buy. Try and take someone from the office if you want to buy things such as Pashminas or Thangkas as they can help you find better quality items. Yak wool scarves/shawls, incense, jewellery and material. Pashmina, cashmere and Thangkas are more expensive but are still far cheaper than at home. And tailor made clothes are a fantastic bargain in Nepal - perfectly fitting trousers in your favourite material for a few dollars.
 
Books

If you want to read anything whilst in Nepal, you can buy books from several second hand stores in the Thamel area. Most of these stores will then buy the book back at 50% of what you paid, and they will also buy books that you brought with you and no longer need. 
 
Laundry

There are plenty of places to get your clothes washed in Kathmandu. Most places charge by the piece or weight.