Important Note to all Visitors and Trekkers

With its diverse ethnic groups and traditional beliefs, Nepal has numerous cultural practices that may appear unusual to a person on his/her first visit to the country. However, to enjoy your stay in this remarkable country of white Himalayas and sparkling rivers, it is important to take into consideration the different cultural aspects of the country.

The form of greeting in Nepal is “namaste” and is performed by joining the palms together.

All foreign visitors are requested to be mindful of the date of expiry of the Nepalese visa and their passports to avoid future problems. As such, you are requested to apply for a visa extension, if you wish so, within the valid period of the Nepalese visa.

You are requested to get the arrival/departure stamp on your passport at the entry/exit points to avoid further complications.

Living in Nepal without passport or a valid visa is a punishable offense.

Deviation from the prescribed routes in the trekking permit will be treated as the violation of the law.

You are advised to be aware of brokers/cheaters or any counterfeit documents of visa/trekking permits to avoid legal complications. If you are not visiting/trekking through any authorized agency, do not use mediators for visa/trekking permits. You are requested to contact the Immigration Office directly.

Change of purpose of stay without permission is not allowed and employment while on a tourist visa is strictly prohibited. It will be a punishable offense.

Be sure to register at the police and Immigration cheek point along the trail. It is wise to register your trekking destination and schedule at your Embassy or Consulate.

If you encounter problems along the trails, report them to the nearest police or Immigration post.

You are requested to change money with authorized dealers and do not forget to take formal receipts.

You are requested to inform the Immigration Office or Police Station for any changes in your address previously given in the visa application form.

You are advised to be mindful to contact the Immigration Department for visa transfer in case of getting new passport or travel document from you Embassy/Consulate.

Passport and trekking permit should be kept by the trekker while trekking.

Filming in restricted areas or notified areas without permission is strictly prohibited.

Before entering a Nepalese home, temple and stupa  remember to remove your shoes.

Be careful not to use you spoon, fork or hands being used for your eating to touch other’s food, plate, cooking utensil or the serving dish.

Do not eat from other people’s plate and do not drink from other people’s bottle or glass. It is considered impure by the Nepalese.

Don't eat with your left hand and nor eat beef among Hindus.

Avoid smoking and wearing scant dress in religious settings

Never touch anything with your feet. This is considered an offence among Nepalese.

Try not to step over or point your feet at another person, a sacred place or
a hearth.

While traveling dress appropriately. Women should especially avoid dressing in skimpy outfits.

Seek permission first before entering a Hindu temple. Many Hindu temples do not allow westerners to enter.

Leather articles are prohibited to be taken inside the temple precinct.

Walking around temples or stupas is traditionally done clockwise.

Take photographs only after receiving permission for the object or person being photographed.

Public displays of affection between man and woman are frowned upon. Do not do something that is totally alien to our environment.

Remember, many times, when a person shakes his head from left to right, he may mean “Yes”

Develop a genuine interest to meet and talk to Nepalese people and respect their local customs.

 
Carry all your trash (including toilet paper, unless you thoroughly burn it on the spot) to your campsite, lodge or hotel for proper disposal. If trekking with an agency, ask the staff to designate separate places for biodegradable and others (i.e., bottles, tins, plastics, foil,
batteries etc.) which should be packed out to Kathmandu or the next refuse pit. As fires are considered sacred, don't put trash in the flames until the cooking is done and always inquire first.

Sanitary napkins and tampons should be wrapped well and packed out. Take batteries back to your home country for safe disposal. Make sure your trek operator provides a toilet tent, set up at least 50 meters (150 feet) away from any water source. If you are tea-house trekking, select lodges with a well-sited latrines. Otherwise, pick a spot away from water and religious sites. Bury all excreta. In the cities and en route, public toilets are hard to find so be discreet and keep away from holy sites.

When bathing or washing clothes near streams, use biodegradable soaps and a pan for rinsing. Toss soapy water away from the stream.

Encourage your trekking staff to camp in established campsites and to leave no trace: no trash, no tent trenches, no fire pit, and a toilet pit filled in to look as it did before digging.

If you are camping, request that cooking be done on kerosene or gas, not wood. If you're stuck using wood, reduce the amount by using iodine to treat water rather than boiling it. Choose lodges that use kerosene or fuel efficient stoves, such as the back-boiler which heats water while food cooks. You can also reduce firewood consumption by ordering the
same food at the same time as others.

Limit your hot showers to those heated by solar energy, by hydroelectricity or by the back-boiler method.

Bring adequate clothes rather than relying on lodge hearths for heat and never ask your trekking staff for a bonfire. See that porters will be provided shelter, clothing and shoes for high altitude treks, saving wood otherwise burned to keep warm.

Avoid creating new trails across switchbacks, meadows and in high fragile areas.

Make sketches or take photos rather than collect flower, plants and seeds.

Do not purchase items made from wild animal’s skins or furs.

Take care while walking through farmland and always stay to the uphill side of livestock on trails.

Baggy pants or calf-length skirts with a loose top are appropriate trekking and touring wear for women. Men should wear a shirt at all times. Men's knee-length hiking shorts are fine for trekking but not when visiting temples, monasteries or homes.

Nudity is particularly offensive. Whether bathing in a stream or at a village tap, men should wear shorts or underwear, women can wrap in a loongi (sarong) and douse themselves as the village women do. Only sport a swimsuit if well secluded from village eyes. Public affection is likewise frowned upon.

It is illegal to export anything older than 100 years. Please do not take any religious objects (prayer stones, statues, temple ritual objects, prayer flags, etc.) away from sacred sites and discourage others from doing so.

 Do not give candy, pens, trinkets or money to children but instead donate to a school, monastery or hospital. Nepalese give a few rupees to the handicapped and religious mendicants; you can do the same.

Bargain for souvenirs and trekking services but respect posted prices in restaurants and lodges. Ask around to establish a fair price: paying too much adds to inflation and paying too little denies the merchant of a fair return.


To show appreciation and respect, use two hands rather than one when giving or receiving something, even money.

Remember not to point with a single finger but use a flat extended hand especially to indicate a sacred object or place.

Among Hindus, avoid touching women and holy men

Don't tip for short taxi rides in town or any service person you've bargain with. Groups might give a reasonable amount per day to a tip pool to be divided among the staff, generally relative to rank, for good service.

Even if you are an experienced medical practitioner, it is not wise to give medicine to a sick Nepali on the trek unless you can watch his or her reaction. Most Nepalese have never been exposed to Western medicine and may react unpredictably. Encourage villagers to wash cuts with soap and boiled water, and to see their closest clinic for medical treatment.

Never trek alone; if you run into trouble or take a tumble no one will know. Trekking with an agency assures the greatest security.

Watch your gear carefully in lodges and on the trail. Don't be showy with expensive items, and always lock your room or baggage.

Find out more from your agent or the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) about this sickness and helicopter rescue options.
 
Beware of other trail hazards, watch where you are going and don't over-extend yourself.

Never eat unpeeled fruit or vegetables unless you know they've been adequately soaked in solution. Drink only after water is boiled or iodized. Always wash your hands before eating.