International Embassies In Nepal

Country	Address	Telephone
Australia	Bansbari, Kathmandu	4371678, 4371279
Bangladesh	Naxal, Kathmandu	4414943
British	Lainchaur, Kathmandu	4411590, 4414588
China	Balawater, Kathmandu	4411740, 4411958
Denmark	Balawater, Kathmandu	4413010, 4413020
Egypt	Pulchowk, Lalitpur	5524812, 5524844
Finland	Lazimpat, Kathmandu	4416636, 4417221
France	Lazimpat, Kathmandu	4412332, 4414734
Germany	Gyaneshwar, Kathmandu	4412786, 4416527
India	Lainchaur, Kathmandu	410900, 411699
Israel	Lazimpat, Kathmandu	411811, 413419
Japan	Panipokhari, Kathmandu	410397, 414083
Korea, North	Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur	535871, 521084
Korea, South	Tahachal, Kathmandu	270172, 270417
Myanmar	Chakupat, Lalitpur	521788, 521634
Pakistan	Panipokhari, Kathmandu	4410565, 4411421
Russia	Baluwater, Kathmandu	4411063, 4412155
Sri Lanka	Baluwater, Kathmandu	4417406, 4413623
Thailand	Bansbari, Kathmandu	4371410, 4371411
USA	Panipokhari, Kathmandu	4412718

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WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO TO NEPAL?

Climate factors are very important in deciding on a visit to Nepal. October-November, the start of the dry season, is in many ways the best time of the year in Nepal. With the monsoon only recently finished the country-side is green and lush and Nepal is at its most beautiful. Rice is harvested and there are some more important and colorful festivals to enjoy. At this time of the year the air is sparkling clean, visibility is unexcelled and the Himalayan views are as near perfect as you can ask. Further more the weather is still balmy, neither too hot nor too cold. For obvious reasons, this is also the peak tourist season.

In December-January the temperatrues and visibility are still good, though it can get very cold. Trekkers need to be well prepared, as snow can be encountered on high-altitude treks. Heading for the Everest Base Camp at this time of the year can be a real feat of endurance and the Annapurna Circuit trek is often closed by snow on the Thorang La pass. Down in Kathmandu the cheaper hotels, where heating is non-existent, are often chilly and gloomy in the evenings. There's sometimes a brief winter monsoon, lasting just a day or two in January.

February-March-April, the tail end of the dry season, is good second-best time. The weather gets warmer so high-altitude treks are no longer as arduous, although by the end of the dry season, before the monsoon breaks, it starts to get too hot for comfort. Visibility is not good as earlier in the dry season since the country is now very dry, and dust in the air reduces that crystal Himalayan clarity. In compensation, Nepal's wonderful rhododendrons and many other flowers are in bloom so there's plenty of color to be seen along the trekking trails.

May and the early part of June are not the best months as it is extremely hot and dusty and the coming monsoon hangs over you like a threat. Mid-June to September, when the monsoon finally arrives, is the least popular time to visit Nepal. The rains wash the dust out the air, but the clouds obscure the mountains so you're unlikely to enjoy more than a rare glimpse of Himalaya. Although it doesn't rain all day it usually does rain everyday and the trails will be muddy and plagued by leeches. Despite this, it is possible to trek during the monsoon, although high rivers may further complicate matters and it's certainly not as pleasant as other times of the year. Landslides sometimes block roads during the monsoon but many visitors still come to Nepal form India as the weather is even less pleasant down on the plains. The latter part of the monsoon, the months of August-September, are a time of festivals which will certainly enliven a visit to Kathmandu.

Location: Nepal borders with the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's of China in the North and India in the East, South and West respectively.

Area: 147,181 sq. Kilometers

Altitude: Varies from 70 meters to 8848 meters

Capital: Kathmandu

Population: approx. 22 million

Language: Nepali is the national language of Nepal.  Educated people understand and speak English as well.

Time: Nepali is the national language of Nepal.  Educated people understand and speak English as well.

Climate:
Nepal has four major seasons.
(1) Winter: December-February,
(2) Spring:  March-May,
(3) Summer: June-August,
(4) Autumn: September-November.
Nepal can be visited all year round

People and Religion: Nepalese people are mainly divided into two distinct groups, the Indo-Aryans and the Mongolians.  Kathmandu Valley is the spiritual and cultural meeting point of all these groups.  Nepal is the only Hindu Kingdom in the World.  Hindu Temples and Buddhist shrines are scattered all over the kingdom.  Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the Light of Asia.  Hindus and Buddhists live together harmoniously in Nepal.

Currency and Foreign Exchange: Nepali Rupee notes come in Rs. 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000 denominations.  Coins come 5p, 10p, 25p, Rs. 1, 2, 5 denominations. 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 foreign currency at the foreign exchange counter at the airport upon arrival.  Visitors other than the Indian national have to make the payment in foreign currency in hotel, travel agencies or trekking agencies and air tickets.  Non-Indian visitors are not allowed to import or export Indian currency.  The approximate value of one USA dollar is equivalent to Rs. 73.65 as of January 30, 2001.

Entry Procedure: All visitors except the Indian nationals must hold a passport and a valid visa.  The visas can be obtained at the Nepalese Diplomatic Missions and Consulates abroad and entry points issue visa for visitors.  The visa will be extended at the Department of Immigration.

Entry: A visa is necessary to enter Nepal and can be obtained for the following duration from any Royal Nepalese Embassy or Consulate or at the entry points in Nepal.

1. The single entry tourist visa can be obtained from the entry points of Nepal or from the Royal Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad by paying US$30 for 60 days.

2. If the visitors, who has already visited Nepal under tourist visa, intends to come again within 15 days of the same visa year he/she can obtain entry visa by paying US$50 for 30 days at the entry points or at the Royal Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad.

3. The visitors who wish to stay for more that 60 days in Nepal can extend their tourist visa by paying the equivalent of US$50 in the Nepalese currency for 30 days from the Department of Immigration.

4. Business visa with multiple entry facility for the period of one year and five years can be obtained from the Department of Immigration on the recommendation of Ministry of Industry by paying the equivalent of US$250 and US$100 respectively in the Nepalese currency for the foreign investors.

ENTRY POINTS: By Air: Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu
By Land: (1) Kakarbhitta (2) Birgung (3) Belhiya (Bhairahawa) (4) Nepalgung (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.

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.  The export of antiques requires special certificate from the Department of Archaeology, National Archive Building, Ram Shah path, Kathmandu (Tel: 215358).  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 prohibited to export.

Travel route: Royal Nepal Airlines the national flag carrier of Nepal and other International airlines operate scheduled flights to Kathmandu from Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Bombay, Calcutta, Doha, Delhi, Dubai, Dhaka, Paro (Bhutan),
Varanasi, Frankfurt, Paris, Hong Kong, Karachi, London, Moscow, Singapore, Osaka, Lhasa and Vienna.  The International Airlines operating their flights to Kathmandu include Aeroflot, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, China South West Airlines, Druk Air, Gulf Air, Indian Airlines, Lufthansa, Pakistan International Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Thai International.

Airport tax: Rs. 1100 for departure to other international destinations. 

Airport transportation: In addition to metered taxis, limousine service is also available at the airport for transport to major hotels in the city. Cost to Kathmandu is approximately Rs. 200.

Other transport services: Metered taxis having black plates with white figures are available in Kathmandu.  Metered tempo (three wheeler scooters) is also available and is slightly cheaper than taxis.  Bicycle, motorcycles and rickshaws are also available on hire.  The fare for the bicycles or motorcycles is fixed where as the fare of rickshaws is to be negotiated.  There are regular bus services between the main town and interiors of the Kathmandu valley.  The Bus Terminal is located at Gongabu (new bus terminal) and Bagbazar (old but terminal).  Similarly, scheduled bus services for outside the valley operate from the Gongabu Bus Terminal which is located near Balaju, Kathmandu


Facilities:
Nepal has every type of accommodation facilities that a tourist might ask for.  This ranges from the international standard star hotels to budget hotels and lodges.  Similarly one can also have a choice of sightseeing from a range of different tour packages.  In order to have an assured quality service it is advisable to use the facilities and services of government-registered hotels, lodges, travel agencies the licensed tour guides only and engage an authorized travel/trekking agency.

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Tourism History in Nepal

Nepal is tourist's heaven for adventure, cultural and environmental enrichment. Variation in natural landscape of Nepal consists of valleys and plains known as Terai in the south, and the breathtaking Himalayan peaks in the north add great flavor for tourist.

Though exact date and history of tourist incoming to Nepal is still unknown, it can be assumed that first tourist started coming to Nepal only after first road system was built in 1950 that connect some of the Nepal's cities with Indian boarder in the south. Since then international tourists flow to explore Nepal’s rich cultures, picturesque Himalayan landscape.

George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine who had disappeared in 1924 in an attempt to conquer Everest. However it was on In 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first conquered Mt. Everest (8848 m).Till now several people has attempted and successfully conquered the world's highest mountain.

Annapurna I was the first 8,000-metre (26,200 ft) peak to be climbed. Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, of a French expedition led by Maurice Herzog (including Lionel Terray, Gaston Rébuffat, Marcel Ichac, Jean Couzy, Marcel Schatz, Jacques Oudot, Francis de Noyelle), reached the summit on 3 June 1950. Its summit was the highest summit attained on Earth for three years, until the first successful ascent of Mount Everest. (However, higher non-summit points at least 8,500 meters (27,900 ft)-had already been attained on Everest in the 1920s.)

In the mid 1950 small groups of wealthy individuals, sponsored students travel east from England by Land Rover or Bedford Dormobile to climb mountains or carry out scientific studies and surveys, often publishing accounts of their travels afterwards. They travel overland and their trails follow Western Europe crossing Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Kasmir, Manali and Kathmandu till Goa, India. They travel through buses and stay in cheap hotels along their trails and love to socialize with local people and food. They passes journey of over 6,000 miles in each direction, and it took in high mountain passes, scorching deserts, and some very rough roads.

During 70's Nepal became safe tourism destination for those groups due to its perfect climate, peaceful place and unique cultures. Many reasons had attracted these groups for traveling like spiritual enlightenment escape from wars in the west and rigid lifestyles, some for business or still some just wanted to explore and see the world. They were simply great adventure lovers and were known as Hippies of 70's.These group of people were known as Hippies or freak. In some way or the other they have great contribution of introducing Nepal as one of the best travel destination.

Eventually, people in Nepal started opening hotels, resort, western restaurants with modern facilities to attract the tourist. Modern tourist activities in Nepal included Trekking, Rafting, Peak climbing, Wildlife safari and many more adventure sports like Bungy jumping, paragliding ,mountain climbing, mountain flight etc.

Nepal has always attracted and become best tourist destination in the world mainly due to their excellent hospitality, friendly people, unique cultures and awe-inspiring Himalayas and mountains.

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Major Tourist Attractions of Nepal

Very few countries in the World can offer as many varieties of adventure tourism packages as Nepal. Of the 14 peaks above 8000 meters in the World, eight are located in Nepal. It is the land of Sagarmatha (Mount. Everest 8848 meters), the highest peak in the World and other 1310 mountain peaks which are opened for expeditions. Nepal has thousands of such peaks, which are yet to be conquered by the expeditions. For those who cannot withstand the rigorousness mountain climbing there are mountain flights, which fly around the Mt. Everest and provide a close look of the top of the World. From Nagarkot (32 kilometers East of Kathmandu) and Daman (80 Kilometer southwest of Kathmandu) one can have a distant view of Mt. Everest and beautiful Himalayan range. Trekking is the best way to get to interesting and remote mountain villages of Nepal and to enjoy views of the focused peaks together with their lifestyle untouched by modern civilization.
The river rafting which is known as White Water Adventure represents another major attractions. With distance of 100 miles, one can see the topographical variations with the river rising from the higher points near Nepal - Tibetan border and then dropping dramatically to lower levels the plains bordering India. For those who wish to view wildlife, Nepal offers plenty of scope. There are eight National Parks and four Wildlife Reserves and two Conservation Area in Nepal.
For the less adventure, Pokhara the lake-city of Nepal has no equal as it provides ample opportunities for fishing, swimming, canoeing and boating along with the sightseeing of majestic panoramic views in its background. It is only Pokhara, a tropical spotty with an altitude of about 900 meter from where one can see the mountain crossing over 8000 meters from such a short distance of about 40 kilometers. For the nature lovers Nepal is such a land of natural beauty that metaphors cannot delineate its real picture.

At the same time, Nepal proffers an incomparable scope to the scholars and connoisseurs of art and culture to see and study the different aspects of fine arts be it painting, sculpture, woodcarving or architecture.Kathmandu valley possesses several historical monuments, old place and palace squares, shrines and temples. Ageless tradition and legends all make it a living museum that any visitor would cherish its vivid memory in his/her heart forever.

Nepal is the land of Lord Pashupatinath, which is the holiest Hindu temple in the World. Besides, two out of the four main holy places (Chhetras) of Hindu pilgrimages namely Muktichhetra and Varahachhetra, are located in Nepal. Not only for the Hindus but also for the Buddhists, Nepal offers a unique place of pilgrimage as it happens to be the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the apostle of peace and compassion. Nepal is the Land of festivals with some part of the Kingdom or the other celebrating festival everyday of the year. Festivals may be linked with the remembrance of the departed soul, to herald the different seasons, to mark the beginning or end of the agricultural cycle, to mark the national events, or just family celebrations. On a festive day the Nepalese take their ritual bath, worship different gods and goddesses, visit temple, observe fasting and undertake feasting. The most important aspect of Nepalese culture is the religious harmony and understanding prevailing among the Hindus and Buddhist.

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History of Nepal

The recorded history of Nepal is centered on the Kathmandu valley and begins with the Kirantis who are said to have ruled for many centuries beginning from the 7th or 8th Century B.C. with their famous King Yalumber who is even mentioned in the epic, ‘Mahabharata’. The Gopalas who were herdsmen are believed to have ruled before the Kirantis but little is known about them. Their descendants are said to still live at the edge of the valley. Around 300 A.D. the Lichavis arrived from northern India and overthrew the Kirantis. The descendants of the Kirantis are the Rais and Limbus who predominate in eastern Nepal. One of the legacies of the Lichavis is the fabulous Changu Narayan Temple near Bhaktapur which dates back to the 5th Century. In early 7th Century, Amshuvarman, the first Thakuri king took over the throne from his father-in-law who was a Lichavi. He married off his daughter Bhrikuti to the famous Tibetan King Tsong Tsen Gampo thus establishing good relations with Tibet. Bhrikuti went on to convert the king to Buddhism. The Lichavis brought art and architecture to the valley but the golden age of creativity arrived with the Mallas who came to power around 1200 A.D.

During their 550 year rule, the Mallas built an amazing number of temples and splendid palaces with picturesque squares that are lined with architecturally beautiful temples. It was also during their rule that society and the cities became well organized, religious festivals were introduced and literature, music and art were encouraged. Sadly after the death of Yaksha Malla, the valley was divided into three kingdoms: Kathmandu (Kantipur), Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon) and Patan (Lalitpur). The rivalry among these kingdoms led to the building of grand palaces and the uplifting of the arts and culture. Around this time, the Nepal as we know it today was divided into about 46 independent principalities. One among these was the kingdom of Gorkha with a Shah king in power. Much of Kathmandu valley’s history around this time was recorded by Capuchin friars who lived here on their way in and out of Tibet.

Nepal, as a state, was established when an ambitious Gorkha king named Prithvi Narayan Shah embarked on a conquering mission that led to the defeat of all the kingdoms in the valley (including Kirtipur which was an independent state) by 1769. Instead of annexing the newly acquired states to his kingdom of Gorkha, Prithvi Narayan decided to move his capital to Kathmandu establishing the Shah dynasty which ruled unified Nepal from 1769 to 2008 when the last Shah ruler, Gyanendra relinquished his power to make way for total democracy under the rule of a Prime Minister.

The history of the Gorkha state goes back to 1559 when Dravya Shah established a kingdom in an area chiefly inhabited by Magars. At this time the Kathmandu valley was ruled by the Malla kings. During the 17th and early 18th centuries, Gorkha continued a slow expansion, conquering various states while forging alliances with others. Prithvi Narayan dedicated himself at an early age to the conquest of the Kathmandu valley. Recognizing the threat of the British Raj in India, he dismissed European missionaries from the country and for more than a century, Nepal remained in isolation.

During the mid-19th century Jung Bahadur Rana became Nepal's first prime minister to wield absolute power relegating the Shah king to a mere figurehead. He started a hereditary reign of the Ranas that lasted for 104 years during which time the Shah kings had no real power. The Ranas were overthrown in a democracy movement of the early 1950s with support from an unlikely person, the monarch of Nepal, King Tribhuvan. Soon after the overthrow of the Ranas, King Tribhuvan was reinstated as the head of the state. In early 1959, Tribhuvan's son King Mahendra issued a new constitution, and the first democratic elections for a national assembly were held. The Nepali Congress Party was victorious and their leader, Bisheshwar Prasad Koirala formed a government and served as prime minister. But by 1960, King Mahendra had changed his mind and dissolved Parliament, dismissing the first democratic government.

After many years of struggle when the political parties were banned, they finally mustered enough courage to start a people's movement in 1990. With the public rising up against absolute monarchy and demanding democracy, the then ruler King Birendra accepted constitutional reforms and established a multiparty parliament with himself as head of state and the prime minister heading the government. In May 1991, Nepal held its first parliamentary elections. In February 1996, one of the Communist parties (Maoist wing) went underground to wage a people's war against monarchy and the elected government.

Then on June 1, 2001, a horrific tragedy wiped out the entire royal family along with many of their close relatives. With only King Birendra’s brother, Gyanendra and his family surviving, he was crowned the king. King Gyanendra tolerated the elected government for only a short while and then dismissed Parliament to grab absolute power. In April 2006, strikes and street protests in Kathmandu led to a 19-day curfew and the political parties joined forces with the Maoist rebels to bring pressure on the monarch. Eventually, King Gyanendra realized it was futile holding on to power and relented. He agreed to reinstate parliament. But the political parties and a majority of the general public had had enough of dynastic rule and their abuse of power. On May 28, 2008, a newly elected Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a Federal Democratic Republic, abolishing the 240 year-old monarchy. Nepal today has a President as Head of State and a Prime Minister heading the Nepal Government.

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