10 things I wish I knew before going to Nepal

Nepal is one of the best places in the world to visit, people from all over the world like to travel to Nepal for visiting purposes. Before you make a plan to visit Nepal, then you should know about Nepal completely. The first question that comes to mind:

Where is Nepal?

 You will be glad to know that Nepal is one of the incredible places in South Asia, which attracts many tourists. Nepal is too colorful, and Nepali people feel so much glad when meeting foreigners. They are eager to share with you about Nepal culture and more.

What is the best time to visit Nepal? Overall the months of October through to November are the best time to visit Nepal. While preparing to travel to Nepal, firstly, you should think beforehand about what to do in Nepal. In this article, we share the top 10 things to know about Nepal with you, for you to consider before going to Nepal.

1. Social Courtesy

Social courtesy is the first thing you notice when entering Nepal, so you should know how to greet a person. You require to place your palms together in a prayer way and then say "Namaste" or "Namaskar". In a more meaningful, respectful manner, you can call them "Dai" for men and "Didi" for women, for the people who are older than you. Wearing revealing clothes is not allowed there, especially for women. If you are planning to swim, then you can wear one piece and should leave the bikini at home. Before entering a Nepali house, if you are invited to the house, you need to remove your shoes. Before having dinner, you need to wash your hands and your mouth. You need to wait for the host to serve the food to you, and please do not waste or pollute the meal by keeping them in a used plate or utensil.

2. Adventure Places

There are many places to visit in Nepal. Nepal is one of the best places in the world for tourism purposes. People like to travel there from all around the world to enjoy many adventurous places. If you are going there with your family, friends or partners, there are entertainment places for everyone.

However, trekking and hiking are not safe due to many reasons. You can hire a person as a guide who will guide you completely through your travel to Nepal because there are some dangerous places where you may get injured. If mountain climbing is in your visiting itinerary to Nepal, you need to be well prepared because there are chances to get sick. You need to dress accordingly and please do not carry more while climbing to the mountains.

Whitewater rafting in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli, mountain biking, mountaineering, canyoning, rock climbing, and paragliding may be too dangerous, so this is advisable to keep all safe things with you. Due to the many risky places there, it is advisable to be cautious during your adventures in Nepal.

3. Water Safety

If you plan to stay in Nepal for a few days or more, you better have a boiling pan and a filter for tap water. This water is not secure for consumption purposes. You need to avoid such water to wash fruit or drink soft drinks with ice with this water, as this ice may be manufactured through tap water only. You are advised to use bottled water only, which is very easy to get from any of the stores available in Nepal.

4. Nepal Food

If you are in Nepal, this is advisable for you not to carry your appetite with yourself. You will never feel hungry there because you will get a lot of international food options there. A popular meal in Nepal is known as Dal Bhat; it is made of rice and lentils. Usually, Nepali meals are too spicy, but you can ask to make food less spicy as your desire.

5. Everest Mountain Tours

If you still think about what to do in Nepal, then you can consider one of many tours in Nepal, such as Everest Mountain Tours. If you do not have the strength to climb the infamous mountain, you may still enjoy its adventures and glory by taking a scenic flight. Many Nepal Airlines companies offer scenic flights; these flights depart from Kathmandu Airport only between 7 to 9 am. While on the plane, you can enjoy yourself a lot, as you find yourself over the clouds and you can view nature very closely. You can see a lot of scenes such as glaciers, rivers, a spectacular array of lakes, and gorges below. You may capture all through your cameras while you are on a plane to memorize Nepal's natural beauty.

6. Nepal Currency

Nepal currency is rupees, but this is not the same as the Indian currency. You are required to change the currency at the airport, from bank or ATMs there, or in some of Nepal's streets. Nepali's rupees are unique, and this is advisable not to handover Indian rupees to anyone there if you have them. Also, you can find many beggars in Nepal's streets; it is advised not to give money to them. If you provide them with money, they will be encouraged more and ask you for more money. While leaving Nepal, change the currency to your country's currency.

7. Loose Internet, Wi-Fi, or Phone Connectivity

If we talk about the Internet, Wi-Fi, or phone connectivity in Nepal, then you will get a loose connection or less connectivity in most of the city areas in Nepal. Nepal is not the best place for network infrastructure for the Internet, Wi-Fi, and phone connectivity. If you stay in a hotel or at home there, you will find the worst network connectivity. You can purchase a SIM card there, but there is no guarantee it will work. So, it is better to avoid these complexities and just enjoy your travel to Nepal.

8. Few temple spots are not allowed to enter

Temples are open for everyone, including tourists, but there are some spots in the temple where you will not be allowed to enter because of some major reasons. So this is better for you to hire a guide who can guide you about all these temples and advise where to go and where not to go because you may find yourself not be sure about these places.

9. Don't eat street food

You should avoid taking street food because many of the street food you may find undercooked and so you can harm your health. You need to avoid street fruits as well because they may be washed under faucet water. As you are not aware of Nepali food thoroughly, this is advisable for you to take the food to the hotel/house where you are staying and follow the safety rules as well before taking any type of food or drinking materials there.

10. More things to know before traveling to Nepal

• Vaccinations - This is advisable for you to take travel insurance before traveling to Nepal for the complete duration of your visit. There are some diseases such as hepatitis, cholera, and typhoid; you need to be aware of these diseases before traveling.
• Politics - This is advisable not to talk about politics with the local person in Nepal.
• Flights - Depending on the country you are flying from, there are many airlines, which offer good deals for flight booking, so you can check online and find the best deal for booking.
• Accommodation - If you are looking for an excellent accommodation facility with a discount offer, then it would be better for you to book through the best-known website only in your country.
• Nepal's nightlife - You should not expect much from Nepal nightlife because most of the bars close at 11:00 pm. The most famous bar in Kathmandu is 'Thamel', but counting on this is not a good idea because this comes in most of the tourist's eyes.
• Dusty Road - Kathmandu comes in the top 10 polluted cities globally, so this is why most people prefer to wear an air pollution mask there.
• Visa Extension - Most of the visitors want to stay more while they are in Nepal because they start loving Nepal, and so they want to extend their visa validity. For this, you need to fill the Visa Extension Form, print it, take a passport photocopy, arrange a passport size photograph, and with your original passport, you need to visit Immigration Office. You need to complete this process either in Kathmandu or Pokhara. After this, you need to pass a quick interview and pay the extension fee, so you are okay to stay there.
• Road Safety - While you are in Nepal, you need to cross safely while crossing the road because cars or other vehicles do not stop in the middle for any reason.

Before traveling to Nepal, you should know the above 10 things to know about Nepal. We hope these 10 tips will help you to prepare and be aware of what to do in Nepal to spend quality time there.