City Introduction

Located at the intersection of Kathmandu Valley, the Bagmati River and Bixing Martinique River, Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and is an ancient city with 1,000 years of history. Nepalese dynasties of past ages have built here a large number of palaces, temples, pagodas, halls and monasteries, and there are more than 2,700 temples of all sizes in the city. Kathmandu is a blender of tradition and modernity, where you can still find horses, cattle, dogs and chickens on the streets and the roads. The city enjoys a mild climate, and it’s comfortable and pleasant in most of the year, winning the good reputation of "a paradise in the mountains".

 

 

 

 

History and Culture

Kathmandu was originally called Kantipur (meaning “a city of light" in Sanskrit), where indigenous Newar people have lived and gradually built up the urban civilization here since the ancient times. Newari cultural reached its peak especially during the Malla dynasty in the Middle Ages, when a large number of temples and monuments were built. Kathmandu was once considered to be a place where "more gods dwell here than local residents," but since 1990 when the city began to develop democratization, rapid changes have taken place. Due to the influx of a large number of rural people into the city and a remarkable rise in the number of cars and motorcycles, traffic congestion and air pollution have become a serious problem.

 

 

 

 

Natural Environment

With the altitude of 1370 meters, Kathmandu is surrounded by mountains on four sides, of which the south lies the Himalayas as a natural cover for defense and the south is exposed to the warm current of Indian Ocean. The advantaged geographical environment makes it become a world-famous tourism destination. Kathmandu is divided into the old and new districts of which the new one is full of traditional Nepalese-style buildings while the old one still retains the original architectural style, except the commercial main roads. Durbar Square is the center of Kathmandu, of which southeast lies Patan 3 kilometers away and east stands Bhaktapur12 kilometers away.

 

 

 

 

Climate Change

Kathmandu is very warm throughout the year, but there is often thick morning fog and obvious temperature fluctuations from October to March. From April, there will be a rise of the temperature and showers in the afternoon is quite common. After entry into summer in mid-June, rainy season starts, with the air temperatures of 30-35℃ in the daytime and 15-20℃ at night. Spring and fall are the best seasons for hiking and also the best period to admire the beauty of flowers in Nepal. The period from October to December is the best time to enjoy the mountain scenery, which is also the local tourist rush season.

 

 

 

 

Useful Information

Medical / First Aid

Nepal has a poor health condition, so you need to bring some anti-diarrhea and cold medicines for yourself. It’s recommended that you do not drink the local tap water until it is boiled. It won’t cost you too much to have a bottle of drinking water every day. Mountain climbers had better prepare some Band-Aids and other trauma medical items in advance. In the capital city Kathmandu, there are several large well-equipped hospitals, but there are only a few clinics or pharmacies at local cities. So if you fall ill, the best way is to return to Kathmandu for examination and treatment.

Dressing Advice

1. Clothing From September to next March, Nepal is cool in both the morning and the evening. So you need to wear a thick sweater or jacket coat. But during the day the air temperature will rise to about 25℃; from April to June it’s hot, often with showers in the evening; the rainy season starts from June to September. Although it may not rain the whole day, it does rain every day. If you travel to Nepal during this period, you should bring a good waterproof coat with good ventilation. Whether for climbing mountains or going hiking, you should prepare a pair of climbing boot.

2. Hiking equipment: If you have travel plans for hiking, please prepare outdoor equipment: Jackets, sweater, close fitted down jacket, warm pants, variety scarf (warm scarf + mask double effect), gloves (when climbing to the summit, you may feel very cold; but after wearing gloves you will feel better about your hands when taking photos), outdoor sports pants, hiking shoes (high hiking shoes), bulky backpack, large-size rain cover (consignment, and minibuses between cities are dirty inside), small-size backpack (for things not contained in pockets but needed at any time in daily activities), purses (for cash, important documents, passports and others with you.), sleeping bags, headlamps, kneecaps (in case of hiking or walking be sure to carry them with you; they can effectively protect your knees while you clime down from mountains for consecutive 8 hours in the whole day) and so on.

3. Daily necessities: You are advised to bring commonly-used household items with you, because Nepal hotels provide very few daily items. Such items include: towels, slippers, shower gel, shampoo, hair conditioner, toothbrush and toothpaste.

Communications

Mobile phone: The mobile communication enjoys the rapid development in Nepal, where roaming service is already available. Mobile mobiles can be used after opening international roaming service available in Nepal, but the roaming bill is expensive. Any visitors in need of such service can consult the local mobile operators.

SIM card: Upon the arrival in Kathmandu you can go to any shop with the Ncell logo, and buy a local telephone card. For details, please refer to the official website: http: //www.ncell.com.np/.

Time Lag

Nepal time is nearly five hours and 45 minutes faster than GMT time, but is 2 hours 15 minutes slower than Beijing time. It’s 12:15 at noon in Beijing time, but it’s 10:00 am in Nepal time.

Electric Voltage and Sockets

The electric voltage in Nepal is 220 volts. Kathmandu hotels are installed with two-phase or three-phase plugs with English-type flat heads, while round National Forest Park and Pokhara provide two-phase plugs with round heads, which are different from those in China. So you preferably carry with a converter or you can also buy such converter for about 50 rupees while touring Kathmandu.

 

 

 

 

Visa Information

It’s easy for Chinese citizens to apply for a personal travel visa to Nepal. With needed materials, you may go directly to the Nepal embassy and consulates in China and apply for such visa.

Visa Application:

Materials required to be submitted include: Original passport remaining valid for 6 months or more, one 2-inch color photo, copies of the front and back side of ID, and personal data sheet.

Working days required: 3-5 working days

Valid period of visa: 6 months

Days of stay to be allowed: 60 days for a single entry and exit.

Fee: Shanghai: 235 yuan/person for 15-day visa and 340 yuan/person for 30-day visa. Beijing and Lhasa: 175 yuan/person for 15-day visa, 280 yuan/person for 30-day visa and 700 yuan/person for 90-day visa.

Extension of Visa:

Nepal’s tourist visa can be extended. If you want to stay a few more days in Nepal but your visa deadline is approaching, then you need to go to the tourist service center of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in Kathmandu and apply for an extension of the visa. However, it provides that additional 2 US dollars are charged for each extended day, and so on. For example, in case of a 4-day extension, you will need to pay 8 dollars as additional registration fee.

1. Tourist Service Center in Nepal Tourism Board (NTB)

Name: Tourist Service Center in Nepal Tourism Board

Address: Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu

Tel: 00977-1-4256909

2. Nepalese Embassy in Beijing, China

Address: No. 1 6th West Street Sanlitun Road Chaoyang District Beijing

Tel: 010-65321795

3. Nepalese Consulate in Lhasa

Address: No. 13 North Norbulingka Road Lhasa Tibet

Tel: 0891-6813965

Business hour: 10: 00-12: 00 a.m.

4. Nepalese Consulate in Shanghai

Address: Block A 16th Floor East Exhibition No. 669 Building Beijing West Road Shanghai

Tel: 021-62720259

Business hour: 9: 30-11: 30 AM and 13: 30-16: 30 PM from Monday to Friday

Visa on Arrival:

Tourists holding all types of valid passports can handle visa on arrival at the Immigration Office of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and other locations, and there is no requirement for the valid period of passports.

Materials required to be submitted include: A valid passport, passport photo and the amount of foreign currency declared to carry. For the stay duration for 15 days, 30 days and 90 days, you need to pay visa fees respectively: $ 25, $ 40 and $ 100.

Chinese Embassy in Nepal

Address: Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal

Tel: (daytime): 00977-1-4411740

Consular Protection: 00977-9801037888 (24 hours)

On-duty Mobile phone: 00977-9801029888 (24 hours)

Working Hours: 9: 00-12: 00 a.m. and 14: 00-17: 00 p.m. from Monday to Friday 14:00-17:00

 

 

 

 

Currency Exchange

Nepalese currency is called rupee（Nepalese Rupee，Rs for short）and there are banknotes with the denomination of Rs1000,500,250,100,50,25,20,10,5,2and1and coins with the denomination of Rs1,2,5and10 . In the tourism cities you can make payments using US dollars at hotels and shops but RMB is not accepted in such local areas. However, it’s also very convenient to exchange local currency with RMB in Nepal. The existing exchange rate with US is 1 US dollar=98.02rupees and its rate with RMB is RMB 1=16.15 rupees (this is the exchange rate in December 2013please refer to the exchange rate of that relevant day); Please consider whether the exchange with US dollars or RMB is more cost-effective in a more comprehensive way. Currency exchange offices are found everywhere in Nepal. So you can consult more exchange offices and bargaining is necessary. Usually you can have a general knowledge of the exchange situation after consulting. If you enter Nepal from the border port Zhangmu, be sure to change as much as possible, for the exchange rate there is the highest in the whole Nepal. By contrast, there is the lowest exchange rate at Pokhara. Relatively, the rate on the mountains is even lower than that at the downtown of Bibokala city. So, if you are already in Nepal, just exchange rupees as much as possible in Kathmandu, because the rates in other cities are much lower.

 

 

 

 

Tourism Service Number

Travel Consultation

Kathmandu Tourism Office

Address: Bhrikutimandap Marg

Contact Information: +977-1-4256909

Office of the Tourism Office(free maps and postcards are available)

Contact Information: +977-1-4470537

Emergency telephone

Police: 100

Fire: 101

Tourist Police: +977-1-4247041

Patan Hospital: +977-1-4521048

Red Cross: +977-1—4228094

Directory Assistance: 197

Emergency Contact Phone:

1. Address of Chinese Embassy in Nepal: Hattisar, Kathmandu

Website: np.china-embassy.org

Contact Information: +977-1-4411740 (daytime) 9801037888； 9851071888(on duty for 24 hours)

2. Global assistance hotline of Chinese Foreign Ministry: +86-10-12308

3. Address of Kathmandu Tourist Office for travel consultation: Bhrikutimandap Marg

Contact Information: +977-1-4256909

Tourism Office Contact Information: +977-1-4470537

4. Other Telephone Numbers:

Emergency Reporting Tel: 100

Tourist Police: +977-1-4247041

Patan Hospital: +977-1-4521048 (on duty for 24 hours)

Patan Hospital Ambulance: 00977-4260859

Patan Red Cross Ambulance: 00977-5545666

Red Cross Ambulance Service: 00977-4228094

Agrawal Sewa Center: 00977-4424875

Aasara Rehabilitation Center: 01-4384881

 

 

 

 

Notes

Nepal has a diverse ethnic culture, and in face of its deep-rooted cultural traditions, foreign travelers should pay attention to some taboos in dealing with the locals: 1. The greeting in Nepal is namaste, which corresponds to the people’s act of folded hands; 2. Take off your shoes before entering into Nepal temples and houses; 3. Be careful not to touch others’ food or dinnerware with your used knives, forks, spoons or your hand; 4. Do not touch the Nepalese goods with your feet, for this is frivolous and considered as an offense; 5. Pay attention to your dressing, and especially female travelers should not wear skimpy clothes; 6. You shall not enter a Hindu temple before obtaining the consent, because the temple is not open to non-believers; 7. Fur items are prohibited into the temple; 8. You should walk around the temple or pagoda in a clockwise way; 9. You should obtain a permission before taking a photo of any things (either individuals or articles); 10. Public intimacy between men and women is disfavored; 11. In many cases, the Nepalese shake their heads to express agreement, but such headshake is different from the usual act of moving a head from left to right, instead it’s to shake a head from upper left down towards lower right.

 

 

 

 

Festivals(Important/Historical/Folks Ones)

There are too many holidays in Kathmandu. According to the information presented by Nepal Tourism Board, all the festivals around the country reach to more than 300. Tourists can feel the festive atmosphere by joining with the locals. In a sea of joy, the visitors will be able to experience the unique culture of Nepal. Thereinto the most grand annual festival is Indra Jatra Festival in September, followed by JAN BAHAL Festival in March or April. Only a few representative festivals are listed here for reference:

Holi

It’s Nepal's most colorful and joyful festival, which lasts seven days. This festival comes from the fairy tale that the banshee Horry was burned to ashes, and is also therefore known as "Horry Festival." During the festival, familiar members can put pink powder on each other’s faces or heads to express their mutual blessing; and even strangers walking on the streets can also throw pink power to each other. In recent years, people not only throw pink powder at each other but also use water guns, balloons and other items filled with red liquid. So If you are poured so heavily as to become a drowned rat, do not get angry, because red color is regarded by the Nepalese as a symbol of good luck.

Time: Time: March in the Gregorian calendar(late November in the Nepalese calendar)

Indra Jatra

Time: in September of each year

Because Indra is the God of Rain for ancient Aryan people. According to the legend due to the reason of his mother (Degini) he stole a flower and was arrested in Kathmandu Valley; he was detained in jail and was not released until Dagini revealed his identity. Local people hold festivities to commemorate this remarkable feat, and in return for the release, Dagini promised to bring rain and dew for the crops here in the coming several months. Thus, Indra Jatra has become a big day of praying for the good harvest, and many parades around the city will be held during the festival. On the last day of the festival people will put down wooden posts and deliver them to the river.

Seto Machhendranath

Time: in March or April of each year

Seto Machhendranath is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva’s rain god, and is worshiped at the temple in the courtyard. There is a goddess statue looking like a European in the courtyard, and during Seto Machhendranath the goddess status will be respectfully moved out to parade for 4 days.

Dashain

Dashain is in honor of the goddess Durga. Early in the morning of that day goats and buffaloes are offered as sacrifices in the Côte courtyard located at the downtown of Kathmandu City. The festival is a national holiday lasting 15 days, during which people will be dressed in traditional costumes to worship the goddess, thus creating a really bustling festival atmosphere.

Time: in October of each year

Pachali Bhairab

Pachali Bhairab is one of the terrible gods. Bhairab’s bloodthirsty nature means that there will be a large size of sacrifices offered in this festival.

Time: the fourth day of the two-week period with the brightest moonlight in September or early October each year.

Ghoda Jatra

The large-scale celebrations will held in the downtown of Kathmandu, where living goddess, king, queen and the royal cavalry will appear. And horse racing, equestrian, motorcycle shows and occasionally a ceremonial parade will be held during the festival.

Time: at the end of December in the Nepalese calendar (in March-April in the Gregorian calendar)