Getting around

Audley Travel T01993 838300, Waudleytravel.com. Quality tailor-made and small-group tours in Nepal. Classic Journeys T01773 873497, Wclassicjourneys.co.uk. Nepal specialist offering the usual range of treks, plus several tours run by professional photographers. Dragoman T01728 885644, Wdragoman.com. Extended overland journeys taking in Nepal and India. Exodus T0845 863 9600, Wexodus.co.uk. Established company with trekking, cycling and sightseeing trips to Nepal, India, Tibet and Bhutan. Explore Worldwide T01252 884223, Wexplore.co.uk. Recommended operator offering Nepal and Tibet trips, featuring trekking and cultural activities. Good for single travellers. Footprint Adventures T07546 872801, Wfootprint-adventures .co.uk. Specializes in wildlife and birdwatching tours, plus trekking. High Places T0114 279 2790, Whighplaces.co.uk. For the more serious trekker, focusing on high-altitude trekking and scaling peaks. Jagged Globe T0114 276 3322, Wjagged-globe.co.uk. Climbing, mountaineering and serious trekking expeditions. Mongoose Travel T01271 850224, Wmongoosetravel.co.uk. Small company offering cultural tours and treks, with good ethical and environmental credentials. Mountain Kingdoms T01453 844400, Wmountainkingdoms .com. Smallish specialist company with particular expertise on Nepal. Naturetrek T01962 733051, Wnaturetrek.co.uk. Leading specialist in birdwatching and wildlife tours. On The Go Tours T020 7371 1113, Wonthegotours.com. Established operator offering tours throughout Nepal, as well as trips to India, Tibet and Bhutan, and a pan-Himalayan tour travelling between them. Traidcraft T0191 265 1110, Wmeetthepeople.skedaddle.co.uk. Sustainable “meet the people” tours involving stays with small-scale farmers who produce fair trade products. Wildlife Worldwide T01962 302086, Wwildlifeworldwide .com. Trips for wildlife enthusiasts. Abercrombie and Kent Australia T1300 851924, New Zealand T0800 441638, Wabercrombiekent.com. Upmarket tours of Nepal and India. Intrepid Travel Australia T1300 797010, New Zealand T0800 600610, Wintrepidtravel.com. Small-group tours, mostly treks on standard routes, but also wildlife, rafting and India trips, with an ethical emphasis. Peregrine Adventures Australia T1300 854445, Wperegrine adventures.com. Tours across Nepal, some combining visits to India, Bhutan or Tibet. Ultimate Descents International Australia T03 543 2301, Wultimatedescents.com. Pioneering rafting operator with an extensive range of trips.

Getting around is one of the biggest challenges of travelling in Nepal. Distances aren’t great, but the roads are poor and extremely slow, and public buses are crowded and uncomfortable. Tourist buses are available on the main routes, however, and you can always hire a motorcycle, or charter a taxi, car or 4WD vehicle, or catch a flight.

Nepal’s highways are irregularly maintained, and each monsoon takes a toll on surfaces. Wherever you travel, the route will probably be new in parts, disintegrated in places, and under construction in others. The country has a truly appalling road safety record, and accidents are common. And, in

NEPALI PLACE NAMES

IN THE US AND CANADA

Above the Clouds Trekking T1 800 233 4499, Waboveclouds .com. Family-run operator offering some unusual treks, including “heli-trekking”; good for family treks. Adventure.com Wadventure.com. Traveller community that specializes in finding the right tour operator for those who want to get off the beaten path. Canadian Himalayan Expeditions T1 800 563 8735, Whimalayanexpeditions.com. Wide range of small-group treks and climbing expeditions. Friends in High Places T1 781 354 9851, Wfihp.com. US-Nepali company offering mostly customized itineraries, especially treks. Journeys International T1 800 255 8735, Wjourneys.travel. Worldwide trekking agency covering the standard routes, plus a few off-the-beaten-track options. Mountain Travel Sobek T1 888 831 7526, Wmtsobek.com. High-end trekking and rafting company, with easy to strenuous routes, plus wildlife and customized trips.

Even though Devanaagari (the script of Nepali and Hindi) spellings are phonetic, transliterating them into the Roman alphabet is a disputed science. Some places will never shake off the erroneous spellings bestowed on them by early British colonialists – Kathmandu, for instance, looks more like Kaathmaadau when properly transliterated. Where place names are Sanskrit-based, the Nepali pronuncia tion sometimes differs from the ipi8hfBu+Fu1Tqp6g5eaALs= accepted spelling – the names Vishnu (a Hindu god) and Vajra (a tantric symbol), for instance, sound like Bishnu and Bajra in Nepali. We have followed local pronunciations as consistently as possible in this guide, except in cases where to do so would be out of step with every map in print.

addition, blockades or general strikes (bandh) can at times make travel virtually impossible, though it’s got a lot better in recent years.

By bus

Allowing for bad roads, overloaded buses, tea stops, meal stops, the constant picking up and letting off of passengers, and the occasional flat tyre or worse, the average bus speed in the hills is barely 25–30km per hour, and on remote, unpaved roads it can be half that. Along the Terai’s Mahendra Highway, it’s more like 50km per hour in an express bus.

Bus frequencies and approximate journey times are given throughout this guide. Inevitably, these figures should be taken with a pinch of salt: the bus network seems to grow every year, but political troubles or festivals can dramatically reduce the number of buses, and some gravel or dirt roads are closed altogether during the monsoon.

Open-air bus stations (also known as bas parks or bas islands) are typically located in the dustiest parts of town. Tickets are generally sold from a small booth. Destinations may not be written in English, but people are almost always happy to help you out if you ask.

In Kathmandu and Pokhara you may find it easier to make arrangements through a travel agent (though make sure it’s one you’ve been recommended), while in cities you can ask your hotel to buy a ticket for you.

Even the longest journeys on public buses should cost no more than Rs500.

Local buses

Tourist buses

Regular tourist buses connect Kathmandu with Pokhara, Sauraha (for Chitwan National Park) and Sonauli, as well as Pokhara with Sauraha and Sonauli. The vehicles are usually in good condition, making for a safer ride than in a regular bus. They aren’t supposed to take more passengers than there are seats, so the journey should also be more comfortable and quicker too. Some companies use minibuses, which are somewhat quicker – occasionally dangerously so. Book seats at least one or two days in advance. Note that ticket agents often add an undisclosed commission onto the price.

Serving mainly shorter routes or remote roads, local buses are ancient, cramped and battered contraptions. A bus isn’t making money until it’s nearly full to bursting, and it can get suffocating inside. Once on the road, the bus will stop any time it’s flagged down. Local buses often depart from a separate bus park or just a widening in the road, and tickets are bought on board. The only way to be sure of getting a seat is to board the bus early and wait. If you’re just picking up a bus along the way you’re likely to join the crush standing in the aisle. Unless your bag is small, it will have to go on the roof; during daylight hours it should be safe there as long as it’s locked, but keep all valuables on your person. Riding on the roof can be quite appealing, ipi8hfBu+Fu1Tqp6g5eaALs= but it’s dangerous and illegal. Even if you’ve got a seat, safety is a concern: these buses are often overworked, overloaded and poorly maintained.

Express buses

Long-distance public bus services generally operate on an express basis – meaning they stop at scheduled points only. They’re faster and more comfortable than local buses.

Express buses fall into two categories: day buses, which usually set off in the morning, and night buses, which usually depart in the afternoon or early evening. Night buses are generally more comfortable, though legroom is always in short supply, and between all the lurching, honking, tea stops and blaring music you won’t get much sleep (bring earplugs and an eye mask). Night journeys are also significantly more dangerous, and it’s not uncommon for drivers to fall asleep at the wheel or drink alcohol.

Like tourist buses, and unlike local buses, express buses allow you to reserve seats in advance. Do this, or you could end up in one of the ejector seats along the back. Numbering begins from the front of the bus: the prized seats #1A and #2A, on the left by the front door, often have the most legroom. You can usually get away with buying a ticket just a few hours beforehand, except during the big festivals, when you should book as far in advance as possible.

Most express buses give you the choice of stowing your baggage on the roof or in a locked hold in the back. Having all your things with you is of course the best insurance policy against theft. Putting bags in the hold is usually the next-safest option, especially on night buses. Baggage stowed on the roof is probably all right during the day, but you can never be completely sure – if possible, lock your bag to the roofrack, and keep an eye out during stops.

By 4WD and truck

its painful way deeper into the countryside. And where the bus comes to the end of the road, you can rely on finding a gaadi (the all-purpose word for a vehicle) to take you further. This will often be a Tata Sumo or similarly extended 4WD; on the roughest routes you’ll even find tractor transport.

Another option is to travel by truck, many of which do a sideline in hauling passengers. Trucks aren’t licensed as passenger vehicles, and take little interest in passenger safety; you should also watch your luggage. Women travelling by truck will probably prefer to join up with a companion.

If you’re really stuck, you could try hitching, though this carries obvious risks.

By plane and helicopter

Aircraft play a vital role in Nepal’s transport network, and there will be times when US$150–200 spent on an internal flight seems a small price to pay to avoid 24 hours on a bus. Most flights begin or end in Kathmandu, but two other airports in the Terai – Nepalgunj and Biratnagar – serve as secondary hubs. The less profitable destinations tend to be served exclusively by the state-owned Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC; Wnepalairlines.com.np), which has a justifiably poor reputation.

Numerous private airlines operate fairly efficiently on the main domestic inter-city and tourist trekking routes. They include Air Viva (Wair -viva.com); Buddha Air (Wbuddhaair.com); Gorkha Airlines (Wgorkhaairlines.com); Tara Air (Wtaraair .com); and Yeti Airlines, (Wyetiairlines.com).

An hour-long scenic loop out of Kathmandu, the so-called “mountain flight”, is popular among tourists who want to get an armchair view of Everest (see box, p.97).

Tickets

Almost all domestic airlines now allow booking online using a credit card, though you can also book through a travel agent for a small fee. Tickets bought through travel agents must be paid for in hard currency only, usually US dollars. At off-peak times you shouldn’t have any trouble getting a seat, but during the trekking season flights to airstrips along the popular trails may be booked up months in advance. Agencies frequently overbook, though, releasing their unused tickets on the day of departure, so you may be able to buy a returned ticket from the airline on the morning you want to travel. Make sure to check in early for popular flights, as they are often overbooked. There is a Rs200 departure tax for all internal flights flying into Kathmandu (it’s included in outbound ticket prices).

Safety and delays

Government scrutiny of the airline industry is minimal, and there have been 42 major crashes in Nepal since 1992, when two international flights went down, though most crashes occur at remote airstrips. The mountainous terrain is the main problem, particularly during the monsoon – “In Nepal, clouds have rocks in them”, as the saying goes – although baggage overloading and lack of maintenance checks are contributing factors. Radar was installed at Kathmandu airport after the crashes of 1992, and mountain airstrips now have limited warning systems in place, but for the most part you are relying on pilot skill and experience. It’s a close

Simikot

Year-round airport Seasonal airstrip

Bajhang Bajura

Jumla

T I B E T ( C H I N A )

N

Dhangadhi Sanfebagar

Surkhet Chaurjhari Dolpa

Jomosom

Manang Rukum ipi8hfBu+Fu1Tqp6g5eaALs=

Nepalgunj Pokhara

Bhairahawa

Bharatpur Meghauli

0

kilometres 100

I N D I A

KATHMANDU

Rumjatar

Lukla Phaplu Taplejung

Simara Ramechhap Lamidanda

Tumlingtar Bhojpur

call as to whether flying is more, or less, dangerous than travelling by bus, especially during the perilous monsoon period.

Another problem with flying in Nepal is the frequency of delays and cancellations, usually due to weather. Few airstrips have even the simplest landing beacons, and many of them are surrounded by hills, so there must be good visibility to land – if there’s fog or the cloud ceiling is too low, the plane won’t fly. Since clouds usually increase as the day wears on, delays often turn into cancellations. If your flight is cancelled, you may be placed at the bottom of a waiting list, rather than being given space on the next available flight.

Helicopters

Several companies – including Mountain Helicopters Nepal (Wmountainhelicoptersnepal.com) and Fishtail Air (Wfishtailair.com) – offer charter helicopter services, which are mainly used by trekking parties with more money than time, who charter a chopper for upwards of US$1000 to save them several days’ backtracking. Companies are supposed to charter only entire aircraft, but in practice if a helicopter is returning empty from a trekking landing strip, the pilot will take on individual passengers for about the same price as a seat on a plane. Helicopter tours are also available.

Driving and cycling

In addition to being faster and more comfortable than a bus, travelling by car, 4WD or motorbike will enable you to get to places you’d never go otherwise, and to stop whenever you like. Rental cars always come with a driver in Nepal. If you bring your own vehicle you’ll need a carnet de passage and an international driving licence; you’ll just need the latter if you rent a motorcycle.

Cars and jeeps

Driving tips

Driving your own car or riding a motorbike is sometimes fun, sometimes terrifying, and always challenging – drive defensively.

Observance of traffic regulations is lax, with drivers constantly jockeying for position. On roundabouts, confusion arises (for visitors) because priority officially goes to vehicles entering the roundabout. Most vehicles you want to overtake will want you to wait for their signal – a hand wave or, confusingly, a right-turning indicator (slowmoving vehicles often leave the latter on).

Follow local practice and use your horn liberally: to alert other vehicles and careless pedestrians that

you’re there, when rounding sharp corners, and when overtaking – so more or less all the time. Driving without using your horn will almost certainly result in an accident. Watch your speed on the highways, which are rarely free of unmarked hazards. Try to keep speeds to a maximum of 50–60kmph, and slow down when passing through towns and villages, keeping an eye out for vehicles, cyclists and people or animals who often wander into the road without looking. And watch out for those cows: the penalty for killing one is up to twelve years in prison, the same as for killing a human being. If you do have an accident, the first locals on the scene will always help, and for minor accidents a lively discussion will ensue (with passers-by taking sides) as to where to apportion blame. If it’s a straightforward case with no injuries, you can negotiate and pay/receive damages there and then. If one side is not happy about this, or there are injuries, the police will get involved, fill out a report and help with arbitration. Never drive at night if you can help it: there are no dipped headlights, and all the dangers above are magnified. Aim to arrive at your destination at least an hour or two before sunset. Petrol stations can be found in towns and cities, as well as along major routes, though you should fill up when you have the opportunity (start looking when you’ve got half a tank) as they often run out of fuel – it’s always wise to carry an extra container of petrol just in case. Off the beaten path, most villages will have at least one shop which sells bottles of petrol, though it’s usually watered down or contaminated – this is sometimes the case at the pumps too. Petrol currently costs around Rs150 a litre. In Kathmandu and Pokhara, chartering a taxi by the day is the cheapest option for short or mediumdistance journeys. The going rate for trips within the Kathmandu or Pokhara valleys is about Rs3000–4000 a day (plus petrol), though you’ll have to bargain hard for that price. More expensive cars, jeeps and 4WDs can be rented through hotels or travel agents.ipi8hfBu+Fu1Tqp6g5eaALs=

Motorcycles

You’ll want to have had plenty of riding experience to travel by motorbike in Nepal, and you should of course have a licence, though it’s very unlikely to be checked (though your red/blue registration book might well be) – police usually just wave foreigners through checkpoints. Wear as much protective