Survival Guide - Nepal

In whatever you do in Nepal, be sensitive to the Nepalese culture, something you may be new to if you haven't been to Nepal. A nation with rich religious values, you will come across lots of temples. Take off your shoes before entering a temple or for that matter someone's home. Also ask for permission before entering a Hindu temple. Nepali people are friendly by nature. During your stay in Nepal, take a genuine interest in them. Mingle with the local community and be friendly with them at all times. Try to adopt their customs where possible, like saying hello or Namaskar if anyone is initiating a dialogue with you. The form of greeting in Nepal is Namaste or Namaskar. Say it to greet Nepali people. It has a lot of meaning such as hello, how are you, have a nice day, bye bye. To do Namaskar by hand, join your palms together, bring it few inches below you chin facing it upwards.

While shopping in Nepal, bargain hard. Most products do not have price tags, so you are expected to haggle with shop owners. Don't buy anything without bargaining or if you feel extra dollars of yours would not hurt poor Nepalese go ahead give your best shot! Bargaining is common for buying stuff like vegetables and groceries, riding a cab, buying gift items such as Nepali Kukuri, Carpets, and just about anything.
Nothing in Nepal works on time. Don't expect punctuality. Public buses don't run on time and road traffics are unpredictable. So expect delay at all levels from getting a bus, taxi, plane and getting basic things done.
Nepal is disease-prone so don't venture out to do anything daring too soon. You will need to avoid street-foods and drinks because most of the diseases prevalent in Nepal are either water or air borne.

Some of the most common diseases of concern in Nepal are Malaria, Kala-azar, Japanese Encephalitis, Tuberculosis, Dysentery, Hepatitis A and HIV/AIDS. In the villages of Nepal, major problems are Skin disease, which results from lack of proper hygiene and sanitation, acute respiratory infection, and lung disease that result from indoor cook fires and malnutrition. Avoid drinking water from unknown sources. Try to carry packaged drinking water wherever you go and don't share your glass of water with anybody. Keep packets of Oral Re-hydration Solution (ORS) with you. Always keep enough stock of mosquito repellents. Mosquitoes cause some of the major diseases in Nepal such as Kala-azar, Malaria, Chikungunya and Dengue. Get the vaccinations that you would need before coming to Nepal. Check with the doctor in your home country for the necessary immunization that you would need.

Always keep the local currency in hand. If you need to change money, do it at authorized money exchange counters. International credit/debit cards are accepted in the country. Standard Charted Bank offers ATM service in its different branches in Kathmandu and Pokhra. You can get cash advances on both Visa and Master card. These ATMs are accessible 24 hours a day. Local bank ATMs are also widely available.

Go for the authentic Nepalese food at once. You can also get Indian or Mughlai dishes if you want. There are also Thai, Continental, Italian, European and American delicacies if you are getting nostalgic about home.