Be Ahead of the game and other Nepal Transportation Tips

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Be Ahead of the game and first through Immigration when you arrive at Kathmandu Tribuvan Airport – How ??
Simple, Visit this web-site, Download your visa application form and fill it in before leaving home, then once you arrive, All you have to do is pay your visa fee, get your receipt and then present your Pre-filled in your visa application form with your photo already stuck in position and your passport, Your visa will then be issued and you will be heading to pick your bags up before the masses have even finished filling in their forms !!

2008 update
The government has revised existing tourist visa fee to be effective from Shrawan 1, 2065 (July 16, 2008). As per the new fee structure, US $ 25 or equivalent foreign currency is required to obtain Tourist Visa with Multiple Entry for 15 days. Likewise, Tourist Visa with Multiple Entry for 30 days can be obtained by paying US $ 40 or equivalent foreign currency. Similarly, Tourist Visa with Multiple Entry for 90 days can be obtained by paying US $ 100.

Likewise, the government has also revised fee required to extend days of stay and visa renewal. As per the revise fee structure, Tourist Visa can be extended by paying US $ 2 or equivalent Nepalese currency per day. Likewise, Multiple Entry facility can be obtained only for the extension period by additional US $ 20 and visa fee for the extended period. Similarly, tourists can renew their visa by paying Nepalese currency equivalent to US $ 3 on the regular visa extension fee.

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Website: http://www.treks.com.np/visa/

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: To enter Nepal you need a visa, It is possible to obtain these before you leave your home country but most people get theirs on arrival, The following information is designed to get you through the airport as quickly as possible.
You need
1 passport photo
$40 US

Once off the plane, you will probably have a short airport bus ride to the terminal, Once inside follow the signs to Custom as Immigration. This is a large hall, you will find desks with forms to fill in, You need to fill out two forms (Unless you have downloaded the visa application form and have it ready pre-filled in !!)
1) Visa application form, The usual form with details of your passport, home address, proposed length of stay in Nepal, reason for visiting etc etc
2) Disembarkation form (Sometimes these are handed out by the airline that you fly in with, so if this is the case you can be ahead of the game !!)

Once you have filled these forms in (as quickly as possible is my advice) you first go to the desk on the left hand side of the hall and pay your $40 visa fee and hand over your passport photo. You will be given a yellow receipt.
Then take this receipt along with your passport and disembarkation form to one of the immigration desks to the right of the visa payment desk, hand over your passport and yellow receipt and you will be issued with your visa.
It’s as simple as that !!

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'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Next you go through custom’s, this is really nothing more than a formality.
Next you go to the baggage hall, and with luck your bags (Maybe safely inside a Pro-Tector) will be on the carrousel awaiting you.

Then you walk through the airport doors and outside into pandemonium !!
BUT Don’t worry about this, The Nepalese are a Really Friendly people, However walking outside Tribuvan Airport can be a bit overwhelming, especially the first time and if you are traveling alone. Lots of hotel touts try and persuade you to go in Their Free taxi to Their Hotel. If you haven’t got a fixed plan then sometimes this isn’t such a bad thing, But Personally I just say to a taxi driver, will you take be into Thamel for 200 NPR and usually they say yes.
If you have arranged a pick up from your hotel, the guys with names on a board usually either stand just inside or just outside the main door, If the taxi drivers still pester you just tell them you are meeting someone and already have a reservation – That Usually Works

I Hope the above helps you, Good Luck and Enjoy your visit to Nepal – I am Sure that you will !!

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: I Thought that it would be Useful for Travelers arriving in Kathmandu Tribuvan Airport to know the going rate for a taxi into Thamel
Maximum of 200 NPR as of March 2007
Then when you have agreed your fare tell the driver that he must stay in the taxi when you get to your chosen hotel – Otherwise he may well tell the hotel / guesthouse owner that he “Brought” you there and claim commission – Then the price of your room WILL go UP !!

2008 - Fuel prices are on the up in Nepal. March 2008 a litre of petrol was anything between 80 NPR and 100 NPR. So this obviously effects the price that you will pay.
Typically a taxi will now cost 250 / 300 NPR

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: When you arrive in Kathmandu you will see that there are literally thousands of travel agencies to pick from !! Most Hotels run there own little travel agency too !!
My Recommendation would be to go and See Nirmal Nakarmi at "Himalayan Magic Adventures" He can sort anything out from a Bus Ticket (including direct busses to India) to an Air Ticket -- both national and international. Rafting trips (using his own rafts and experienced rafting guides) Overland Trips to Tibet, Guided Treks and Packages to Sauraha for Royal Chitwan National park. + many other things.
Nirmal is a Gentleman and is 100% Trustworthy -- I have personally known him for fourteen years and ALWAYS use his services when visiting Nepal (Now seven times)
Nirmal has the VERY BEST Recommendation from Me !!!

Once again, on this my 7th trip to Nepal in 2008 I again used Nirmal and " Himalayan Magic Adventures " for All my internal travel requirements including a fully supported trek to Upper Mustang, Again he gave me the Best Possible deal. Like Many other travel agencies in Nepal he has suffered because of the general downturn in Tourism but I am Very Pleased to say that, at least for now he is still surviving :-)
The latest news is that Nirmal now has an email address, I have tried to talk him into this for a few years now and am Pleased to say that he has now taken my advice – I Just hope that he keeps checking it ;-)

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Phone: Kathmandu ( 977 1 ) 4262524
Other Contact: email -- n2@vianet.com.np

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: Once you have picked out your trek, the next thing you will be wanting to find out is how to get to the trail head. These next few tips are designed to give you the options of doing this. Often there are several ways and which one you pick will depend on your budget, timescale as well as the level of “Comfort” that you require.
As always, if you need further info then please feel free to drop me a line

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Car/Motor Home
Getting TO/AROUND: Another possibility to travel long distances in Nepal is by taxi / private car, This is a much more realistic proposition if you are in a group of 3 or more and are able to split the costs. But if you aren’t travelling on a budget, want a bit more comfort or are travelling in a tight timeframe and need to get to a trailhead quicker then it is a good option.

There are two ways of hiring one.
1) Go to a travel agent and book one, Personally I would go and se Nirmal at HMA, make sure that the travel agent knows exactly what sort of car it is that you are looking for, stipulate whether you require the driver to be fluent in English and make sure you are hiring a car that is going to be big / comfortable enough for the passengers as well as all the luggage
2) Approach a taxi on the street and get a price direct, you will then know Exactly what it is that you are hiring and how fluent the driver is in English.

Fuel prices are on the up in Nepal. March 2008 a litre of petrol was anything between 80 NPR and 100 NPR. So this obviously effects the price that you will pay.

Typically a private car to take you from Kathmandu to Pokhara would cost you from $80 to $100 in March 2008

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: One of the most popular trailheads is Besisahar for starting the Annapurna Circuit.

You have several options for getting here from Kathmandu, the cheapest is by local bus, I did this in 1995 and it was an experience, it took about 12 hours and was very uncomfortable as well as being slow. A much better option is to catch the Pokhara tourist bus as far as Dumre and then change here for the local bus up to Besisahar, 2008 prices are 300NPR for the tourist bus + around 100 / 150NPR (Depending on the luggage charge) for the local bus, so only around a 100 /150NPR more expensive than taking the local bus all the way from Kathmandu.
Local busses leave very early, around 5.30
Tourist busses leave around 7 from Kantipath

In the main season you can catch a Microbus direct from Kathmandu to Besisahar, Enquire at any of the Thamel travel agents for details and current prices

Finally, you can hire a private car / minibus, This can work well, especially if there is a group of you, Prices in 2008 were around $100

From Pokhara by far the best option is the local bus, this 175NPR (Spring 2008) and departs from Pokhara Bazaar And takes approximately 4 hours .

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: Depending on your timeframe you can safe a few hours by catching a local bus from Besisahar to Bhulbhule, The main trekking route follows the dirt road that the bus follows so you don’t miss anything by taking this option, Unless you are a real purist that is !!
The bus departs form just above the ANCAP checkpoint and takes just under an hour and costs just a few rupees.
We took the bus rather than walking along the road – Its up to you whether you do the same !!

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: If you are going to trek the Annapurna Sanctuary then the Best way to get to the Trail-Head at Phedi from Pokhara is by Taxi -- We organised ours the night before, we agreed on a price of $4 for the half hour ride and at the pre-arranged pick-up time the taxi was waiting for us outside our hotel !! Then on the way out of Pokhara don't forget to stop at the check-point and show your trekking permit -- this is one of the Very Few times that you will have to actually produce this permit during the whole trek !!!! Just a Nice way to start the trek without the hassles of the local bus !!!!

2008 -- Petrol has gone up quite a lot in Nepal this last year or so, So I can't guarantee what price you will have to pay your taxi driver now, That's down to you and your negotiation skills.

It is also possible to catch a local bus to Phidi, But by the time you have got a taxi to the bus station and waited around for a bus then the small savings that you would make just wouldn’t be worth the hassle !!

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