You have decided to go trekking in Nepal and other Nepal Local Custom Tips

The Big decision that you have to make in the Popular regions is whether to go on an organised trek or go independent Tea House Trekking.

My Personal advice would be Not to join a tour group

Why ?

1) Tour Companies are usually either based outside of Nepal or at best in Kathmandu, Therefore nearly all the money you pay them never leaves either the companies home country or Kathmandu & therefore hardly any of your money is spent where it really needs to be, i.e. with the locals who’s land you are trekking through
2) A Lot of Tour Companies have a Bad reputation for littering the countryside & you would hardly ever realise that this is happening with your group as what happens is that you leave the camp in the morning Before it is broken up, so you Never see the mess that is left behind, The same thing happens again at your lunch stop. Unless you stay behind to ensure the camping site is left clean you will never know what sate it has been left in.
3) Trekking in a group means that the group set the pace, you don’t have Any flexibility, If you wanted to stay an extra night in a beautiful village, Or you are feeling a bit off colour one day it’s the same – You have to maintain the groups schedule
4) If you don’t get on with your fellow trekkers then Hard Luck because you are stuck with them
5) Tour Groups usually camp, so therefore you are depriving the local lodge owners out of both the money for a bed as well as their food money, often lodges grow there own vegetables & sometimes even have their own hens, without the trekkers spending a little money with them their already hard life becomes that much harder
6) Someone once had the Cheek to tell me that I was a cheapskate by not joining a group & not employing a porter or guide, I tried to explain to them that I was actually employing hundreds. How did I work that out she said ?? Well I said, How do you think All the food & drink that I eat in the lodges when I am on trek gets there ? – She was still unconvinced

These are just a few ideas for you to think about

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Trekkers' Information Management System(TIMS)

Nepal, aptly, has been called 'a Trekker's Paradise'. Its high standing mountains, scenic hills and the luxuriant Terai offers some of the most spectacular trekking routes in the world. Passing through the diverse culture and nature, trekking in Nepal is a life-time experience which involves a certain degree of physical risks owing to the rugged topography.

With the distinction of Nepal as a trekking destination and its growing charm, a provision of Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS) has been implemented to control illegal trekking operations and ensure safety and security of the trekkers in general trekking areas through the mechanism of Prompt Information Service as and when required .

The past experiences have shown that difficulties have been faced while carrying out rescue operations promptly during the times of accidents and natural calamities. Because of lack of proper record system of trekkers, their exact whereabouts and the information about trekking routes, rescue and search missions used to face difficulties in spotting the trekkers missing.

The provision of Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS) has come into force from Jan 01, 2008. Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) have started recording trekkers detail and issuing TIMS Card to trekkers.

Where & how to obtain TIMS Card ?
The visiting tourists, who are interested to general trekking areas of Nepal, are required to receive TIMS Card through any one of the following:

Kathmandu (NTB Office, TAAN Office, and Government registered trekking Companies), and
Pokhara (NTB Office, TAAN Office, and Government registered trekking Companies)
Opening Hour/s: TIMS counter at Government registered trekking Companies will remain open 12 hours a day all the seven days a week round the year,
TIMS counter at TAAN/NTB Office will follow government working hour/days.
To obtain TIMS Card you need copy of Passport and two copies of Passport-size Photographs.

Why is TIMS Necessary?
The following considerations have been taken into account in the process of issuing TIMS:

All important details of trekkers and trekking routes shall be maintained on a computerized Database Management System that may be useful for safety and security of trekkers. To help carry out search and rescue operations for trekkers in case of natural calamities and other accidents by means of Authentic Information Service . To maintain a record system that includes personal details of trekkers, trekking area, trekking routes, handling agencies, duration, etc. The data generated from the system will be useful to all stakeholders:- tourism organizations, Government agencies, diplomatic missions, tour operators, research institute, etc.
Unauthorized trekking operations will be controlled, thus, resulting into better management of trekking service and in benefit of all concerned :- trekkers, agencies, field staff, Government, etc. and also occasional untoward incidents will be better prevented.
To upgrade the service standard and contribute for better management of sustainable mountain tourism development of Nepal.

TIMS will not be required for:
The expedition members permitted to climb the mountains.
The visitors in the controlled areas permitted by the Department of Immigration.
The foreign guests invited by the Government of Nepal.
The authorities from different diplomatic missions in the country, who is holding official letter/s and traveling own risk .
Visitors on certain mission recommended by the concerned department of the Government.
Foreign Nationals having the residential visa.

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It is now possible to arrange TIMS and ANCAP Fees in Advance through Nirmal, Drop him an email for details, But basically he will arrange both permits for you for a fee of around $45 including the price of the Permits. You will have to email him your passport details, then you attach the photographs and pay the fee when you arrive – This is a Great Service and might well save you a day or two !!

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Phone: 977 1 5526571 / 73
Other Contact: email - n2@vianet.com.np

This is another often asked question by trekkers who want to show their appreciation of their “staff” by trying to get the level of tipping right

Normal levels are 1 days pay for each week of a trek, so as your Guide and Cook will be on about $25 per day and the porters and cooks boy around $10 per day

So - assuming that you are doing a 14 day trek I would suggest $50 for The Guide and Cook and $20 for each Porter

Tipping Really Is Very Important to your staff so please try not to be mean with them, the above levels don’t really amount to a massive amount of money to the average trekker (Especially if you think what you have paid for your international air-fare just to get to Nepal)
but make a Big difference to the average Nepali – So My Message is Please be generous

Happy Trekking
Rob

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The following tips are designed to give you and idea of what is available in the way of rafting in Nepal, There are several Great rivers to pick from including Karnali, Kali Gandaki, Trisuli, Sun Kosi, Bhota Kosi, Marsyangai and Seti to name a few.
Myself, I have only rafted on the Karnali, Kali Gandaki and Trisuli rivers so I will write a few words on each of those.
I aren’t going to make comments on rivers that I haven’t personally rafted, So if your interest lies in one of those then you will have to look elsewhere for reliable information.
However I will include some price guides for the rivers that I have rafted and recommend some local companies
Good Luck and Happy Rafting
Rob

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The Karnali River is one of the largest tributaries of the of the Ganges. It rises in the southern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet, at an altitude of 13,000 feet, flows south through the Himalayas in Nepal and joins the sacred Ganges River in Northern India at an elevation of 2,000 feet.
The section that you raft is called “The Western Bend” This is a 180k trip and lasts around 8 to 10 days. You will experience Real Whitewater rafting and encounter many sets of rapids up to Grade 5. Defiantly Not for the fain hearted !!
I rafted the Karnali through my old Friend Normal at Himalayan Magic Adventures, he was providing the gear raft for a larger expedition run by another Kathmandu based company called “Himalayan Wanderers”
Prices are from around $750 to $1,000 depending on the duration of the trip and the size of the party.
The Trip was Simply Awesome and I can give both of these companies the very best of recommendations.
If you Really want Whitewater then “The Western Bend” of the Karnali River is Definitely the one for you !!!!!

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When I rafted the kali Gandaki River it was before the new dam was built and therefore it was then a 5 day trip, since completion of the new dam the trip is now only 3 days but it is still a Great river to raft .
The Kali Gandaki is named after the Goddess Kali rises in Mustang, an enclave of Nepal on the northern side of the Himalayas, tumbles down creating the deepest river gorge in the world, Magnificent views of the mountains and wild life; and its turbulent III-IV+ rapids make it a trip to remember.
The trip is usually based on Pokhara to Pokhara and prices start at around $100 / $150 depending on which company you pick and the size of the group. My personal recommendation would be to contact Nirmal at HMA in Thamel, His prices are Very Good and his safety equipment and rafts are in the best of order.

If you are looking for a Whitewater experience and don’t have either the time or the budget to raft the Karnali then the kali Gandaki River is a Great Choice.

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The Trisuli River, although a Very Popular river to raft isn’t so exciting, It is more what I would describe a scenic rafting rather than White-water, but if you are on a tight budget or just want an introduction to rafting then its not a bad starting point !!

The Trisuli River is the most easily accessible from Kathmandu, Pokhara and Royal Chitwan National Park by far, a trip on this river can be made for a varied duration, depending upon the availability of time and interest. Scenic valleys and impressive gorges all make it the perfect trip for first-time rafters. This also makes it the cheapest river in Nepal to raft and prices start at around $25 / $30 per day depending on the duration of the trip, the size of the group and the rafting company that you pick

My personal recommendation would be to contact Normal at HMA in Thamel, His prices are Very Good and his safety equipment and rafts are in the best of order.

If you are looking for an introduction to rafting or just a pleasant float, maybe breaking the journey from Kathmandu to either Pokhara or Sauraha for Chitwan then The Trisuli River might just be the one for you !!

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My own opinion on this subject came from a series of events that I will set out below to help you understand better how I came to it.

1) In 1994 I bought an old Landrover and a group of 7 of us drove from UK to Nepal, On arrival in Kathmandu two of our party went to the Slideshow given by “Ultimate Descents” in their office in the courtyard of the Kathmandu Guesthouse, They returned very excited about what they had seen and wanted the rest of our “Group” to all go on a rafting trip on the Kali Gandaki, “Ultimate Descents” had offered a discount if the entire party enrolled and would give us a price for 6 people, although 7 would be going, so in effect one person would go free. So I went along to the next Slideshow and as I said in my previous posting, Although I didn’t like the scaremongering tactics employed by “Ultimate Descents” in putting down the local operators by saying that their safety standards and equipment wasn’t up to scratch. Never the less I booked on the trip with “Ultimate Descents”, although I did think the price was very expensive. There was 4 rafts and one “Western” river Guide, (the other 3 rafts being guided by local guides) and No safety kayaks. The trip was in January 1995, before the dam was built over the Kali Gandaki, so it was then a 5 day trip. Myself, I didn’t see much of our “Western” river Guide, He seemed more interested in the young and pretty women in the group, perks of the job you might say ;-) Our local river guides all complained on how badly “Ultimate Descents” treated there local staff, Poor Pay etc, at the time I just put it down to him trying to secure a bigger tip. The trip was Good and my only real whinge was the cost, when I compared it to a local company it worked out around double and that included the free place.

2) I returned to Nepal in 1998 and again wanted to go rafting, This time I wanted to raft the Sun Kosi and asked my friend Nirmal at HMA (My preferred local operator) and he said that he would try and organise a trip (I was travelling with one other person on this occasion) Unfortunately Nirmal couldn’t get a group together for my chosen dates to raft the Sun Kosi so offered me a trip on The Kanarli, he was providing a gear raft for a larger expedition and could do me a very Good price if I rode on the gear boat along with a local river guide, a cook and a cooks boy, I jumped at the chance and had a truly memorable trip. The main expedition was run by another local company called “Himalayan Wanderers” The party consisted of 3 girls from Singapore, The raft was a top Quality Avon, There was a safety kayak and all the equipment was Top Notch. The entire trip went without hitch and was my best ever rafting trip in Nepal. On the penultimate day, we came across a rafting trip run by “Ultimate Descents”, they were doing the trip in a day less than ourselves so caught us up. Our guides had a conversation with the local guides from “Ultimate Descents” and again they were all complaining about how badly the company treated them. This time I did take note as these guides had nothing to gain by complaining to us !! I also found out that the price that “Ultimate Descents” was charging their clients was almost double of what Himalayan Wanderers was charging theirs, in spite of it being a much larger group and a shorter trip.

3) The friend that I was travelling to Nepal with didn’t fancy rafting the Karnali, Too big a river and to long a trip for him !! So he went on a rafting trip on The kali Gandaki organised by Nirmal at HMA. He also had an excellent time, He told me that all the equipment was in the best of order and he thoroughly enjoyed his trip. The cost of this trip was less than 50% of what “Ultimate Descents” were charging

So in my opinion of why it is far Better to book through a local company. Sure, You Must take care and make sure that the local company that you choose is a reputable one, one that has good standards of equipment, good experience river guides and a good reputation. Also as previously stated, the money that you spend then also stays in Nepal and benefits at least some of the local people there.

My Personal favourite travel agent is Nirmal at Himalayan Magi Adventures, Thamel I have used him for several rafting trips and have always been very satisfied with both the level of service and the price.
Contact details below

Good Luck and Happy rafting
Rob

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Phone: 977 1 4 26 25 24
Other Contact: email - n2@vianet.com.np

An Often asked question on here as well as on other Nepal travel forums is for advice on Volunteering in Nepal so I thought that I would try and write a few words / ideas on the subject !!??

The first thing that any potential Volunteer in Nepal to be aware of is the large number of scams that there are. So make sure that you research any company / organisation that you might be considering well and Certainly don’t send Anyone Any money in advance unless you are 100% sure of your chosen company / organisation !!
I met up with a young Australian lass that had paid a large sum of money in Australia to Volunteer in Nepal, She was meant to me met at Tribuvan Airport on her arrival in Nepal – Guess what – No-One turned up to meet her and then she was unable to contact the organisation !!

I put her in touch with a friend of mine, Declan Murphy who runs a small charity called just-one – “just-one strives to actively promote and facilitate educational opportunities for disadvantaged and marginalized children in Nepal by working at a grass-roots level with the children, their families and their communities to implement a range of carefully developed, culturally sensitive, sustainable initiatives”

just-one only takes a very limited number of volunteers, and only ones with skills that they specifically need, However Declan will steer other volunteers in the right direction and make sure that they don’t get ripped off !!
You can contact him through the website at just-one

Good Luck and Happy Volunteering in Nepal

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Website: http://www.just-one.org/