Health & Safety
You will be accompanied by experienced and knowledgeable tour guide equipped with a first aid kit. Always follow their instructions and stick to designated paths.
While Nepal is generally very safe, there is still a possibility of pickpocketing in touristy areas. Pack your passport, flight tickets, phone, wallet, camera equipment, cash, and all your valuables in your day pack or waist belt. Please don’t bring or carry expensive items like jewelry etc or a large sum of cash while traveling for security reasons.
Water safety is very crucial as one can easily contract waterborne diseases. Drinking tap water is not advised and we recommend drinking boiled/ filtered or bottled water only.
Logistics
City Flights Flights between Kathmandu and Pokhara/Chitwan operate throughout the day. The planes are bigger than the mountain aircrafts and accommodate 42-80 passengers. Buddha, Shree and Yeti Airlines are some of the common carriers.
Vehicle We provide reserved private vehicles to drive you around for pick-ups and drop-offs as per the itinerary. The vehicle type (car, jeep, van, etc) will be allocated depending on the number of people and terrain.
Food Meals are left out from price includes to give you full flexibility, depending on your appetite and preference. The hotels and restaurants are hygienic, and have a good selection of food and drink options. For vegetarians and vegans, or if you have any other dietary requirements, please let us know at the time of booking so we can make arrangements.
It is recommended to bring snacks (like chocolates, dry fruits, etc) and energy bars to munch on during the tour.
Water Carrying your own water bottle/hydration pack is mandatory. It is always best to have a bottle (1.5-2 liters) during the tour. You can refill your bottle with boiled or bottled drinking water available at lunch spots and hotels. We highly discourage buying plastic water bottles for environmental reasons.
Toilets While you will find Western-style toilets in hotels and proper restaurants, squat toilets are common in public places and near heritage sites. Toilets may not have running water at all times, resulting in an unpleasant smell. Make sure to bring your own toiletries. Females are advised to carry their sanitary napkins.
Connectivity & Wifi For cellular service, a reliable and hassle-free option is to purchase an international calling plan from your home cell service provider. Another alternative is to buy a local SIM card. NCell and Nepal Telecom are common carriers, both of which offer good network coverage in major cities and towns. Wi-Fi is generally available in most hotels and restaurants, and it’s usually quite fast.
Crew
Tour Guide One lead licensed tour guide and assistant guides (depending on the group size) will accompany you on the trip. All our tour guides speak fluent English, and are highly experienced with an in-depth knowledge of local culture.
Driver You will be accompanied by a driver most of the time. For multi-day trips, vehicle and driver may vary from day to day.
Money
Extra costs to expect Possible expenses, other than meals, could be drinks, tipping, and shopping. Please make sure you have read the Price section thoroughly so you know what you might need to pay for while traveling.
Currency You are advised to carry the local currency (Nepali rupees) as all the service providers transact in rupees.
ATMS and Credit cards In cities, you will find ATMs in numerous locations. Additionally, most hotels, restaurants, and big shops accept credit cards, with an additional fee (usually around 3-5%) applied on top. However, outside of cities and in smaller shops and eateries, cash is the preferred payment method, and ATMs are limited.
Tipping A service charge with tips is included by most hotels and eateries in their bills. For the crew, you are welcome to give some gratuities if you like their service. A good reference is around USD 15-20 per day for the guides and USD 10-15 per day for the drivers, as a group. Feel free to tip higher if you love their service.
