"Misunderstood facts" about Nepal

"Misunderstood facts" about Nepal

1. Nepal is a poor country. No, Nepal is not a poor country, its a poorly managed country. We have water resources that can light the whole of Asia. We have hospitals, one of the best in Asia.

2. Lord Buddha was not born in India. Lord Buddha was born in Nepal, which is in Lumbini Zone at present day.

3. Nepal was never a colonial state. Nepal was and remains an independent country till date.

4. Mount Everest is in Nepal which is shared with China in the north. Mount Everest has nothing to do with India as claimed by so called "Intellectuals in India"

Important Basics to know when you are in Nepal

There is a list of things that you should be and shouldn't be doing whilst your stay at Nepal.

1. You are expected to wear an outfit that is convenient to the society, Nepalese society is a traditional society that believes in social norms and beliefs. Anyways, if you are so concerned about your dressing sense and want to wear your choice, no one is gonna eat you up. You are still free too do your own dressing.

2. Don't expect cab and taxis to accept credit cards. Carry sufficient cash because people deal in cash here.

3. If you have someone who can speak Nepali, well and good. Please don't expect everyone to understand your English everywhere. In major cities, not a problem but in rural areas, you might be in a trouble.

4. Also, you are expected to be friendly with senior citizens. Nepalese society is such where elders are given much space. Just to clarify, unlike in Western cultures where the son and the parents reside alone, in Nepal, we have a family style where everyone lives under a single roof.

5. A map of the place you are visiting will always be an advantage, particularly, when you are walking alone.

Nepal Visa Information

Visa can be obtained on arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, at border entry points in Kakadvitta, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Gaddachowki on Nepal-India border and Kodari on Nepal-China border. Visa can also be obtained at the nearest Nepal Embassy or Diplomatic Mission. Visa can also be obtained (renewal purposes) at Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan, Kathmandu.A valid passport and one passport -size photo with a light background is required. Immigration Department has not specified the size of the passport-size photo.
Visa can be obtained only through payment of cash in the following currency:Euro, Swiss Franc, Pound Sterling, US Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, Singapore Dollar and Japanese Yen.Credit card, Indian currency and Nepali currency are not accepted as payment of visa fee.

a. Tourist Visa
Visa Facility     Duration     Fee
Multiple entry     15 days     US$ 25 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry     30 days     US$ 40 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry     90 days     US$ 100 or equivalent convertible currency

b.Gratis (Free) Visa

    For first visit in one visa year (January to December) , gratis visa for 30 days is available only for nationals of South   Asian countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, visa can be extended from the Immigration Department on payment of  visa fee as specified above.
    Indian nationals do not require visa to enter into Nepal.

c.For Indian National
Indian nationals do not require visa to enter Nepal.
As per the Nepalese Immigration, Indian Nationals Traveling to Nepal must posses any One of the following documents.
1.       Passport
2.       Driving License with photo
3.       Photo Identity card issued by a Government Agency
4.       Ration Card with Photo
5.       Election Commission Card with Photo
6.       Identity Card issued by Embassy of India in Kathmandu
7.       Identity Card with Photo issued by Sub- Divisional Magistrate or any other officials above his rank

Also, please check with your nearest travel agents for documents required by the Indian Immigration for Indians traveling to Nepal.

d.Other Information
Nationals from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan will need to obtain visa from Nepal Embassies or Diplomatic Missions in their respective countries, as they do not get visa on arrival at the immigration entry points of Nepal.

e.Visa Extension
Tourists can stay for a maximum of 150 days in a visa year 

For more information, please contact:
Department of Immigration
Kalikasthan, Kathmandu
Tel: 00977-1- 4429660 / 4438862 / 4438868/ 4433934
E-mail: mail@immi.gov.np
Web site: www.immi.gov.np

About Nepal - Know Nepal before you visit!

Nepal is a new republic in the modern world. As a result of popular movement in the year 2006, Nepal became the youngest republic as of today. The history of the Gorkha state goes back to 1559 when Dravya Shah established a kingdom in an area chiefly inhabited by Magars. During the 17th and early 18thcenturies, Gorkha continued a slow expansion, conquering various states while forging alliances with others. Prithvi Narayan dedicated himself at an early age to the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley. Recognizing the threat of the British Raj in India, he dismissed European missionaries from the country and for more than a century, Nepal remained in isolation.

During the mid-19th Century Jung Bahadur Rana became Nepal’s first prime minister to wield absolute power relegating the Shah king to mere figureheads. He started a hereditary reign of the Rana Prime Ministers that lasted for 104 years. The Ranas were overthrown in a democracy movement of the early 1950s with support from the-then  monarch of Nepal, King Tribhuvan. Soon after the overthrow of the Ranas, King Tribhuvan was reinstated as the Head of the State. In early 1959, Tribhuvan’s son King Mahendra issued a new constitution, and the first democratic elections for a national assembly were held. The Nepali Congress Party was victorious and their leader, Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala formed a government and served as prime minister. But by 1960, King Mahendra had changed his mind and dissolved Parliament, dismissing the first democratic government.