Additional information for tourists to Nepal:

• To and from the airport: There is an airport transportation service with a booking counter just outside the airport, where you can arrange a private car or you can book through us.Taxis are usually available at the Tribhuvan Airport, but fares vary accordingly to demand. Drivers should use a meter, but often do not.
• Shopping: The places in Kathmandu to shop are the tourist hub of Thamel or in Basanatapur, Patan, Bhaktapur and the other tour sites. Tibetan carpets, woollen jumpers and jackets, some genuine Tibetan art pieces and some semi precious stones, prayer wheels, thanga paintings, butter lamps and bells are also available . In shopping for souvenirs or anything from a pashmina etc the same objects vary in price from a shop to the next, so some window shopping and bargaining is much suggested . Branded adventure clothing outlets such as North Face, Mountain Hardware. Sherpa and Vaude are also available in the city.
• Rickshaw: Bicycle trishaws (three-wheeler) are available in some parts of the city. They can be fun, but be sure to negotiate the price beforehand. Rickshaws are the best way to move through the crowded lanes of Thamel & Asan.
• Places to eat: Trekkers & Tourists attach great importance to their stomachs. Kathmandu’s restaurants have responded by offering some of the most varied menus in Asia. There are many restaurants and bakeries in Thamel to choose from ranging from continental dishes to Indian, Chinese etc. If you desire to lead a Nepali lifestyle during your stay in Nepal, then there are also some restaurants serving pure Nepali cuisine (Dal Bhat) which comprises of Puffed rice, lentil soup and varieties of vegetable/ non vegetable curries. A decent meal in Thamel will set you back US$ 5 for breakfast, US$ 7 for lunch and US$10 for Dinner.
• Taxis: Metered taxis are inexpensive and abundant in Kathmandu during the day. However they are hard to find after 8pm, and those that are available will quote you their own “take it or leave it” rates. Many taxi drivers recently graduated from rickshaws, so a ride can be pretty hair raising , so look for an older more experienced driver.
• Visa :
  Multiple entry visa- Upon arrival in the KTM airport (immigration) fill out the necessary form and proceed to the visa line. Please bring 2 passport photos (one for the visa and 1 extra).

When to trek:

The best time to trek is the dry season from October to May; the worst time is the monsoon period from June to September. This generalisation does not allow for the peculiarities of individual treks. Some people even claim that the undeniable difficulties of trekking during the monsoon are outweighed by the absence of western trekkers. Even though in the monsoon trekking is difficult, it is also the best time to go and visit the two trekking destinations of Dolpo and Mustang. The time between June to September is the best time to go to these two destinations.

The first two months of the dry season, October and November, offer the best weather for trekking and the main trails are heaving with trekkers at this time, for good reason. The air, freshly laundered by the monsoon rains, is crystal clear, the mountain scenery is superb and the weather is still comfortably warm.

December, January and February are good months for trekking, but the cold can be bitter and dangerous for high altitudes. Getting up to the Everest Base Camp can be a real endurance test and the Thorung- la at the Annapurna is often blocked by snow.

In March April the weather has been dry for a long time and the dust is starting to hang in the air, affecting visibility somewhat. The poorer quality of the Himalayan views is more than compensated for by fewer crowds, the warm weather and the spectacular rhododendron blooms.

By May it starts to get very hot dusty and humid and the monsoon is definitely just around the corner. From June to September the trails can be dangerously slippery due to the monsoon rains, and raging rivers often wash away bridges and stretches of trail. Nepal’s famous Jugha or leeches are unpleasant feature of the wet season but with care, trekking can still be possible and there are certainly fewer trekkers on the trail.