Culture & People
Nepal has a diverse cultural landscape with 101 different ethnic groups, most of which practice Hinduism, and Buddhism. Some of these ethnic groups are Sherpa, Tamang, Gurung, Magar, Shakya, Newar, Tharu, Chettri, Bahun and Brahmin. There are close to 28 million people living in 56,830 square miles of land, which is about equivalent to the size of Arkansas. Most of Nepal is still very rural, and mountainous, which makes it very difficult to build roads, airports, and other infrastructures. Due to the extremely mountainous terrain, being landlocked, and Nepal's poor government, the country suffers from a poor economic environment, and needs improvements in roads, electricity, hospitals, buildings, financial, agriculture, and education systems. Despite these poverties, Nepal is home to eight of the highest mountains in the world and it offers the world’s best mountain climbing and majestic views. People in Nepal are friendly, loyal, optimistic, hospitable and welcoming with a rich heritage and traditions. The English language is quite common, however, most of the Nepalese speak broken English. The men are seen as the main breadwinner of the household and women as the housewife. Generally, Nepalese people are shy but very thoughtful, considerate and helpful. There is a very strong family-oriented culture in Nepal where most of the family members live together in the same house and are very close with day-to-day lives. Most Nepalese are very social and they often gather with a big group of people to celebrate many different occasions.
Communication
The best way to contact someone in Nepal is by using international calling cards recommended for Nepal, and by internet. Emails are easily accessible in Kathmandu and you can readily make a call from almost anywhere in Kathmandu at a very reasonable charge. To make a call from USA to Nepal, you have to dial 011-977-1 before the local number; make sure you do not use the operator by dialing 0 in the USA or your phone bill will be very expensive. To make a call from Nepal to USA, dial 00-1-area code and then the local phone number. You can buy a cell phone at a reasonable price (around Rs. 2000), and then buy prepaid minutes. Most of the Verizon phones will not work in Nepal, but anything that can have sim card will work. If you are planning to bring a laptop or battery recharger for your camera or other things, you will need a voltage converter which you can buy in outdoor travel stores in America or in Kathmandu. Nepal's Electricity is 220 Volt and 50 MHZ (50 Cycles per Second). The electric plug is two or three round prongs, but flat prongs as found in the United States or in other countries. If your electronics use 110 Volt 60 MHZ electricity, you will need a voltage converter. Nepal's availability of electricity is not consistent. Voltage fluctuation is very common and it is advised that you use a robust power surge protector for your electronics. Nepal does not produce enough electricity so there are seasons when power may be disrupted for hours - they call it load shedding. Keep in touch with local newspapers or your hotel reception about the hours power may be off. Also, Nepal's electricity goes on and off randomly all the time. If you are working on the computers found in the hotels, make sure they have UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) otherwise save your work often. Most hotels, including our family’s home, have back-up power and you may be able to use internet at various cyber cafes if they have back up power. Our family’s lodging facility also comes with an access to high speed cable internet. There are also lots of solar units used in Nepal to heat hot water and generate other power. Electricity in trekking areas is limited and inconsistent so it is always great idea to have a flash light or headlamp at all times. During your travel in Nepal please conserve energy by using only needed water, limiting fuels, and turning off lights when you leave your room
Payment Method/Currency
There are two ways of making payments to us: In USA: by mailing checks, pay pal, money orders, bank checks or by handing cash or check in person. In Nepal: by paying cash in US dollars, Nepalese currency or travelers check. We accept domestic and international wire transfers depending on the group size and amount. Please make check payable to US Sherpa International LLC. We prefer that you pay directly to Nima & Neema Treks in the form of US currency if you are using our travel services in Nepal such as airport pick-up/drop-off, lodging/meals, trekking, laundry and other services. However if you are part of a guided trip, we prefer that you pay us in the United States. We are flexible in making other arrangements depending on each situation. We suggest that each traveler bring a bank debit card and cash. You may bring travelers checks to Nepal as well, however you will need your passport to cash it, and most financial institutions will charge a small fee. The bank operating an ATM machines may also charge a small fee to take cash out and your bank in the USA may charge a small fee as well. You will use the same pin number that you use in your home countries to take out cash and your money will be converted into Nepalese currency. There is also a limit on the amount of withdrawal per day on ATM machine in Nepal. The limit is between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 depending on each bank’s ATM policy, so do not wait until the last minute to withdraw large amounts of cash. Another problem that you may run into is that oftentimes ATM machines run out of cash. It is best to use the direct service at banks to withdraw cash. When traveling to Nepal, please bring new bills in mostly large denominations as they may not accept old or ripped bills. You can bring less than $10,000 in cash without declaring it at the US Customs. We suggest that you notify your bank about your travel dates and if you have to use your credit cards, use only in the reputable or major businesses. Normally US $1=Rs. 80, please check with the bank for current daily exchange rates.
Nepal has a diverse cultural landscape with 101 different ethnic groups, most of which practice Hinduism, and Buddhism. Some of these ethnic groups are Sherpa, Tamang, Gurung, Magar, Shakya, Newar, Tharu, Chettri, Bahun and Brahmin. There are close to 28 million people living in 56,830 square miles of land, which is about equivalent to the size of Arkansas. Most of Nepal is still very rural, and mountainous, which makes it very difficult to build roads, airports, and other infrastructures. Due to the extremely mountainous terrain, being landlocked, and Nepal's poor government, the country suffers from a poor economic environment, and needs improvements in roads, electricity, hospitals, buildings, financial, agriculture, and education systems. Despite these poverties, Nepal is home to eight of the highest mountains in the world and it offers the world’s best mountain climbing and majestic views. People in Nepal are friendly, loyal, optimistic, hospitable and welcoming with a rich heritage and traditions. The English language is quite common, however, most of the Nepalese speak broken English. The men are seen as the main breadwinner of the household and women as the housewife. Generally, Nepalese people are shy but very thoughtful, considerate and helpful. There is a very strong family-oriented culture in Nepal where most of the family members live together in the same house and are very close with day-to-day lives. Most Nepalese are very social and they often gather with a big group of people to celebrate many different occasions.
Communication
The best way to contact someone in Nepal is by using international calling cards recommended for Nepal, and by internet. Emails are easily accessible in Kathmandu and you can readily make a call from almost anywhere in Kathmandu at a very reasonable charge. To make a call from USA to Nepal, you have to dial 011-977-1 before the local number; make sure you do not use the operator by dialing 0 in the USA or your phone bill will be very expensive. To make a call from Nepal to USA, dial 00-1-area code and then the local phone number. You can buy a cell phone at a reasonable price (around Rs. 2000), and then buy prepaid minutes. Most of the Verizon phones will not work in Nepal, but anything that can have sim card will work. If you are planning to bring a laptop or battery recharger for your camera or other things, you will need a voltage converter which you can buy in outdoor travel stores in America or in Kathmandu. Nepal's Electricity is 220 Volt and 50 MHZ (50 Cycles per Second). The electric plug is two or three round prongs, but flat prongs as found in the United States or in other countries. If your electronics use 110 Volt 60 MHZ electricity, you will need a voltage converter. Nepal's availability of electricity is not consistent. Voltage fluctuation is very common and it is advised that you use a robust power surge protector for your electronics. Nepal does not produce enough electricity so there are seasons when power may be disrupted for hours - they call it load shedding. Keep in touch with local newspapers or your hotel reception about the hours power may be off. Also, Nepal's electricity goes on and off randomly all the time. If you are working on the computers found in the hotels, make sure they have UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) otherwise save your work often. Most hotels, including our family’s home, have back-up power and you may be able to use internet at various cyber cafes if they have back up power. Our family’s lodging facility also comes with an access to high speed cable internet. There are also lots of solar units used in Nepal to heat hot water and generate other power. Electricity in trekking areas is limited and inconsistent so it is always great idea to have a flash light or headlamp at all times. During your travel in Nepal please conserve energy by using only needed water, limiting fuels, and turning off lights when you leave your room
Payment Method/Currency
There are two ways of making payments to us: In USA: by mailing checks, pay pal, money orders, bank checks or by handing cash or check in person. In Nepal: by paying cash in US dollars, Nepalese currency or travelers check. We accept domestic and international wire transfers depending on the group size and amount. Please make check payable to US Sherpa International LLC. We prefer that you pay directly to Nima & Neema Treks in the form of US currency if you are using our travel services in Nepal such as airport pick-up/drop-off, lodging/meals, trekking, laundry and other services. However if you are part of a guided trip, we prefer that you pay us in the United States. We are flexible in making other arrangements depending on each situation. We suggest that each traveler bring a bank debit card and cash. You may bring travelers checks to Nepal as well, however you will need your passport to cash it, and most financial institutions will charge a small fee. The bank operating an ATM machines may also charge a small fee to take cash out and your bank in the USA may charge a small fee as well. You will use the same pin number that you use in your home countries to take out cash and your money will be converted into Nepalese currency. There is also a limit on the amount of withdrawal per day on ATM machine in Nepal. The limit is between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 depending on each bank’s ATM policy, so do not wait until the last minute to withdraw large amounts of cash. Another problem that you may run into is that oftentimes ATM machines run out of cash. It is best to use the direct service at banks to withdraw cash. When traveling to Nepal, please bring new bills in mostly large denominations as they may not accept old or ripped bills. You can bring less than $10,000 in cash without declaring it at the US Customs. We suggest that you notify your bank about your travel dates and if you have to use your credit cards, use only in the reputable or major businesses. Normally US $1=Rs. 80, please check with the bank for current daily exchange rates.