Nepal is a mountainous country stretched over 147,181sq.km is bounded on the South East and West by India and on the North by Tibet. It lies between latitude 26 22 to 30 27 North and longitudes 804 to 88 12 East. Most of the highest mountains of the world are in Nepal. Nepal is rich geographically, historically, culturally, and linguistically.

There are about 240 peaks higher than 6000m including the Mighty Everest standing at the altitude of 8848m. Many kings ruled in smaller kingdoms until King Prithiwi Nayaran Shah unified Nepal. The Shah dynasty rules to this date in Nepal under the constitutional monarchy system.

Nepal is also a meeting point for Indo-Aryan people and Tibeto-Burmese of the Himalayas. As a result, Nepal has a very diverse culture of more than 36 ethnic people with their own spoken languages and culture. Buddhism is one of the important religions of Nepal after Hinduism. Nepal is also known in the World as a birthplace of Lord Buddha.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is highly recommended that travelers take out a personal insurance policy covering them against sickness, accident, loss of baggages, rescue services, cancellation and/or curtailment and against all other adventurous activities undertaken.

HEALTH GUIDE - INNOCULATION
There is no compulsory vaccination certificate required to enter Nepal. However. However, we recommend that the clients get themselves immunized against certain illness that are not prevalent in their home country such as Cholera, Typhoid, Malaria, Meningitis, Hepatitis etc; Their physician would be best able to advise them on the availability and administration of these inoculations.

Please ensure that all water is boiled & filtered before consumption. Normally all hotels and reputed restaurants in Kathmandu serve boiled & filtered water. If in doubt, please stick to soft drinks or bottled mineral water.

HYGIENE
The simple way of keeping oneself in firm or with fine stomach is to wash ones hand with soap regularly before eating, after using toilets, or touching your mouth with unwashed hands. Also avoid touching your eyes and nose with unwashed hands. In polluted area, it is recommended to wear a mask. It is suggested not to share water bottles or food with others.

PERSONAL MEDICAL KIT
Sunburn cream, Band Aid strips, insect repellent, water purifying tablets, antibiotic tablets, cold and flue suppressant, aspirin or similar headache remedy tablets, deep heat Muscle Rub, Moleskin for blisters, throat lozenges, Crepe bandage and ankle support.

SUN AND HEAT EXPOSURE
You would be roaming out in the sun most of the times, especially in trekking, mountaineering and even while on your rafting trip. Thus, use of sunscreen lotion, sunglasses, hats or caps and lip balm is recommended to protect you from the intense heat. It is also necessary to stay well hydrated.

GETTING INTO SHAPE
It is recommended to undergo jogging, normal or simple hiking and climbing activities, yoga and stretching exercises or aerobics before commencing your trekking or mountaineering trips. Yoga or Jogging will also keep you fit and fine in your normal day walkouts for shopping or any sightseeing tours and even in rafting which need a whole lot of paddling. A small exercise done before your trip will prepare you to stay fit and away from physical exertion.

WATER
There is no need of presenting inoculation/immunization certificates to enter Nepal for any legal purpose. However, vaccination for diseases such as Malaria highly found in lower lands of Nepal – Terai, Small Pox, Typhoid, Tetanus, Meningitis, Hepatitis and Polio are recommended before you commence your travel to Nepal to be on a safe side. It is suggested to consult your doctor before commencing your travel and also carry necessary health certificates (immunization certificates), ought they be required in any case.

STAYING FIT IN YOUR TRIP - IN ALL CASES
It is always recommended to undergo a thorough check up, if you are going for a heavy tour such as trekking or mountaineering and in case if you have any doubt about your health or fitness. Following are the major precautions to be taken care of to stay fit in your entire journey.

DOCUMENTATION
All nationalities except Indians need visa to enter Nepal. The overseas Consulate of Nepal issues visa probably with some extra cost. We highly advise you to obtained entry visa at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on arrival. For 2-months entry visa cost US$ 30, visa can be extended up to 90 days-extending monthly by paying US$ 30. For further extension of visa, one must have two photographs and it can be issued on the same day from the Immigration Office.

NATIONAL PARK FEE
National park fee and permit for restricted areas are required before commencing trek.

AIRPORT TAX
International departure tax is Rs. 1695 for all the countries except SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) countries, which is Rs. 1130, and Rs. 170 for Domestic flights.

EXTRA DAYS
We advise you to keep 3-4 days extra if you are taking domestic flights particularly in trekking sectors, since flights are prone to delays and such delays should not hamper your scheduled international flights.

EQUIPMENT AND BAGGAGE CHECKLIST
Lightweight comfortable boots (make sure to wear it for sometime before trek if you are buying new ones), rainproof jacket with hood, thermal shirt, woollen or fleece, sweater, cotton shirts, woollen hat, warm gloves, sandels for camp, sun glasses, snow glasses, water, bottles, day pack, small sewing kit, money belt, down jackets, pair of light weight pants, torch, cigarette lighter, toiletories, sleeping bags, snow gaiters, swiss knife.

Those traveling to Nepal for high altitude trekking should have following additional items:

Double walled mountain boots, crampons, ice axe, climbing harness, climbing gloves.

Note: most of the trekking equipment can be easily hired in Kathmandu for those who does not want to carry from their home country.

ECO-TOURISM
TREKS - We stress very much on Tea House Treks. This encourages the guests to avail the use of the local resources on their trekking route, and thus helping the local people generate income by providing them an alternative source of livelihood and thus preserving the environment.

SIGHSEEING TOURS
We emphasize on "Cultural Tours" - not only for normal sightseeing but also to familiarize our guests with the customs and traditions of Nepal. Our sightseeing programme is designed to give as much exposure of our diverse culture in a short period of time. Depending on time availability, we include audience with a high Re-incarnated lama (high Tibetan monk).

EXPEDITIONS
All our guides are specially instructed to see that no garbage is littered, and advise others not to do so too. We request our guests to bring back all the non- biodegradable garbage back to Kathmandu.

ENTERING NEPAL
Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal is linked by air with Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi, Banglore, Mumbai, Dhaka, Paro, Karachi, Frankfurt, Paris, Munich, London, Vienna, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Doha, Moscow, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Osaka, Shanghai & Lhasa. Notable entry points for those entering the country by surface are Bhairahawa (Sunauli), Birgunj (Raxaul) & Kararbhitta (Siliguri) from India and Kodari (Zhangmu) over Tibet.

LANUGAGE & PEOPLE
Nepali is the official language. English is understood by majority of people in the cities. The country is a potpourri of more than 61 ethnic groups & sup-groups and has over 70 different languages & dialects.

CUSTOMS & EXPORT
Passengers arriving at the airport without any dutiable goods can proceed through the Green channel for quick clearance without a baggage check. If the passengers are carrying dutiable articles they must pass through the Red channel with Customs clearance. Beside personal belongings, the passengers are allowed to bring into Nepal without any charge are; a pair of Binoculars, one still camera (with 15 rolls of film), one movie or video camera, a laptop computer, a portable music system, 200 cigarettes or 20 cigars, 1 bottle of liquor and a reasonable amount of perfume.

It is illegal to export objects over 100 years old (sacred images, paintings, manuscripts) that are valued for their cultural and religious significance. As such, tourists are advised not to purchase any item of antique value as they are Nepal’s cultural heritage. The Department of Archaeology at Ramshahpath, Kathmandu has to certify all metal statues, sacred paintings & similar objects before carried out of the country.

ELECTRICITY
All cities and towns in Nepal have electricity and rural electrification in selected areas through mini hydel projects are currently underway. Voltage available is 240-220 volts AC & 50 cycles throughout the country. Load shedding is frequently experienced in Nepal but mostly during dry months only.

HOLIDAYS
Saturday is the weekly holiday. Only government offices in Kathmandu are closed on Sundays as well. Most of the shops and Tibetan refugee camps remain closed on Saturdays. All museums remain closed on Tuesdays and government holidays.

PREDEPARTURE INFO
BATE will supply detailed day-by-day itinerary, route map and pre-departure information upon the confirmation of the trip. We supply handbook on Tibet & Sikkim tours.

BEST SEASONS TO VISIT NEPAL
Spring: March - May
Autumn: September - December

HOTEL AND TRANSPORTATION
We use our associate hotel Nirvana or International Guest house for all our Trekking and Tours programmes, both hotels are well  run tourist standard hotel with homely atmosphere located in Jyatha in Kathmandu and hotel Shangrila Village Resort in Pokhara for all our trekking package. There will be extra charge if client choose to higher end hotels.

We use First Class hotels for our outbound tour in SIKKIM, TIBET & BHUTAN.

We use private transport for all our overland tours. However, we other hotels as per the request of our clients.

We provide deluxe transportations as per the requirement. For Sikkim, Tibet and Bhutan we use 4WD drive.

RESCUE SERVICE
We have strong and efficient helicopter rescue service incase of any emergency evacuation.

We work closely with embassies of our clients and inform them about the activities undertaken by our clients.