Kathmandu Family Tour

Joining Arrangements & Transfers

All Clients travelling to Kathmandu will be met at the airport by a TTG representative who will arrange the transfer to the group hotel.  Please look at our logo at the arrival gate.

Accommodation

While in Kathmandu, Chitwan, Pokhara, Lumbini, Nagerkot and Balthali the group will stay in a mentioned hotel or hotels with similar categories as on itinerary.  We choose hotels not too far from the main downtown. Most of our hotels will be in central Thamel in Kathmandu so that you can shop, eat and go anywhere easily.

Whilst on tour we spend nights in hotels and lodges. The Nepalese hotels/lodges are simple, friendly and atmospheric.

Solo Travellers

Our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and we do not charge a single supplement. We believe single travellers should not have to pay more to travel. Single travellers joining group trips are paired in twin or multi-share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the entire trip. If you prefer to have your own single room then you have to pay single supplement, however the single room is only possible in Kathmandu not on the trek.

Food

Normally all breakfast are included on the trip and sometimes Lunch and dinner too as on itinerary. Typical meals provided in the lodges will include some Nepali dishes and some international cuisine from pizza and chips. However as a responsible tour operator we encourage you to eat local food whenever possible because this will help the local economy and these local foods are always fresh.

We eat in the hotel where we stay (if it is included), our trip leader will suggest you what is safe and good to eat there. Breakfast will usually be porridge, eggs, bread, Fruits, lunch will be a simple meal with noodles, rice, Pasta and dinner will be 2 courses consisting of soup, main meal. All drinks & beverages are extra.

A Typical Day

You will have free morning in the city and after breakfast we start shortly for a day tour.  The day tour can be 5-7 hrs depending on the tours. After the tours you may wish to relax with a beer on the terrace of your lodge before taking dinner. Dinner is taken in the dining room which normally has some form of heating. This is a great time of day for reliving the events of the tours so far and for general socialising. If the dinner is not included on the trip, you can take in any restaurant you prefer.

Group Leader & Support Staff

The group will be led by an experienced English-speaking local leader, and on trek will have the services of porters to carry luggage.

Spending Money

Approximately US$400-600 (or equivalent Australian dollars, Euros etc.) changed into local currency, should be sufficient for miscellaneous personal expenses including tips for guide, drinks for all trips & meals in the city. It is not necessary to obtain local currency (Nepali rupees) prior to departure. Sterling, US Dollars and Euros are equally acceptable for exchange in Nepal. If you prefer not to carry all of your spending money in cash, it is possible to withdraw money (rupees only) from ATMs in Kathmandu and most of the cities using your debit or credit card.

Guidance on Tipping

Tipping is the accepted way of saying ‘thank you’ for good service. Tips do not form part of the wages of your guides, porters and driver but they are very much appreciated. It is important to remember that tipping is voluntary and should be dependent on good service. Normally the tips are given at the end of the trip and this is best done as a group rather than from individuals. Most groups will give the tips with a bit of ceremony (or sometimes a party) on the last evening, to mark the end of the trip. The level of tipping should be determined by the group as a whole with everyone contributing an equal amount that all are comfortable with. As a rough guide, we recommend about 5-10% of your trip.

Baggage Allowance 

Your baggage on tours has no limit but if there is trekking involved, please make it not above 15 kg. For the domestic flight to Chitwan, Pokhara and Lumbini, we have 20 kg limitation. It is possible to leave clothes or other items not required on trips at the hotel in Kathmandu.

Altitude

This holiday involves no high altitude problem as all of them in a low elevation.

Equipment List

The following checklist should help you with your packing. As a general rule, you should always try to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum.

You must bring the following items:

• Trainers
• Socks
• Walking trousers
• Underwear
• Baselayer shirts
• Casual shirt and/or T-shirts
• Fleece jacket or warm jumper
• Waterproof jacket
• Warm jacket (down light) only in winter
• Sunhat
• Warm hat
• Sunglasses
• Daypack 30 litres
• Headtorch and spare batteries
• Sun protection (including total bloc for lips, nose etc.)
• Water bottles 1 Litre
• Washbag and toiletries
• Toilet paper (you can also buy this in the lodges if necessary)
• Antibacterial handwash
• Small towel
• Small padlock (to lock bag)
• Basic First Aid Kit including: antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), altitude (Diamox), painkillers, plasters and blister treatment, insect repellent, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite). Glucose tablets and multi-vitamin tablets.

The following items are optional:

• Shorts
• Thermal baselayer – leggings
• Sleeping bag liner
• Travel clothes
• Camera
• Pen-knife (remember to pack sharp objects in hold baggage)

Notes
The Nepalese are still traditional and conservative in the way they dress. Therefore to avoid embarrassment on both sides we recommend that you respect this and do not wear revealing clothing or sleeveless tops while visiting Nepal. Shorts are acceptable, but they should reach to just above the knee and be modest and for women it is preferable to wear trousers or a long skirt.

Passport & Visas

A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required. Please check the relevant embassy or consulate for other nationalities. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Visa requirements and charges are subject to change without notice. If you are travelling outside the EU you should have at least 2 blank pages in your passport for each country that you visit.

All nationalities require a visa. The visa fee is $30 for 15 days, $50 for 30 days, $125 for 90 days and is obtainable on arrival. Payment must be made in cash and USD, GBP or Euros are accepted. Please bring small change. Bring 4 passport size photos for different permits.

Health & Vaccinations

You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations or other preventive measures. You should be up to date with routine courses and boosters as recommended in the UK e.g. diphtheria-tetanus-polio and measles-mumps-rubella, along with hepatitis A and typhoid. Malarial prophylaxis is not usually required for trips in the mountains, however if you are visiting rural and remote low lying areas then they might be necessary. On holidays to more remote areas you should also have a dentist checkup.

Currency

The unit of currency in Nepal is the Nepalese Rupee. We can change this money in Kathmandu which has better rate than hotels and Airports. Guides will show you the place after arrival.

Electricity Supply & Plug

We recommend you check if you require an adaptor for your electrical items at Plugs and Socket.

Preparing For Your Trip

This is easy holiday, however It makes a lot of sense to spend some time before coming on a holiday getting some additional exercise. The fitter you are, after all, the more enjoyable you will find the experience. We suggest that you adopt a weekly exercise regime leading up to your trip. Regular hiking is the best training but jogging, squash and swimming are also good for developing cardio vascular fitness and stamina. Note that you will encounter steps on the trail while doing walking and you might wish to tailor your exercise to take this into account. It is also a good idea to do some reading about the country and the culture of the local people before you embark on an adventure holiday.

Climate

Nepal can be visit all year around, however October to November and March to May are the best times for holiday in Nepal. These months both side of the summer monsoon season are neither too hot in the foothills nor too cold in the higher elevations and they offer the best conditions for explore. Pre-monsoon is the best time to see the colourful blooms of the rhododendron at lower elevations. The post-monsoon months usually offer the clearest skies and the most settled weather. At either of these periods you will encounter a wide range of daytime temperatures during your trip from approximately 25ºC in Kathmandu to approximately 14ºC at 3000 metres. The ‘real feel’ temperature in the middle of the day will be much warmer than this. Extended periods of rain or snow are very unlikely outside of the monsoon period but short lived storms can and do occur.

Books

• Lonely Planet Guide to Nepal. Lonely Planet
• Rough Guide to Nepal. Rough Guides
• Trekking and Climbing in Nepal. Steve Razzetti
• Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya. Stan Armington
• Kathmandu and the Kingdom of Nepal. Prakash Raj
• Portraits of People: Nepal Himalayas. Eric Valli

Not to forget?!

Please do not forget to come with positive attitude, flexibility, a sense of humors and an appetite of adventure and discovery!