Foreign Currencies
must be exchanged only through the banks or authorized
foreign exchange dealers. The receipts from such
transaction are to be obtained and retained. Visitors
can also exchange money at the foreign exchange
counter at the airport upon arrival. Credit Cards
like the American Express, Visa and Master Card
are accepted. Convertible currencies are as follows;
Dollar - US, Australian,
Hong Kong, Canadian, Singapore,
Franc - Swiss, French, Belgium
Kroner - Danish, Swedish
Sterling Pound, Netherlands Guilder, German Mark,
Japanese Yen, Italian Lira & Austrian Shilling.
From Indian citizens, Indian currency
(expect Rs. 500 notes) is accepted in Nepal.
Please retain your encashment slip
for changing back local currency to foreign currency
on departure at the exit point or at Tribhuvan International
Airport departure lounge.
Money Transfer
You can receive
money from anywhere in the world through Western
Union Money Transfer.
Banks
Banks are
open between 09:30 am to 02:30 pm from Monday to
Friday in the Kathmandu Valley. They are closed
on Saturdays, Sundays and other holidays in the
Kathmandu Valley. In other places banks are open
from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm from Mondays to Thursday
and 10:00 am to 2:30 pm on Fridays and are closed
on Saturdays and government holidays. ATM machine
is located in Nepal Arab Bank, Himalayan Bank, Kathmandu
Guest House, Standard Chartered Bank.
.
Customs Formalities
All baggage
must be declared and cleared through the customs
on arrival at the entry. Personal effects are permitted
free entry. A tourist many bring in dutiable goods,
such as tobacco and liquor, within the prescribed
quantity free of duty. Carrying narcotics, arms
and ammunition are strictly prohibited. Visitors
can export of antiques requires special certificate
from the Department of Archaeology, National Archive
Building, Ram Shah Path, KTM.
Airport Tax
Rs. 770.00 per
person for departure to SAARC (South Asian) countries
and Rs. 1100.00 for departure to other international
destinations.
Pre Paid Taxi
The Prepaid
Taxi Counter at the Tribhuvan International Airport
is located across the Green Channel. The pre paid
taxis have green number plates. You will also find
metered taxis with black number plates for downtown
transfer.
.
Mountain Flight
Royal Nepal
Airlines and other domestic Airlines in the private
sector operate breath-taking mountain flights for
tourists around the year.
Getting Around
Metered taxis
are easily recognized by the taxi sign and black
number plates and can be hailed off the street.
Metered tempos cheaper than taxis are also available.
There are regular bus services within the three
cities of the Kathmandu Valley. Similarly, scheduled
bus services for destinations outside the valley
operated from the Gongabu Bus Terminal. You can
also hire bikes at nominal rates.
Tourist Police
A special unit
of the Nepal Police called Tourist Police deals
with problems related to tourists. One can contact
the Tourist Police at Tourist Service Centre, Bhrikutimandap
to avail the services of Tourist Police.
Facilities
Nepal has every
category of accommodation facilities. These range
from the international standard star hotels to budget
hotels and lodges. In order to have an assured quality
service, it is advisable to use the facilities and
services of government registered hotels, lodges,
travel agencies and licensed tour guides only, and
engage an authorized trekking guide or porter only
through a registered travel/trekking agency.
Licensed Guides
All the travel
agencies have licensed English speaking guides.
However, many agencies also have guides who can
speak other international languages for the convenience
of tourists. As unlicensed guides are not allowed
to serve clients, it is advisable to confirm that
your guide has a valid license. To have quality
service it is recommended to arrange the sightseeing
programs only through the government registered
travel agencies.
Time
Nepal Standard
Time is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead (+5:45) of GMT
and 15 minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time.
Official Holidays
Except Public
Holidays, Saturday and Sunday are the weekend holidays
in the Kathmandu Valley and only Saturday outside
the valley. Most of the business houses and shopping
center are closed only on Saturdays beside Government
Offices.
Working Hours
Government
offices within Kathmandu Valley open from 9am to
5pm in the summer and from 9am to 4pm in the winter.
Outside Valley, Government offices open from 10
am to 5 pm in the summer and from 10 am till 4 pm
in the winter.
Hospitals and
Drug Stores
The hospitals,
drug houses, dispensaries and pharmaceutical shops
of Kathmandu sell all kinds of medicines, including
those imported from overseas. The major general
hospitals and private clinics are available in Kathmandu
Valley.
Post
The Central
Post Office located near Dhrahara Tower, is open
Monday through Friday. The counters are open from
7 am to 4 pm and provide stamps, postcards and aerogram.
Post Restante is Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm.
Express Mail Service is available at the GPO and
at Thamel, Basantapur and airport postal counters.
Telecommunications
Telephone,
fax, telex and telegraph services are available
at the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation near
the stadium. Hotels and private communication centers
also provide long distance telephone (ISD, STD)
and Email and Internet Services.
Shopping
Shopping can
be very rewarding and exciting in Kathmandu. There
are numerous tourist shops on the main streets and
in the hotel arcades brimming with tempting jewelry,
statues, and other typical Nepalese handicraft.
Thanka is one of the best buys in Nepal. Each place
has its specialty product which is unique. Bhaktapur,
for instance, is the place to buy pottery. The Traditional
Craftsman's Colony in Patan is a famous center for
Nepalese handicraft. You may get carved wooden items
while at Patan. As for jewellery, buyers can opt
for loose gems or custom-made items.
Beside handicrafts, Nepal is also
a good place for genuine luxury goods. With a host
of departmental stores and shopping plazas offering
international brand name products, Kathmandu has
become a very happening place for a serious shopper.
Browsers will enjoy the city's numerous traditional
markets that overflow with vegetables, fruits and
other goods.
A note
of caution: There is an export ban on certain items.
Antiques can be taken out of the country only with
special permission granted by the Department of
Archaeology.
