Everyday practical information for Nepal

The basics that stop you looking rude

• Namaste, palms together, is the greeting and works in every situation.
• Eat and hand things over with the right hand. The left is for the bathroom.
• Take your shoes off entering a home and most temples, and never point the soles of your feet at a person or a shrine.
• Do not touch anyone's head, including a child's.
• Walk clockwise around stupas and mani walls, keeping them on your right.
• Beef is off the menu - the cow is sacred, and killing one is a criminal offence.

Temples and photographs

• Pashupatinath does not admit non-Hindus to the main temple courtyard, and no leather is allowed inside - belts and bags included.
• Cremations at Pashupatinath are not a photo opportunity. Watch from the far bank if you must, quietly.
• Ask before photographing people, especially sadhus, who will then ask for money.
• Drones need permission and are banned outright over Kathmandu, near airports and in national parks. The fines are serious.

The calendar, the clock and the week

• Nepal is UTC+5:45. A 45-minute offset is unique to Nepal and every airline booking will surprise you.
• The official calendar is Bikram Sambat, currently in the 2080s, so official dates and festival dates are not the Gregorian ones.
• Saturday is the weekly holiday. Government offices and many businesses close; Sunday is a working day.
• Dashain in September or October and Tihar a fortnight later close the country for days: shops shut, buses fill, and Kathmandu empties as everyone goes home.
• Book transport well ahead around Dashain, or do not plan to move.

Power, plugs and connectivity

• 230 V, and the sockets take types C, D and M. A universal adaptor is the only sane answer.
• Load shedding is over - the scheduled national blackouts ended years ago - but cuts still happen, and hotels run inverters for a reason.
• Charge everything when you have power, and carry a power bank on the trails where charging costs money.

Behaviour and the law

• Dress modestly: covered shoulders and knees at temples, and it is noticed everywhere else.
• Public affection is not done. Holding hands is fine; more is not.
• Cannabis is illegal despite the shops' hints and the history, and foreigners are prosecuted.
• Homosexuality is legal and Nepal is the most liberal country in the region on this, with same-sex marriage registration allowed since 2023, though public affection draws the same disapproval as it does for anyone.
• Bargaining is normal in markets and never aggressive. Fixed prices in supermarkets and restaurants.

Small useful things

• Toilet paper is not standard. Carry your own, and expect a bucket and tap.
• Rubbish disposal on the trails barely exists. Carry your wrappers back down.
• English is widely spoken in tourism and much less so off it.
• A little Nepali goes far: dhanyabad for thank you, kati parcha for how much.