Warm clothing is required from November to February and tropical wear from March till October. But a trip to higher altitude will require special clothing depending on the places visited. A checklist is available on request.
Water
In Nepal tap water is not recommended for drinking. All the major hotels and restaurants in Kathmandu, Pokhara & Chitwan avail customers with boiled and filtered water. Mineral water is available in most of the places. Elsewhere, it is advisable to use water sterilization tablets or stick to tea and bottled soft drinks.
Electricity
220 Volts AC at 50 hertz throughout the country.
Customs
Passengers arriving at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) without any dutiable goods can proceed through the Green Channel for quick clearance. If you are carrying dutiable articles, you have to pass through the Red Channel.
The goods that can be brought in without any duty are cigarettes (200 sticks) or cigars (50 sticks), distilled liquor (1.15 liter bottle), and film (15 rolls) apart from used personal effects.
Export of object over 100 years old (sacred images, paintings, and manuscripts etc.) is illegal. The export of metal statues, sacred paintings and similar objects has to be certified by The Department of Archaeology.
Shopping
Nepal is famous for various kinds of handicrafts which include hand-knotted Woolen carpets, Jewellery, Pashmina shawls, Woolen knitwear, Embroidery, Thangkas paintings, Wood carvings, Metalwork, Ceramics and pottery, Hand crafted rice paper and stationery, etc.
Kathmandu is the obvious place to do some serious shopping, especially if you’re planning a trip to the remote countryside, or it’s your last stop before leaving the country. Other goods include bronze and copper items, shoulder bags, knives, wooden masks and statues, silk handbags, colorful sweaters and jackets, used camping gear, bamboo flutes, carpets (test to see if they are colorfast), papier-mâché masks, Nepalese caps, block prints on rice paper, Nepalese violins and woven cloth.
Bargaining is common in most shops and items, unless they explicitly mention the NO BARGAIN notices. Credit cards including American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted at almost all outlets with a 4% bank levy charge.
There are also numerous shopping centers which cater to commodities of international brands like, ABC shopping centre, Bluebird Mall, The Kathmandu Mall, Bhatbhateni Store, China Town shopping centre, Pasupati Plaza, the Super Market at New Road, United World trade center etc. as well as numerous department stores, where a fine collection of imported products and a wide variety of export quality commodities are available.
However, we advise all travelers to consume the local products as far as possible. By consuming local products, you’re not only making holidays in the Himalayas, but you’re also supporting the local economy and infrastructure.
The most comprehensive shopping malls in Kathmandu are:
Kathmandu Mall
Kanti Path Road
Bhat Bhateni Supermarket
Thirbam Sadak
Bluebird Department
Tripureshwor Raod
United World Trade Center
Tripureshwor
Namaste Super Market
Pulchowk Road
Most stores are closed on Saturday, Nepal’s official off day, but not Sunday.
Shopping Hours: Sunday-Friday 10 am-7 pm.
Book lovers
Kathmandu has some of the best and least expensive bookshops in the region. Here you can find a variety of books on Nepal, Bhutan, India and Tibet. Books on trekking & mountaineering are more popular among the visitors in Nepal. Some of the renowned books shops in Kathmandu are Pilgrims Book House, Mandala Book Point in Kantipath, Himalayan Book Sellers, Ratna Park among others. The Universal Books & Pilgrims Book House in Thamel have some fantastic & rare collections with the most extensive selections.
Surprisingly, the well-known stores do such a tremendous business that they do not need to offer discounts. However, you can find many good shops which would certainly cater to your needs. But, don’t expect the bargaining that you’ll find on every other item in Nepal.
PILGRIMS’ BOOK STORE
Located in Thamel and Kupondole, Pilgrims’ is one of the oldest bookstores in Nepal, and houses a wide collection of books ranging from fiction, to volumes on religion and art. Also on sale are handicrafts, incense, comics, guidebooks, and trekking and other route maps. The Thamel store also has a small coffee shop, and runs classes and talk programmes on meditation and natural healing.
Tel: 4424942 (Thamel), 5521159 (Kupondole)
Some of the popular book shops in Kathmandu
Himalayan Books Sellers
P. O. Box 5234
Kathmandu
Tel: 225484, 418666
Bazaar International
P. O. Box 2480
Tridevi Marg, Kathmandu
Tel: 222983
Fax: 977-1-229437
International Book Center
P. O. Box 2980
Thamel, Kathmandu
Tel: 417517
Mandala Book Point
P. O. Box 528
Kantipath, Kathmandu
Tel: 227711
Ekta Books & Distributors (P) Ltd.
P. O. Box 2596
Thapathali, Kathmandu
Tel: 230482, 230729
Tibet Book Stores
P.O. Box 1485
Thamel
Kathmandu
Tel: 415126
Telex: 977-1-415126
Fax: 977-1-415126
Ratna Pustak Bhandar
Bhotahity
Kathmandu
Tel: 223026
Fax: 977-1-228496
