Nepal
The main language is Nepali. However, many businessmen can speak both Hindi and English. Suits or shirt and tie are typically worn to business meetings. Office hours are 0930-1700 Sunday to Thursday. Government offices are open 1000-1600 (winter) and 1000-1700 (summer) Sunday to Thursday. The common greeting is "Namaste" (Hello), pronounced NA-MAS-TAY. Shaking hands is not a common form of greeting; the normal greeting is to press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture. A gift given to a host or hostess will probably be laid aside unopened; to open a parcel in the presence of a guest is considered uncivil.
Street crime is prevalent in Katmandu as well as in other areas frequented by foreigners. While the rate of violent crime has been historically low in Katmandu, there has generally been a significant increase in armed robberies and violence associated with Maoist guerrilla activity. On several occasions western tourists have been the victims of violence, robbery and in one case murder. Incidents of Maoist violence have also occurred in the past in the districts of Kavre, Sindhuli, Sindupalchowk, Dolaka, Dang, Dolpa, Ramechap and Kavrepalanchowk. To avoid falling victim to crime, visitors are advised to travel in groups, avoid carrying large sums of cash, exchange money only at banks and hotels, and limit shopping to daylight hours. Travelers should be especially alert at or near major tourist sights, where most pickpocketing occurs. Passports and cash should be carried in a protected neck pouch, not in a backpack.
Katmandu has an increasing number of international-class hotels which are particularly busy during spring and autumn, when it is advisable to book well in advance. Comfortable hotels can also be found in Pokhara, and the Royal Chitwan National Park in the Terai Jungle. A government tax is added to bills, which varies according to the star rating of the hotel.
Besides the officially recognized hotels, there are a number of lodges or hostels. In Katmandu these are located in the old part of the town, in the streets around the Durbar Square or in the Thamel district. The Lukla Sherpa Cooperative offers lodging to mountaineers in Sherpa country and accommodation at Paplu in the Sagarmatha zone can be provided by the Hostellerier des Sherpas.
Telephone IDD service is available to Katmandu only. All other calls go through the operator. The country code is 977 and the outgoing international code is 00. The Telecommunication Office, Tripureshnawar, deals with telephone calls and cables. The International Telephone Office is open 1000-1700 Sunday to Friday, but international telephone connections are very difficult. Many travel agents and a few hotels have fax services. The Nepal Telecommunications Corporation booth at the airport has fax services. The Central Telegraph Office offers a 24-hour international telephone and telegram service seven days a week. Postal services are available in most centers. Make sure that letters are hand-cancelled at the post office (post boxes should not be used for important communications). Main hotels will also handle mail. Post office hours: the General Post Office in Katmandu is open 1000-1700 (1600 in winter) Sunday to Friday. Electricity is 220 volts AC, 50Hz. There are frequent power cuts.
220 volts AC, 50Hz. There are frequent power cuts.
C,D,M
National specialties:
• Dal Bhat (lentils and rice).
• Tarkan (spiced vegetables).
• Gurr (a Sherpa dish of raw potatoes, pounded with spices, then grilled like pancakes on a hot, flat stone ground and mixed with milk, tea or water).
• Rotis (flat pancake-like bread made from wheat or rice flour).National drinks:
• Chiya (tea brewed with milk, sugar and spices; in the mountains it is salted with yak butter).
• Arak (potato alcohol).
• Raksi (wheat or rice
spirit).
• Chang (beer made from fermented barley, maize, rye or millet).Tipping:
Only usual in tourist hotels and restaurants. Taxi drivers need only be tipped when they have been particularly helpful. 10 per cent is sufficient for all three services. Elsewhere, tipping should be avoided.Nightlife
Kathmandu has a few cinemas featuring mainly Indian films. For Western films, see the programs of the European and US cultural centers. Most people are asleep by 2200. Nightlife is fairly limited; a few temples and restaurants offer entertainment and some tourist hotels stage Nepalese folk dances and musical shows. There are casinos with baccarat, chemin de fer and roulette, open 24 hours a day, every day, at some 5-star hotels in Kathmandu.
