NEPAL

Nepal ,officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People´s Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. With an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq. metre) and a population of approximately 30 million, Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the country's largest metropolis.
Nepal has a rich geography. The mountainous north has eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, called Sagarmatha in Nepali. It contains more than 240 peaks over 20,000 ft (6,096 m) above sea level. The fertile and humid south is heavily urbanized.
By some measures, Hinduism is practiced by a larger majority of people in Nepal than in any other nation. Buddhism, though a minority faith in the country, is linked historically with Nepal as the birthplace of the Buddha. There are 3 different buddhist traditions: Himalayan Buddhism, Buddhism of Kathmandu Valley (mostly Mahayana and Vajrayana), and also the Theravada Buddhism. About half of the population live below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day.
A monarchy throughout most of its history, Nepal was ruled by the Shah dynasty of kings from 1768, when Prithvi Narayan Shah unified its many small kingdoms. In 2006, however, a decade-long People's Revolution by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) along with several weeks of mass protests by all major political parties of Nepal culminated in a peace accord, and the ensuing elections for the constituent assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of the abdication of the last Nepali monarch Gyanendra Shah and the establishment of a federal democratic republic in 28th May 2008. The first President of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav, was sworn in on 23rd July 2008.

Regarding insurance. Everyone who plans to trek with us must have individual travel insurance. Various policies are available, but whatever policy you choose, assure that it covers a minimum of US $ 15,000, and includes medical and incidental expenses like extra travel (rejoining or repatriation) costs. A policy arranged with one of the companies we recommended is probably the best. You are strongly recommended to adopt a policy which also provides cancellation and extra baggage fees. Expedition members with a family are advised to make sure that they will be responsibly provided for in case of accidents.

Expedition permit is only required if you plan to make an ascent on a peak. An application form and other necessary documents will be sent to you for completion once you have selected the peak you want to climb. You are required to submit your alpine club recommendation letter, ascent and caravan route map, a bio-data of each climbing member, and four passport sized photos for each member. Our company will obtain a permit for you once all documents are submitted.

Booking conditions. Booking for treks in advance helps us to complete the formalities early. It is essential to make contact before you come to Nepal. Send us two passport sized photos and a photocopy of your passport one month in advance of your visit. Send 25% of the total cost of your trip in advance to Adventure Zambuling Treks (contact us for price list).

We accept cash or travelers checks. If, for any reason, the trek is shorter that our prior estimation, we cannot refund any part of the amount paid earlier. Although a refund may be possible, please note that the terms of refund is subjected to certain circumstances.

Responsibilities. All transport and accommodation arrangements are made by agent on behalf of Adventure Zambuling. The agents make these arrangements under the condition that they shall not be liable for any injury, damage, loss, accident, or irregularity. Therefore Adventure Zambuling does not accept responsibility for the above mentioned problems. We reserve the right to remove any program in these pages, or make alterations and substitutions. We may revise the schedule for the convenience of parties. Unforeseen conditions may necessitate lengthening or shortening of tours. Increased or decreased costs will be fairly dealt with. The right is reserved to cancel any tour prior to departure. Appropriate refund will be made in these circumstance.

Visa Procedure: Foreigner who intends to visit Nepal must hold valid passport or any travel document equivalent to passport issued by the Government for visiting a foreign country prior to apply for visa.

a) Entry:
No foreigner is entitled to enter into and stay in the Nepal without valid visa. Tourist entry visa can be obtained for the following duration from Nepalese Embassy or consulate or other mission offices or immigration offices located on entry points in Nepal.

b) Chinese Citizen are requested to apply in Nepalese Embassy or other Nepalese diplomatic missions as there is no provision of on arrival visa for them.

c) Visa Fee:
I. Visa Fee required to obtain Tourist Visa from Nepalese diplomatic agencies and entry points:
1. US$25 or equivalent foreign currency for Tourist Visa with Multiple Entry for 15 days.
2. US$40 or equivalent foreign currency for Tourist Visa with Multiple Entry for 30 days.
3. US$100 or equivalent foreign currency for Tourist Visa with Multiple Entry for 100 days.
4. Regardless of the provision stated in I(1) and I(2), tourists with passport from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations aren't required to pay visa fee for 30 days.

d) Fee required to extend duration of visa or renew visa:
• US$2 or equivalent Nepalese currency per day for extension.
• Additional US$ 20 or equivalent Nepalese currency on visa fee as per 2(b), if Multiple Entry facility is required for the extended period.
• If foreign visitors that haven't renewed their visa want to renew their visa, they have to pay additional Nepalese currency equivalent to US$3 on the regular visa extension fee.
• Foreign visitors who have overstayed the visa period of 150 days without extension are required to pay visa fee as per provision in 2(c) and punishment as per Clause 10 sub-clause 4 of Immigration Act 2049.
• Regardless of provision stated in 2(a), 15 days is counted as minimum extension period and visa fee is charged accordingly. For extension period more than 15 days, visa fee is charged as per the provision of 2(a).

Trekking permit/Fee:
A. Trekking permit
a. Trekking permit is a must to visit restricted areas mentioned below. To visit normal trekking areas, no special permission is required. However other government regularities must be followed (instance:- TIMs card, Trek declaration…).

B. Restricted areas which have been opened for Group Trekking
The following restricted areas are open only for group trekkers (at least 2 pax required to form a group). And a trekking permit will not be issued to individual trekkers for such areas.

Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS)
TIMS card is for your safety.

With the distinction of Nepal as a trekking destination and its growing charm, a provision of the Trekker´s Information Management System (TIMS) has been implemented to ensure safety and security of the trekkers and to control illegal trekking operations.

As a trekker entering a protected area in Nepal, you will be asked to provide some information about the dates of your trip, the itinerary, and a contact number. These data will be inserted in the visitor´s database, where they can be accessed for park management purposes or in case of accidents and/or natural calamities, in order to inform the concerned institutions about the trekkers inside the park at anytime.

TIMS cards should be collected by both Free Individual Trekkers (FITs) and trekkers taking the service of government authorized trekking agencies.

Past experiences have revealed that difficulties were seen while carrying out rescue operations during times of accidents and natural calamities. Due to the lack of proper record system of trekkers, rescue and search missions used to face difficulties in spotting the missing trekkers. Based on the data collected through TIMS cards, however, it will be possible to know the position of a trekker in case a rescue operation is needed.

The provision of Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS) came into effect on January 1, 2008. Since then, the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) started recording trekker´s details and began issuing TIMS Card to trekkers.

NTB and TAAN signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 18, 2010 to implement the TIMS system in a new format from April 1, 2010. NTB and TAAN have introduced separate TIMS Cards for FITs and organized groups. FITs need to have Green TIMS cards by paying Nepali currency equivalent to US $20 per person, while those travelling in groups need to have Blue TIMS cards by paying Nepali currency equivalent to US $10 per person. Trekkers taking the service of trekking agencies can pay fee for TIMS card in US dollars.

Organized Trekkers:

Trekking companies will collect trekker´s data and enter it in the central database and will provide trekkers with a TIMS card after paying fee prescribed above.

Documents Required:

To obtain TIMS Card you need copy of:
a) Passport Copy
b) Two Passport-size Photographs.

Why is TIMS Necessary?

The following considerations have been taken into account in the process of issuing TIMS:
All important details regarding trekkers and trekking routes shall be maintained in a computerized Database Management System, which can be useful for the trekker´s safety and security. In order to help carry out search and rescue operations for trekkers in case of natural calamities and other accidents by means of Authentic Information Service. To maintain a record system that includes personal details of trekkers, trekking area, trekking routes, handling agencies, duration, etc. The data generated from the system will be useful to all concerned stakeholders such as tourism organizations, Government agencies, diplomatic missions, tour operators, research institute, etc.

Unauthorized trekking operations will be controlled, thus, resulting in better management of trekking services, which will not only benefit trekkers and field staff, but also trekking companies and Government agencies. Occasional untoward incidents will also be better prevented. Plus, TIMS will upgrade the service standard and will contribute to better management of sustainable mountain tourism development in Nepal.