Nepal's New Government
 

Now that Nepal has a new government run by a Maoist PM, do you think the strikes will stop and the country will become more accessible to tourists? We are planning to go in December and were worried when they couldn't form a goverment for several months, but now it looks to me like things will be ok. But, I'd like the opinion of someone with more information about the country. Thanks!

We are headed to Nepal in October.

If you've been keeping up with the news in Nepal, then you know that the election has occurred and the King left the palace. While there was some violence around the election, things have been relatively calm since the truce with the Maoists some time ago. Things appear to be getting increasingly stable, and there has been a large influx of travelers into Nepal in the last 6 months.

I was last in Nepal in 1994. I've been watching the news on Nepal for some time as I've been wanting to return. I feel fine about our trip, we're all booked.

Keep up with the news about Nepal, the BBC often has good info, and the NYT had a recent article about travelers returning to Nepal.

hi,

i'm going to nepal this mid november for poon hill trekking.this will be my 1st time..i'm having problem with the travellers cheque and credit cards,atm.Just don't know which to use,which is the best..

MissOctober, except for Kathmandu, you'll want cash, not a credit card. Some trekking companies will take a credit card in payment, some will not. Travelers checks, in my experience, are a pain. I'd recommend that you get cash in Kathmandu either via an ATM (what does your bank charge per use and for foreign exchange?) or via currency exchange (if you are from the US, you'll need pristine, new-type $100 bills to exchange). That said, I always travel with credit cards (2 different types) an ATM card and cash.

I'd also recommend reading the Nepal threads on Thorn Tree, the Lonely Planet's website.

We are also heading to Nepal in October (10th-17th). I had some hesitation when initially planning our trip but now feel confident that the country is stable enough for our visit.

I am encouraged by the news reports I have been reading... although fuel shortages do seem to plague the country. We plan to just roll with any disruptions we encounter keeping mindful of Nepal's recent troubles.

To deal with the fuel shortage issue, we have hired a private guide and driver to take us between Kathmandu, Pokara, and Chitwan so we wouldn't be trapped if there was a public transport strike due to a fuel shortage. Hopefully, that plan will work :)

We were there in Feb. and though chaotic it's really quite safe. Generations of tourists have made the Nepalis very sensitive to their welbeing. We found that our hotel had no trouble finding us a minibus and fuel though there were fuel lines km's long at the gas stations, and we travelled long distances that way. Be prepared for constant electricity load shedding - means candles and torches often but that's ok too. Most things go on as normal. Money changing no problem too.