‘hard’ currency. Outside the Kathmandu Valley, it may be difficult to use large-denomination Nepali notes, so keep a decent portion of your money in small-denomination notes bills, particularly tens, twenties and hundreds. If you’re trekking, take enough small-denomination cash with you to last the whole trek.

Tipping is becoming fairly common in upmarket restaurants in Kathmandu, so leave around 10% of the bill if service was good. There’s no need to tip in cheaper establishments or to tip taxi drivers (who tend to round up to the nearest ten rupees in any case). Porters on treks, however, should be tipped around Rs 100 per day to supplement their meagre wages. Bargaining is commonplace in markets and tourist shops, but treat it as a form of polite social discourse rather than a matter of life and death.

Currency
Name Nepalese Rupee
Symbol Rs Sample Price Guide
roll of 36-exposure colour film 160.00 hotel laundry per item 25.00 cup of coffee 50.00 average hotel price 400.00 bottle of local beer 120.00 small bottle of water 15.00 pirated CD 250.00 good quality traditional Gurkha blade 2000.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
Rs75-220 Rs220-720 Rs720-3600 Rs3600+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
Rs150-220 Rs220-720 Rs720-1500 Rs1500+

Nepal: Getting there & around
Getting There
There are few direct flights to Nepal, which means most travellers from Europe, North America and Australia have to change aircraft and/or airline en route. Nepal’s only international airport is Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Airport – several airlines fly here with a stop in western Europe or the Gulf, or you can fly into India and change to a local shuttle. If you want to see the mountains as you fly into Kathmandu, make sure you sit on the right-hand side of the plane. The departure tax for international flights is Rs1695.00 ,, or Rs1356.00 to destinations on the Indian subcontinent, payable in Nepali rupees.

The classic overland routes between Nepal and India are still popular. Buses are usually the quickest and easiest form of transport between Nepal and India. There are five main crossing points that are open to foreigners, but most people cross at Sunauli-Bhairawa, Birganj-Raxaul Bazaar or Kakarbhitta-Panitanki. The Sunauli border crossing is convenient for Varanasi or Delhi, the Birganj crossing is convenient for Kolkata, and Kakarbhitta is the obvious choice for Darjeeling or Sikkim. A trickle of travellers enter Nepal at the Mahendrenagar-Banbassa border crossing in the extreme west of Nepal, which is handy for Delhi and the hills of Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh. The crossing between Nepal and Tibet via Kodari is open to organised groups but not to individual travellers heading north. Be prepared to make alternative plans if using this route – landslides regularly make it impassable during the monsoon.

Getting Around
Royal Nepal Airlines has an extensive domestic network and reasonable prices, but its aircraft are ancient and the booking system is erratic. Half a dozen private airlines offer similar routes in newer planes for only a little more. Whoever you fly with, be aware that flights are routinely cancelled due to bad weather, security problems or industrial action. It’s advisable to book domestic flights a week in advance and keep re-confirming your ticket just to make sure you don’t slip off the