From: jhartman@AWI-Bremerhaven.de (Jorg Hartmann)
Subject: Nepal Trip
Organization: AWI Bremerhaven
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 93 12:13:59 GMT

From 18.11.92 to 19.12.92 I went to Nepal with 3 weeks trekking in the Khumbu
region. Following are some informations that might be useful for those who
plan a similar trip. 

As source of information I used mainly Stan Armington's ``Trekking in the 
Nepal Himalaya''. An excellent travel log was posted a few month ago by
Eugene Margulis. 

I flew from with LTU from Duesseldorf and paid DM 1650.- for the return ticket.
This was the cheapest ticket I could find with a western standard airline
(I understand Aeroflot and PIA beat that).

On arrival in Kathmandu change money at the counter right when you enter the
airport building, before going through the first passport/visa check.
This way you use your time to wait for you luggage and reduce the time you are
being pestered by hotel touts in the main hall of the airport building.

The taxi to Thamel should be no more than NR 100, you can bargain probably
50% off if you promise to look at a hotel offered by one of the touts.
The taxameter would tell NR 35.- for the ride, but drivers cover it with a
dirty rag.

Although it is said that you have to change a certain amount of money
(officially) for each day you stay in Nepal I never had to show any proof of
it. The official rate was NR 46 for USD 1, the black market rate was NR 49 for
small bills (USD 10 and 20) and 51 for USD 100 bills, so it pays to have large
bills if you intend to change on the black market.

Prices for trekking permit, entry to the Sagarmatha Natinal Park and airport
fee (on departure) are double as much as qouted in Stan Armington's 'Trekking
in the Nepal Himalaya', 1990 edition. However, the airfare to Lukla was still
USD 83.

There are three competing airlines that have regular service to Lukla.
Therefore, problems to get a flight back to Kathmadu have eased a bit. However,
bad weather will still lead to cancellation of flights. During my stay in Nepal
there was one rainy day and two days with overcast cloud cover. The rainy day
was actually the one I wanted to fly to Lukla, so I had to wait one day.
In December there is fog in Kathmandu every morning delaying flights to
Lukla to about lunch time. However, the first flight is still always slated
at 7:55.

The imigration office is closed on Saturdays, bad luck if you arrive, as I did,
on a Friday afternoon. It closes earlier on Fridays, I got there straight from
the airport at about 14:00, but too late. You can, however get an air ticket
on a Saturday. The imigration office is opened on Sundays.

The market in Namche is on a Saturday. It's worth staying an extra day there to
visit it. Also, if you come down from Namche on a Friday the trek will be full
with porters carrying all sorts of goods up to sell them in Namche.

From Namche I went via Tengboche and Dingboche to the Kala Pattar, then down to 
Devouche and via Portse and Dole to Gokyo. The Lodges in Lobuje and Gokyo, and
also the major ones on the way, are open all year round. But you should have a
good sleeping bag if you go there in mid-winter. The lowest temperature I 
encountered was -5 deg.C (in the dormitory in Dingboche and Dole). 

Good Lodges:
     Namche: ``View Lodge'', just opposite ``Tawa Lodge''
   Devouche: ``Garden Lodge''. There is only one lodge in Devouche. Devouche
             is 20 min further than Tengpoche. The lodge is better than those
             in Tengboche. 
  Dingpoche: Dingpoche doesn't really have good lodges, but the first on the
             left when you come up the valley is quite ok.
    Lobuche: Everybody says `go in the first on the right' so everybody goes
             there and it's bloody crowded. But the food is good, and there is
             an oven in the dormitory. However, it is very smooky. Try and get
             a lower bunk.
       Dole: the first when you come up the valley
      Gokyo: ``Gokyo Resort'', it's the uppermost towards the moraine.
             You can get pizza there.
      Lukla: the one just opposite the check-in hut of the airstrip.

If you fly out from Lukla you must confirm your flight the day before. In
December they close at 16:00. You can make the trip from Namche to Lukla in
one day, but you should make it a short lunch break. I left Namche by 8:30 and
had to wait about an hour for my lunch at Pakding. So I reached Lukla by 16:30.
However, a girl from the lodge help me to trace the airport manager in a pub,
I showed him my ticket and it was alright.

I flew out from Lukla and allowed a few days in case of flights being delayed.
As I got out on time, I used the extra time for a trip to Pokhara. I paid
NR 100.- for the bus ticket and 130.- for the return ticket. Try to get a
seat in the front if you want to read on the journey, in the back it's about
double a bumpy.

In Pokhara (and also in Kathmandu) you can rent a 100cc Motorbike for NR100.-
per hour (incl. fuel). It comes with a helmet, but without any insurance.


Jorg
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nepal