Safety: the security situation in Nepal, especially in Kathmandu, is extremely unpredictable. Major street demonstrations and disturbances occur frequently, many of which have turned violent. If you are travelling to the country, you are strongly advised to avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings and remain vigilant at all times. There can be a high risk to personal safety during times of strikes and demonstrations. When to go: the best time to visit Nepal is either in March or April, or in October or November. This is largely due to weather, as the daytimes are warm and the evenings cool, but not too cold. These are also the peak months, so you will find many like-minded travellers en route. All of the main attractions are guaranteed to be open during these peak months and the ambience across the entire country is one of excitement and fun. Money: the national currency is the Nepalese rupee (NPR). One NPR is equal to 100 paisa. Notes come in denominations of NPR 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1, while coins can be found in denominations of 50, 25 and 10 paisa. It is illegal to exchange currency with anyone other than authorised dealers and you should always ask for a foreign exchange encashment receipt. Language: the official language, spoken by 49 per cent of the population, is Nepali. There are however many other languages spoken including Maithili and Bhojpuri. English is spoken in business and by people working in the travel trade. Emergency: there is no rescue service as such in Nepal, but local hospitals provide emergency ambulance services on request.
The main hospitals include:
Kathmandu - Bir Hospital: +977 1 221800
Pokhara - Palpa Mission Hospital: +977 7 520154
Tundikhel - Ayurved Hospital: +977 4 221119
Doodh Pati - Bhaktapur Hospital: +977 6 610676
Lagankhel - Patan Hospital: +977 5 522566
Jorpati - Community Hospital: +977 4 470874 Business needs: Nepal is not a country that is renowned for its business services. The main industry is tourism and this has gone into decline since civil strife began in the 1990s. Mainly because of the lack of funds, Nepal is one of the world’s least developed countries, seeing very few people travelling to the country for business needs. | 
