So, how safe is Nepal to visit?
Being honest, visiting Nepal and traveling here is no more riskier than visiting any other travel destinations in the world. Nepal has always been a safe place for tourists. Traveling in Nepal is safe, hassle-free, full of adventurous experiences and fun.
To ensure the safety of the tourists, there is a special branch of the police force: The Tourist Police. They do everything to make your visit and stay comfortable and remarkable.
They will advise and assist you throughout your visit here in Nepal. Contact them when you need any pieces of information or help. You won’t have any kinds of confusions and dilemmas regarding your stay and travels in Nepal.
Nepal is absolutely safe to visit! But, you should consider many things before planning the visit to Nepal.
The decade-long conflict, violence and political instability have ended. Also, the travel destinations are made quite safe and tourist-friendly to ensure that no tourist face difficulties while in Nepal.
Also, you will find many help centers and check-points in many travel destinations where you can complain or share about your insecurities while traveling to those places.
Political Condition and Safety of Tourists in Nepal?
Nepal is more stable compared to the past few years. However, there can be demonstrations and strikes sometimes. They can even turn violent.
There can be a chakka jam (political strikes) sometimes. During these times, all the shops, offices, and schools remain closed.
Avoid walking around the streets when there is a strike. Instead, stay in your hotel keeping yourself busy by just scrolling the internet or reading books.
While you are in Nepal, keep updates about current political news. Watch for the news in local newspapers, or on some websites.
If there’s any curfews or strikes, avoid breaking them. You shouldn’t travel on the roads. Traveling in rented vehicles are even riskier. Vehicles violating the travel bans are often destroyed.
During the strikes or travel bans, the government runs buses with armed police from the airport to major hotels, especially for escorting the tourists to and from the airport. So, you will be much safer in the hands of Tourist police and the nations' armed forces during the political conflicts.
How Safe is Nepal for Women Travelers?
For women travelers, Nepal is a safe place. There is no restriction for solo women travelers here in Nepal. But women travelers should still be cautious and should avoid traveling alone. If it’s your first time in Nepal, hire a guide who is trustworthy.
Nepal has a conservative society. Some Nepali men might have freakish ideas about the virtue of Western women. They might think you like the characters they see in the western movies.
To clear up their intrusive thoughts, you must wear proper clothing. Make sure you cover your shoulders and thighs. We recommend you to wear long t-shirts, skirts or long pants.
Sexual harassment is not heard of often, but it does exist sometimes. There are some trekking guides who try to take advantage of alone women trekkers during the treks. So, solo travels for women might not be safe.
If you are a girl and are trekking alone, try to avoid a local male guide. Besides, for safety, you can take a photograph of the guide and send it to your friends and family. Don’t fear to ask about the guide’s trekking license, contact number, and family background.
Every year, some solo women trekkers go missing in Nepal. This is low-key but is still something to note.
Choosing a right trekking guide is mandatory. Meet several guides and choose to trek with someone who you feel comfortable with. Plus, hire one from the reliable travel companies like us.
Is it Safe to Travel on Local Buses in Nepal?
In Nepal, local buses are the main form of public transport. Many locals and travelers planning to travel countrysides chose these local transport. And these transport are safe as long as you keep the record of your belongings and money properly.
They are cheaper but may not meet your comfort sometimes. They stop for anyone on the way. If you want to get a seat, catch a bus at its source.
You can find a bus to pretty much everywhere inside a town or even around countrysides. However, the local buses are slow and are frequently crowded.
Larger baggage goes on the roof. Padlock your luggage and tie the straps to the railings on the roof. Watch out for them at every stop.
Carry your backpack and essential accessories with care. As the bus gets more crowded, more is the risk of theft and pick-pocketers. Keep an eye on your belongings.
The shameless conductors often charge a larger amount of bus fares for foreigners. Beware of them! Ask with some people on the bus about the bus fare. There will certainly be someone who’ll let you now.
Traveling by buses is quite challenging during monsoon. The roads in Nepal get muddy and slippery. You can also see the flooded roads in many places in Kathmandu after the rain.
The road travel in the far east and west of Nepal is nearly impossible after the monsoon. The terai floods destroying the road stretches, and bridges too. This can obstruct the roadway services for a few days.
There are some tourists, who prefer sitting on the roof of the bus, rather than traveling inside. This is legally prohibited. Also, there are low-hanging wires over the ways. Also, the branches might get you swatted.
If you decide to ride on the roof, make sure you don’t catapult off. The roads may not be in good conditions. Be extra careful when the bus swerves, brakes or lurches. Watch out for the wires, or tree branches. And wear something warm or windproof.
You can take 'deluxe' buses for longer distances. Book your seats before a couple of days. However, if the bus dies in a highway, you must hope into another one.
Avoid traveling by road during nights. Traveling in night buses for longer journeys is not recommended. In general, drivers do some crazy speedings on the darker and quieter roads. This means the risk factor increases.
Traveling Alone in Nepal: Is it safe?
Nepal is a safe country for lone travelers. Trekking alone is legal here. And, traveling alone is safe but not everywhere. The most happening places in the Kathmandu valley and Pokhara are quite safe for visits. But if you go solo on the countrysides with least bypassers, then the route may bring you some challenges.
While traveling to the quite remote and least populated travel destination, here are some issues that you must be aware of if you are thinking of solo treks.
There is news of several solo trekkers going missing in Nepal. The reasons for the missings need not be complex things like rape or murders. There are various tricky sections to encounter while trekking in the Himalayas.
The dense forests, Georges, outbursting glaciers, that can digest lone trekkers. Even some small problems or illness can take you if you are alone in the remote Himalayas. The unpredictable weather changes can invite disasters that strike you quickly.
Traveling with a guide, or in groups is always better over traveling alone. You will always have a companion to share or seek help from.
However, you must be extra careful while choosing your trek guide if you are a solo female trekker. There are some people with bad intentions who try to take advantages of you.
Where to Stay in Nepal if You are Alone?
The tourist areas in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Pokhara are the best places to stay when you are alone.
Thamel, Paknajol and Freak street are the most popular tourist areas in Kathmandu. You will find many lodges and hotels for safe and comfortable stays.
Bhaktapur is another place that is becoming more popular. It is close to Kathmandu city and has the best hotels for cozy accommodations.
Staying around the lakeside (Phewa lake) is the best option in Pokhara. There is quite a huge inflow of local and international tourists in Pokhara. There are various restaurants with live music there. It is completely safe to go there and enjoy.
While you are traveling in the countryside, you must be very careful while choosing the place for night stay. You cannot just choose a random, poor-looking and isolated guesthouses. Rather, you should check few teahouses in the surrounding and decide the one that has better safety and is far from isolation.
How to Feel Safer as a Solo Traveler/Trekker in Nepal?
- Share your itinerary and travel plans with family and friends so that they can reach out to you in case of emergencies.
- Stick to your routes or plans. Do not try crazy things. Don’t think of escaping routes or taking shortcuts while on the treks if you are not fully sure about the route.
- Travel insurance is a must for trekking in Nepal. Travel insurance policy with helicopter rescue policy will save you a lot of money if an accident happens to you in the mountain treks.
- Take care of your gears. There are chances of theft and robbery while traveling alone. For personal safety, avoid carrying expensive gadgets, avoid wearing jewelry and other lavish wears while traveling to the remote areas.
Are High Altitude Treks in Nepal Safe to Do?
High altitude treks in Nepal are absolutely safe to do. The Everest Base Camp trek, a high altitude trek is the most famous treks in Nepal.
But high altitude treks aren’t easy as they come with several challenges. You must prepare hard for the treks before you go. Conduct researches on the problems that can come on your way during the treks.
If you are a novice trekker and this is your first time in Nepal then you should hire a licensed guide and travel in groups. Plus, it is a good idea to join short treks before you go for the long high altitude treks first time. For experienced trekkers, high altitude trek is safe if they take proper care of their body and maintain their walking pace.
The first thing you must take care of is your physical fitness. The high altitude trek demands hard works and lots of energy. Do some sorts of physical exercises to shape your body and to boost your energy.
Also, altitude sickness is a major problem that most of the trekkers face. So, be familiar with the signs and symptoms of it. Also, study about its preventive measures and cures. Choose trek itineraries having proper acclimatization schedule.
We recommend drinking plenty of water during high altitude treks. Make sure that the water you drink is safe to drink. Avoid drinking water from rivers, taps, or streams directly. Use water purifiers (tablets or liquids).
Bottled waters are best, if available. Don’t lament on spending money on buying drinking waters. Polluted drinking waters can cause diarrhoeal illnesses on the trek.
For high altitude treks, we always recommend group treks or trek with an experienced guide. Don’t take the Himalayas lightly! They are mysteriously difficult.
With proper planning and a strong mindset, High altitude treks in Nepal are absolutely safe.
Nepal After Earthquake: Is it Safe to Visit?
The Gorkha Earthquake, 2015 destroyed lots of historic monuments and killed many lives in Nepal. Lots of ancient buildings, statues, and temples collapsed during the earthquake.
During the earthquake, few trekking destinations like Langtang and Manaslu region suffered landslides and avalanches. These harshly affected trekking spots are now completely restored with the availability of safe trekking trails with a comfortable place for food and accommodations. With the re-building of almost every trekking infrastructures, trekking in Nepal is safe now after the Gorkha Earthquake.
So, are all tourist destinations in Nepal unsafe to visit after the earthquake? The answer is a big “No”. Nepal is still one of the safest travel destinations in the world.
Only 14 out of 75 districts got affected by the earthquake. Rest of places in Nepal are absolutely safe to visit. Even the places where the earthquake hit badly are reviving.
The famous trekking regions in Nepal including Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Dolpo, Kanchenjunga, and Rara remained unaffected by the earthquake. These places are absolutely safe to visit.
Government is reconstructing all the destroyed and affected cultural monuments in the country. Visiting those sites are safe too.
The wildlife activities in Chitwan National Park and a visit to Lumbini are still wonderful experiences for visitors.
Above all, Nepalese are still the most cheerful and hospitable. Their friendly nature and energy to serve the guests are still the same as of before.
You might still be curious about the infrastructures. Are they safe to accommodate on? Nepal Government has made enough evaluations on its infrastructures.
After evaluating, the government banned unsafe hotels. Only the safe ones are operating now. Furthermore, our airports and roadways are absolutely safe to travel on.
Tourists Police in Nepal
Tourist Police is a special unit of Nepal Police that works to ensure comfortable visit of tourists in Nepal. Also, they assure you a memorable, safe and hassle-free visit to Nepal. They work on solving any safety and security related issues involving tourists.
What does Tourist Police Do?
They look after the welfare of tourists. They advise and assist you during hiking, traveling, trekking, rafting, and hotel stay anywhere in Nepal.
They operate Tourist Police offices in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Sunauli. You can report about any safety-related or other issues that you are facing. You can register some complaints or police reports in case of theft or robbery.
Some Tips for Safe Visit in Nepal
- Use Authorized Tourist Bus. Local buses can be very uncomfortable with the risks of pickpocketers.
- Choose government authorized travel agency like us to travel/ trek with.
- Take care of your own belongings, anytime, anywhere. Don’t leave your luggage and accessories unattended at any places.
- Smoking Marijuana is illegal in Nepal. Keep a distance with narcotics while staying in Nepal.
- Do not get involved in any sorts of drug transactions.
- Immediately contact the tourist police or nearest police station in cases of theft and robbery.
- Use authorized guides and porters from travel agencies or hotels.
- Beware of the pickpockets, especially in crowded places or on public buses.
- Carry the certified copies of your passports and documents. Leave the originals in the safe deposit of your hotel.
For more details on your safety while you plan to travel to Nepal, do contact us. Or, you can even plan the tour with us as we ensure the secured tours in the hands of safe, reliable, experienced, and licensed guides.
