Frequently Asked Questions
The thought of traveling can be a daunting experience for many, without ever leaving your own home. Where to go, am I fit enough to do the hike, who will the other hikers be? These are serious questions demanding prompt, accurate answers.
At Alpine Interface, let us be the interface between the idea of your journey of a lifetime and the reality. Our toll-free number, 1-800-368-5056, is your direct link to us. Call us and we should be able to answer all of your questions regarding one of our destinations. We also endeavor to answer all of your emails as quickly as possible, meaning straight away if during business hours.
Below you will find questions most asked by our guests. Our answers are honest and try to shed light on what an Alpine Interface journey is like.
- How will I get to the start of my AI trip?
- How do I obtain a visa for Nepal, and how much does it cost?
- How much cash do I need for the trip, how much do I have to calculate for tips?
- Can I change dollars/euros and where, are there ATM's and where?
- Will we be able to stay in contact with people at home, by email/phone?
Can people reach us on the trail in case of emergencies at home? - Should women wear skirts, is it generally okay to wear shorts/show your legs?
- Do we need a sleeping pad whilst on the trek, or is something provided?
- Can we leave clothing/items behind in Kathmandu/Pokhara whilst trekking? Is it safe to leave things behind?
- I read about burning toilet paper while on the trail, should I bring a lighter? Do I have to bring a small trowel?
- I have read various things about gifts for people - please advise
- Water issue: Do we receive boiled water each day before we start hiking?
- Do the teahouses have (hot) showers? What about in Kathmandu or Pokhara, or during a camping trip?
- Will there be outlets to charge batteries, can you recommend the type of adapter?
- Is It OK to eat meat, or should we stick with rice and lentils to avoid GI upset?
- Can we wash clothes while on the trek, if yes, how?
- Are the trails dangerous? What about the suspension bridges?
- What are the chances of snow/avalanches at our elevation during our trek?
- I read customs limits people to one camera and 15 rolls of film, is this true?
- Will there be any holiday celebrations while we are there, will we have a chance to observe any of their holiday customs?
1. How will I get to the start of my AI trip?
All guests will be met at Kathmandu Tribhuvan airport, then transferred to our hotel. In the event that you choose not to meet at a designated meeting point, we will give you the most up-to-date information on how to get to the start of your trip.
2. How do I obtain a visa for Nepal, and how much does it cost?
Tourist visas can be obtained directly at the airport. The best and fastest is to download the visa form over the internet (http://www.treks.com.np/visa/).
You should fill in the form and prepare to pay $35 dollars US for a single entry visa and make sure that you have 2 passport photographs.
Once you leave the plane, you will be directed to Immigration. Join the queue and then hand over the form and passport and monies. You then have to queue again as the visa is placed in the passport and your passport is returned. If you fill in the form ahead of time, you should not have to spend too much time waiting.
Clear Immigration and then collect your luggage. Do not take a taxi as one of our agents will meet you just as you leave the terminal.
3. How much cash do I need for the trip, how much do I have to calculate for tips?
Alpine Interface trips tend to be all-inclusive except for drinks, laundry, insurance etc. You therefore do not really need to bring too much cash with you to Nepal. That said, there are many beautiful souvenirs to buy.
In most shops, credit cards are accepted but a 3-7% commission is added. Sometimes it's better to pay with cash.
It is best to carry US dollars or Euros in good condition. Generally, smaller denomination notes are easier to change on the trail but the exchange rate will not be as good as in Kathmandu.
It is better to only bring Nepali Ruppees on the trek itself, so please change foreign currency in Kathmandu or Pokhara before we are heading out.
For a 20 day-trek, you should carry about $500. You will most likely be spending $25 per day on drinks and other items. Back in Kathmandu, you can change money or use the ATM machines, which are located around the main tourist centers.
Tipping policy:
Porters tend to carry two duffles each.
A normal tip amount would be roughly $50 per porter so you would be tipping $25 per person. The Sherpas get roughly double that amount. So you could tip the Sherpas something like $60-$100 per person. What we normally do is collect all the money and then distribute it equally amongst the team.
4. Can I change dollars/euros and where, are there ATMs, and where?
Dollars may be changed in many places in Kathmandu and on the trails. The exchange rate will depend on where you go. Banks offer a substantially lower rate. Black market exchanges give a better rate. There are many booths around the city where you can change money. Be careful when changing money. Keep an eye on your things at all times.
ATMs can be found in the main tourist areas in Kathmandu and Pokhara, and one can also use a credit card in the bank to get Nepali rupees.
5. Will we be able to stay in contact with people at home, by email/phone?
Can people reach us on the trail in case of emergencies at home?
Internet 'cafes' are abundant in Kahtmandu and Pokhara, and you should be able to send/receive emails in some other villages such as Namch Bazaar on the Everest Base Camp trek, or Marpha, Manang, Jomoson on the Annapurna Circuit. Any web based email address is okay to use, hotmail, yahoo, or AOL, as long as you can access your email account from the AOL website, meaning you have an userid as well as password to access.
If this is not set up as of yet, you would have to do this before you leave home.
The same goes for calling home, you can call from anywhere where they have internet, since the Nepali use mostly 'Skype' or similar for international phone calls.
Before you are leaving for your trip, we will send you a list with hotels/phone numbers where people can reach you in case of an emergency. While on the trail, we will be using a satellite phone, and we will give you the number as well.
However, this number is ONLY to be used when there really is an emergency, not for calling people on a regular basis.
6: Should women wear skirts? Is it generally okay to wear shorts/show your legs?
In Nepali culture, women do not show their legs unless they are working in the fields.
They can show their navel, belly, even bare breasts (many women wash themselves at the fountains along the roads), but not the legs. This is valid also for men.
You will see Nepali men in shorts, however, this is mainly for working in the fields etc., and not a normal outfit Nepali men wear regularly.
On the trails, most people from surrounding villages, the porters and guides are used to seeing women in shorts, however, it would be a nice touch not to show your legs off too often.
If you are comfortable trekking in a long skirt, please do, at least some of the days...however, a longer skirt is normally rather a hindrance if you try to see the trail in front of you. Light-weight, long trekking pants are perfectly fine.
Temples and monasteries should never be entered wearing shorts, this is a rule even for men, if possible.
7. Do we need a sleeping pad whilst on the trek, or is something provided?
You don't need sleeping pads. During the days you will be camping or if you are on a camping trip, sleeping pads will be provided. If it is a camping trip, sleeping bags will be provided as well.
8. Can we leave clothing/items behind in Kathmandu/Pokhara whilst on the trek? Is it safe?
Some guests like the idea of leaving some fresh 'city clothes' either in Kathmandu or Pokhara, so upon their return, they have something clean and 'neat' to wear.
Some also leave some rolls of films behind, some shoes they don't need while on the trek, souvenirs already purchased, etc.
Things left behind will be stored either in the hotel in Kathmandu or Pokhara, we never had any theft. You can lock your belongings with a small lock.
In Kathmandu, we normally leave passports and flight tickets behind with Chhuldim, our local contact, and he will keep it in his office. We make copies of passports and necessary documents, which we will bring on the trek. Chhuldim will also confirm your flights back for you while we are still enjoying ourselves hiking. Your things will be as safe as they possibly can be.
9. I read about burning toilet paper while on the trail, should I bring a lighter? Should I bring a little trowel as well?
Burning toilet paper is definitely an option, which should be used anywhere where you can't get to a toilet anymore.
If you have to go while on the trail, any toilet paper should be either burned or carried out.
This should be, by the way, the standard for any hike/trek anywhere in the world, be it the Alps, the Himalaya, or in the US National Parks.
You don't need to bring a trowel, a lighter is good enough. Feces should be slightly buried or covered with rocks.
10. I have read various things about gifts for people, please advise
People, especially kids, do like gifts.
You will encounter many kids asking your for 'school pens', 'bonbons' or even money.
Giving them money is not such a good idea, however, if you want to take a bag of pens with you, they will be gone after a few days.
Don't overdo it, but give generously if you feel like it.
11.Water issue: Do we receive boiled water each day before we start hiking?
There is bottled water along the trail you can buy.
However, we tend to drink as much tea as possible, since the plastic bottles cause an environmental problem.
Most of them don't get carried out, and sometimes you can see huge piles of plastic bottles (water and soda) behind the lodges.
Wherever we go, there is water on the boil, either for black tea, lemon tea, mint, cinnamon or ginger, lots of varieties, and very delicious.
To buy some bottled water once in a while is okay, too.
12. Do the teahouses have (hot) showers? What about in Kathmandu or Pokhara, or during a camping trip?
The tea houses do have showers, however, the water tends to be tepid sometimes.
Most of the showers are solar showers, meaning you need sun to get the water to warm up, the lucky ones who get to shower first have the biggest chances of getting a decent warm shower. Early morning showers tend to be fairly cold, so having a shower fairly close after arrival at the lodge gives you the best chance of having a warm one.
Showers in Kathmandu and Pokhara are hot, no problems there. (normally)
During a camping trip, we will carry a 'shower tent', which will enable you to have a shower, maybe not every day, but often enough.
13. Will there be outlets to charge batteries, can you recommend the type of adapter?
Charging batteries while on the trek could be difficult. However, it won't be a problem in Kathmandu or Pokhara. On the trail, you might be able to find a plug, but not 100% sure.
One big issue will be the surges in power. Most places on the trek will be using generators or possibly solar systems. I t is best to have a good supply of batteries for your camera or a battery kit which you can wear on colder days, if you would like to invest the money.
14. Is It OK to eat meat, or should we stick with rice and lentils to avoid GI upset?
Meat is generally eaten up to a certain altitude. Above a certain height, meat is not necessarily that fresh and should be avoided. In Kathmandu and Pokhra, meat is generally OK. We certainly only take our groups to where the food is safe. In general, the busier the place, the greater the turnover. On the trail, chicken is often an option in most places. You will understand why being a vegetarian is so popular.
15. Can we wash clothes while on the trek, if yes, how?
In Kathmandu and Pokhara, you will be able to get them washed by the hotel (laundry service). On the trail, you wash your clothes by hand, with a brush and some soap. You can generally purchase soup and a brush in Kathmandu. They are very inexpensive. You may want to bring some biodegradable soap from home as the soaps sold in Nepal are not the friendliest when it comes to the environment.
16. Are the trails dangerous? What about the suspension bridges?
In general, the bridges in Nepal are safe.
They carry the weight of many mule and yak trains and therefore are relatively sturdy. Many have been engineered and built by Swiss or European companies.
There are several rules to follow though.
Avoid entering the bridge when a caravan approaches. You may end up injured as the animals pass. Secondly, when trekking, avoid being on the outside of the trail when mule or yak caravans pass. Trekkers have been killed and injured by being pushed off the trail. When hiking in Nepal, please stop and admire the views. Do not walk and look at the same time. Trekkers have died needlessly by simply walking off the trail.
17. What are the chances of snow/avalanches at our elevation during our trek?
Depending upon where exactly we are hiking, snow is a possibility.
During the autumn trekking season, the Khumbu may see some snowfall at higher elevations. It is not uncommon to trek in 30 centimeters of snow at the top of the passes.
Avalanches have been known to strike trekkers in Nepal. There are a few areas, which are particularly dangerous. We tend to avoid these areas after heavy snowfall.
18. I read customs limits people to one camera and 15 rolls of film, is this true?
In general, there are no checks as you enter Nepal and we have never heard of these restrictions being enforced. There are some restrictions as to film cameras in certain temples where an additional charged is levied to use movie cameras.
19. Will there be any holiday celebrations while we are there, will we have a chance to observe any of their holiday customs?
We try and do our best to schedule trips during festivals and major religious events. These may not always coincide with the most reliable weather for trekking. The priority is to combine good walking with cultural events whenever possible.
For some more information on Nepali festivals, please click here.
