[sachinayak]

Originally Posted by A M

Just a small correction, you do not need your Passport even if you're flying in, a Voter ID enables you to enter Nepal. Adhar card is not accepted though.

Thanks for the correction.

Many websites mentioned that passport would be mandatory, so didn't take any chances. But the official website is clear on this
https://www.indembkathmandu.gov.in/p...vel-documents/

[vijayols]

@sachinayak breathtaking photos especially the night sky shot on a mobile phone.

Thanks for the detailed description for someone looking to trek to Mardi Himal.Would love to do that sometime.

Had a plan this April to do the Khopra Ridge with Family but somehow got converted to an upcoming drive to Himachal instead.

Perhaps would do that for my annual Himalayan trek sometime later this year.

[codroy]

Fantastic writeup and fantastic pictures. They are print worthy, please print them and put on the wall.

[Samfromindia]

The pictures, especially the first collage came out amazing considering they are taken & edited on a phone Very informative article for those considering to visit Nepal for trekking. Keep up the good work !

[VijayAnand1]

Threads like this deserve a special place here, especially the ones titled solo solo. They're a relish and cherish forever and gives us the boost to explore the unexplored more. What a wonderful thread. Every picture is soul relish.

Keep it coming.

Cheers
VJ

[Sa!lor]

What a thread, just loved it and the pictures and this could not have come at any better time for me as I am travelling to Nepal tomorrow ( 25th March) from Mumbai.

I have a few questions if you can clear them for me.

1. How quick can I expect to clear immigration and go out of airport as I have domestic flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara on same day, flight from Mumbai lands at 11am and flight to pokhara is at 15.20pm.

2. Is International and domestic terminal different at Kathmandu airport?

3. Currency exchange anywhere inside Kathmandu airport is possible as I am also having only 500 rupee notes with me.

I guess as I will not be going out in Kathmandu city I will have to buy local sim from either airport or Pokhara.
I will be going from Pokhara to Chitwan via tourist bus and from Chitwan will be returning back to Kathmandu via tourist bus one day before my return flight and will cover Kathmandu that day.

Any idea about App from where I can book the tourists bus in Nepal.

Thanks in advance, your post came in very timely.

[sachinayak]

Originally Posted by Sa!lor

1. How quick can I expect to clear immigration and go out of airport as I have domestic flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara on same day, flight from Mumbai lands at 11am and flight to pokhara is at 15.20pm.

2. Is International and domestic terminal different at Kathmandu airport?

3. Currency exchange anywhere inside Kathmandu airport is possible as I am also having only 500 rupee notes with me.

I guess as I will not be going out in Kathmandu city I will have to buy local sim from either airport or Pokhara. .

Immigration had a separate line for Indian passport holders. Got done in 15 mins approx.

Domestic and international terminals are different but in the same complex. Would think it should be a10 min walk.

At airport, only 50 and 100 rupee Indian notes are officially valid for exchange. Most places in Pokhara should accept Indian currency though. Go to any store in the airport complex and they will do INR to NPR at 1.5x rate for any emergency cash.

You will indeed need to get a SIM card at the KTM airport or Pokhara. Is probably 200-300 NPR costlier, so not a big deal.

[Sa!lor]

Originally Posted by sachinayak

Immigration had a separate line for Indian passport holders. Got done in 15 mins approx.

Domestic and international terminals are different but in the same complex. Would think it should be a10 min walk.

At airport, only 50 and 100 rupee Indian notes are officially valid for exchange. Most places in Pokhara should accept Indian currency though. Go to any store in the airport complex and they will do INR to NPR at 1.5x rate for any emergency cash.

You will indeed need to get a SIM card at the KTM airport or Pokhara. Is probably 200-300 NPR costlier, so not a big deal.

Thank you for the above information it will be very useful for my trip and very inspired from your trekking expeditions as very few will think of putting themselves out of comfort zone at this age.

[sachinayak]

Posted a short video on YouTube, sharing the same

https://youtu.be/C0mnWssTFn0

[the_bat]

Nice pictures.
It brings back the memories of my solo trip to Nepal, which I did in Jan'23. While at Pokhara, I wish you had visited the Australian Base Camp. It's a 2-hour trek (with breaks) from Kande. I had an incredible experience trekking it with an Australian trekker accompanying me in the last 30 minutes. While the hike sure was tiring, the view from the top was worth it.

View from the base camp:




How could I miss the Dal-Bhat

[sachinayak]

Originally Posted by the_bat

While at Pokhara, I wish you had visited the Australian Base Camp. It's a 2-hour trek (with breaks) from Kande.

This was my original plan (most trek to Mardi Himal from Kande via Australian Camp) but I decided later to start from Dhampus instead, only to save time. My original plan was to fly Nepal Airlines which has a direct BLR-KTM-BLR flight and the ticket prices are relatively constant. So for a last minute purchase this was the only option. Unfortunately they only fly 3 times a week out of BLR, and my itinerary was planned around this restriction.

[the_bat]

Originally Posted by sachinayak

My original plan was to fly Nepal Airlines which has a direct BLR-KTM-BLR flight and the ticket prices are relatively constant. So for a last minute purchase this was the only option. Unfortunately they only fly 3 times a week out of BLR, and my itinerary was planned around this restriction.

Have seen their flights in poor condition with very bad reviews. Same with Himalayan Airlines. Hope you had a less awful experience .

Posting this for future tourists, there are AI and Indigo airlines from KTM serving the KTM-DEL-KTM and KTM-BOM-KTM leg daily.
My advice is while trying to save a few K, don't trade your peace of mind and adjust with a layover of 2-3 hours and have a nice comfortable journey

[sachinayak]

Originally Posted by the_bat

Have seen their flights in poor condition with very bad reviews. Same with Himalayan Airlines. Hope you had a less awful experience .

After the Yeti Airlines incident I decided to not take chances and flew Indigo via Delhi. The only reason I was considering Nepal Airlines is to keep my plan fluid. Booking a last minute fare on Indigo or Vistara can sometimes be prohibitively expensive.

[the_bat]

The Yeti Airlines incident has caused a severe impact on air travelers in Nepal.
Apparently everyone has shifted to booking buses for their journeys.

Crashes with a frequency of 2-3 per year were common with other airlines like Agni Air and Tara Air. But Yeti was familiar as the safest airline in Nepal, being the first choice for almost everyone. Having the same trust, even I booked the Yeti Airlines from KTM-PKR the day after the crash.
After hearing the news, I eventually canceled it (100% cancellation fee) and booked a taxi. It was a very tiring 10-hour journey, the condition of the roads making it more horrible.
I visited Pashupatinath Temple and an underrated temple named Budhanilakantha Temple, the house of Lord Vishnu, as the locals call it.

[sachinayak]

Originally Posted by the_bat

The Yeti Airlines incident has caused a severe impact on air travelers in Nepal. Apparently everyone has shifted to booking buses for their journeys.

Bus journeys in Nepal are equally dangerous. Road conditions in most areas are quite poor. I did some research on this and eventually booked my KTM-PKR flight on Buddha Air. Amongst all the airlines, they seemed to have the safest record (no fatal incidents if I recall correctly).

Off late, they seemed to have siezed this opportunity and are branding/marketing themselves as the safest airline in Nepal.