Hey,
Has anyone travelled in Nepal in the past few months without a tour? I'm wondering about the safety of backpacking through Nepal, and if it should be avoided completely. Has anyone been across the Chinese border between Nepal and Tibet? Is entrance on permission fairly likely without a tour? Thanks for any replys.
Kelsey
travelling in Nepal & Tibet
Re: travelling in Nepal & Tibet
hi kelsey,
hahaha thought this was a funny way of keeping in touch. ok, i have this nepalese friend from france and i just send him a mail so hopefully he will be able to tell us about safety, etc. plus i have now talked to several people who have recently been travelling in that area and none have had problems!
cheers,
jessie
Re: travelling in Nepal & Tibet
good to hear that nepal may be safer than it sounds. how about backpacking w/o a tour? i'm psyched!
Re: travelling in Nepal & Tibet
I was last in Nepal in May and will be going again in 2 weeks also I correspond regularly with a Nepali friend so I can confidently say that Nepal is both reasonably safe and a wonderful place to visit. Safety issues are really mainly to do with the weather at the moment landslides and flooding caused by the monsoon rains cause problems with road travel (which can be quite exciting at the best of times) internal flights, more expensive but also much safer, are however regularly delayed or cancelled due to the weather. The rains should be over soon and by October the weather should be OK. Take local advice on where is safe to go in relation to the Maoist problem there are some areas in which the risk of being caught in the cross fire of this conflict could be a problem but do not worry unduly they do not target tourists. Trekking alone is not a great idea particularly for women or for anyone at higher altitudes (over 3500m) if you have the time to look around then it is easy to either find a companion, hire a guide or join a trekking group locally. This can be arranged in Kathmandu or Pokhara go for a reputable agency and you should have a great experience. Havent tried getting into Tibet but I do know that the roads are poor and I believe a permit is required good luck and enjoy Nepal.
Re: travelling in Nepal & Tibet
Seems my karma is a little off there has been a major bus crash and a plane crash today. Condolences to all who have lost family and friends.
Nepal is more dangerous during the June- Sept monsoon season but please dont avoid it at other times. They need your support and it really is a wonderful place believe me I have visited 52 countries (mostly in the "3rd world") and its my personal favourite.