Nepal - Back on Top of the World

Let's get around

The average bus speed in the highlands is just 25 to 30 kilometers per hour, and on isolated, dirt roads it can be half that. This is taking into account terrible roads, overloaded buses, tea, and meal breaks, the frequent picking up and dropping off of people, and the occasional flat tire or worse. In an express bus, it's more like 50 km/h along the Terai's Mahendra Highway.

Almost every road-head in Nepal is being extended, frequently at the initiative of the locals, via a dirt track that is slogging its way farther into the countryside. You can count on finding a gaadi (an all-purpose word for a vehicle) to drive you farther when the bus reaches the end of the road. This will frequently be a Tata Sumo or other similarly extended 4WD; on the hardest routes, tractor transport may also be present. Another choice is to take a truck, many of which also transport passengers on occasion. Trucks lack a passenger vehicle license and care little about the safety of their passengers; be sure to watch your luggage as well. Women who are traveling by truck will generally prefer to go together. If you're truly stranded, you might try hitching, but there are obvious risks involved.

Traveling by vehicle, 4WD, or motorbike will allow you to stop anytime you want and will be faster and more comfortable than taking a bus. You can also go places you'd never go otherwise. In Nepal, rental cars are always provided with a driver, but if you rent a motorcycle or bring your own car (be sure to bring an international driving license for both), you'll find that driving is occasionally thrilling, occasionally terrifying, and always difficult. Always drive defensively.

Traffic rules are not strictly adhered to, and drivers are continually jockeying for position. Because priority is given to vehicles entering the intersection rather than those already using the roundabout, confusion can arise (for visitors). Use your horn often to warn other drivers and pedestrians that you are there, when rounding abrupt turns, and when overtaking. Most cars that you want to pass will ask you to wait for their signal before doing so, which is typically a hand wave or, confusingly, a right-turning indicator. On the highways, which are rarely devoid of hidden risks, be careful of your speed. Additionally, keep an eye out for those cows because killing one carries the same punishment as killing a person: up to twelve years in prison.

The only places with taxis are Kathmandu and Pokhara. Despite the fact that they have meters, you will almost always need to haggle the fare. Fixed-route tempos are three-wheeled vehicles that move when they are full and halt at certain locations; they are noisy and most of them emit noxious emissions, with the exception of Kathmandu's white electric safa ("clean") tempos. Cycle rikshaws are slow and bumpy but useful for short distances; agree on a fare before beginning. They are currently uncommon outside the Terai. Although they are frequently too crowded, slow, or infrequent to be useful, city buses, minibusses, and microbuses (white Toyota people carriers) can be useful in the Kathmandu Valley.

Some highlights in Nepal

How long do flights to Nepal take?