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Nepal serves as the perfect doorway to surrounding destinations. The natural protection offered by the Himalayas means road access points to Tibet, Bhutan and into India, particularly Sikkim and Darjeeling, are limited.
Normal Visa fees: US$26 per person.
Clients traveling to Tibet should arrive in Kathmandu at least 4 days prior to departure to Tibet to process a Tibet Visa with Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu (Ph: 419053 visa section). A visa to travel through China is not applicable to Tibet.
The Chinese Embassy is open for visa applications from 9 AM to 11 AM every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you want to obtain the visa in a single day, the embassy will charge another US$ 17.00. Visa rules have been revised as of September 2001..
Note: The Chinese Government will not give out visas to single people, only groups of 5 people or more. The Chinese government encourages (strongly) travelers to enter the country in groups. Individuals have been know to 'walk' across the border, but this practice is not recommended.
Tourist Season: from April to October. Nepal's low season is during the monsoon, from June to August. This is the perfect time to head up to Tibet.
Weather: Tibet is not as cold as it sounds. During tourist season it is cold in night and warm and sunny at day. The temperature falls dramatically in shade and at night.
High Altitude Sickness: This could happen to any guest in high altitude. Headache, nausea, vomiting and short breath are the common symptoms. To avoid the effects of altitude, take Diamox (or and equivalent drug) everyday (many locals in Nepal advise eating fresh garlic). Drink water frequently. Take high calorie protein food.
What to Bring : Summer cloths for the daytime and winter cloths for the evening. Snuggles, Sun cream, Sunhat, Rainy coat, vitamins and proteins food are advisable to bring with. Small tit bits for long drive will be helpful.
How to Get to Tibet from Nepal: Flying to and from Tibet is popular among travelers on a short schedule. A spectacular view of the mountains is almost guaranteed.
Driving to Tibet overland and flying out of Tibet, however, is possibly the most popular option to see the dramatic changes in geography from Kathmandu Valley, over the Himalayas and onto the Tibetan plateau. Driving into Tibet offers the added benefit of more time to acclimatize to high altitude.
More Information? for travel to Nepal or Destinations around Nepal? Please Check Out the Trekking In Tibet Link.
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Application for a Bhutan visa can be processs by a travel/tour agent through the Tourism Authority of Bhutan. Once the visa has been processed you will be sent a visa number (automatically forwarded to all Bhutan's National Air Carrier: Druk Air). Without a visa number, you may be denied boarding Druk Air's planes. A visa is then granted on arrival at Paro Airport for a total of US $30 (with US $10 tax, subject to revision by the Bhutanese government) for 14 days. You can apply for a visa extension for an additional fee.
In order to get a visa for Bhutan, you need to forward your passport details 4 weeks in advance to a local agent. Supply Name (exactly as it appears on your passport), Passport Number, Date of issue, Validity, Occupation, Nationality, Date of Birth and Home Address.
Note: Bhutan's National Tourism organization has embarked on a protection campaign to preserve Bhutan's as the Forbidden Kingdom of lore. The unofficial word is that yearly tourist numbers are limited to 6,000. Agents serving Bhutan are required to qualify tourists by charging a minimum of $200.00 per day for services offered.
Tourist Season: From March through November
December and February are very cold and itineraries change because of road blocks, due heavy snow, on the way to some parts of Bhutan.
How to enter Bhutan from Nepal: There are two flights a week between Kathmandu and Paro sector on every Monday and Thursday by Druk Air. The fare is US $190 per person for one way, US $380 return. The fare and schedule are subject to change by Druk Air, Bhutan's National Airline.
You can also enter Bhutan by road. From Kathmandu, take a day/night coach to Kakarvitta in about 14 hrs, ugh! Or... fly from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur/Biratnagar (far east Nepal) and drive to Phunsoling at the Bhutan/India Border in approximately 5 to 6 hrs. The next day, you'll drive to Bhutan's capital city, Thimphu, in about 6 hrs.
An Indian Visa will have to obtained from an Indian Embassy. While applying for your Indian Visa, ask for Sikkim Inner Line Permit, to be endorsed in the Indian Visa. Without a Sikkim Inner Line Permit, you are not allowed to enter Sikkim at all. The permit is initially for a period of 15 days and then can be extended for a further 30 days.
Tourist Season: From January to December.
How to get from Nepal to Sikkim: You can enter Sikkim by road. From Kathmandu, take a day/night coach to Kakarvitta in about 14 hrs, ugh! Or... fly from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur/Biratnagar (far east Nepal) and drive to Gangtok or Darjeeling in about 7 hrs.
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