FAQs

Nepal is physically based in south East Asia & is a landlocked Himalayan country that lies between the Asian powers of China & India. Culturally diverse, Nepal’s different communities speak different languages based on their cultural identity. Kathmandu is the ancient capital of the country & is commonly known as the ‘city of cows & temples’, probably the most in the world. History lives in Kathmandu where medieval artistic beauty can be enjoyed very much. Nepal’s chilling mountains, some the highest in the world drops down to the teeming flatlands of the Indian plains. Flora & fauna are found in abundance as much as stupas & monasteries with some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth; along with this, some of the most challenging treks in the world happen in Nepal & nowhere else.

Nepal is physically based in south East Asia & is a landlocked Himalayan country that lies between the Asian powers of China & India. Culturally diverse, Nepal’s different communities speak different languages based on their cultural identity. Kathmandu is the ancient capital of the country & is commonly known as the ‘city of cows & temples’, probably the most in the world. History lives in Kathmandu where medieval artistic beauty can be enjoyed very much. Nepal’s chilling mountains, some the highest in the world drops down to the teeming flatlands of the Indian plains. Flora & fauna are found in abundance as much as stupas & monasteries with some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth; along with this, some of the most challenging treks in the world happen in Nepal & nowhere else.

This is wonderfully possible! Nepal visas are conveniently available up on arrival in all entry points. To make the process easier visitors can download & complete the application forms by having the correct USD in cash and two passport photographs.
The cost for visas are as mentioned below:

Nepal’s democracy is in its infancy stage where every single thing is politicalised in Nepal. There are many active political parties, ideas, ideologies and leaders that lack useful visions for taking the county forward. It’s because of this that disturbances may sometimes occur in different parts of the country. But it does not and will not affect the daily life of the residents in the other parts. Life moves on as usual, & tourism flourishes no matter what.

Nepal can accessed by only two routes:

By Air: Some of the major international airlines operating schedule services to Nepal are Royal Nepal Airlines, British Airways, Biman Bangladesh, China South West Airlines, Druk Air, Gulf Air, India Air, Thai Airways, Qatar, Pakistan Air, Jet Air and Singapore Airlines. By air, you will arrive at the Tribhuvan International Airport (only one international airport) located in the heart of Kathmandu City.

By Road: There are several entry points by surface which are mainly from the Nepal / Indian borders; they are:

• Kakarvita
• Birgunj
• Bhairahawa
• Nepalgunj
• Dhangadhi
• Mahendranagar

Public as well as tourist buses operate to and from Kathmandu. Traveling by bus is recommended if you can cope with 10 to 12 hours of long, but scenic drives in return for a fantastic mountainous views and roads that have to be used at a snail’s pace because they meet above the clouds.

Yes and our facilities are very punctual. Our guests who have booked any of our any packages will have vehicles on standby at the airport to pick them up. We can be identified by our display boards which are shown distinctly at the airport. We don’t charge any extra money for this.

Lodge treks are found on all the main trekking trails in Nepal & are basically small. Most of these teahouses provide basic facilities & are set up to provide warmth to trekker’s needs on the trails. If you’re on a lodge trek, this is where you’ll be sleeping, eating and relaxing. They’re simple, and clean always. Simple wooden or sand stone rooms with two beds and shared bathrooms are the general ways they are operated hereabouts. Dinner and breakfast will be given in the lodge where you stay overnight, but lunch is usually served somewhere along the trail.

Hiking each day amounts to 3-7 hours of trekking at different altitudes that cover 8-10 km daily during the trek period only. However, above 3500m, the time is generally the same but you’ll only cover 7-10 km. however, all our itineraries are well planned & flexible and can be altered by weather, geographical and physical condition of the individual participant.

Our guides are Nepalese who speak reasonably good English & most of them were born on these mountains. We can also provide guides who speak French, Spanish, Japanese, German or Italian, as per your needs. Our guides are carefully selected according to their experience, skills & aptitude. Since we believe in hiring local, Family Adventure Treks & Expeditions {FATE} only employs staffs from the different groups of Nepal’s diverse ethnic community; including Sherpas, Gurung, Magar, Rai and Brahmin who have adequate knowledge about the culture, ecosystem, flora, fauna, geography, and history of Nepal. Moreover, our guides must go through a special training program that includes Intensive Wilderness First Aid, , Eco Trekking Workshops & Rock climbing, Ice Climbing and Mountaineering etc, all of our guides are government licensed guides who know their jobs.

Predicting Himalayan weather is always a difficult proposition. At night it is generally colder but the days are warm. Winter (January and February) will be bit colder but the days can be quite beautiful and warm if the sun is out. There will be bit of snow during the month of January, February and December. It is also important to make sure that you can stay warm and dry in just about any conditions when hiking above 3000m. Expect the unexpected! But enjoy your trip by coming prepared.

Due to compulsions from areas such as: Tibet, Mustang, Dolpo, Manaslu and Kanchenjunga – we run trips for any number of people, even just one. However, we prefer to keep our groups to a maximum of twelve people, as we’ve experienced this to be the optimum size for a successful trip. However if you’d like to make a group booking for more than twelve people it can easily be arranged.

We can take care of all your domestic flights, hotel bookings and other services. However, we suggest you arrange international flights from your home country, but we can provide assistance in confirming your tickets when you arrive.

Insurance is not available here for tourists. It is really important before any of our trips that you be protected against comprehensive expenses that may incur due to medical issues or accidents (to include air ambulance, helicopter rescue, and treatment costs). Please be noted that we don’t arrange or sell insurance. Your trip is more enjoyed with good travel insurance. In the event of any sickness or injury, the cost of emergency treatment and evacuation is pretty high. Therefore, travel insurance is strongly recommended for everyone who signs up FATE. We strongly advise that you be careful while choosing a policy as some insurances has exceptions for adventure travel. Before buying insurance make sure your insurance company is aware of the FATE adventure itinerary that you are going to undertake and is agreeable to cover all activities being undertaken in the trip. Such as if you are planning trekking or climbing/expedition in Himalayas your insurance must cover emergency air ambulance/helicopter rescue including medical expenses. For a group tours in urban areas, your insurance coverage of ambulance or helicopter rescue is not mandatory, however its better to have them too. You need to send us your copy of your insurance policy (e.g. your insurance certificate) or carry it with you while you come on the trip.

Nepal is absolutely safe for any female traveler. First & foremost, Nepal is considered to be a zone of peace & one of the most peaceful countries in the world (its probably safer here than your home-country). Secondly, while you’re on one of our trips, we take personal responsibility for your well-being, a surety we commit ourselves to very seriously.

A wilderness hike goes off the beaten path into more isolated territory, going into areas with no teahouses or lodges. While often highly rewarding, such treks are much more demanding logistically, as camping and food preparation cannot be outsourced. For a wilderness trek you must hire guides, Sherpas, trained cooks, kitchen staff and porters. We operate wilderness treks in many beautiful regions; visit our Wilderness page for more information.

Going through our trekking itineraries will tell you we go the mile above the timberline, we do expedition climbs up to the summit of 7000m, both from Nepal and Tibet side. If you’re new to climbing in the Himalayas, we can offer advice on a peak, or if you have a particular one in mind we can make it happen. For more have a look at our climbing and expedition page.

We provide sleeping bags, down jackets for the Lodge to Lodge trek (Teahouse) and tents, mattresses, kitchen equipment (all of the highest quality) during the Camping Treks. However, trekking shoes, personal equipment and climbing equipment is up to you. See our equipment list or email us for a specific list.

The best season for visitors heading to Nepal is autumn (mid September-November) & spring {March to June}. The weather is highly pleasant & so are the mountain views. While spring season (March-May) is also considered a good season, the temperature is mildly warm in the lowlands while moderate at higher altitudes with plenty of opportunities to revel in the mountain views. It is also the time for flowers to blossom and the national flower of Nepal – rhododendron sweeps the ascending altitudes with its magnanimous color and beauty. Winter season (January-February) is also recommended for tours, safari and low altitudes trek below 4000m. But for some areas of Nepal, Tibet and India, summer season (June- August) are the best months because these areas are ‘rain shadows’ and monsoon is much lighter here.

Nepal has it all, even if you are a greenhorn or a veteran hiker, there’s something for anyone with a love for adventure. This is just the place for you to wet your footfalls. We are experienced in determining what’s most suitable for you according to your choices & how far you would want to go…no matter what level of trek you choose, you will enjoy the journey of your life on Nepal’s mountains…see you soon!

Since we run a company that’s linked to tourism, we are obligated to keeping the environment clean, at any cost, no matter what. We are very serious about our environmental obligations & ensure that firewood is never used to cook food. In partnership with the Kathmandu Educational Environment Project (KEEP), we have contributed to a number of successful clean-up campaigns and awareness programs; its true that tourism is taking a toll on natural green landscapes, we believe that all should committed to being a part of the solution for preserving Nepal’s natural beauty.

Exploitation is rampant in Nepal’s tourism infrastructure & this is a bad spot that one has to note; workers from almost every part of Nepal’s various industries are under paid & overworked, this is a very serious issue that has affected the reputation of this Himalayan country. However, at FATE, we ensure the rights of our employees, especially our guides, porters & cooks who spend a lot of their time in some very harsh conditions. We provide all our staff with good salaries, insurance, proper equipment, training and medical treatment if & when needed. Also we work in tandem with the International Porters Protection Group (IPPG).