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4. Arrival
When your flight
lands, the world and his dog will be fighting to get
through customs as quickly as possible and it might take
you several hours if you’re not prepared.
4.1 Entry Visa
Get it before you go if at all
possible. The Nepali embassy is in London, visa
applications by post usually take 3-4 weeks, or maybe you
could find someone in London to go in person for you, in
return for a bit of baksheesh. At Kathmandu
Airport you can get a visa-on-entry but it will
cost you US$25 cash, and everyone else will be queuing
for one too. A similar process operates at the
Indian border.
4.2 X-Rays
If you come by air, your hand and
hold-baggage will be X-rayed on arrival. Don’t let
your camera films go through the machine, they’ll
get fried. This also applies to Delhi
Airport. Better to buy the films in Kathmandu.
4.3 Cash
If you do decide to get an entry visa
at the airport, you will need about US$25 in cash.
If so then take some with you, don’t try to get some
at the airport exchange desk, you’ll have to queue
for ages and you’ll get ripped off into the
bargain. For Nepali currency, there is another
exchange desk after passport control: in 1998 this had
the best exchange rate in the country.
4.4 Getting into
Kathmandu
Outside the airport will be the
biggest horde of hotel-touts you’re ever likely to
see. You should be able to persuade one to give you
a free ride into Kathmandu: ask to be taken to one
of the cheap hotels in Thamel (see section 5.1).
Don’t be brow-beaten into staying there if you
don’t like the place, as there are hundreds more
hotels… (be prepared for the first of many arguments
with irate taxi drivers, however, as you make a swift
exit into Thamel with your boat on your shoulder.
If the taxi-dude gets too nasty, mention those magic
words "tourist police" and he will back off, as
being deprived of his commission from a shonky hotel
owner is far preferable to having his feet whipped by the
police in Kathmandu jail).
If you’re not
congenitally tight-arsed, you could actually pay the taxi
or autorickshaw fare. Pay no more than US$4-5 for
the ride: the government run taxis from the airport
are probably the best bet, they are regulated and
easy. Alternatively, you could try faxing one
of your contacts in Kathmandu (see section 11) before you
go and arrange for someone to meet you at the airport.
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1. Disclaimer 2. Guidebooks
3.
Flying with your kayak
4.
Arrival
5.
Staying in Kathmandu
6.
Hey, friend, youwanna changemoney?
7.
Food & drink
8.
Health
9.
Bureaucracy
10.
Post, Phone & email
11.
Getting "work" boating
12.
Some Rivers
13.
Getting around
14.
Stuff to do when you’re not on the river
15.
Things you will need…
16.
Photography
17.
Psst! Hashhash? marijuana?
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