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Full
country name:
Kingdom of Nepal
Area: 147,181 sq
km
Population: 23 million
Capital city: Kathmandu
(pop 700,000)
People: Various
ethnic groups, including the Bhotiya (which include
the Sherpa), Khas, Kirati, Magar, Newari, Tharu, Tamong
and Tibetans
Language: Nepali
(also called Gurkhali)
Religion: 90% Hindu,
5% Buddhist, 3% Muslim
Government: Democracy
Prime Minister:
Girija Prasad Koiralacd
PEOPLE & RELIGION
Nepalese people are mainly divided into two distinct
groups the  Indo-Aryans
and the Mongoloids. Kathmandu Valley is the spiritual
and cultural meeting point of all these groups. Nepal
is the only Hindu Kingdom in the world. Hindu Temples
and Buddhist shrines are scattered all over the kingdom.
Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the Light of
Asia. There is a complex blending of Hinduism and Buddhism
in Nepal.
WHAT
TO WEAR
Except in formal gathering informal clothes are acceptable
mostly everywhere. Warm garments are required in October-March.
An umbrella or a rain coat are must for the rainy season.
FACILITIES
Nepal has every type of accommodation facilities that
a tourist might ask for. This ranges from the international
standard star hotels to budget hotels and lodges. Similarly
one can also have a choice of sightseeing from a range
of different tour packages. In order to have an assured
quality service it is advisable to use the facilities
and services of government registered hotels, lodges,
travel agencies the licensed tour guides only and engage
an authorized guide or porter only through a registered
travel/trekking agency.
SHOPPING
 Kathmandu
is a treasure trove for the shopper. Traders appear
wherever tourists stray and merchants wait on temple
steps. Wares are spread on every pavement but watch
out for the junk, fake antiques and souvenir Khukris.
Peer into shops, take your pick or take your leave;
try the next boutique or the next stall. There are good
buys amongst the bewildering and dazzling array.
NEPALI
FOOD
Nepal's food is surprisingly dull given that it lies
at the intersection of the two great gastronomic giants
India and China. Most of the time meals consist of a
dish called dhal bhat tarkari which is a combination
of lentil soup, rice and curried vegetables - hardly
the makings of a dynamic national cuisine. On the other
hand, Nepal has adapted famously to Western tastes,
markedly evident in Kathmandu's smorgasbord of menus:
Mexican tacos; Japanese sukiyaki; Thai chocolate; Chinese
marshmallows; onion and minestrone soup; borscht, quiche
and soyburgers; and some of the best desserts - apple
and lemon pies, almond layer cakes, fruit cakes - found
anywhere in the world. To wash any (or all) of these
offerings down, try a lassi (a refreshing mixture of
curd and water), the locally produced beer or chang,
a Himalayan home brew made from barley.
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