About admin

Hi! Welcome to Nepal-visitor.com. This site is dedicated to all the great tourist and volunteers who come to Nepal each year to help our country and support our economy through tourism. My husband and I own a local adventure company called Hardcore Nepal, one of many great companies that will help make your stay here memorable. This site came out of a need to give our guest in Nepal free information that will help them. Too many times I see people getting bad or misleading information that tarnishes the image of our great Himalayan nation. I hope this site will send you in the right direction...you might just stumble on shangi-la!
Website: http://www.hardcorenepal.com
admin has written 5 articles so far, you can find them below.


Bringing Donations Through Customs in Nepal

Filed under Nepal Culture and Life, Uncategorized by on September 15, 2011 at 6:01 pm {no comments}

New River Mtn Guides donate Climbing Shoes to Nepali Guides

Hardcore Nepal and New River Mtn Guides (USA) team up to help Nepali Climbers.

We were ecstatic to get a donation of over 60 pairs of climbing shoes and approach shoes from an awesome climbing company in USA called New River Mountain Guides. NRMG Owner, Elaina Arenz-Smith, gathered the slightly used demo shoes for us to use for training rock climbing and canyoning guides and developing the sport in Nepal. When we got the shoes together and prepared to pack for our return home, I realized 60 pairs of shoes might actually seem like a retail shipment and customs was sure to be suspicious.

So I started searching on the internet about customs at Tribuvhan airport, and the news was not great. Apparently many people have been charged a hefty tax on clothes, shoes and school supplies that they have gathered to help our country. Recently, some American school children donated lap tops to give to Nepali school children, and they were all confiscated at the airport.

I don’t want our shoes to get nicked, so I contacted the US Embassy in Kathmandu, and they directed me to this page http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_980.html#entry_requirements which is not very informative. Then I called our friend Endra Rai of the Himalayan River Guide Association of Nepal(HRGAN); seems the best bet for a donation is to get a letter from the place you will be donating to before you arrive at customs; and get a receipt for the value of the donation. There is another friend who is really helpful and knowledgable about customs, Ramesh Kunawar of Masto Outdoors. Ramesh deals with customs regularly because of his outfitter company in Kathmandu. Both of these guys are great sources of information. I encourage anyone who needs customs advice first hand to contact them; they are super friendly and happy to help:

Endra Rai, HRGAN – e-mail :
infohimalay@wlink.com.np
himalayanecstasy@gmail.com

Ramesh Kunawar, Masto Outdoors:
+977 1 4650253 Mobile: +977 9841 298 640
E-mail: ramesh_kunwar2000@yahoo.com

Nepal Misistry of Finance Customs Page: http://www.customs.gov.np/

Our Nepal… Real People, Real Fun, Real Nepal!

Filed under Nepal Culture and Life, Uncategorized, What to do in kathmandu by on September 13, 2011 at 6:10 pm {no comments}

We have collected lots of photos from our adventures at Hardcore Nepal and from family celebrations, rescue searches for tourists, scouting new canyoning areas in Nepal and just loving our life in our Himalayan nation. Check out our video, share our culture with us!

How to Bring Kayak to Nepal

Filed under Uncategorized by on September 11, 2011 at 2:48 pm {no comments}

In Nepal there is a general shortage of kayaks to buy (compared to other countries), which is strange considering the abundance of extreme white water in this country. So, we have to bring our own when traveling back home from out of the country.

If you want to bring a kayak to Nepal (or any sports equipment), check with the airline you are traveling with. Virgin Atlantic is particulary sports travel friendly. They allow one piece of sports equipment in addition to your luggage for free. Other airlines have similar rules for sports equipment allowance, but some still do not allow kayaks. So if you are coming to kayak our Himalayan whitewater, bring your own kayak and check the airlines regulations before you come.

PACK YOUR KAYAKPacking Kayak for Travel
Be sure to wrap your boat well, and secure your paddle and other gear inside the kayak. Again, you have to be careful of the weight limit, which is usually around 23kg. If you do not have a two piece paddle, wrap the blades and tape it securely to the side of your kayak before wrapping your kayak. But the wrapped kayak in a travel bag if you have it, or be sure to fix a small handle on it for transport.

SELL YOUR KAYAK IN NEPAL
Unless you have some emotional attachment to your kayak, consider selling it before you go back home. Sports equipment can be hard to get in Nepal, and many of the adventure companies would be happy to take it off your hands. So, ask around. Contact Hardcore Nepal, they buy used rock climbing and kayaking equipment for rentals and lessons.

Shipping to Nepal is not a good option as things regularly get held up in customs and recently a friend told me she paid 100% (of value) to get her bicycle out of customs. She had order it and had it delivered DHL. When traveling with an airline, you do not have this problem.

RENT A KAYAK IN NEPALYou can rent kayaks at a few local companies, in Kathmandu I would check with GRG Adventures or in Pokhara, try Ganesh Kayak Shop. Mountian bike rentals are easy to come by as well.

Nepal is an awesome land for sporting adventures, so come prepared to enjoy.

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