Safety in Nepal
Nepal is a wonderfully exciting country. The people are the friendliest to be found and the scenery is second to none. However, there are some aspects that require some serious consideration before travelling to Nepal. Being well-prepared in this respect - especially in being aware of the tensions that exist - is very useful to staying safe, especially if travelling alone.
Politics in Nepal
flag of nepalIt's worth pointing out the local political situation is one of the biggest concerns about travelling to Nepal - and quite rightfully so. Understanding and digesting advice from the Foreign Office, the Nepal government, professional websites and amateur ones like this, is a huge challenge. The UK Foreign Office offers very up-to-date information, but tends to err on the side of caution. The US equivalent seems to be even more cautious.
The pressing safety concern for the traveller is the need to stay away from such problems. There are ongoing problems in Nepal many of which have resulted in violent episodes. The greatest risk is of Maoist attacks. These are often limited to more remote parts of Nepal, though they still result in tragic results. Thankfully there has been comparatively little violence in Kathmandu, but bombs (including in the tourist areas) have resulted in fatalities and sometimes tourists have been caught up in these incidents.
Consequently, a high degree of security is seen to exist around Kathmandu, with regular army controls and armed road check points. A minimum of hassle is caused for tourists (especially those who are white) as the tourist economy is so important to Nepal. However, simple steps like always carrying your passport should be followed.
This might sound quite daunting to those who are considering travel in Nepal. However, it needs to be seen in context. During my own stay I didn't have any major problems, although this is partly because I didn't travel very far out of the Kathmandu Valley. Trekkers are renowned for being targetted by Maoists, and are asked for "protection money". The amount of this can vary significantly, but you are nearly always given a receipt which is accepted when stopped on future occasions.
It is not possible for this site to give up-to-date advice. For this you should check other websites and moreso, get advice from local people and the local press.
Suggested sites for further information
- Nepal News reports Nepal-wide news and an idea of the current state of politics and risk of violence can be obtained from here.
- Kantipur Online is similar to Nepal News - there are also links to the other major national newspapers from here. It has a good Features section which includes analysis of current events.
- BBC News has excellent analysis of the situation in Nepal. At the time of writing they had a correspondent based in Kathmandu, and hence more stories are reported. Nepal is in the "South Asia" section of the World News site. There are links here to other useful sources of information.