Is Nepal Safe to Travel

Nepal is a majestic nation sandwiched between the two giants of the world. It is a country filled with picturesque landscapes and culturally rich heritage with pagoda style temples. The people of this nation are culturally diversified but united with one belief “AtithiDevo Bhava” which translates to “The Manu guest is equivalent to God”. A relevant example to justify this belief in the Nepalese people would be during the time of earthquake when a reporter named Mike McRoberts was interviewing an old woman who had lost everything in the unfortunate event and after it was over she still offered him lunch despite the fact that she had nothing left with her. Another incident which made the headlines in national daily, Kantipur, showed an image of a girl offering WaiWai noodles to the photographer. This shows the humility and compassion of the Nepalese people. The values of putting the need of our guests first and serving them before serving ourselves are some of the core values that Nepalese has been brought up with.

The devastating earthquake of April 2015 and the trade blockade had crippled the Nepalese people and also caused a significant downfall in the tourism industry. The fear of falling in to the victim of the terror of mother nature repelled many tourists from entering Nepal because they were wrongly informed about the damages that the earthquake has caused. But in spite of the fact that the earthquake had done some amount of damage, Nepal is still a safe place to travel.

                               Picture source: Nepal Tourism Board.

At the moment, Nepal is perfectly safe for travel. The debris has been cleared, the affected roads and buildings have been mended, though the some of the heritage sites such as the Palace in Kathmandu Durbar Square still requires reconstruction, the place is still safe for tourist to travel.

As for the other aspects of safety in Nepal, there are some things to be kept in mind.

1. Don’t leave your things unattended, and be aware of pickpockets. (You will never know when you encounter them until it’s too late)
2. Although rape and murder cases are lesser in number, one should always be cautious when you wander alone, be it the streets or the trekking route.
3. The citizens of Nepal are humble to help you but if you find any suspicious behavior then don’t hesitate to back off or call for help.
4. Be aware of fraudulent guides who may charge you hefty fees.
5. While trekking, you should be careful about the potential landslide prone areas, and you should definitely check the weather before you head out.

All in all, Nepal is beautiful and a safe place to travel. So make sure you keep the above things in mind before planning your trip. Namaste.