Homestays: Additional information

Please note that the published itinerary can only be a statement of intent and should be used as a guide only. Each day may vary due to the walking times of the group, camping and trail conditions. The guide in charge of your trip may have to alter the schedule if necessary and any such changes are at the discretion of Royal Mountain Travel and your guide.

Staying in a homestay can be the highlight of your trip. You can live like a local, sharing with families their way of life. The homestays are family homes, so whilst they offer a good standard of comfort, they may not be quite as luxurious as a hotel.

Accommodation

The quality of homestays used varies from place to place. In all of the homestays guests are offered a private room and if not an attached bathroom, then a clean bathroom that is shared with the family. Some homestays can be a little ‘rustic,’ and although most can provide hot showers at the turn of the tap, in a few places you might be given a bucket of hot water for a ‘bucket shower.’

Food and drink

Meals provided at homestays are prepared by the family and generally, there will not be a choice as this is what the family will be eating too. However, guests with any special dietary requirements should make this clear beforehand. For example, anyone how cannot tolerate wheat flour would not want to be served chapattis or momos, so should warn their hosts on arrival.

Water served at the homestays is filtered and all hosts and hostesses have been trained in the hygienic preparation of food. In many places, guests may be offered local chyang or raksi, a beer made from rice or grain, or a spirit distilled from the same.

Activities

In most of the places where there are homestays, you can be taken by your host family to see the local sights, or to participate in local activities, depending on where you are staying.

Communication

In many homestays, the level of English may be quite basic. Generally, younger people will know more English from school, but their parents do not always speak so much English. That said, many of the homestay hosts and hostesses are learning English and will welcome the chance to practice and interact with you. 

Money

It is best to bring Nepali rupees and try to bring as much small change as you can, as in the villages cashing larger 1000Rs notes is always more difficult. You should exchange enough money into Nepalese rupees to last the entire time of your trip as outside Kathmandu and Pokhara, there are very few ATMs and no money changers.  Although Indian rupees may be accepted in many places, nowhere will accept foreign currency as it is very difficult for local people to then change into Nepali rupees.

Communication: mobile phones and internet

Mobile phone reception can be very patchy. Although NCELL, the local mobile company has quite good coverage, sometimes the signal can be very weak. Many homestays offer wifi, which also can be quite variable in speed.

Tipping

Tipping is a personal and voluntary matter and is not included in the trip price. If you wish to reward the efforts of those who have worked to make your trip the best they can, we suggest the following: USD 4 per day for groups of 8+, USD 5 per day for smaller groups.

Insurance

Travel insurance is not included in the trip price. It is essential that you take out comprehensive travel insurance prior to your trek. Your travel insurance must provide cover against personal accident, medical expenses, emergency evacuation and repatriation (including helicopter evacuation) and personal liability. We also recommend that it cover cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects.

Health

There are no specific health requirements for entry into Nepal. You should consult your doctor for up-to-date information regarding vaccinations, and medications for any reasonably foreseeable illnesses whilst travelling in Nepal.  Please be aware that you will be in remote areas and away from medical facilities for some time during this trip. We strongly recommend that you carry a personal First Aid kit as well as sufficient quantities of any personal medical requirements (including a spare pair of glasses).

Climate

The climate in Nepal varies a lot depending on altitude and time of year.  During the summer (June-August) rainy season, it usually rains a few hours most days, towards the end of the day, only occasionally raining all day and for a few days at a time. It is useful to have an umbrella and rain cape. The rest of the year is generally dry, with the temperatures dropping in the winter. As there are limited heating facilities, be sure to bring warm clothes if you are coming during the months of November to February. In the spring and autumn, the weather can be warm, even hot if you are staying in the Terai, the plains in the south of Nepal.