Practical Information about travelling to Chitwan in Nepal – Tourism Nepal

Greeting in Nepali
People really appreciate it when you greet them. Nepali people say ´Namaste´ and fold their hands in front of their forehead or chest.

What to bring to Chitwan:

  • Light, airy clothes
  • Warm clothes for the evening (October to February)
  • Rain clothes (March to September)
  • Flashlight
  • Mosquito repellent
  • Trekking boots

Money
In Sapana, you can pay with Nepali rupees, Euros and US dollars.
If necessary, we can drive you to Sauraha village for ATM or banks.

Protection against mosquitoes
To protect yourself against mosquitoes, we advise you to cover your arms and legs, especially at night. Bring clothes with long sleeves and wear socks that cover your ankles. The use of mosquito repellent spray is strongly recommended. The hotel has mosquito nets on all windows to keep insects outside and they are provided for overnight stays in the jungle at the jungle house. There is no need to bring your own mosquito net.

Clothing advice
From October to March, the weather is pleasantly warm during the daytime in Chitwan, but can be cool at night. We recommend you to bring both light, and warm clothes. During the other months, it is hot throughout the day and night, so we recommend light clothes.

We kindly request you to show respect for the local traditions and adjust your clothing to the local culture by keeping your shoulders and knees covered.

If you plan to do bathe with the elephants, then please bring clothes that can get wet. Westerners’ bathing clothes are not suitable (it will offend the locals).

Gifts for the local people
Presents
It is a very good idea if you plan to bring gifts to Nepal for the local community. Please bear in mind that most things are available in Nepal and you will stimulate the local economy by buying things locally.

There are some things that are not available in Chitwan and are highly appreciated if you wish to bring them as a gift:

  • Toothpaste with fluoride
  • Childrens tooth brushes

Other ideas for useful gifts:

  • Clothes and shoes
  • Pens and other writing equipment
  • Notebooks

Candy
A lot of people give candy to the local children, however, we strongly discourage it. In Nepal, children very seldom brush their teeth and even the well-intended sweets promote tooth decay. Excessive sugar might also lead to diabetes. Therefore, we kindly ask you not to give candy to the children.

Money
We kindly ask you not to give money to the local people without a reason, since this will encourage begging. If you want to help the local community in a constructive way, please contact our staff. They will go over the options with you. We also have a donation box so you can support the local projects.

Taking pictures of the local people
If you want to take a photo of someone, please ask permission first. Not all locals want to be photographed. If you take the photo with a digital camera, we suggest you to show the person the result, because it is a very nice way to communicate with the people and it is a form of returning the favor. Children especially find the pictures highly amusing.