Himalayan Vistas

This is a Grade 3 leisurely holiday which includes countryside walking with plenty of breaks, normally taking up the whole day, and is likely to include an element of sightseeing. You are unlikely to walk more than 8 miles and the cumulative ascents and descents will be gradual and range from minimal to up to about 300m. See the 'Proposed Itinerary' section for more information.

All local transport costs in conjunction with the advertised activity programme are included in the holiday cost. There may be occasions where additional visits or excursions are added to enrich your experience, these will be paid for locally by you if you choose to participate. Local transport can be a mix of private hire coaches, taxis, local buses and ferries depending on the itinerary.

A range of local excursions and activities may be available to book at your destination through a local operator. We have no involvement in such activities or excursions which are not run, supervised or controlled in any way by us. Your contract will be with the local activity supplier and we accept no responsibility for their actions or omissions.

When budgeting for your holiday, you will need to consider drinks, any meals not included in the holiday price, non-included entrance fees, optional excursions you may choose to participate in locally and any souvenirs or additional services such as laundry. A general guideline for snacks and drinks is £5-£10 per person per day. This is a full board tour so no need to account for lunches.

Nepalese Rupee.
It is probably most convenient to chnage money in the hotel on arrival in Kathmandu. The rates will not be the best but perhaps the convenience outweighs the cost.  There is also a money-changing booth at the airport before immigration which offers reasonable rates. Money can also be changed on the first day's sightseeing.

Sterling cash is freely exchangeable, as are US dollars and euro. It is now becoming possible to change money whilst on the trek, please discuss with your RWH Travel leader. Change is in short supply in the mountains so bring rupees in small denomination notes from the cities. Many hotels accept credit cards, check locally. There are ATM machines in towns and cities.

Nepalese Rupees can only be purchased once in Nepal and the export of Nepalese currency is illegal. You should remember to keep all exchange receipts as if you have any rupees left over when you get to Kathmandu Airport, you can change back up to 15% of the total amount you have changed during the holiday.

Although entirely at your own discretion, tipping is an important aspect of tourism and hospitality life and expectations are fairly high.  In order to simplify tipping, we strongly recommend that you allow your leader to take care of making sure tips are given to hotel and restaurant staff and to local guides and drivers. This will be done using some funds provided by us together with, if you wish, a contribution from you, which he/she will collect during the holiday. A suggested amount given is £25 - £30 per person.

Your tour leader makes the world of difference to your holiday and ours are as passionate about discovering the world on foot as you are. They're resourceful, organised and widely travelled. They will handle all the local administration and other needs that might arise to ensure that you don't have to worry about planning your days and you can enjoy your holiday. Although leading group holidays, they won't forget that every group is made up of individuals. Each tour leader has their own individual style, talents and professional backgrounds and all are trained, qualified, experienced and dedicated to making your holiday as enjoyable, interesting and inspiring as possible.

Each evening, your tour leader will discuss with you the programme for the following day. This will be your opportunity to discuss the details and ensure the planned activities suit your walking ability. If you have concerns on clothing or equipment, this can be discussed then also. If you do not wish to join the organised group programme, please let the leader know.

To enhance your experience, as well as your tour leader, each holiday will be accompanied by a well qualified and knowledgeable English-speaking local guide.

We fly from London Heathrow to Kathmandu and vice versa by Turkish Airlines with a stop en route at Istanbul. The transfer from the airport to our Kathmandu hotel is by road and takes approx. 30 mins.

If you wish to organise your own flights from a non-UK or provincial airport or travel by rail or car to your holiday destination, 'land only' reductions are often available. Please contact us for details.

Before finalising any independent travel arrangements, please check with us first - especially if doing so 12 weeks or more before your intended date of travel. If you do intend to join your holiday locally please do tell us at least 14 weeks in advance.

If you are joining and leaving your holiday overseas we assume, unless you advise us otherwise, that you will join and leave the holiday at your hotel.

Although airport transfers are not included for those making their own independent travel arrangements, if you wish to join the group at the overseas airport, depending on your flight arrival time, you may be able to be included on the group's transfer. Please contact us at least 5 weeks before departure for more details. 

Please note that your flight must arrive within 30 minutes of the group flight to be able to join the group transfer. We also need your flight number, arrival time and departure point so that the group leader is able to meet up with you.

For all those booking a flight or rail inclusive holiday, details of your travel arrangements and baggage allowance will be confirmed in your travel documents, sent to you approximately 10 days prior to departure.

To ensure that we can accurately administer your holiday arrangements, please confirm that the personal details we hold for you are up to date and that you have provided the information we need to secure your holiday travel and accommodation arrangements. Please check your passport details, date of birth and any other important details necessary for us to properly manage your holiday booking. You can view and update information already provided, and add details not yet asked for, by using the Manage My Booking facility on our website www.ramblersholidays.co.uk, or by calling our Sales and Reservations team on +44 (0)1707 331133. When you receive your booking confirmation please check the details as soon as possible.

It is a good idea to carry photocopies of the personal details pages of your passport. Should you lose your passport, this may assist with the issue of replacement documents and your return to your home country.

Passport and visa requirements can change at any time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified source on, and comply with, such requirements.

General travel and destination advice for UK nationals is available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk/travel and at www.gov.uk/travelaware.

A passport is required plus a Nepalese entry visa for holders of British passports visiting Nepal. Passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of arrival. Holders of non-British passports should check with the Nepalese Embassy or their nearest consulate regarding visa requirements. Visas are also obtainable from the Nepalese embassy in London before you travel. They can be obtained by post or personal visit. The cost of the visa at present is £25, payable in by postal order or bankers draft by post or by cash in person.

For details of obtaining visas in London please consult the Nepalese embassy website:

Embassy of Nepal
Tel: +44 (0)207 229 1594
12A Kensington Palace Gardens
London W8 4QU
E-mail: eon@nepembassy.org.uk
Web: https://uk.nepalembassy.gov.np/visa/

Entry visas can be issued at the airport on arrival in Nepal, however this option involves excessive waiting, delaying yourself and fellow party members. The visa issued is the same as the one you obtain in the UK. It can make passing through immigration at Kathmandu Airport stressful and time consuming if you do not have a visa. A passport size photograph and the correct amount of cash are required for the visa on arrival. 

Two passport photos as well as a photocopy of your passport details page are required for your trekking permit. We recommend you bring four passport photos with you to Nepal. The price of your trekking permit is included in the holiday price and will be obtained on your behalf by our local agent.

All meals are provided throughout the holiday starting with dinner on Day 2 and ending with breakfast on Day 14. Vegetarians are easily catered for in hotels and tea huts. In hotels breakfasts will be buffet style with plenty of choice. Dinners are commonly buffet as well with choices of meat and vegetable dishes to suit every taste. 

In the mountains the food has a lot in common with Tibetan cuisine whilst in the foothills Indian influence is stronger. The staple of Nepali food is is dahl bhaat, a lentil stew served with rice. It is typically served up on a plate with green veg, relish and a meat dish (if required) possibly goat or buffalo but never beef. You will be offered it everywhere in large quantities. Momos will also appear on menus as starters, again in various flavours. Coffee is becoming common in Nepal with flat whites and the like available to those who feel they can't do without. Foreign wines are available at western prices but the local beers are generally good and reasonably priced. Perhaps they taste at their best after hiking up a mountain.

Good quality waterproof walking shoes or trail shoes with a thick, moulded sole with a good tread and a low heel are likely to be all that is required for these holidays. If you are a frequent walker and are comfortable in good quality hiking sandals, these may be adequate for some walks. You can wear lightweight walking boots if you prefer.

The following items of kit should be considered essential:

• 2 passport photos for your trekking permit
• 1 passport photograph for your visa if you are planning on getting a visa on arrival
• Sheet sleeping bag. Sheets and blankets are provided in tea huts but you might prefer your own sheet sleeping bag.
• 3-4 season jacket
• Waterproof jacket and trousers
• Gaiters for winter and spring departures
• Trainers/sandals for the evening
• Warm hat
• Scarf/Buff (which can be pulled over your nose and mouth to protect against fine mountain dust)
• Warm gloves
• Several pairs of walking socks
• Tracksuit or thermals
• Mid layer (fleece)
• Light to mid-weight trousers (warmer for winter)
• Shorts or skirt for women
• Shirts, t-shirts, base layers
• Sunhat, sunglasses, sunscreen and lip salve with sun protection
• Swim wear
• Water Bottle - supplied by RWH
• Daypack with liner 
• Towel
• Head torch
• Plastic bags (bin liners) to line daypack and for packing clothing in the kitbag
• Toilet paper
• Trekking pole(s)
• Small personal first aid kit
• Hand washing gel
• Survival bag

Wildlife and scenery viewing experiences are always improved with binoculars. For seeing a bird in the treetops or picking out some detail on the horizon they are invaluable. If you have a pair, please bring them with you on your holiday. On some holidays it will be appropriate to have them with you all the time. Sometimes you might prefer to avoid carrying the extra weight. Your tour leader will always be happy to advise which days it will be particularly useful to take them.

Documents and Information to take with you:

• Passport (make sure it's yours and valid)
• Your travel tickets or e-ticket itinerary
• Any visa or electronic travel authorisation (if required)
• Holiday money
• Credit or debit cards (and separate details of who to call if lost)
• Car parking ticket and car park directions (if prebooked)
• Coach or rail travel tickets (if prebooked)
• Your holiday Booking Confirmation document
• Your travel insurance details
• Alternative form of identification (such as a driving licence)
• Photocopy of the personal details pages of your passport
• A valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if relevant
• Details of any medical condition or allergy your holiday leader should know about

An alternative to bottled water from single-use sealed water bottles is filtered water from a refillable bottle containing its own water filter such as a Water-to-go bottle available from www.watertogo.eu. Just fill up from any water source and save the environment from disposable plastic bottles. We have included a bottle for everyone who books on this trip to avoid the use of single use plastic bottles. Normally these bottles will be handed out on arrival in country. Please use this water bottle any time you drink un-bottled water. This will go a long way to help avoiding any issues with sickness.

If you cannot find the maps or books locally we recommend:

The Map Shop
5 High Street
Upton upon Severn, Worcs
WR8 0HJ
England

Tel: 01684 593 146
Website: www.themapshop.co.uk
E-mail: themapshop@btinternet.com

If you key many of the local places mentioned in this holiday fact sheet into YouTube, you will find a vast array of spectacular footage of the area.

Visit the following websites for an idea of the climate in your destination:

• Weather2 - www.myweather2.com
• BBC Weather - www.bbc.co.uk/weather

Health requirements can change at any time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified source on, and comply with, such requirements at least 6 to 8 weeks before departure. Advice on vaccinations is available from your GP.

No compulsory immunisations are required for visits to Nepal. You should be up to date with the usual immunisations recommended in the UK.

Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Typhoid immunisation is recommended. You might also like to consider immunisation against Cholera, Japanese Encephalitis and Hepatitis B. Dengue fever exists in Nepal; please take normal precautions against mosquito bites.

You should be in a reasonably fit state of health for this holiday. The itinerary involves much travelling, early mornings and the walking will be up to Grade 6 standard. Travel days on the holiday can take a long time given Nepal's infrastructure. All journeys over 2 hours will include stops for refreshment.

Cities may at times experience periods of poor air quality. If you suffer from a respiratory condition you may wish to seek advice from your doctor prior to travel.

Altitude sickness can affect travellers whose itineraries take them above about 2,500m although some individuals can experience a milder form above about 1,900m. 

Early symptoms include a headache, nausea, shortness of breath, loss of appetite and insomnia.

For further advice please visit:

• The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) travel health website at www.travelhealthpro.org.uk
• The NHS 'Fit for travel' website at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk
• The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
• Or a local travel health clinic

You might wish to take a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel with you for times when you're unable to wash your hands.

It is a condition of booking with Ramblers Walking Holidays that you have adequate valid travel insurance. It is your responsibility to arrange appropriate travel insurance and ensure you have read and understood the full terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy to ensure that you are covered for all activities you intend to undertake whilst on the trip, including all optional activities.

Your travel insurance policy must fully cover you for medical expenses and emergency repatriation. Please ensure your policy covers the entire duration of your holiday. If you are walking at altitude please ensure that there is no upper altitude limit which may limit or exclude cover for your trip. Medical and repatriation insurance cover are not mandatory for UK residents who are travelling on trips within the United Kingdom.

Whoever you insure with, please ensure that you take full details, and ideally the policy itself, with you on holiday and provide our tour leader with your insurer's name, the policy number and emergency assistance contact numbers.

Please note that it is very difficult to obtain travel insurance once your holiday arrangements have started.

Looking for travel insurance cover?

If you have not already arranged cover, please visit SunWorld who offer travel insurance.

SunWorld policies include cover for COVID-19, subject to applicable terms and conditions.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office provides up to date information on security and local laws for travellers, together with current passport and visa information, at www.gov.uk/travelaware. Please take a few minutes to look at the current advice on your planned destination.

Please be aware of what's going on around you, take sensible precautions with your credit cards and passport and avoid displays of wealth such as wearing expensive jewellery or watches. Do not carry more cash on you than you will need for each day, and we recommend that a money belt is used.

We're committed to ethical tourism in all our destinations. Our holidays are designed for you to discover the essence of the country you are visiting. Travelling in small groups not only gives you an up close and personal experience of your destination, but minimises your impact on the immediate environment. We feel that the most important starting point to protect the environment is to be out in it. For more details visit our website.

Unlike many tour operators we have our own trust through which RWH Travel’s profits are channelled back into a variety of outdoor, walking-related or environmental conservation projects in the UK. The focus of the Trust’s financial support is Britain’s leading walking charity, The Ramblers, and their role in promoting the benefits and importance of walking to the British public. In addition the Trust welcomes applications for small grants from local organisations in the UK who need support for walking-orientated activities. This includes the establishment of footpaths and bridleways, funding for rebuilding bridges and renovating huts, as well as bursary funding for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for children who could not otherwise afford to do it. Please visit the ‘About Us’ section of our website and click on the Charitable Trust link for more details.

We appreciate that we are in a fortunate position to be able to use our profits to help make a difference to people's lives. Heart & Sole is a venture managed by our office staff, whose aim is to reach the heart of the communities in the countries we visit. Through Heart & Sole, we hope to make more of a long term, direct impact to these communities, particularly in less developed countries where even a small amount goes a long way. See our website for more information and details of some of the projects we support.

Please do provide us with a mobile phone contact number. We will only use this to contact you with important information relating to your holiday arrangements. 

Do keep your mobile phones switched on and readily available when travelling to the airport or if delayed in transit so that we can contact you with any last minute information relating to your travel arrangements.  

As a matter of courtesy, please switch off your mobile phone during walks, or endeavour to minimise its use. Please also try to minimise the use of mobile devices during group meals.