Gap Year Destinations

Where to go

Asia: Nepal

Nepal is a small country with a big mountain – it’s home to Everest, as high as you can get with your feet on the ground...

Environment

Nepal is a landlocked country, roughly the same size as England. It borders India to the south, east and west and China to the north. As you’d imagine, Nepal’s terrain is breathtaking – a local bus journey between villages for Nepalese, is sightseeing trip of a lifetime for visitors! In fact, eight out of the world’s ten tallest mountains can be found in Nepal. It’s not all hills, however, Nepal has vast lowland plains too, making it one of the most geographically diverse countries in the world.

The capital city is Katmandu, a fascinating mix of old and new, as the temples of the past meet the tower blocks of modern Asia. Other popular travel destinations include Pokhara, a small, tourist-friendly town on the edge of a huge lake, which reflects the surrounding Anna Purna range and Everest Base Camp.

Climate

Nepal has two seasons: monsoon is from June to September, and the rest of the year is dry. The best times to visit are March/April and October/November as you’ll get the best visibility and are more likely to have good weather for trekking, if that’s your bag. Extremes fall in the summer, June – August, when it can get very hot, and winter, December – February, when there is snow on the mountains and freezing temperatures at high altitudes.

Language

Nepali is the official language, but Hindi is also widely spoken due to connections with India. In the cities and towns it is fairly common to find people who can speak at least a little English.

Cuisine

Nepalese food is, in some ways, similar to Indian. A typical meal consists of dal-bhat, which is lentil soup served with rice, vegetables and pickles. Nepali’s use a complicated blend of spices to flavour their food, such as cumin and sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, methi (fenugreek), bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chillies, mustard seeds, vinegar and many more.

Religion

Hinduism is the main religion, however Buddhism also plays an important role in many people’s daily lives, and the two religions are frequently mixed, sharing traditions, ceremonies, monks and deities.

Economy and money

Currency is the Nepali rupee. Roughly three quarters of the population are involved in agriculture, while services and manufacturing occupy most of the rest of the people. However, in Nepal poverty is acute – many people survive on less than a dollar a day. Wealth is also distributed unfairly, with the highest 10% of households controlling 40% of the national wealth and the lowest 10% controlling less than 3%.

Culture and politics

Nepal is home to at least thirty six distinct ethnicities, and this diversity has produced a wealth of literature, architecture, music, dance, traditions and art. Music is largely played on percussion instruments with flute accompaniment and art and crafts usually depict religious themes, with gods and goddesses adorning pieces.

Politics in Nepal has been international news of late, as the Hindu monarchy is in process of being removed in favour of a secular republic. At the moment, much of the instability Nepal has experienced in recent years has dissipated, but until the vote on secularization in April, Nepal’s future is unwritten…