Air tickets in Nepali currency

International airlines flying to and from Nepal will have to issue air tickets in Nepali currency as per the new provision introduced recently by the Nepal Rastra Bank. The new provision will come into effect from July 1. As of today, airlines, except the national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation, have been issuing air tickets only in dollars. Nepali travel agents and public were bearing huge loss because of the strengthening dollars and weakening Nepali currency. According to sources at the central bank, the new provision could be introduced in close coordination with Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Nepal Oil Corporation, Nepal Airlines Corporation and Board of Airlines Representatives Nepal, the apex body of international airlines operating in the country. The central bank recently issued a circular regarding the new change to Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA). After the change comes into effect, the airlines will have to display fares in Nepali currency.

Source: TAAN

Tourist arrival up by 6 pc in June

Tourist arrivals to the country in the month of June via Tribhuvan International Airport has increased by six percent following good performance from some European markets. According to arrival figures disseminated by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a total of 23,222 foreigners visited the country in June, which was a growth of six percent against the arrival figure of same period last year. The arrivals from European countries recorded a growth of 25% in June, according to the NTB. A total of 3,682 foreigners visited the country in June. A total of 1,124 visitors from UK entered the country in June which was up by 15%. Likewise, arrivals from Germany (27%) and the Netherlands (30%) also recorded impressive growths. The number of tourists coming from the US and Canada also increased in June. The arrivals from USA and Canada increaed by 21% and 11% respectively against the arrival of same period last year. The arrivals from Asia, however, was a mixed bag. Though arrival from China increased by 17%, tourists from Japan decreased by four percent. Arrival from India, the major tourism market for the country, also declined by six percent. The NTB officials have pointed monsoon as the reason behind the decline in arrivals from India.

Source: TAAN

Tourist Arrival Decreases in May

Tourist arrival to Nepal via air in the month of May has recorded a decline of 5% as compared to the arrival figure of same period last year.

According to arrival figures released by the Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport, 25,129 foreigners visited the country in the month of May. The arrival in May last year was 26,460.

Only Sri Lanka (19.7%) registered growth rate in May as the overall arrival from the SAARC countries recorded a decline of 12.7%.

Arrivals from India, which is considered a major market for Nepal, declined by 13.6% followed by Pakistan (-17.9%) and Bangladesh (-4.2%). Arrivals from China (36.2%), Thailand (87.8%) and Singapore (65.1%) increased in May. However, Japan (-2.3%), Malaysia (-11.4%) and South Korea (-23%) recorded negative growth. Overall, the arrival from Asian markets increased by 10.7%.

Tourist arrival from the European countries recorded a growth of 9.1% in May with significant contribution from the arrivals of UK (11.1%) and Italy (24%). However, arrivals from France (-7.2%), Germany (-9.4%) and Spain (-14.7%) registered negative growth.

Likewise, the arrivals from Australia (7.6%), Canada (8.5%) and the USA (4.4%) also increased in May as compared to the arrival figure of same period last year.

Source: http://www.taan.org.np/

Japanese team finds ‘yeti footprints’

A Japanese team of adventurers on October 20 claimed that they had discovered footprints which they believed were made by the legendary Yeti said to reside in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet.

“The footprints were about eight inches long and looked like a human’s,” AFP quoted Yoshiteru Takahashi, the leader of the Yeti Project Japan, as saying in Kathmandu.

Takahashi and six other members of the team recently returned from Mt Dhaulagiri IV (7,631m) after searching for proofs of the existence of the half-man-half-ape for 42 days. This is the third attempt of the team track down yeti, whose tales are as tall as the mountains. But the team said that they failed to capture yeti on film, which was one of their prime objectives.

Takahashi ruled out suggestions that the footprints might belong to creatures other than yeti. “Myself and other team members have been coming to the Himalayas for years and we can easily recognise the footprints of bear, deer, wolf and snow leopard. The footprint that we discovered doesn’t belong to any of these animals,” he told AFP.

The team had set our nine motion-sensitive cameras in an area where Takahashi saw what he thought was a yeti during a previous expedition in 2003.
The team plans to come back again and keep on coming back until the yeti was captured on film, according to Takahashi.

Thai Airways adds three more flights

Thai Airways International has added three more flights in the Bangkok-Kathmandu sector from October 27, 2008.

According to a press release issued by the Nepal office of the airline, the airline will fly ten times to Kathmandu from Bangkok.
The additional flights will be on Mondays, Wednesdays Saturdays and will arrive on Kathmandu at 1400 hrs and will depart to Bangkok at 1700hrs.

“We are also offering special promotional fares to support new flights for the Bangkok, Domestic Thailand, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka, Shanghai, Beijing, Sydney, Melbourne and Los Angeles until November,” the press released added.

Yami appointed tourism minister

Hishila Yami

Maoist leader Hisila Yami has been appointed as the Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation was restructured this year and the Culture Ministry has been annexed to the newly formed State Restructuring Ministry.

Yami previously assumed the responsibility as the Minister of Physical Planning and Works in the interim government formed after the reintroduction of democracy following the April movement in 2006.

Yami is the spouse of Maoist leader and present Finance Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai.

Source: internet

Pushpa Kamal Dahal: First Prime minister of Republic of Nepal

Takin oath

 Pushpa Kamal Dahal, nom de guerre Prachanda- the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist chief has been elected first prime minister of the republic of Nepal.

The once upon a time a ferocious Comrade Prachanda garnered 464 votes out of 577 ballots cast in the voting that took place in Nepal’s consistent assembly on Friday, August 15, 2008.

Mr. Dahal defeated Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba the Nepali Congress candidate and more importantly three times prime minister of Nepal, who garnered a meager 113 votes out of 577 attending CA members.

A father of three daughters and a son Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal was born in the district of Kaski on December 11, 1954.

The communist leader has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) in Chitwan district.

In the April 10, 2008 Constituent Assembly elections Dahal was elected from Kathmandu Constituency-10, and Rolpa Constituency-2.

Source: http://telegraphnepal.com/

Dr. Ram Baran Yadav: The first President of Nepal

Kathmandu, July 21: www.thehimalayantimes.com reports.

Nepali Congress leader Dr Ram Baran Yadav created history today by becoming first President of federal democratic republic of Nepal.
In today’s presidential re-polling, Dr Yadav, who was the candidate of newly-created left-democratic alliance comprising NC, CPN-UML and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, defeated his CPN(Maoist)-backed rival Ram Raja Prasad Singh by garnering 308 votes. Singh could gather only 282 votes.
A beaming Dr Yadav was escorted from his seat in the House to a special chair designated for the head of the nation after chairman of the Constituent Assembly Kul Bahadur Gurung officially declared him the winner in the historic election.
A last-minute exercise by left-democratic alliance was crucial in rallying support of some small communist parties in favour of Dr Yadav. CPN-United, Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party and Rastriya Janamorcha, which had boycotted the first round of the presidential election, changed their mind today and voted for Dr Yadav. These three communist parties had a total of 11 votes.
There were 594 votes in the CA, but only 590 votes were cast. NC CA member Dr Arzoo Deuba Rana flew from Europe to cast her vote. Contrary to the first round of presidential election, not a single vote was declared invalid today.

You can see more report about this articles in the The Himalyan Times (No. 1 English Daily Newspaper in Nepal) of the Ramkumar Kamat Report.  www.thehimalayantimes.com

Government Revises Trekking Permit Fee in Controlled Areas

The Govt. of Nepal has revised trekking permit fees for the controlled areas, in a bid to attract more trekkers to these areas. The notice was published in Nepal Gazette (Volume 58 No 10) which states that the revised permit fee will come into effect from 16th July , 2008.

As per the new provision, a trekker in Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpo will now have to pay US$ 500 or equivalent foreign currency per person for first 10 days. For trip extensions, the extra fee per extra day fee per person has been fixed at US$ 50 or equivalent foreign currency. The fee for trekking in Manaslu region has been fixed at US $ 70(per person) for a week and US $ 10 per person for each extra day during September to November. However, only US $ 50 is charged per trekker per week from December to August and additional US $ 7 per trekker per each extra day. Similarly, permit fee for Humla (Simikot-Yari) has been fixed at US $ 50 per person per week and US $ 7 per person per extra day.  

Permit fee for Kanchanjunga, Lower Dolpa , Gaurishankar and Lamabagar has been fixed at US $ 10 per person per week. However, permit fee for Chekampar and Chunchet of Gorkha district (Sirdibas-Lhokpa-Chumling-Chekampar-Nile-Chule) has been fixed at US $ 35 per person for eight days during September to November and US $ 25 per person for eight days during December to August.

New Tourist Visa Rules in Nepal

According to a notification posted by the Nepal Tourism Board on 15th July, the new tourist visa rules will be effective from 16th July 2008. All tourists who visit Nepal must hold valid passport and visa.Tourist entry visa can be obtained for the following duration from Nepal Embassy/ Consulate or Mission offices abroad, or at the following immigration offices in Nepal:  

Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu
Kakarvitta, Jhapa (Eastern Nepal)
Birganj, Parsa (Central Nepal)
Kodari, Sindhupalchowk (Northern Border)
Belhiya, Bhairahawa (Rupandehi, Western Nepal)
Jamuna, Nepalgunj (Banke, Mid Western Nepal)
Mohana, Dhangadhi (Kailali, Far Western Nepal)
Gaddachauki, Mahendranagar (Kanchanpur, Far Western Nepal)

Tourist Visa  
Visa Facility  Duration Fee 

Multiple entry 
15 days 
US$ 25 or equivalent convertible currency 

Multiple entry 
30 days 
US$ 40 or equivalent convertible currency 

Multiple entry  
90 days 
US$ 100 or equivalent convertible currency 

Tourist Visa Extension
Visa extension fee for 15 days or less is US $ 30 or equivalent convertible currency and visa extension fee for more than 15 days is US$ 2 per day

Tourist visa can be extended for a maximum period of 150 days in a single visa year (January – December).

Gratis (Free) Visa  
Gratis visa for 30 days available only for tourists of SAARC countries.

Indian nationals do not require visa to enter into Nepal.

Transit Visa
Transit visa for one day can be obtained from Nepal’s immigration offices at the entry points upon the production of departure flight ticket via Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal, by paying US $ 5 or equivalent convertible currency.
For further information,  Department of Immigration, Maitighar, Impact Building, Kathmandu,
Tel:  00977-1-4221996  / 4223590 / 4222453 , web site:

www.immi.gov.np can be contacted

www.immi.gov.np can be contacted