Nepal Travel News August 2010

[Shakti Travels Trekking Nepal]

Arrivals up 24 pc in August

Tourist arrivals to Nepal via air in the month of August have increased by 24.3 percent compared to the arrival figures of same period last year. According to the Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport, a total of 34,415 tourists arrived in Nepal in August. The arrivals from South Asian region have gained overall positive growth of 34.9 percent with Bangladesh (51.6 percent), India (35.1 percent) and Sri Lanka (57 percent), registering positive growth. Visitor arrivals from Pakistan, however, declined by 20.2 percent. “The robust growth of 20 percent has been observed in the arrivals from South Asian region during the first eight months this year in comparison with the same period last year,” Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said in a statement. The arrivals from Asian countries (other than South Asian region) have maintained the upward trend with the region recording double digit growth of 27.7 percent. The arrivals from China registered a substantial growth of 68.3 percent. Similarly, arrivals from Malaysia increased by 85.7 percent and South Korea by 28.6 percent. However, Japan, Singapore and Thailand have declined by 5.3 percent, 32.9 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively. Markets in Europe registered overall positive growth of 18.9 percent with the arrivals from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden and the UK increasing by 2.6 percent, 22.3 percent, 18.1 percent, 41 percent, 101.3 percent, 106.6 percent, 15 percent, 71 percent and 15.5 percent, respectively. The figures also show increasing trend in the visitor arrivals from Australia and New Zealand with a growth of 16.8 percent and 28.1 percent. The arrivals from the US have registered positive growth of 16.8 percent while Canada posted negative growth of 17.8 percent.

Spicejet starting Nepal flights from October

India’s budget carrier Spicejet is starting flights on New Delhi-Kathmandu route from October 7. Kathmandu will be Spicejet’s first international destination. Zenith Travels, the general sales agents of Spicejet in Nepal, informed that Spicejet would be the first Indian budget carrier to spread its wings to the international sky. The airline is likely to fix Kathmandu-New Delhi airfare at IRs 1,499. It further informed that the airline will fly six times a week on the route. Spicejet is also flying to Colombo of Sri Lanka from October 9. It will use Boeing 737-800 aircraft for the international flights. A few months ago, Spicejet placed order for 30 Boeing aircraft to increase its fleet size to 58 aircraft. Meanwhile, national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation is planning to restart flight on Kathmandu-New Delhi route after September 15. NAC has halted New Delhi flights after its aircraft was grounded due to its faulty gear last month.

Oman Air begins Nepal flights

Oman Air, the national flag carrier of Sultanate of Oman, started scheduled flights on Muscat-Kathmandu route from 2 September. Kathmandu is Oman Air’s 40th destination. The new flight is expected to bring more tourists from the Gulf countries along with expansion of trade and investment in Nepal. The airline with operate Boeing 737-700 aircraft with business and economy class seat configuration. Apart from flight to Omani capital Muscat, the airline will offer easy connections to other destinations like Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai in the UAE and other destinations in West Asia and Europe, according to Amarabati Travels – the GSA of Oman Air. The airline currently operates direct flights between Muscat and major Gulf destinations like Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh and Kuwait. It has been flying to 10 destinations in India. Shakti Travels and Tours MEDIA CENTER P.O.Box.: 193, Lazimpat, Kathmandu Phone : [phone] Fax: [phone] Email: [e-mail] or [e-mail] www.shaktitravel.com and www.trewkinnepal.net

[Forrest Walker]

I just returned from two wonderful weeks in Nepal and i can recommend it to everyone. To see my blog posts and photos of this trip you can go to
http://theothersideofthecoconut.wordpress.com
I used a wonderful guide. His contact info is:
[e-mail]

I also want to comment on Nepal's airport security.

Nepalese security makes TSA look really lame. When you enter the airport in Nepal, before you even check in, your checked baggage is sent thru an x-ray machine, your carry on is searched, and then men and women are sent to different lines for a serious pat-down. Then you go to the counter for your boarding pass and to check your bags. The bags are x-rayed again. You proceed to a pre-boarding waiting area with restaurants, duty free and slot machines. Before you can get into that area, your carry on is checked, again, and you are patted down, again. These are not light pat downs. These guys have a fetish.
Then, when your flight is called, they get serious. I stood in line behind an older gentleman from Chile. He was traveling with a group of Chileans. We had chosen the most gung-ho checker in the history of flight security. He made the Chilean empty his carry-on knapsack. He then proceeded to open the toiletries bags and do things like sniff the deodorant and the cologne. Then he reached a clearly labeled plastic bottle with a white cream inside, he asked the man “What is this?”
“Face cream” said the man.
“Put some on” said the guard.
He squeezed a glob on his palm and rubbed it onto his face. This pleased the security guard. He went back to work. He pulled out a bag of nuts.
“What are these? He asked.
The Chilean, by now a bit flabbergasted, and almost late for his flight to Paris, replied like the General in charge of the 101st at Bastogne, NUTS!
The guard opened the baggies and took a few out, handed them to the man and said “Eat these”.
The Chilean was a well behaved man and obviously well travelled. He knew better than to argue, and munched down. I truly doubt they were hashish made to look like nuts. If they were, this old man had a great fight to Paris!
They went back and forth for a few more minutes. I was in no hurry and had nothing to hide so I just watched. When the guard escorted the man to the next pat-down, I stepped up to the table and completely emptied my bag. Laptop, laptop battery, camera, video camera, extra batteries, various electrical chords and chargers, a couple of pens, a pad of paper, and my sunglasses. Yeah, I travel light, ok? I took absolutely everything out of individual cases, even my sunglasses. The only thing I thought would be confiscated was the tiniest pair of scissors ever made, so I put them over on the side away from my passable items.
First he picked up my knapsack and felt every seam and inspected every side pocket.
Then he picked up my lap top battery which resembles a pipe-bomb.
“What is this?”
He watched as I attached it to my laptop.
“See, battery, makes laptop go zoom zoom”
He inspected all my other electronics like a cave man would inspect a mirror. Then he spotted my tiny little scissors.
“Ahhh, this no good. This no go” he said with a triumphant air.
“OK” I said. “No good, no go” and he was done. He had won. He had found something.
I carefully packed up my bag. Then I looked over at the woman’s line. The Chilean women were getting agitated at the guards inspecting their toiletries and showing it. I found Mary Ann. Sure enough; they found her diabetes medicines and syringes. Oh Boy, this should be good. Mary Ann carries a letter from her doctor about the medicines, and she never carries on more than she should need for a flight. She handed the letter to the inspector. The inspector had to go get a supervisor. I was all ready to intervene, but the inspector came over and poked his fingers with the needles (really a dumb move if you ask me) and then let her go.
We went to the boarding area. Before we got on the bus that takes you across the tarmac to the plane, you guessed it, one more pat down.