Action Volunteer Alliance

Nepal is located between India and China. It is a very small country with a very diverse culture. On the Nepal and China boarder to the North are the brilliant Himalayas. This is where you will find Mount Everest. The Himalayas have 8 of the 10 highest mountain peaks in the world. Elevation varies from over 8,800 meters at the top of Mt. Everest to just above sea level in the Southern Terai. This of course means some of the best trekking in the world. Not to mention some amazing white water rafting!

On the Southern side of Nepal is the Terai region. This part of Nepal is quite flat and very hot with temperatures soaring up to 40 degrees. The most common place to visit in the Terai region is Chitwan National Park where tourists stay in lodges inside or just outside of the park. During the day you have several different activities to choose from and in the evening you hop on top of an elephant and ride through the jungle. If you are lucky you will get to see a tiger in its natural habitat. There are now less than 100 tigers in Chitwan due mostly to encroachment of civilization and over-hunting.

The climate in Nepal is also diverse. There is a dry season from October to May, and a wet season from June to September. In summer, (May to September) Kathmandu Valley may get very hot, often above 30 degrees. The winter (October to April) will be quite warm during the day, often reaching 20 degrees, but the nights may get as cold as 0 degrees.

The most important thing in Nepali life is family. Loyalty to family and the customs associated with the family’s ethnic group are non-negotiable. Most families live together in a house or share a group of houses. The majority of people live by traditional customs and principals, to break the rules would mean being isolated not only from your family but from your community as well.

Arranged marriages are most common in Nepal. The average age for a woman to marry in Nepal is 18. Very often the family will have chosen a husband for her early on in life. Family connections between marriages are very important in Nepal. It is very important to have children in Nepal. Your children are extra help with farming and will look after you when you get old. Nepali woman will pity anyone who is not blessed with children. Giving birth to a son is still extremely important in Nepal. There are still religious rights in Hinduism which can only be carried out by the oldest son.

Religion in Nepal is primarily Hindu and Buddhism. You will find many temples and stupas (a building meant to house religious relics) in Nepal. The most popular to visit is located on top of a hill on the edge of Kathmandu. It is called Swayambhunath more frequently called Monkey Temple. The reason for this? There is a large number of wild monkeys living there. Monkey Temple is a great place to sit and watch the monkeys play, although you need to be careful they don’t steal your loose belongings, and to see a spectacular view of the city.