Location
Nepal is a land-locked country bordering with the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China in the north and surrounded by India in the east, south and west.
Area : 147,181 sq. Kilometer Altitude : Varies from 70 meters to 8848 meters sea-level Capital : Kathmandu Population : 23 Million

Language
Nepali is the national language of Nepal. Educated people understand and speak English as well. There are hundreds of local dialects spoken by people from various ethnic groups.

People & Religion
Nepalese people are mainly divided into two distinct groups, the Indo-Aryans and the Mangoloids. Nepal is the only Hindu Kingdom in the world. Hindu Temples and Buddhist Shrines are scattered all over the Kingdom. Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the Light of Asia. Hindus and Buddhists live together in harmony. Muslims, Christians and other nature worshippers also co-exist in harmony

Climate
Nepal has four major seasons, namely,(1)Winter: December-February, (2)Spring: March-May, (3)Summer: June-August and (4)Autumn: September-November. Nepal can be visited all the year round but trekking is best in the Spring and Autumn months.

Money, Currency & Foreign Exchange
Nepali Rupee notes come in Rs. 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000 denominations. Coins come in 5 paisa, 10p, 25p, Rs. 1, 2 and 5 denominations.
Foreign currencies must be exchanged only through banks or authorized money exchangers. The receipts of such transaction are to be obtained and retained. Visitors can exchange foreign currency at the foreign exchange counter at the airport upon arrival. Visitors other than the Indian nationals have to make the payment in foreign currency (non-Indian currency) in hotel, trekking agencies or travel agencies and for air tickets.
There are several A.T.M.s in Kathmandu and in Pokhara, travelers cheques are easily exchanged at most hotels and money exchangers.

Visas
A 60 day single entry visa is Aus$70.00 and can be obtained by completing the appropriate application form and posting this to the consulate. Application forms can be downloaded from www.nepalconsulate.org.au  In the case of an urgently needed visa, it can be issued “on the spot” by going into the Nepalese Consulate in Edgecliff  N.S.W. The fee for an “on the spot” single entry visa fee is Aus$86.00.  A 60 day multiple entry visa is Aus$175.00 or Aus$190 if “on the spot.  Please note that visas must be utilized within 6 months from the date of issue and that passports need to be valid for  6 months from the date that the passenger returns to Australia.

Gratis visa for all tourists who visit Nepal for 3 days or less and Gratis visa for tourists of SAARC countries and People's Republic of China. Visa will be extended subsequently for 30 days each upon payment of US$ 30 for a maximum period of 150 days in a visa year (Jan-Dec). Visa can be obtained either on arrival in Nepal or from Nepalese Embassy or Consulate or other Mission offices abroad. Two passport size photographs required.

Departure Tax

Time
Nepal time is 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of GMT time, not allowing for daylight saving variations