Colours of Nepal with Kathmandu City Stay - Private Tour

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

British passport holders can now obtain their Nepal visa prior to departure for Approx £25 per person on this website https://nepaliport.immigration.gov.np/online A Nepalese visa can also be purchased on arrival into Kathmandu; but you will need to complete and download a form from the Nepal Embassy website and present this completed form on arrival at immigration together with your payment (currently USD $30). You must print the form with the barcode and take it with you for arrival. The barcode is only valid up to 15 days after issue so please complete this form within 2 weeks of travel. You will also need to complete an ‘arrival card’ at the airport. We recommend you check the following website before travelling for all the most up to date advice, requirements and any changes uk.nepalembassy.gov.np. We strongly advise you to check with your destinations’ Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding required passport validity.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Colours of Nepal is rated Active due to the tour being packed with activities and experiences. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, and you will be getting on and off coaches, trains and boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.

The currency in Nepal is the Nepalese Rupee or NPR, divided into 100 paisa. US dollars are also often accepted should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. You can take cash or travellers' cheques (in pounds sterling or another foreign currency) and/or a bank card with you and exchange or withdraw rupees once in Nepal. Cash machines will also be available in larger towns through the tour in order to withdraw money in local currency. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £100 - £200 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.

Tipping

It is at your customary to tip your guide and driver. This is at your discretion but we recommend you allow approximately £3 in local currency per person per day. This will be collected at the end of your tour for your convenience. Tips are accepted in the local currency, US dollars and British pounds.

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.

Kathmandu City Stay: Your Kathmandu extension is not escorted. You will receive transfers to the airport at the end of your stay.

Safari vehicles

Your safari will be taken in a canter, this is a large open roofed truck that seats up to 8 people. Safari drivers take you to areas of the park where wildlife are more likely to be seen but as with all wildlife experiences nothing can be guaranteed. Please note that many paths inside the park are bumpy and dusty.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Nepal. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs. Please note some hotels in Bhutan do not have air-conditioning. A triple room is available but please note that this will be a twin room with a fold away bed for the 3rd passenger.

Breakfast is generally a combination of western and Indian style and served in the hotel each morning. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of local dishes and flavours.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian and non-spicy meal options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way.

Please note that plastic bottles are banned in the national parks so keep a reusable water bottle for your tour.

On your arrival in Nepal you will be met by a representative from our local agent, NEC Travels and Tours Ltd, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Nepal representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries.

If you need to contact NEC Travels & Tour during your stay the details are: Madan Adhikari Office: 00977 1 4700 771 Mobile: 00977 985 1093896/9841281454 Contact email address for NEC Travels & Tours Pvt Ltd info@nectravels.com/madanadhikari@gmail.com

• Sunscreen and hat in summer
• Warm clothing and thermals in winter
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Camera and charger
• An electric plug converter - three different plug sockets are used, so it is best to bring a multi adapter
• Personal first aid kit containing travel pills, rehydration powder, plasters, stomach settlers, antiseptic creams, aspirin etc
• Loo paper for public WCs
• Binoculars