Nepal is truly the place for wonderful, magnificent cultural experiences, landscapes, and Himalayan tours for travel-loving folks on a budget. Even if you travel as a backpacker, a student, or anybody who wishes to make his/her US dollars stretch while traveling, Nepal still seems to be a pretty decent vacation spot on a budget. Just a little planning and flexibility will take you around the best this gorgeous country has to offer on a shoestring budget-busting affordability. Trek the Everest region and visit ancient temples in Kathmandu, all without burning a huge hole in your pocket—that is how to make your Nepal trip memorable.
1. Travel Off-Season
Probably the best way to save additional cash while visiting Nepal is traveling off-season. The peak tourist months in Nepal fall generally between October and November and March and April because the weather is most conducive for trekking and sightseeing. Some perks of traveling in the off-season (May-September and December-February).
Airfare to Nepal is usually cheaper during off-season travel. Therefore, demand drops; hotel rates go down too, especially within popular tourist areas like Pokhara and Kathmandu. You would even find fewer tourists around you at such a time, which means an authentic experience without so many people crowding on trekking trails and temples.
2. Affordable Accommodation Options
The types of accommodation facilities in Nepal can be really quite varied according to the various kinds of places. Most budget travelers would find numerous guesthouses or hostels in hardly any touristy place, including Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan. These guesthouses are quite affordable, provide comfortable stays along with friendly and warm staff, and serve some form of meals, which is usually breakfast, and free Wi-Fi to most budget accommodations.
A trekker would prefer to save for the night by sleeping in the teahouses on the trekking trail. Such teahouses do not have any frills but provide minimum amenities and food for a trekker. Sleep in a teahouse to save some bucks while soaking up the local culture and hospitality.
For those who traditionally prefer it, there are also many available homestays, which can easily be found, especially in the rural area. Staying in a homestay is your best window to life in Nepal and often gives little to the local community.
3. Cheap Local Transportation
People find Nepal’s public transport pretty cheap and very efficient within short distances. Buses, microbuses, and shared taxis are the very common modes of transportation that are perfect for budget travelers, but they are not easy in quite a few areas with rough road conditions. However, they are one of the cheapest modes of traveling between cities and even for the nearby areas.
Traveling on local buses from Kathmandu to Pokhara or Chitwan can be just a couple of dollars. For the more remote regions, however, the mutual use of a shared jeep for going to these places can greatly lower the price. There are other means of transport within cities, such as cycle rickshaws and tuk-tuks, which provide fairly cheap and easy transport but are more local than anything.
4. Eat Like a Local
Food is, of course, there. Arguably the best cuisine in the land is that of Nepal. The food of this country is indulgent and widely rich, the richest of which travelers can enjoy at the lowest cost. For the real budget option, search out dharmashalas or rural eating stations where you can sit on traditional Nepali wooden tables and enjoy an activity at almost half the price of what it could cost in tourist restaurants.
Nepal’s main diet basically comprises dal bhat, or lentil soup, rice, and vegetables, and sometimes meat or fish. It is an example that proves the general rule of being overly filling and relatively nutritious, and it’s probably the most cost-effective meal you will ever have: even less than $2-3 in local eateries. It’s good; the specialty of the country when it comes to dumplings is momos, which are steamed with vegetables or meat filling-you’ll find it all around with just a few dollar bills to spare.
Street food is another option for the budget traveler. Fried snacks, pastries, and drinks at very cheap prices will be everywhere-with vendors selling them-in Kathmandu and Pokhara. As much as possible, opt for the place where they serve these things in a cleaner way for hygiene purposes to avoid diseased food.
5. Free and Low-Cost Attractions
However, there are a number of such places for spending time in this very bewitching land regarding being eco-friendly and spending thrills.
Kathmandu Durbar Square: Many parts of this UNESCO World Heritage site require ticket entry, but you can walk around under the roofs of incredible temples and the street surrounding that square entirely for free. It turned out to be quite an exciting experience with exciting leaps into prehistoric eras and the architecture and culture of Nepal.
Swaymbhu (Monkey Temple): This stupa is very old and located on the hill of Kathmandu. It is an excellent place for puja and a bit expensive, along with a superb view of the city.
Trekking: Trekking holds a prominent spot on the chart of tourism in Nepal. Some of the pricey ones, say the Everest Base Camp trek, require permits and payments, whereas the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek or almost any other trek to the Langtang Valley could be much more affordable. These trekking circuits also give breathtaking views to capture and real experiences of Nepali village life, cheap permit fees, and, more importantly, tea houses.
Some safari and guided group packages are expensive, but Chitwan has many more ways to enjoy its beauty through walking or biking around park areas. Most local organizations provide such services at a minimal cost.
6. Trekking on a Budget
You wouldn’t believe that although Nepal has one of the finest trekking locations in the world, the expense is not considered high. Sure, there are a lot of excellent high-altitude trek sets, such as the Annapurna Circuit or Everest Base Camp, and then permits, guide fees, and accommodation also increase the cost. But then, many other outlets provide very economical options.
One simple way is to walk wherever possible and relish every moment with friends. This is good and feels good on your pockets too, but they really don’t need it. With sufficient knowledge of going trekking, the risk in itself is low: useful guidebooks well stocked into your things, companionship, and trekking with food. Don’t forget about the teahouses along the way, which are pretty cheap and provide meals and accommodation.
Do not increase stress levels, and if you want to join others, opt for cheap trekking groups. Most companies offer group treks in Nepal tour package at affordable rates that would almost always include guide services, food, and sometimes even accommodation.
7. Plan and Budget Wisely
Nepal would probably be one of the most visited places in the world, yet many budgets can save you up to over your knees in the economy. Contemplate setting a projection for life; every spend should be on only those things you deem fit for your own worth. While cash and cards are fair because cards do not work for places far beyond reach, big towns have ATMs, but very few rural areas do. The surety is that you draw the cash required.
Conclusion
Nepal is the best budget country compared to the great richness it possesses in cultural heritage and a stunning variety of natural beauty, including world-famous trekking trails. Examples of low-budget trips to Nepal would include sightseeing sites like temples in Kathmandu, trekking in the Himalayas, or feasting on delectable local foods-all without cheapening or reducing value and quality. So come and join these people in planning barely any itinerary on your tour and instead carrying it off with you as memories available to store in your pocket. So gear up, pack, and leave for the beautiful land called Nepal!
Author Bio:
Amritesh, a technical content writer at MyQbHost—a provider of Hosting QuickBooks—brings a wealth of experience from the accounting industry. His strong foundation in accounting, combined with a fascination for technology, fuels his enthusiasm for writing on cloud accounting, cybersecurity, and accounting software.
