Dos & Don't

Culturally acceptable behavior:

You are a guest in Nepal and it is appreciated if you behave like one:

• Dress decently (no short shorts or revealing clothes)
• Do not show affections in public
• Do not buy antiques
• Do not point your feet (unclean) to people and point with full hand not with one finger
• Do not step over persons
• Do not touch or step over offerings (red powder, flowers/rice)
• Do not use your left hand (dirty) in Nepalese culture
• Receive and give with two hands
• Ask permissions before taking people’s photographs
• Do not ask local kids for school pens or sweets (don’t give either)
• Discourage begging, pay fair prices
• Take off your shoes before entering a monastery
• Go clockwise around stupas, etc
• Do not eat, smoke or be loud at religious sites
• Women should avoid touching monks/lamas

Reducing pollution and environmental impacts:

• Don’t defecate near water sources use as temp toilets
• Dump garbage only at proper bins or pits
• Stay eat in lodges that cook on gas/kerosene and have solar showers, while you are doing tea house trek.
• Burry/empty your toilets in non polluted sites while you are doing camping trek using with own sleeping or toilets tents.
• Order the same foods for several people at the same time
• Wear warm clothes rather than having the rooms heated
• Keep 10% opened window at night in your sleeping room to supply fresh oxygen in higher elevation, where less vegetation are above 4000m.
• At high altitudes (4000m) do not even throw away biodegradable junk
• Carry out what u carry in
• Take your empty batteries home
• Do not disturb wildlife
• Do not hurt or remove animals and plants
• Do not buy items made from wildlife parts skins or buns
• Don’t accept “free” plastic bags