This one I do do. Put some stuff in it – a couple of old cashcards or something. Use it to keep your till receipts in. This is invaluable for getting rid of beggars. “No rupees! No! I have no rupees!” doesn’t cut it. But pull out your wallet and show them how bare it is and they just turn round and walk away.
I don’t mean splash out on crappy souvenirs, but don’t just stuff all 3.5 million Dong into your wallet, or cram 25,000 Rupees in your purse. Put some in your trouser pocket, leave some in your hotel safe, tuck a few in your shoe… If the worst happens and you get mugged or lose your purse/wallet, then you will always have those few notes left so you can afford a taxi back to where you’re staying.
Small denomination and new, clean bills. I admit I actually don’t, but it’s something I did find very handy in Asia. Despite the currency’s current weak status, it’s still spendable as cash in several countries thus saving you the inconvenience of finding somewhere to change it into a local currency. Also if you do have to change currency, everywhere takes the greenback.
Especially in countries such as Oz, NZ, the UK and the US make sure you grab all those little tourist booklets at hotels, airports, tourist information and the like. A huge number have discount vouchers tucked inside for things that you were probably thinking of doing anyway. The money saved in some cases is pretty impressive and makes you wonder how many people pay full price.
1) Check with an embassy regarding any protests etc. We got held up for a day at the border as the roads to Kathmandu were impassable. As a result we had to pay for a flight at an inflated price. There are no ATMs in Kakarbittha, and the local bank won’t advance cash against a Visa card. We were bloody lucky Hans had a stack of US dollars!
2) If you intend to buy travel tickets, especially flights, in Kathmandu then bring US Dollars in with you. The airlines will only accept this as payment, therefore if you pay in Nepalese Rupees at the travel agent, you’ll lose out. Our agent was very honest in explaining this. The actual exchange rate was around 70NRP to 1USD. The local money changers were asking 72NRP to 75NRP for a dollar, and he had to convert based on this rate otherwise he’d lose out. Therefore paying with dollars you’ve brought in is cheaper.
3) Don’t forget the departure tax at the airport. The domestic flight from Kakarbhitta to Kathmandu was 170NRP, and flying from Kathmandu itself varies depending on your destination. My flight to Malaysia cost me $US23 or 1695NRP. Hans’ flight to Delhi was around 1350NRP. The tax is not put on your ticket, and I believe they accept both local currency and US$ at the airport.
4) Planning on being there for four days? Go for the free-of-charge 3-day visa and ring the immigration people before you leave. I had absolutely no problem whatsoever with the additional day. Getting up to five days without charge is also not unknown. The penalty for going over that is still less than the $30 charge for a visa, as long as you don’t take the Michael.
5) Buy any hiking/camping equipment in Pokhara, not Kathmandu. Most treks start from there anyway, so it saves you lugging the stuff on the bus – and it’s cheaper anyway.
6) Scour the bakeries in Kathmandu for the ones which sell stock off cheap late in the evening. As they bake fresh each day, the stuff will be fine for breakfast and lunch the next morning.
7) As with any Asian country, learn to haggle. I managed to get 10% off an already very good price for some convertible waterproof trouser/shorts.