NEPAL
Crime
& Safety
Nepal is one of the safest countries in the world, which is all
the more remarkable when you consider the gulf between rich and
poor. However, theft is on the rise, and political instability
seems to be bringing a general rise in lawlessness.
The only real concern is petty theft , and then chiefly from fellow
travellers. Common sense suggests a few precautions. Store valuables
that you're not using in your hotel's or guest-house's safe, and
carry the rest in a money belt or pouch around your neck at all
times. In a dormitory, keep your bag locked up and any expensive
items with you. A padlock can be purchased cheaply in Nepal; it
doesn't have to be big - deterrence is the main thing. Pickpocketing
happens in a few crowded places frequented by tourists, and some
bus routes have reputations for baggage theft.
If you're robbed, report it as soon as possible to the police
headquarters of the district in which the robbery occurred. They're
apt to be friendly and consoling, if not much help. For insurance
purposes, go to the Interpol Section of the police headquarters
in Durbar Square or Naksal, Kathmandu, to fill in a report, a
copy of which you'll need to keep for claiming from your insurer
once you're back home. Bring a photocopy of the pages in your
passport containing your photo and your Nepalese visa, together
with two passport photos. Dress smartly and expect an uphill battle
- they're jaded by stolen-travellers'-cheque scams.
Violent crime is extremely rare, and the danger of getting raped
or assaulted in a populated area is statistically insignificant.
The only real concern is a certain amount of hooliganism in the
Kathmandu tourist bars; fortunately the government is ploughing
back some tourist tax revenue into maintaining a police presence
in those areas in the evenings. The countryside is for the most
part equally safe, although several Western women have been raped
by trekking guides in recent years. There has always been a small
risk of violent attack by bandits on remote trekking trails, so
it's advisable not to walk alone.
There are several ways to get on the wrong side of the law, none
of them worth it. Smuggling is the usual cause of serious trouble
- drugs and gold are the big no-nos, and if you get caught with
commercial quantities of either you'll be looking at a more or
less automatic five to twenty years in prison. While it would
be incredibly stupid to go through immigration control with drugs
, discreet possession inside the country carries virtually no
risk; flash dope around, though, and you could conceivably get
shopped by an innkeeper.
In Nepal, where government servants are poorly paid, a little
bakshish sometimes greases the wheels. Nepalese police don't bust
tourists simply in order to get bribes, but if you're accused
of something it might not hurt to make an offer, in an extremely
careful, euphemistic and deniable way. This shouldn't be necessary
if you're the victim of a crime, although you may feel like offering
a reward.
Medical
Care & Emergencies
No inoculations are required for Nepal, but hepatitis
A, typhoid and meningitis jabs are recommended, and it's worth
ensuring that you're up to date with tetanus, polio, mumps and
measles boosters. Malaria tablets and injections for Japanese
B encephalitis and rabies may also be in order, depending on where
and when you go. All of these can be obtained in Kathmandu, often
more cheaply than at home, but obviously it's better to get nasty
things like injections out of the way before starting your trip.
If you have any medical conditions or concerns about your health,
don't set off to a place like Nepal without first seeing a doctor
. Medicines are sold over the counter everywhere, but obviously
bring any prescribed medications. Also, consider having a dental
checkup before you go. If you wear eyeglasses, bring an extra
pair; if you wear contacts, bring a backup pair of glasses because
of the dust and pollution.
Earthquakes in Nepal
Nepal lies along one of the earth's great geological fault zones,
where the Indian subcontinent plate joins the greater Asian plate.
The collision of these two plates, which formed the Himalaya,
continues to this day at a rate of 2cm per year. Most of this
compression is absorbed in the process of mountain-building, but
some of it is stored as temporary tension in the earth's crust
and then released in the form of earthquakes .
Nepal's historical record shows a pattern of infrequent but catastrophic
quakes. The most recent major one, in 1988, registered a whopping
8.3 on the Richter scale and killed 800 people in the eastern
part of the country; its effects would have been much worse had
it struck further west. The last big one to hit Kathmandu, in
1934, was probably nearly as great in magnitude.
The next time a major earthquake hits Nepal - particularly if
it hits Kathmandu - there will be major loss of life. In the past
few decades ever taller, more slipshod buildings (many of them
tourist guest houses) have been erected in the capital. A national
building code that's supposed to set mandatory standards still
has yet to be implemented, so essentially no attention is paid
to earthquake resistance in construction. Moreover, the Kathmandu
Valley's soils are apparently of the sort that turn to soup in
an earthquake, magnifying the damage.
Maybe the next big one won't be until 2030, maybe it will be tomorrow.
It's not something that should stop you from going to Nepal, but
it might provide yet another reason to spend most of your time
outside of Kathmandu
Medical Care
In a non-emergency situation, make for one of the traveller-oriented
clinics in Kathmandu. Run to Western standards, these can diagnose
most common ailments, write prescriptions, and also give inoculations.
A veritable cornucopia of Indian-manufactured medicines is available
without prescription from pharmas (pharmacies) in all major towns,
but always check the sell-by date.
In the event of a serious injury or illness, contact your embassy
for a list of recommended doctors in Kathmandu, which is where
virtually all qualified GPs and specialists are based. Most speak
English.
Hospitals are listed in the Kathmandu and Pokhara pages; other
hospitals are located in Dhulikhel, Tansen and the bigger Tarai
cities. Most are poorly equipped and the standard of care is variable.
Should you be unlucky enough to have to spend time in a Nepali
hospital, note that nursing staff do not perform many of what
we would consider to be routine functions: relatives are expected
to feed patients, change bedpans, monitor IVs and so on.
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