Things to know before travelling to Nepal 🇳🇵
1. Attire for the trek
* Decathlon trekking pants (dries very quickly and extremely comfortable)
* Wear long pants and long socks if you are going during the end of May bc of LEECHES
* Thick socks and good hiking boots
* Dri fit t-shirts
* Uv sleeves good to have
2. Currency Exchange
* Exchange just enough cash for taxi to your accommodation from the airport then exchange the rest in the city centre (the rates are usually better there)
* How much to exchange?
- I ended up exchanging around $1000SGD of Nepali rupees because I had to pay 540USD in cash for the trekking tour.
- Most places in Nepal prefer cash payments and will charge 5% for card payments.
- Most restaurants/cafes in both Kathmandu and Pokhara accept card payments
- Can withdraw cash from ATM using youtrip card (some ATMs might charge ~5sgd for withdrawal)
- No card payment in the mountains during the trek, only cash.
3. Sim card
* I bought my sim card (Ncell) at the airport for around $10SGD for 50 GB which was more than enough for 15 days. They have 15 GB and other options as well.
* The signal up in the mountains was not very good as you can expect.
4. Additional expenses on the ABC trek
* Water (1L bottled water/ boiled and filtered water ~2-3SGD/ 2-300 Nepali rupees)
* Wifi (~3SGD/ 300 Nepali rupees)
* Hot Shower (~ 2-3SGD/ 300 Nepali rupees)
* Charging (~3SGD/ 300 Nepali rupees) can charge your power banks except at base camp + no overnight charging.
* Snacks (~2-5SGD for mango juice, snicker/mars)
5. Apps to download
- Indrive/Pathao (Ride hailing apps)
- Maps.me (download maps of the trek)
Extra tips ✨
• Buy some snacks/candy for trek at Pokhara, don’t need to bring from sg
• Buy Diamox (altitude sickness pills) from any Pharmacy in Nepal
• Bring nalgene for hot water at night when it is cold
• No need to bring heat packs didn’t rly use them
During my trek in Nepal, I found that choosing the right gear made all the difference, especially Decathlon trekking pants which dried quickly and were incredibly comfortable on long hikes. If you're trekking around May, it's a must to wear long socks and pants due to the pesky leeches. One thing many overlook is the importance of planning your currency exchange wisely. I exchanged just enough cash at the airport for my taxi, then swapped the rest in Kathmandu city where rates were better. I recommend carrying sufficient Nepali rupees for trekking expenses since card payments aren’t accepted in mountain lodges, and many places charge extra for card use. For connectivity, purchasing a local Ncell SIM at the airport gave me 50 GB of data which comfortably lasted 15 days, though signal can be spotty during the trek. This was still super helpful for navigation and communication. On the Annapurna Base Camp trek, be prepared for extra costs such as bottled water, WiFi, hot showers, and charging your devices. These small expenses add up, so bringing snacks from Pokhara saved me money and hassle during the trek. Finally, I highly recommend downloading ride-hailing apps like Indrive or Pathao and offline maps like Maps.me before your trip. These apps made transport and navigation seamless in both Kathmandu and Pokhara. Also, don’t forget to bring altitude sickness pills like Diamox, which are easily available in Nepali pharmacies, and a Nalgene bottle to keep hot water during chilly nights.
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