Tribhuvan International Airport

Reaching Nepal

A relatively secondary destination in Asia, Nepal is not very well connected with the world. I find it convenient reaching it from Bangkok Index for two reasons: the tickets are competitively priced and the frequency of the flights is high, allowing flexibility in the planning of the trip.

There aren’t many choices while traveling to Nepal; Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu is the only international airport in the country. That means crowds, especially since both terminals – the domestic and the international – are small; arriving early before departure is important.

Build with bare bricks, the terminal building is a good prelude to those in Kathmandu, where this is the preferred style. A few duty free shops are within the international terminal area but it is recommended to buy souvenirs while in the city since the choices at the airport are lean and the prices almost as high as Mount Everest.

Landing Views

It is worth reaching Kathmandu during the day and sitting next to a window, since the Kathmandu Valley and the nearby mountains offer spectacular views. If arriving from the right direction, the Buddhanat Stupa (sometimes spelled out Bodhnat) – an iconic view of Kathmandu – can be seen from above.

Reaching Kathmandu

The airport is a few kilometers away from the city; just outside its doors are many motorized rickshaws waiting for customers. They can be rented for about eighty Nepali rupees (about an American dollar), but most drivers would ask for twice or thrice that. Agreeing on the price before boarding is imperative; moreover, it is recommended to ask for a well known address in a central spot in town and then taking another rickshaw or taxi if desiring to reach another place. In such away a long – and expensive – detour in search of the address is avoided.

Time

"Kathmandu is in Nepal, not in India;" Nepalese want us – unperceptive travelers – to remember this complex fact. To facilitate the task they have defined their own time zone for the country: Kathmandu is fifteen minutes ahead of Delhi. Make sure to travel with an easy to set watch.

Security

Many countries impose strange security measures (shhh... it’s a secret). Nepal has a tight currency control and does not allow taking out of the country more than $2000, even if that’s money that the traveler owns.

The sum is ridiculous; when traveling in countries with little access to ATMs and credit cards transactions, that’s the very minimum needed to allow buying an air ticket out of the country and other basic needs in case of an emergency.

In my last departure from the country, the guard checking out my luggage before boarding asked to see my wallet and counted the cash there making sure it was below the allowed limit. The thought that the cash could be stored in various places didn’t cross his mind.

Main Destinations in Nepal

The domestic terminal serves various destinations; some of them are very popular with foreigners; here is a short list.

Everest Flight

For those shy of a long trek in the mountains, several companies offer flights to the Everest and back. The trip longs about an hour and reaches the colossus vicinity; it does not fly around it since it is not an international flight.

Pokhara

The most popular trekking area in the country is not the Sagarmatha National Park – where the Everest is – but Pokhara. The town is near the Fishtail Mountain and treks surrounding it are very popular. The town can be reach by bus and plane from Kathmandu.

Lukla

Lukla is where most trekkers begin the way to the Everest Base Camp; the path between this village and the Base Camp is known as the "Everest Highway." I made the way from Jiri to the Base Camp (the historical path) by foot, but returned to Kathmandu by flight from Lukla.

This airport is worth mentioning because its runway is only seventy meters long; on one end is a steep stone wall and in the other the land drops forever. After the departure, I had the feeling of dropping faster than the small airplane when the last jumped into the void right after beginning to move; this was a truly unforgettable experience.

Special International Destinations

Kathmandu’s airport is the main one serving Bhutan. Many travel agencies in the city sell tours to this country which include also the flight; it is impossible to tour Bhutan independently. A point to keep in mind is that such tours are expensive; Bhutan is one of the most expensive countries on Asia.


From journal AA