Nepal Program Fees and Information

2 Weeks	4 Weeks	8 Weeks	12 Weeks	24 Weeks	Extra Weeks
€550	€650	€850	€1050	€250	€50

Read how your fees are spent or compare our prices with other volunteer organisations.

View our prices in other volunteer locations's or combine your stay in Nepal with stays in other locations as part of a combination stay.

What you receive

Orientation upon arrival
24 hour support
Accommodation and Food
Introduction and initiation into Nepali culture
Nepali language lessons
Teaching introduction and instruction (teaching placements only)
Social activities and events

Apart from our fees, you must pay for:

Your travel to Kathmandu
Vaccinations
Travel and health insurance
Visa to Nepal
Personal expenses including any food aside from that provided at your placement/by your host family.

Application Process

Our application process typically takes two or three weeks, but can be speeded up if there is a need for that. When we receive the initial application from you, we will send you our Full Application Form.

(1) Complete the Initial Application Form:
The first stage of the application process is to fill out the brief initial application form. Upon receiving this we will send you a link to our full application form.

(2) Complete the full application form:
Fill out the application form. After receiving this we will assess your suitability and place you on one of our programs.

(3) Placement info:
We will then email you your detaled placement information and an Invoice. If you accept the placement you should email us confirmation.

(4) Program Fee:
The program fee should be paid to us at least 2 months before you are due to start your placement. However please be aware that we have a limited amount of placements, so placements will only be secured when we have received your payment.

(5) Communication:
We encourage you to keep in touch and we are happy to answer to try and answer all of your questions.

Once you have made your travelling arrangements you should mail your time of arrival and the means of transportation and we will confirm your pick-up details.

Project Duration and Arrival Dates

For the majority of our Nepal programs, you can join us for any amount of time from 2 weeks to 4 months. However, some projects have minimum time restrictions.

We recommend a trip of 2-4 months since it offers the best value. Regardless of the length of your stay, you will have time to get to know a new culture, come to know its people, and form relationships that will outlast the duration of your stay.

Dates for the Year 2010:
Sat 04 Sep 10, Sat 18 Sep 10, Sat 02 Oct 10, Sat 16 Oct 10, Sat 30 Oct 10, Sat 13 Nov 10, Sat 27 Nov 10, Sat 11 Dec 10, Sat 25 Dec 10

Dates for the Year 2011:
Sat 08 Jan 11, Sat 22 Jan 11, Sat 05 Feb 11, Sat 19 Feb 11, Sat 05 Mar 11, Sat 19 Mar 11, Sat 02 Apr 11, Sat 16 Apr 11, Sat 30 Apr 11, Sat 14 May 11, Sat 28 May 11, Sat 11 Jun 11, Sat 25 Jun 11, Sat 09 Jul 11, Sat 23 Jul 11, Sat 06 Aug 11, Sat 20 Aug 11, Sat 03 Sep 11, Sat 17 Sep 11, Sat 01 Oct 11, Sat 15 Oct 11, Sat 29 Oct 11, Sat 12 Nov 11, Sat 26 Nov 11, Sat 10 Dec 11, Sat 24 Dec 11

Getting Here

All volunteers will begin their program in Kathmandu, before moving onto other destinations:

By Air:
Katmandu is the main transport center in Nepal and all international flights and the majority of domestic flight start or terminate here. Although a number of major airlines sell flights to Nepal, most of these do not operate direct flight themselves so most people will arrive via flight from India, Bangkok or the Gulf. Among the airlines that fly direct to Nepal are Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Austrian Airways and Indian Airlines as well as a number of smaller Indian airways. Royal Nepal Airways operate flights to a number or locations although they do not have the best reputation for reliability. Tribhuvan airport is located about 20-30 minutes from the center of Kathmandu and all volunteers will be met by a Travel to Teach representative at the airport.

By Bus:
Volunteers occasionally arrive in Nepal overland after traveling in either India or Tibet. Its possible to arrive in Kathmandu by bus, or sometimes a combination of bus and train from Delhi, Varanasi, Kolkata and Darjeeling among other places in India and also from Tibet. The majority of buses arrive at the city bus station in Kathmandu although arrival times can obviously vary dramatically so we will arrange arrival information with you once you have booked.

Onward travel to placements within Nepal.
Once volunteers have finished their induction in Kathmandu we will accompany you to your placement. For most long distance Travel within Nepal we use either buses or mini buses.

Reception

You will be met outside the airport terminal by a Travel to Teach representative holding a placard with your name on it who will then escort you to your guest house or training center. Please provide us your flight information as soon as possible so that a punctual pick-up can be assured. If you are planning to arrive by bus we will arrive your arrival details after your application.

Food

The staple food for people in Nepal is "Dal Bhat" which most families will eat at least once a day and consists of rice (Bhat), lentil soup (dal) and vegetables in curry (Tarkari) and/or meat (Masu) and a small amount of pickle /sauce (Achar). This usually eaten without cutlery the right hand which can be extremely messy for those not used to it. Many younger Nepali's have started using cutlery though and this is also perfectly acceptable for volunteers if they don't like covering their hands (and possibly arms, clothes and faces) in curry. Other foods in the Terrai region tend to be very Indian influenced and based around potatoes, rice and curries. Volunteers usually eat with there home stay families during the week but travel into surrounding towns for more continental food on weekends.

Volunteer Work

The number of hours worked by volunteers will depend upon the area of volunteer work. The Nepali work week falls from Sunday – Friday with Saturday being the only day off. Volunteers work from 4-6 hours per day with the opportunity to work more if you choose. Times for each placement vary, when working in children’s homes you will teach and help the children in the morning before school and for a few hours after school. Hours are approximately 6-9am and 6-8pm.

If you would like to take a break to do some sightseeing or trekking contact your coordinator and a small break can be arranged.

Accommodation

Volunteers either home stay with local families or if working in an orphanage they often stay in the orphanage. Nepali people are extremely hospitable and volunteers will be well looked after however the accommodation will be typically Nepali and therefore basic by Western standards. Toilets and showers are usually Nepali style and the electricity supply in many places can be unreliable. Most of our home stay families have lots of previous experience in looking after volunteers. Volunteers staying in orphanages are given their own room within the orphanage.

Vaccinations

Volunteers should consider vaccines/medication for the following:

Tetanus
Diphtheria
Polio
Hepatitis A & B
Typhoid
Yellow fever
Rabies
Tuberculosis
Malaria

Please consult your doctor before traveling. More information is available from the WHO's (World Health Organization) Travelers health information

Insurance

One of the conditions of entry onto our programs is that volunteers have travel insurance. Most importantly the insurance needs to include medical treatment and repatriation in case of unforeseen accidents or illnesses. Volunteers should purchase insurance independently and bring a copy of their insurance certificate with them for their local co-ordinator to check before starting their program. Read our terms and conditions.

Visas

Please see our visa information page for details.

Certification

You will get a Travel to Teach certificate stating the time and place you have been teaching.