Nepal Fees and Information

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 & 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 get the "Initial application" from you, we will send you and 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 the 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 return detailed Placement Information and an Invoice. If you accept the placement you should pay the invoice and send us receipt of payment by email or fax.

(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 receive by email or fax a receipt of payment.

(5) Communication:
Once you have made your traveling arrangements you should mail your time of arrival and the means of transportation and we will confirm pickup.

Placements

Volunteers placements are decided based upon program vacancy and volunteer's skills, however we try to take into account any special preferences / needs of the volunteers. If you have any preferences, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can endeavour to accommodate them. Your placement village will be finalized during your training period.

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 of arrival All volunteers receive between 2 days and 2 weeks of language and culture lessons and acclimatization into Nepali culture upon arrival. Although volunteers can arrive at any time we recommend arriving during one of set induction weekends. The dates of these are principally every other week.

Dates for the Year 2008:
Sat 31 May, Sat 14 June, Sat 28 June, Sat 12 July, Sat 26 July, Sat 09 August, Sat 23 August, Sat 06 September, Sat 20 September, Sat 04 October, Sat 18 October, Sat 01 November, Sat 15 November, Sat 29 November, Sat 13 December, Sat 27 December

Dates for the Year 2009:
Sat 10 January, Sat 24 January, Sat 07 February, Sat 21 February, Sat 07 March, Sat 21 March, Sat 04 April, Sat 18 April, Sat 02 May, Sat 16 May, Sat 30 May, Sat 13 June, Sat 27 June, Sat 11 July, Sat 25 July, Sat 08 August, Sat 22 August, Sat 05 September, Sat 19 September, Sat 03 October, Sat 17 October, Sat 31 October, Sat 14 November, Sat 28 November, Sat 12 December, Sat 26 December

Getting Here

How to get 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

Volunteers are provided with food at their placement or with their host families. Most Nepali's eat two main meals a day one in the late morning and the other in the early evening. The staple food for most Nepali families and in orphanages is "Dal Bhat" which consists of rice (Bhat), lentil soup (dal) and vegetables in curry (Tarkari) and/or meat (Masu) and a small amount of pickle /sauce (Achar), other popular Nepali foods are either Indian or Tibetan influenced with lots of curries, breads and potato based dishes.

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/ Medication

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

Please purchase health and travel insurance independently. You need health insurance that will cover medical treatment and repatriation in case of accident or illness.

Visas

A Visa can be obtained from the Royal Nepalese Embassy or Consulate office located in your region. It is also possible to get a Visa upon arrival at the Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. However, it is recommended that you obtain your Visa prior to arrival as the Visa lines at the airport tend to be quite long. The fee for a Single Entry Tourist Visa to Nepal for 60 days is US $60. Tourist visa can be extended for a maximum of 150 days. The Visa extension fee for 30 days is US $30.

For more advice please see Nepali Visa Information or contact the nearest Nepali embassy in your country. List of Nepali embassies abroad

Certification

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