I am European an am planning to take a trip tp Nepal (Kathmandu only). I would like to know if it will be safe for me (i'm quite white). Also, could you please advise me on places I should visit.
Thank you very much for your help!

hurry, you are absolutaly right. Last time when i took some my friends to Nepal we were also harrased by some stranger. For the moment i felt like is this really contry where i belong. Thank god! nothing big had happen. Also my friends are got lucky cause i was there with them at time. I would like to suggest to all people don't be so paranoid who really wants to help you and tries to give some good advise.

"I am a non-Nepali" bhaney pugney thiyo ki? "I am quite white.... European, very European..." the unnecessary emphasis suggests, "White European daal mey kuch kuch kala hai!"

;)

hahaha!!!! hasayo sitara le. tyo pani thik kura ho.. unnecessary emphasis !!!!

Wow, I cannot believe it. I put one question on a Nepali forum to have some advice before taking a trip to Nepal, and the result is quite surprisingly unpleasant. I know that Nepal is not completely safe right now and the fact that I'm white, which means that you can tell that I'm not a Nepali, could be a problem. That's why I emphasied with "quite white", because there are some Europeans who can look Nepali. Then, someone asked me if I was a European turned Nepali or vice versa (which I still dont understand), so I answered that I was very european (100% European if you prefer). and then, Gurungni and Sitara are starting to write in Nepali, which I dont understand, and is actually rude, dont you think?...
Anyway, I dont think I have to prove you that I'm European (it's really sad if you think some Nepali are bored enough to imagine to pass as an European to get information about their own country (I really dont understand all the drama))
I just wanted to know if Nepal was safe for a European and some places to visit while I was in Kathmandu.
Thanks to the (few) ones who advised me.

Hey Lost, just ignore the messages here.
I hope you are not already discouraged.
Sajha isn't always the best place to get advices, from my own experiences.
Anyway, have a safe trip.

hey lost, I think you are misunderstading me here. I don't think i was rude to you at any point here. Actually, i nicely ask you, where are you from? but instead of giving a good response, you responed kind of meanly. I ask that question becasue i really wanted to help you. And i wasn't kidding on that. We nepali people don't care about color. Everyone is our guest and we treat our guest nicely and welcomes with wide open heart. I wanted to know about your homeland because my cousine brother-in-law is also Europain and i have a connection with good travel agencies people that's why i ask you. And there is not my selfishenss include. but it really make me sad seeing your responses here. And about writing in "Nepali' there nothing bad i said to you. I said, " it is hard to be nice to people these days" That's all i said. I hope this translate makes you very clear abut me being rude. Anyway, thanks!!!

I think we give too much importance to white skin.

this is our colonial mentality.

We should stop being Gurkhas any more.
And tell people to contact their travel agents where they want to go.
Sajha is not the right place to ask .... "where I visit... inside Kath?"


Dikka laggchha ... kahile ta. Ke garne??

Lost,

Pse do not feel disheartened by the comments of a few, dare I say, 'insenstive' posters above. Ktm as you'd have noticed the majority of us saying in this bulletin, is a safe place to visit, despite what the media reports on the Moaist conflict now and then. The security situation in the cities are a lot more stable than it perhaps is in the rural areas. That said, you shouldn't give up on the idea of exploring the country beyond the confines of Ktm just yet, because it is the rural areas where you would find THE Nepal - the real Nepal in the truest sense of the word. Why not go trekking, say Annapurna circuit, and play you part in the global image that Nepal has come to foster in recent times as the best 'adventure' destination in the world. Buy or borrow a good travel guide book ? Lonely Planet has done a few on Nepal. You might check your local libraries or book stores.

Want to meet the Yeti? Hmmm, couldn't be sure but hye, you might strike it lucky. You'll never know. Good luck and Namaste.


Hulaki,
Stop being Gurkhas re? Teo pani pukka lahure laai bhaneko. Ouch - it hurt.
:) Keep on firing away at your keyboards there.

Malaya ko lahure

Gurungni,
you had written "Hi!
do you mind telling me telling me your countries name? May be i can help you if you tell me. "
Just in this sentence you stated that your help is in function of the country lost represents. He/she just asked for simple answers, and I do not see where you have been helpful by giving suggestions.
And don't you think saying something in your language when you know someone doesn't understand it, is rude?
And yes Sitarar, "Color does matter." A non-nepali can be just an indian, but an indian might be able to avoid unnecessary harassment by passing as a nepali whereas a white person cannot. And if they are black tourists, then the nepalese stare at them like they have never seen drak people, very often passing rude comments about their looks.

My point here is, while I do not want any tourists to get discouraged to visit nepal and meet nepalis, I do want them to be aware that nepal and nepalis can pose certain difficulties in their trip. So just be prepared.
It is far better to be surprised plesantly than unplesantly.

And newuser, your question was just too weird. What were you thinking?

Maha-sakti,

I'm with you mate. Boy, didn't your 'guleli' hit the bull's eye? Damn well it did. Oh, yes.

Ah but he is going to "Kathmandu only" not traipsing all over the "Shining Path"s Or "Prachanda Path"s!

But, forgive me my tresspasses dear European Sire, Kathmandu is known to be quite safe especially for 100% Europeans and especially those "quite white" ones.

Maha shaktiji , "color does matter" these days, especially if you are a brown Nepali, teacher, journalist, professor, principal, politician, non royal and/or just plain brave/curious... trekking the routes of Maoist land. You could be (mind the "could') killed by either the RNA or the Maoist for being suspect of belonging to either camp. Esp. if you are brown.

Kathmandu is known to be quite safe, rey? If those Bishal Bazaar and some random bombings are any indications of saftey in KTM, then you are right Sitara. And those poor Italian couple that Hurray mentioned must have thought the same, right?
And Sitara, you might think that your comments are witty, but they are nothing more than mockey of what lost wrote to explain or clarify his/her situation.
Good job!!

Would don't you want a stranger to be aware of difficulties he/she might face in Nepal, and in fact have a pleasant experience than go in thinking Nepal is a paradise, and Nepalese are angels (Lol) and come out with a surprisingly unpleasant experience? I would. And given the political turmoil and human rights violation in Nepal, first one just seems to be a better option.

Maha - Sakti bro, I do not know which Italians u are talking about but if you are talking abbout in Maya pub many yrs before then, you know that guy was too intrusive. Anyway nobody deserves those kinda death. Which place is safe?? Enlighten me.

DO u think London is safe? OR LA is safe?? OF CHicago is safe?? OR NY is safe?? Here in
110 Freeway there is always some random shootings. SOme inncocets are getting killed.

And you should have realised staying in white land how it feels being brown.

The langugae used by Lost was quite offensive to me. I do not know for the rest of the people.
Peace

"Good job"? Thank you! I do quite thrive on your approval.

Now, if the random bombings and the Italian couple's tragedy is to be a measure for safety, then you're quite right too... Kathmandu is too damn unsafe to travel to for anyone (why just whites or Euros?) given its randomness. And since when did any nation at esp. one at "civil war" eliminate "chance happenings" of being at the wrong place at the wrong time to un/guarantee safety of its residents or visitors?!

What I found comical (do forgive my insensitivity) was Lost's trip to "Kathmandu only". I have read many, many tourist queries about travel to unsafe places without any emphasis on "the percentage Europeanness and/or the quite whiteness" appended to those queries. But, there is always a first time, I suppose.

On Nepali "Angels", with angels like you around, heaven must be missing quite a few! Really! :P As for my "wit" I am not making a mockery out of your goodness either! :)

Good day sire!

Lost's answer to 100% european was to newuser's weird question. I hope you did not miss that part, Sitara.

And Lost's mentioning of being white, is a problem here to some people? I do not understand why. In case it is, that must be a problem on your side.
And for Sitara to comeout so rudely, for what reason, I do not see it.

And highfly, you are right. I never said Nepal was completely safe.

कुइरेहरुले त Nepali होइन Nepalese भन्छ होइन र???
:०)

Lost,

Please be assured that nothing 'bad' will happen to you. I have travelled to Nepal many times since the conutry has been in 'trouble'; and no foreigners have been targets of anybody. We, Nepalese, treat foreigners as our guests. You will experience it when you are there yourself. I will be in Kathmandu between Sep - Nov for a project to be undertaken on behalf of the British Govt as I am employed in the UK. Please email me, may be I can be of some help.

Jham Jham Pareli.

Dear Gurungni, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. I read the thread, and I actually answered to you quite rudely. Well, I'm from France. I should've written it down earlier, it would've made things easier.
I just put this posting because i was concerned about the safety of Nepal, especially Kathmandu (since i'll spent the whole time there). I saw some documentaries on TV about the maoists, and I thought I would inquire about Kathmandu's safety. I'm sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings.
Again, I wrote that I was quite white because I don't look like a Nepali at all, and I just wanted to know if this would create any problems (then I might dye my hair before getting to Nepal...). Maybe white people are treated very well in Nepal, but I can assure you that it's not the case in some other places (for example, some French Carrabbean islands). I wrote that I was "very European" because newuser asked me a wierd question... I dont know what to say... I dont understand why many people got so mad...
sitara, I dont understand your sarcasms. Why are you so mad at me? did I affend you in any way by the fact that I'm a white European who's gonna stay only in Kathmandu? why "dear European Sire"? Why the condescending tone? And if you have to write to me, I'm a girl, so find another nice title for me. I hope that I won't fall on a lot of people like you in Nepal... You're definetely not a good representative of your country... this is quite sad...
Thank you VERY much to the other ones. Thanks to the ones who gave helpful answers.
Jhamjham Pareli, I'm going to Nepal in August. Thanks you though.

Lost, Je suis Ma'am d?sol?! Quant au colorant, henn? d'essai. Je suis s?r qu'ils ne sauront pas la diff?rence !

I hope the dye tip was helpful! :P

Ciao! ;)