What is Nepal's geography like?
The country is small but very geographically diverse. Eight of the world's tallest mountains are in Nepal's Himalayan range, and they continue to grow at a rate of three feet per year. At the other end of the spectrum is Nepal's jungle area, tropical and teeming with hippos, elephants, tigers, crocodiles, and all the rest of the flora and fauna you might expect to find.
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How is the weather?
This is dependent upon where you are in Nepal. There is a monsoon season that runs roughly from June through September. A few rare rains may fall in early October, but by and large that is the start of the dry seaso. October is one of the best months of the year, with deep blue skies and cooler days and nights.
In Kathmandu the mercury can soar to 30°C or 86°F, in the valley to 40°C or 104°F in lower elevations. In the winter, daytime temperatures can still reach 20°C or 68°F, but temperatures fall to freezing after nightfall.
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When will I choose my placement?
You might have some preferences after reading our descriptions; however, we feel that it is best to wait until you are well into the training before making any final choices. Often, you will meet another volunteer who you would like to be placed with, and that alone may change your thinking. Once you have locked into a program, all the specifics of that program will be explained to you by one of our placement councilors.
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What immunizations are needed for Nepal?
Please check with your local travel health departments. The general list is as follows:
Tuberculosis
Rabies
Polio
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Hepatitis A and B
Typhoid
Yellow fever
Malaria
Japanese B
Some of these are placement-specific and seasonal, so again refer to your health professional for guidance.
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What medicines are available in Nepal?
Most larger towns will have a pharmacy. Essentially this is a minimally trained independent that disperses both diagnosis and treatment plans. So "buyer beware." If you know how to self-medicate for simple things, you will find most of the proper medicines available.
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How safe is Nepal?
Well, the Maoist problem is a very serious one, and as you may know, the King abolished the government and all civil rights at the beginning of February 2005. The country is under martial law. As grim as that sounds, life goes on. In Kathmandu you will be safe, though you may experience times when the Internet and of course phone lines are down. Cell phone towers have been down since February, and in an attempt to disrupt Kathmandu the Maoists have been blocking supply routes, so some goods and vegetables are seeing new highs, price-wise. We have a number of placement opportunities in and near Kathmandu that are safe. We keep our finger on the pulse of the nation, and with our contacts we often know unreported dangers or Maoist activities in remote areas, and would react accordingly.
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This said, things can and do change on a dime. We urge you to apply and we promise to keep you abreast of the safety issues as your time approaches. Your experience while in Nepal is paramount to our success, and we are dedicated to making it all good.
If you have any question that was not covered here please fill out the form. We will have your answer to you with in 24 hours.
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