Frequently asked questions for the au pair, culture study and internship program in Nepal
- Could you please provide me first with the latest travel safety in Nepal?
Nepal is a peaceful, safe country in which it is possible to walk from village to village without any kind of problems. In the past , the Maoists were fighting against the king. However, after negotiations between the Maoists and the government, the Maoists have finally abandoned violence. Even in those past days, Maoist attacks were not aimed at foreigners but against the political regime of Nepal. Now peace and stability have returned to Nepal and democracy has been restored. There is no more danger for tourists travelling in Nepal. The other main reason why it is completely safe for tourists is that most Nepali people are Hindus and Buddhists, and these two religions always teach non-violence and respect towards other people, including guests. Nepal is also the birthplace of BUDDHA, who led the world towards peace and serenity. That is why we value religious tolerance very highly. There has been a long tradition of brotherhood and tolerance between all castes, creeds, religions and nationalities.
If you want to travel with us in Nepal, you need not worry about anything. We will provide you with information about all necessary aspects of travelling outside of the village before setting out. However, if you prefer to travel alone in the city, please follow the following instructions:
- If you come across a demonstration or large crowd of people, please stay away. Seek information about planned activities by the political activists and the Maoists and plan your trip accordingly to avoid the crowds. In case of a general strike in the city, the only available means of transport are rickshaws, and it may be difficult to find a restaurant that is open.
- Be prepared to modify your plans flexibly to account for unplanned events while you are in Nepal. Include in your itinerary a few extra days to allow for unforeseen delays.
- How long do the participants have to stay and where will they live?
There is no fixed duration that a participant has to stay in our village. It depends on the volunteers how long they wish to stay. During the program, our village youths will organize everything for the participants and they will do their bests to make the stay as comfortable and easy as possible. The participants live in the village with a family who can speak English well. There are several families that would be happy to accommodate our guests, so that, if the need arises, there is always the possibility of changing the host family. The volunteers can choose whether they want to eat together with the family or cook for themselves, depending on how much privacy they prefer. All of these things depend totally on the individual participants, because we would like to respect the preferences of each of our guests.
- What do the people in the village usually eat? What kinds of food will I get during my stay in your village?
The people in Nepal eat mostly vegetarian food. During your stay, you will have breakfast, lunch and dinner. The life style in the village is very traditional. The people have their traditional customs of when and what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At breakfast, most people drink tea and eat Nepali-style bread. At lunch time, people eat rice, lentils and different kinds of vegetables. In the evening, they eat bread with butter and vegetables. Apart from tea they like to drink milk, buttermilk and yoghurt if they have house animals such as cows or buffaloes.
- Do I have to pay money for the food and accommodation?
You do not have to pay for accommodation or the food that you get from the host family. However, if you want to eat some fruits which are not available in the house or if you want to cook something else which cannot be provided by the host family, you have to buy them yourself. The village youths will assist you in such things.
- How long do I have to work every day during an Au pair or internship program ?
In Nepal, school starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. daily except on Saturdays. However, you do not have to stay in the school for the whole period. You can teach two to four hours a day and three to five days a week. Your working hours depend on you and the teaching experience you already have. Since, you will be new to Nepalese society, you need to get to know the Nepalese life style first. That is why we do not want to put any pressure on you. You can decide for yourself how many hours a day and how many days a week you want to work. We want you to enjoy your time while you are with us in our village.
- Is it difficult to work in a Nepalese village? How difficult is it for foreign au pair / volunteers to adapt to the Nepalese culture?
Not many people in our village can speak English. Only few people from older generations and only some from the younger generations can understand and speak English. In such a situation a volunteer or au pair who has not been away from home before may feel a bit lonely at the beginning. If you have never lived in a foreign culture, you will experience some difficulties at the beginning to understand, communicate, and to adapt to the new culture and way of life. The people from our village do not have much opportunity to travel around the world and have little intercultural experience. That is why they are always curious when a foreign au pair or volunteer comes to our village. At your arrival they will come to see you and want to know about you. Some foreigners may feel a little uneasy about the attention, if they are not familiar with Asian culture. But you do not need to worry. Even if not all villagers can express their feelings to the guests (because of difficulties with the English language), they are very friendly and very welcoming. As our village is far away from the capital city and not many people in the village can speak English, we cooperate with a partner organisation in Kathmandu. It is an English boarding school which also organizes teaching internships. In the school in Kathmandu, only English is spoken and there will not be any language problems. In case the au pair or volunteer experiences culture shock in our village due to language, cultural or other problems and does not want to stay with us for a long time, he or she can move from our village to Kathmandu at any time to complete his or her internship or voluntary service there.
- Could a friend join me and go to Nepal at the same time too? Could she/he live in the same family?
YES, this is possible and we recommend it if there are no other au pairs or volunteers working in our village at the same time as you. We always need help in our schools, so it is no problem if you want to bring your friend along. In that case you will have someone to share your experiences with and can organize activities together with your friend independently of others' help. We can assure you that we will do everything we can to make your stay comfortable. However, the participants sometimes want to be independent and spend time in their own way. Having your friend with you will help you explore and understand our culture, as you can talk about the feelings, problems or experiences you have here. If you come together with your friend, you can live either with the same family or with a family who lives very close to you.
- What is the closest airport to the village? And how would I get from that airport to the village?
There is only one international airport in Nepal which is in Kathmandu. All international flights depart from and arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The closest national airport from our village is Dhangadi. Dhangadi is a city which is 170 km away from our village. If you change in Kathmandu and fly to Dhangadi, we will pick you up from the airport. In Dhangadi, we have organized a host family with whom you will be spending a couple of days, in order to get some rest after your travel. We will provide you with some pre-information and you will be given an introduction to our culture, so that it will be easier for you to live in our Nepali village If you fly to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will be picked up directly at the airport. Our friends in Kathmandu will organize your stay in the city. You can visit the city for a few days and then you can take a direct bus from Kathmandu to our village, which will take nearly 16 hours. It costs not more than 10 Euro /14 US dollars one way. If you hesitate to take the bus by yourself, one of our friends will accompany you. In this case, you have to pay his/her travel costs from Kathmandu to the village at least one way.
- Since the village is not close to a bigger town, is there a doctor in case something happens?
The district hospital and doctors are located in Dadeldhura which is 30 km away from our village. There are two hospitals where they also have a 24-hour emergency service. Before you start your internship program, we will organize your visit to a doctor, so that you can get enough information about precautionary measures. The doctor will instruct you about things you must take care of. For example, you should always peel fruit and vegetables carefully before eating, and make sure you buy and drink safe mineral water. If none is available, boil the water for several minutes before drinking. We strongly recommend you to bring a large enough supply of water disinfection tablets to treat the water and make it safe for use. If you do not treat the drinking water properly, you may get diarrhoea. Before coming to Nepal, please consult your doctor about necessary vaccinations and basic medicines against headache, fever, diarrhoea, etc. Please bring such basic medicines along with you. Our doctors in Nepal can also prescribe you medicine which you can buy in a drug store close to our village.
- What about the danger from different diseases that I could get there? Could you please write about the possibility of getting diseases like Malaria and others?
There is no danger of Malaria in Nepal. There used to be a problem of Malaria nearly 30-40 years ago. However, Malaria was eradicated many years ago. There is no risk of getting a particular disease in our village. However, in Nepal, as in many other developing countries, diarrhoea is one of the most common illnesses affecting travellers. It usually develops during the first week of travel but may occur at any time during a trip, or even after returning home. You can minimize your risk of diarrhoea by taking the following preventive measures:
- Avoid eating food or drinking beverages purchased from street vendors or other establishments with unhygienic conditions.
- Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat and seafood.
- Avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables unless you have peeled them yourself.
- Drink bottled carbonated beverages, or water that you are sure has been boiled for several minutes or treated with iodine/chlorine. Be aware that water bottles in remote locations are sometimes refilled with tap or stream water. Make sure the seal on the bottle is intact before you open it.
If you develop diarrhoea, the most important thing to do is drink plenty of clear liquids to replace lost fluids. Oral rehydration salts are readily available at stores and pharmacies, and can be used to help replace electrolytes. Most cases of traveler's diarrhoea last about 3-4 days. If you fall sick with diarrhea, tell the host family as soon as possible, and they will purchase for you the appropriate medicine (tablets) through which you can recover within the next three or four days.
- I can imagine that there is no internet in the village. Is there any internet access nearby? How can my family communicate with me? Is there telephone access?
Yes, you are right. There is no internet access in our village. The closest internet cafés are in Dadeldhura or Dipayal, both of which are about 30 km away from our village. If you need to check your email urgently, you can go there by bus any time. Otherwise, you can go there to check your emails regularly about once or twice a week. We do have telephones in the village now. If your parents call any local telephone number of the village, the villager will inform you within half an hour and you can either call your family back or they can recall you after half an hour. You can also buy a Nepalese Mobile Sim Card which you can use in the village. However, be careful when you buy a Sim Card. Not all networks have reception in our village. Only Telecom Sim Card can be applicable. When you arrive in Nepal, we will help you to buy a suitable Sim Card.
- How can I get around in Nepal? What are the main means of transport in Nepal?
For long-distance destinations there are express buses connecting Kathmandu with different parts of the country. For short-distance destinations there are a number of options you can take. The local microbuses with 10 to 12 seats are fast and reliable, serving most destinations in and around the cities. The larger local buses are a cheap option, but somewhat less comfortable and reliable. There are also tourist buses that can be booked through local travel agencies and hotels. A rickshaw can be used for shorter journeys but fares must be negotiated. Crowded Tempos and Toyota vans also take passengers around Nepal's cities. There are private and shared taxis available, as well as motorcycles and cars to rent.
- How much money will I need during my internship / au pair in Nepal? Any information you can provide me with would be great.
The highest amount of money will be needed for your travel costs. If you fly from Europe or America, flights are available for around $700-$1200 US dollars for a return ticket to Kathmandu, depending on the season and airline. If you fly to New Delhi, India and then come to Nepal by bus, it may be somewhat cheaper. Note that in this case you may need a multiple entry visa for India as well as one for Nepal. Please check the internet or your travel agency for information on the flight costs, the necessary visa requirements, etc. Once you are in Nepal you will not need to spend a lot of money. This is because the Nepalese currency is very low in comparison to US-dollar or Euro. Traveling from Kathmandu to our village Moi Koral Khola costs around 12-15 US-dollars one-way (around 10 €), plus the food expenses on the way. During your stay in our village, food and accommodation is free for volunteers and au pairs. However, you may need some pocket money for bus fares, travel costs, sightseeing in cities, internet and international phone calls, spare time activities, special food requirements, etc. For the every-day life you will need around 50 US-dollars a month, but if you want to go trekking before or after your stay in our village, you will have to plan for the trekking separately (the equipment may be rather expensive)! Our friends can help you organise a trekking trip, for example, in the Annapurna region or to Mt. Everest base camp. Please write or tell us in due time about your trekking plans if, so that we can find someone to help you with the preparations or travel with you.
- I don't want to stay my whole time in your village. Do you have another partner school in Kathmandu where we can work?
Yes, We do have contact with a very reputed school in Kathmandu.The school's information is given below. You can either contact them yourself or you write us so that we can make an arrangement for your stay in the school. School's Name and address: LRI Education Foundation, KalankiSthan, Kathmandu
Post Box No:12773 Phone No: +977-1-42711884278515, 4276170 Fax : +977-1-4302703 Official website: www.lrischool.edu.np Email: lrischool@enet.com.np
