Taking money into Nepal

[mattconnock]

Hi,

I have tried to change UK Pounds into Nepal Rupees (and Indian Rupees) and been told that this cannot be done. there is apparently a 0 import/export on this currency.

Is this correct? Is the usual thing to take travellers cheques and/or US Dollars into the country and then change them into the local currency? (Would be good to have some kind of cash when arriving in the country!)

[julia]

You are right about not being able to get rupees here.

We took american dollars in cash only, no travellers cheques. Hid it in various different places! But it wasnt hard to change at your hotel etc. I know what you mean about taking some cash with you to start with, but they will accept dollars if necessary, so take some small notes.

Julia

[Buddhamountain]

No worries, you can change your $/£ at the ktm airport, even before you get out of the building ....

ps: there will be a bunch of guys waiting to carry your bag and then they want a tip but you won't have any coins ..... mhhh:rolleyes:

[mattconnock]

No worries then. We'll go armed with nice, shiny, crisp US dollars.

Now, if only sorting out the elections was as easy as that....

thanks for your help.

[Escher]

Personally I take some US dollars for backup and to pay for internal flights. For rupees I just draw them out of an ATM there are quite a few in Kathmandu now and some in Pokhara too. The charges are not dissimilar when converting your money to dollars in any case and it is more convenient. All the money changers will take sterling too. In town most people will take a mixture of rupees, dollars or sterling. They will just send someone off to go get it changed if you want to pay for something. In the hills carry rupees and some dollars for emergencies.

[Spaceman347]

I'm with Yakshaver. I just took some backup US currency and withdrew rupees from the ATMs (off visa, no access to savings account) in Kathmandu. They, well the one I kept using anyway, will spit out 30,000 at a time. No problems.

I was chatting to an American girl at the airport on my way to Lukla and see was asking around as to whether you could get money on the EBC trek. Apparently see only had 800NRs on her and "hadn't had a chance" to organise any more local currency. I'd suggest being a little bit more organised than that.

*Edit: sorry I'm not with Yakshaver on this one, I'm with Escher.... to used to Yakshaver jumping in with all the answers.

[Oli]

I've got a couple of hundred rupees in my wallet, ready for the taxi from airport to Thamel. I'll take a selection of US$, GB£ & travellers cheques. And as Escher said, the ATMs in Thamel & Pokhara are handy.

Buying rupees is no problem.

Change as much as you need, there are plenty of things to spend it on. But try not to have too much cash left when you are leaving becasue there are limits on changing back to real money. If bring any home then you'd get more selling it on ebay than from a bank. Or you could save it for the taxi from the airport for the next time you go back.... ;)