Any time of the year. We are very flexible in starting your training any time you arrive.
You will be met outside the airport terminal by an WE VOLUNTEER Nepal representative holding a placard with your name on it who will then escort you to the guest house or training center. Please provide us your flight information as soon as possible so that a punctual pick-up can be assured.
Though petty theft is not as common in Nepal as in, say, neighboring India, it does still exist – and foreigners are the primary targets. As such, it is important to exercise caution and travel smartly. Bring a bag that you can wear crossed over your body, or if you have a backpack, bring a lock. Don’t flash around money or other valuables, and keep an eye on your belongings – especially while taking public transportation.
The program fees are due when your training commences. Currently we do not accept traveller’s cheques or credit cards. We prefer payment in Euros, but can accept Nepalese Rupees or Dollors as well. If you wish to extend your volunteering program you must discuss this with WE-VOLUNTEER NEPAL and pay the fee accordingly.
There is no insurance and so we recommend that you get your own travel medical insurance to protect yourself in case of illness or lost or damaged property
Once the volunteer commences training, having paid the fee and received a receipt, We Volunteer Nepal does not refund program fees. However, if due to unavoidable circumstances (e.g. serious illness, family bereavement), We Volunteer Nepal will consider a refund of 30% of the Host Family Costs, provided the volunteer is registered for a programs of more than 30 days. No refund will be offered for programs of less than 30 days.
During the first phase of the training period, you will either stay at Volunteer’s Home or a Guest House in Kathmandu. Starting with the first date of your training class, We Volunteer Nepal will pay for your hotel and basic food costs during your stay. When you return from your placement, We Volunteer Nepal will pay for up to two nights of your accommodation. Note this is include your duration of program. You will be responsible for the costs of your Transportation, accommodation and food for the rest of your time in Nepal.
WE VOLUNTEER NEPAL will organize the transportation to and from your placement and ensure that you arrive safely.
Currently, we are sending volunteers to villages within the Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan and its surrounding villages, the rural areas around Pokhara, Langtang, and the Everest region.
Yes, placements are decided based upon program vacancy and volunteer’s skills. We do try, however, 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 endeavor to accommodate them. Your placement village will be finalized during your training week.
Depending on your particular placement, your host family may or may not have a telephone within their home. Most villages will have one phone that can accept incoming and outgoing international calls. In addition, most placements are within an hour travel to a major city that provides email/internet and/or international phone service.
That said, in case of an emergency, your family/friends may contact We Volunteer Nepal. We will do our best to get a message to the individual as quickly as possible. You must understand that the infrastructure in Nepal is not as reliable as in more developed countries. In some cases it may be hours or even a day before a message can get through to a volunteer.
An We Volunteer Nepal staff member will not be in your placement village throughout your stay. However, each village has a local ‘point person’ to assist the volunteer with any issues that may arise in the village. If there is a problem that he or she can not resolve, then they will contact an We Volunteer Nepal staff person to provide assistance.
During the placement our staff person will provide site visits (the number determined by your length of stay), and/or will contact the volunteer via phone or email to provide regular ‘check-ins’ .
In Kathmandu, health care is relatively good – and also very inexpensive. In your placement, however, the same cannot be said. Some placements are close to Kathmandu or Pokhara (another large city), but if you are in a village, there will be little to no access to health care. There probably won’t even be access to medication, so we recommend that you bring your own mini-pharmacy.
If you are a technology junkie, Nepal is not the place for you. If you have all of this equipment you will not only have to bother with storing and securing all of this equipment, but you will look quite affluent to your family and village. The villagers may approach you for funding. While most placements have electricity there is a rolling blackout at different times during the day – even in Kathmandu. It’s thus likely not worth bringing a laptop.
There are email cafes in most areas in and around large cities like Kathmandu or Pokhara. Email is a dial up connection (sloooow) and is generally 20-100 rupees/hr. Some host families do offer you internet, but it is better you do not accept or go online for only a few minutes as this is extremely expensive. In our most remote placements, there is no internet access.
Digital Cameras and video cameras are a good idea. You can also buy these quite affordably in Kathmandu. Nepali children all love being filmed and having their picture taken. It is a good idea to make sure you have a large memory card and extra batteries, or ones that can take ‘AA’ batteries if you’re in a pinch. You can download the pictures to a CD in Thamel – the tourist area close to the office.
If you choose, you can be provided basic TEFL instruction during your training period, but it would be helpful for you to brush up on your grammatical knowledge of the English language. You could also consider bringing any English language textbooks, and or TEFL books that you may find useful as they are difficult to find in Nepal.
The width of Nepal is only about 200 km on average, but within this short distance the altitude of the land rises from lowly 60m to all the way up to above 8000m. Hence the weather depends upon the altitude of the place in Nepal. However, in general Nepal has four climatic seasons: Summer, Monsoon, Autumn and Winter.
Summer is from March to May. The temperature of this season fluctuates between 20 °C to 30 °C (68 °F to 86°F). Monsoon lasts from June to August. These are also the per-monsoon months with occasional evening-thunderstorms and hot temperature. Autumn starts from September and ends by November. During this period, the climate is dry and mild with temperature fluctuating between 20 °C to 30 °C (68 °F to 86 °F). Winter starts from December to February. The morning and evening are very cold while the afternoon is pretty sunny. The temperature during these months rises from 15 °C to 20 °C (59 °F to 68 °F).
It’s difficult to give an exact amount of money that you should bring. Costs will vary according to how much time you spend traveling on your own, whether or not you go trekking/traveling, if you drink beer (!), how often you phone home / use the internet etc.
That said, living in the village is very cheap as you will not have to pay for your main food or accommodation and there is very little for you to spend your money on! During your training and placement you are responsible for any incidentals (sodas, snacks, etc.) that you may accrue. We recommend purchasing one of the travel guides, such as the Lonely Planet for Nepal to help you estimate how much money you may need. Don’t forget that you also need to budget for program fees, visa fees and your flight and any extra activities, extra transportation and extra food.
There are ATM’s in Kathmandu and Pokhara. You can also exchange your money into rupees at a number of locations in Thamel, or cash traveler’s checks at a bank. If you’re in a pinch, there are Western Union facilities in both Kathmandu and Pokhara. There is NO credit/debit card system here – leave your card at home.
We would be very grateful for educational books (grammar, TEFL, science, health, etc.,) illustrated books, English novels and children’s books. Also very much appreciated are donations of clothes, art supplies, and stationery.
The Nepali people are very friendly, and giving gifts to the volunteer on the day of their departure is very common. If you would like to bring gifts for your family, below are some suggestions:
• A framed picture of yourself and your Nepali family (you can have this made while in Nepal)
• A small photo album with pictures of you and your family/friends from home
• A ‘coffee table’ book of your home town or country
• Posters, stickers or magazine pictures from your country
• Children’s books
• T-shirts (new) from your country
• Flags
Whatever you decide to give your host family, please consider the next volunteer. Buying your family something elaborate or expensive will create an expectation in them to receive similar presents in the future. It is better to give them something sentimental (representative of your time with them or of your home country).
This will vary depending on what activities you want to participate in (trekking, white water rafting, Jungle safari etc.) and how much you need to be comfortable during your placement. With the exception of medicine, first-aid-kit and high-tech trekking gear, you can buy everything that you would need for your placement in Kathmandu (likely cheaper than in your home country). Here are a few suggestions:
• Sleeping Bag
• Hiking boots
• Tevas/ flip flops
• Fleece jacket (during winter months)
• Light-weight cotton clothing (see Program Guide and Volunteer Room for details)
• Waterproof jacket (a fold-away windcheater is fine)
• (Women) Sarong (or you can buy a lungi cheaply in Nepal)
• Mosquito repellent
• Sun cream
• Water purification tablets and/or good quality water purifier
• First aid kit
• Flashlight (torch)
• Penknife
• Books about your country
• Photos of your family / friends / home (essential!)
• Souvenirs for your family and staff from your country
• A few examples of your local currency
• Music CDs
• Basic Learner’s English/Nepali/English dictionary – for simple definitions (buy a Nepali dictionary on arrival in Kathmandu)
• Magazines
• Coloured pencils and pens, drawing books, stickers
• Inflatable globe
• Books on teaching English/English Grammar for your reference
Most things are available here – shampoos, soaps, shaving products, toothpastes. It is recommended, however, that women bring tampons (if they wear them), as you cannot get those in Nepal. Hand sanitizer/ wipes should also be brought from home, as well as any name-brand/prescription medicine. Since rice is eaten with every meal here, some people may have constipation problems – volunteers should thus consider bringing fiber vitamins!
You should consider the following vaccinations, however, please consult your doctor / local travel clinic for the latest recommendations regarding vaccines and Nepal:
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Polio
Hepatitis A & B
Typhoid
Yellow fever
Rabies
Tuberculosis
Malaria tablets
Generally we do not allow people under 18 to volunteer with us. However, if you have a responsible adult with you or are part of a school group we can make exceptions. Please just get in touch to discuss the details.
