How far out of your comfort zone will you venture on your trip? Discover here a few points that may surprise you.

Food and beverages

Tap water is not drinkable in Nepal. You should purchase sealed bottles and refill them at safe water sources. During treks, it's advisable to carry water purification tablets to reduce plastic waste. Additionally, above a certain altitude, bottled water prices skyrocket.

Nepalese people have many national dishes, such as Thali or Momos, which they eat by hand. However, most will provide you with cutlery if you ask. Killing a cow is strictly forbidden by Nepalese law. You won't find beef, but buffalo meat, which tastes quite similar.

Shopping

There are very few supermarkets in Nepal, but you'll find small shops on nearly every corner where you can get everything you need. Pasta, rice, and vegetables are sold by the kilogram, unpackaged—a truly good habit for reducing plastic consumption!

Here, everything can be negotiated: taxis, clothing, hotels, food. Shopkeepers tend to raise prices when they see foreigners; always try to halve the asking price, then agree on a fair price together. Remember that it's still normal for you to pay more than a local—your incomes aren't the same…

Man-woman relationships

While cross-gender friendships are embedded in French culture, they're still far from the norm in Nepalese culture. As for relationships outside of marriage, they remain marginal and are largely confined to major cities. The younger generation, more liberated, is more open to the subject but remains attached to their traditions. Even today, 95% of marriages are arranged, and couples are very discreet. Public displays of affection are frowned upon, so it's best to keep affectionate gestures for private moments. Unlike India, unmarried couples can easily book a hotel room together.

Hygiene

Toilet paper use remains marginal among Nepalese people. Tourism expansion has made it easy to find in lodges and shops, though. Nepalese typically use water via a spray or bucket for cleaning. The left hand is also reserved for this purpose, and using it for anything else is considered very offensive. Indian-style toilets, as they're called locally, are found almost everywhere, unlike Western toilets. However, the latter have become more common in tourist facilities.

As a woman, it can be difficult to find menstrual hygiene products outside major cities. This is a taboo subject in rural Nepal that many organizations are working to address.