Car hire Nepal - Safety

Book car rentals in Nepal now!

Safety

SAFETY/SECURITY: The Department of State issued a Travel Warning on October 22, 2003, advising U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to Nepal. On October 31, 2003, the Department of State designated the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) as a terrorist organization under Executive Order 13224. This designation blocks the Maoists’ assets in the U.S. or held by U.S. persons wherever located and bars most transactions with the Maoists, including but not limited to the making or receiving of any contribution of funds, goods, or services to or for the benefit of those persons designated under the Executive Order. Since November 2001 Maoist insurgents have carried out attacks on Nepali security forces and government facilities in most parts of the country. Maoist cadres also have engaged in a variety of guerrilla and terrorist tactics that have victimized, and in many cases brutalized, civilians. The insurgents have detonated explosive devices both within and outside the Kathmandu Valley, causing numerous injuries and some fatalities. The random, indiscriminate, and unpredictable nature of these attacks creates the risk of U.S. citizens in Nepal being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In a November 2002 press release, the Maoists claimed responsibility for targeting and murdering two locally hired U.S. Embassy security guard employees in separate incidents. Moreover, increasing armed extortion by rebels of trekkers and some assaults on trekkers who refused to pay, the burning down of two lodges with foreign tourists present for failure to pay extortion demands, attacks on the property of several businesses perceived to have an affiliation with the United States, and continuing anti-American rhetoric by the Maoist leadership could portend a threat to U.S. citizens in Nepal, particularly outside the Kathmandu Valley. The Embassy cannot rule out the potential for violence anywhere, even in traditional tourist areas.

Maoists have attacked the offices of several non-governmental organizations (NGO's), their local partners, and multinational businesses working in Nepal. NGO workers report widespread harassment and extortion by rebels. Some workers have left their projects in rural areas because of concerns about possible rebel violence and in response to Maoist threats. A statement by the Maoists on October 21, 2003, threatened attacks against or disrupt of international non-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations funded or run by "American imperialism."

In most areas outside the Kathmandu Valley, the situation is tense and uncertain. Of Nepal's 75 Districts, all but one have suffered violence and/or armed conflicts relating to the Maoist insurgency. Rebel armed attacks, landmine explosions and vehicle burnings occur sporadically on main highways, including the roads linking Kathmandu with the Tibetan and Indian borders and with the tourist destinations of Pokhara, Annapurna Conservation Area, and Chitwan National Park. Visitors throughout Nepal, including in Kathmandu, should avoid public buses and use metered taxis. The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu requires pre-clearance of all travel outside the Kathmandu Valley by U.S. Government employees and forbids official employees to travel to many districts outside Kathmandu. U.S. citizens who decide to travel outside the Valley are strongly urged to contact the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu to discuss and register their planned itinerary and to receive the most recent security information before traveling. Nighttime road travel should be strictly avoided outside the Kathmandu Valley and minimized within Kathmandu.

Hikers or mountain bikers in areas on or near the rim of the Kathmandu Valley, such as Shivapuri National Park, should be particularly cautious when traversing military camps or checkpoints and carefully follow the commands of military personnel. Residents or tourists transiting these areas should take special care and be aware that military installations and checkpoints are often protected with defensive explosive devices. Movement in such areas at or after dusk should not be undertaken.

-BANDHS (GENERAL STRIKES): A "bandh" (forced shutdown) is a longstanding form of political expression in Nepal and has been used frequently by the Maoists. Bandhs are enforced through intimidation and violence, with past bandhs resulting in the shutdown of businesses, schools, offices and vehicular traffic. Both within and outside the Kathmandu Valley the rebels have established a pattern of bombings, targeted assassinations (usually of security personnel), and other acts of intimidation prior to scheduled bandhs. In the lead-up to past bandhs, Maoists have attacked public buses, Nepalese Government vehicles, schools and private businesses with firebombs and explosive devices in an effort to terrorize the population into observing the strike. They have attacked civilian vehicles as well. In anticipation of a bandh planned for September 2003, for example, rebels detonated nearly a dozen small bombs in the heart of Kathmandu, injuring seven and killing a student.

Inside the Kathmandu Valley, U.S. citizens are urged to pay attention to the volume of traffic on the roads, waiting until a pattern of traffic is well established before undertaking travel, and to maintain a low profile throughout bandh periods. Buses, taxis, and other forms of public transportation may not operate during a bandh. Observance of bandhs, particularly in the transportation sector, may be higher outside the Valley, where a number of private buses and trucks have been stopped and torched and their drivers beaten. U.S. citizens are strongly urged to avoid road travel outside the Kathmandu Valley during scheduled bandhs, and to exercise additional caution both during the lead-up to and during the bandhs. If you are planning air travel to or from Nepal during scheduled bandhs be aware that transportation to and from airports throughout Nepal could be affected.

U.S. citizens are advised to consult the U.S. Embassy web-site at http://nepal.usembassy.gov for up-to-date information on upcoming bandhs as well as the latest security information.

U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements can be found.

The Overseas Citizens Services call center at 1-888-407-4747 can answer general inquiries on safety and security overseas. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-317-472-2328.