Staying healthy in Nepal is easy to do if you follow some common sense guidelines. From the moment you arrive in Nepal you need to be especially diligent in relation to your health and hygiene. It doesn’t matter if you’re staying in a 5 star hotel (no such thing really in Nepal) or a $2 a night infested room.
The number one golden rule is you must NEVER drink water from any taps, rivers or streams. It doesn’t matter how clean that river water might look… there will definitely be someone or something defecating in it further upstream. Sad but true. Remember to keep your mouth closed when in the shower and only ever clean your teeth with bottled water or water that has been boiled for at least 15 minutes. Even in the best hotels in Nepal you must not drink water from the taps and you must keep your mouth closed while showering. Adopting a conservative approach in relation to your food choices in Nepal is a wise move and generally speaking, the less meat the better off you’ll be! Unfortunately, staying healthy in Nepal and eating meat don’t really go hand-in-hand.
Of course, if you’re ordering meat from a reputable hotel or source then you should be okay, the main thing here is to know what you’re getting and you need to trust the supplier. Staying healthy in Nepal won’t just happen… you need to help make it happen!
More valuable tips for staying healthy in Nepal include:
• Always wash your hands before you eat and allow them to drip dry unless you have your own towel
• Never drink water that has not been boiled or is not bottled. Even some bottled waters can be suspect so always check that they are properly sealed before you consume them
• Wet-Ones and alcohol based hand sanitisers are very useful and readily available in Kathmandu
• Your fluid intake must remain high when trekking and climbing as dehydration is common (3 litres of fluid a day is recommended)
• Do not pat or handle any animals, anywhere in Nepal EVER
• Use plenty of sunscreen (15 +) during the day and always wear a hat when the sun is out. The sun in Nepal is very powerful and you will burn (especially at higher altitudes) if not protected
If you are trekking or climbing in Nepal, we also recommended that you carry you own personal medical kit containing the following:
Sunscreen and moisturiser including lip balm
Band-Aids and leukoplast style blister strips
Wet-wipes or similar – anti-bacterial wipes are excellent for keeping your hands clean and giving yourself a wipe down
Electrolyte powder for adding to your drinking water (great for fluid replacement purposes)
Throat lozenges and cold and flu tablets
General antiseptic cream
A general antibiotic such as Bactrim, Noroxin or Ciprofloxacin (you will need to obtain a prescription for these)
Anti-diarrhoea treatment such as Imodium
Panadol or equivalent paracetamol for headache remedy
Prescribed medicines if you require them
Multivitamins including Vitamin C
Don’t hesitate to contact us at Trek Climb Ski Nepal for any advice you need in relation to staying healthy in Nepal. We’ve been leading trekking, climbing and skiing expeditions in Nepal for years and our health and safety protocols are second to none. The success of our trips (individually and collectively) depends on all our clients staying healthy throughout the duration so we work hard to make sure they do.
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