CULTURE

Nepal has a rich cultural history, which is due in part to Nepal being sandwiched between both India and China.
The Nepalese people are generally fairly forgiving when people make a cultural hiccup, but they are extremely appreciative of visitors who are respectful to their culture and who make an effort to understand it and abide by it.
There are many behaviours in the Nepalese culture which put western cultures to shame. When visiting a Nepalese home always remove your shoes. You should also remove your shoes before entering a temple or Buddhist sanctuary. You may find however that westerners are not allowed entrance to the Hindu temples.
When eating, you should only use your right hand and ideally, you should try to drink without letting touching the drinking implement with your lips. You should also avoid ‘polluting’ food by ‘contaminating’ it with a used utensil.
You should dress modestly whilst in Nepal as the culture in Nepal is not one for exposing the body. It is not acceptable for a male to take his shirt off and equally, women should not wear revealing clothes as both actions can be deemed offensive.