Is go on road trip cheaper or is it cheaper to travel with a group?

A Record of Panoramic Tour of Nepal in Shanzhai Edition

It has been more than a week since I returned to Qingdao from Nepal. Recently, Qingdao is very cold, a few degrees below zero, which is very different from Nepal's temperature and weather. Nepal has good weather during the day, little rain, and the temperature is very suitable for people to live in. Unlike Qingdao, it's freezing this season. I seem to miss the scenery in Nepal just yesterday, where everything seems to be in front of me ~ ~

This trip to Nepal. My wife found a travel agency online and booked this trip. As an old donkey, I am really disappointed with the tour group, but I can only be regarded as a rookie on foreign routes. I can only flinch from free travel in Nepal. According to online data, at present, only Guangzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu have direct flights to Nepal, but they all have to stop in Lhasa. Unfortunately, the plane of Shanghai Airlines broke down and has now been grounded. My wife went to Nepal this time and chose a travel agency in Chengdu. Because she is going to take the doctor's professional qualification examination, the time is limited, only eight days, but we want to play all over Nepal. It is said that his wife searched "Nepal" on Baidu. Because of the incomparable yearning for Chengdu, hot pot? String? Dry pot? Even the name of the hot pot restaurant is so attractive.

Anyway, visas in Nepal are relatively simple. Our departure time is 65438+February 29th, but we will meet in Chengdu on 28th. We booked a group on the 20th, so we didn't have time to apply for an ordinary visa. We applied for an expedited visa, adding the 350 yuan/person fee. If necessary, please check the visa consultation telephone number: 028-85555 1438. Ask QQ route: 7 1378 1. This young man is very professional. It is said that only Beijing and Shanghai now have Nepalese embassies. I wonder if there is one in Guangzhou. I haven't found the relevant information yet. We booked a hotel in Chengdu through Ctrip. The name seems to be Greentree Inn. The traffic on Taisheng North Road is too heavy. Comrades from the travel agency picked us up from the airport and drove to the hotel for two hours. The newly renovated hotel is good, which gives a good impression at first sight, but it's really terrible to ask the receptionist to adjust the phone to 4 pm because she is worried that she will miss the flight from Chengdu to Kathmandu at 7 am.

CA407 0740/ 1000 This is the flight to Kadu. They said that you can see a lot of scenery on the left side of the plane, especially Mount Everest, which was sworn in. Unfortunately, we are unlucky. The plane has been in the clouds and saw nothing. I heard that goose feathers fell in Lhasa, hahahaha. We arrived in Nepal at 10 in the morning, but the time difference was 2 hours later. People there are very hardworking, so they started their business early. We all eat buffet in Nepal. On the first day, we stayed in Gokana Golf Resort, a five-star hotel, but the conditions were far from those of foreign countries. The point is that Nepal is really poor, and tourism is their pillar. However, this hotel has a good environment and has a strong sense of nationality as soon as it enters the door. The room is also very clean, and the curtains are still made of wood, which is very primitive. Especially compared with Jiuzhai Paradise in Jiuzhaigou, hotel waiters can speak Chinese, so there is no need to worry about communication. Breakfast is very rich and satisfying, and egg pancakes are especially delicious. The master said they were green eggs, which is what our hometown often said. The chickens here meet the standard of free-range chickens and eat worms happily on the grass every day. After dinner, there is fruit. My wife took an apple, smelled it all the way, and said it smelled delicious, so she couldn't bear to eat it ~ green enough.

It takes about seven hours to drive from Kadu to Chitawang. Chitawang National Forest Park, the best nature reserve in Asia, is famous for its highly dense wildlife resources, which provides opportunities to watch animals living in natural habitats. We didn't have lunch until 2 pm, and then the guide took us to visit the original Tanu village and rafted on the Narayani River in a canoe. The tour guide said that if we are lucky, we can also see wild crocodiles and beautiful waterfowl. We live in Chitwan and explore. My room can see the wide Narayani River. I imagine serving a cup of mellow coffee and a bottle of beer in this sunset. Enjoy the beautiful sunset on the Narayani River. What a wonderful and happy thing it was at that time. Today, after a long bus ride, I felt very tired, so I went to bed early.

It is said that King Chita is the cradle of hikers, traveling through the jungle in search of extinct wild animals. The guide said that if a tiger attacked, they would run to the river as fast as they could, and they were responsible for patrolling. If you meet a rhinoceros with a great change in temperament, when attacking people, you will climb up the tree and climb down. Can't climb a tree and just run around with an S, because rhinoceros is too simple and honest to run in a straight line and turn. Such a lovely rhinoceros! Of course, you can choose to ride an elephant, so don't worry. This is a super umbrella. It's a pity that an elephant has to take four people and leave after eating. The travel agency originally arranged for us to ride an elephant in the morning. Because of the strong ultraviolet rays of the sun, we stayed in a hotel and had a buffet lunch. The guide told us that we could go out and ride an elephant. Our group 19 people set out from the river and crossed the jungle. We only saw a group of excited little hairy monkeys. Actually, I'm looking forward to meeting tigers or crazy rhinos. If you walk in the jungle, don't wear short-sleeved shorts, or leeches will become your most loyal fans and feel a little disappointed. However, people in the same trade felt very lucky and finally arrived all the way smoothly. After the elephant arrived at the park, it was past 3 pm. Tour guides have been persuading friends who don't have enough fun to take rafting or cross-country jeeps. I chose the cross-country jeep, because the guide said that I could go through the jungle where animals were concentrated. In order to meet my expectations, my wife continued to cross a new journey. God pays off, and finally let me see sika deer and elk in the middle of the forest. Although I didn't see Bengal tigers wandering in the jungle, I saw greedy bears and agile leopards living leisurely in the jungle. The little jeep driver took us to the river to see the unique one-horned rhinoceros in Asia, and the price finally paid off. In the evening, I stayed in Chitwan for adventure. In the evening, the tour guide invited us to drink and watch the party, saying that the locals came back from hunting (Tanu people) to celebrate. Think about who dares to protect animals in China. Pull out a peanut and throw it away. Here, praise the black tea in Nepal. It's delicious!

It takes more than five hours to drive from Chitawang to Boccara. The road conditions are not very good, but this quiet town has its own charm. What is this? Later, I was told to check into the hotel, Grand Boccara. The environment is good, the hardware facilities are average, and the software service is good. With the qualification of a five-star hotel, after all, the requirements here cannot be too high. Friendly reminder, be sure to take the right side of the car, because when you get to Boccara, you will see endless snow-capped mountains. Instead, sit in the window on the left for the return trip. Although my wife has seen all kinds of merits and demerits before, no one has written this article. We sat back and forth in the wrong position and failed to record this beautiful scene with the camera, only regret, regret and tears! After lunch, we visited the unfathomable Devi Waterfall, which is also historic. It is said that a group of children were taking a bath under the waterfall and were hit into the valley by the rapids waterfall. David, a hunter who was drinking water by the stream, jumped into the rescue and eventually died of exhaustion. Later, people here named the waterfall David Waterfall to praise his virtue. As an old donkey, I deeply gave a military salute to the waterfall, and I was in awe of such lofty virtues. Then we went to Feiwa Lake with the tour guide and rowed on it. On the lake, we can see the continuous snow-capped mountains. The island on the lake is calm and beautiful, and there is a beautiful cloud floating in the sky at any time, which brings us very unexpected surprises at any time. If there is a rainbow, we will really have no regrets in this life. I think Lugu Lake in Sichuan was a little worse than it. . . . . . . . . . Haha, nostalgic again. . . As the saying goes, heroes don't mention their bravery. On this "small island", there is the Shakti Goddess Temple. We went ashore to the hippie street next to Feiwa Lake, where outdoor supplies are very cheap. Rothfis carrying a 90L backpack, called "killing the back" in Sichuan dialect, costs only 139 US dollars, as well as Tibetan silver jewelry, wood carvings, Buddha statues, Thangka and other handicrafts. There are shops and cafes for miles in Fiona Fang. A pure wool cashmere shawl unique to Boccara is genuine, and a good shawl costs more than Rs 1000. Of course, I won't miss this shopping and buy it for myself and my friends. Especially in Qingdao, we bought a blanket for our mother, pure wool and handmade. Although the color is not good, it is really 245 dollars by hand, but I suggest you buy it in rupees, which is much cheaper. You can find a local tour guide to change it.

It is widely rumored on the Internet that the sunrise in Boccara is beautiful. At half past five in the morning, the guide asked us to watch the sunrise. The tour guide described that it rose slowly from the snow-capped mountains, and then the gorgeous sunshine shone on the Alps, emitting golden light. As a result, we have been waiting, waiting, waiting and waiting. As a result, we didn't see anything. Even the clouds are gloomy. We paid a ticket of 40 rupees each and climbed a few small steps. When we arrived at that place at 7 o'clock, there were quite a few people there. The tour guide said that both self-help tours and tour groups are must-see attractions, especially tour groups are unlikely to arrange hiking. This is a kind of compensation for those who can't watch the sunrise on the snowy mountain at close range. As a result, it lost money again this time and the weather was not good. On this day, the travel agency arranged a free trip. We had steak for lunch, which was very authentic. Better than European steakhouse. I have nothing to do in the afternoon. My wife and a buddy in Beijing rented a bike to go around the lake, but because it was inconvenient to give it up, the buddy in Beijing didn't make it. We have nothing to do in the afternoon, and we feel a little sorry for that buddy in Beijing. Invite them to the cafe next to Lakeview Resort for tea and praise again. In the evening, we went to the local casino and gambled on the size. That guy in Beijing lost more than 400 yuan and I won 78 yuan. Haha, ginger is still spicy. I'm flattered. It's finally time to leave. Unfortunately, the travel agency has arranged the itinerary, but it's just bad luck. In fact, there are still many interesting things in Boccara, and we didn't go to many waterfalls, which is related to our unprofessional homework before. I will definitely come back next time. Otherwise, we will miss too many things. When traveling, you just can't let go of any scenic spot, whether it's beautiful or ugly. You always have a comparison between them in your mind. After the comparison, you can raise your feelings to a higher level, right?

It's time to leave this beautiful town, which is called Boccara and is the second largest city in Nepal. Except for a few people, it is no different from Canada. Foreign countries are very advanced, and there are planes going to small places. My wife and my brothers in Beijing and I flew back to Canada by small plane because we didn't want to waste a few hours on the road. USD: 100 yuan/person for half an hour. Colleagues who took the bus broke down on the road and didn't arrive in Kadu until eight o'clock in the evening, but we had been drinking tea in Kadu to buy gifts and crossed the alley to Taobao before meeting them at the hotel. This time, we didn't stay at GOKARNA Golf Resort in Kadu. The tour guide said there was no room, so we had to change to Crowne Plaza Soaltee in Kathmandu. At first, we didn't agree. I was afraid to change to a poor one, but after I went there, I realized that the hotel's hardware facilities and services were better than before. Finally, we settled down satisfactorily and prepared to go back to Chengdu. In the evening, my brothers in Beijing invited my wife and me to dinner, and then they said they would take a gamble and win it back. Ha ha ha ha, as a result. . . . Therefore, announce to the public that gambling should not be too greedy. Flight CA 4081100/1655 flies to Chengdu. I won't write more about Chengdu.

To sum up, the tour fee for one person is 7460 yuan/person, including international airport tax 1260 yuan. The comrades in the travel agency forgot to forget it. I was informed when I was in Nepal. I didn't know it in advance, and the contract clearly stated that it included tax. My wife denies it, and my brother in Beijing says so, but I don't think we Shandong people ever owe anyone. We can't be blacked out by this little profit. Moreover, the young man who received me was also very kind. Finally, we made up the rest of the money and finally felt at ease. Don't say that the young man in the travel agency is really good, from Chengdu. Although I didn't go to Naga Pavilion this time (I will walk next time), the travel agency arranged it reasonably, which surprised me, much better than some Beijing and Shanghai. Very suitable for lazy people who don't check the guidebook. I'll go and see for myself next time. The tour fare is very cost-effective, at least cheaper than booking your own air ticket, and the route is reasonable. This is a pleasant trip.

Finally, I'll give you a hint: some practical considerations about Nepal's tourism. Of course, I copied the tips given to us by the travel agency. Ha ha. No offense, guys, but this is very useful. Hmm. How interesting

Matters needing attention in Nepal tourism

Currency: The official currency of Nepal is the rupee, 1 USD = about 63 rupees. Foreign exchange must be exchanged through a bank or an officially authorized foreign exchange dealer, and the changer should ask for and keep a receipt in the exchange transaction. If you directly exchange RMB, the folk exchange rate is about 1: 8.5, but the change on the street is only about 1: 8.3.

Clothing: From September to March, Nepal is cool in the morning and evening, so it is necessary to wear a thin sweater or coat, but the temperature will rise to about 25 degrees during the day; The weather is sultry from April to June, with showers in the evening; June to September is the rainy season, and the rainfall is amazing. During this time, you should bring a breathable and waterproof windbreaker to Nepal. Whether you are hiking or not, you should also prepare a pair of hiking shoes. Supplies for mountaineering can be rented or purchased in Kathmandu or Boccara. Most of these materials are left by the mountaineering team, which is practical and cheap. Please take your bathing suit and go rafting. You should also bring sunscreen in summer.

Health care: Nepal Customs is very lenient in quarantine of inbound passengers, but for its own safety, it is best to receive complete preventive injections for dysentery, typhoid fever, cholera and tetanus. There is a popular enteritis in Nepal called "Kathmandu dysentery". Don't drink raw water and try to avoid eating vegetables, salads and fruits raw. Malaria in the South Asian subcontinent is not an epidemic area in Nepal, but in forest areas, such as Chitwan National Zoo, mosquito repellent should be brought in hot season, and blood leeches should be carefully guarded in rainy season. In addition, the personal medical kit should also include a wide variety of antibiotics, aspirin, sore throat medicine, sunscreen, disinfectant and bandage gauze.

Time: Nepal time is 5 hours and 45 minutes faster than GMT, and 2 hours 15 minutes slower than Beijing.

Power supply voltage: 240 volts. The plugs of Kathmandu Hotel are round heads of hatchback or sedan, and the plugs of National Forest Park and Boquera are round heads of two phases, so it is better to bring a universal plug.

Communication: Mobile communication in Nepal is underdeveloped. Although I successfully applied for roaming, the mobile phone I took out still doesn't work. There are many internet cafes in Kathmandu, so it is convenient to make phone calls and send emails.

Tipping: It has become a common practice for foreign tourists to tip hotels and restaurants. Most hotels, guesthouses and restaurants charge 10% service fee. The usual tip for hotel waiters or doormen is 5 to 65,438+00 rupees. Taxi drivers don't have to give it, but if the service is particularly thoughtful, it doesn't hurt to give more.

Folk taboos: In the face of diverse national cultures and deep-rooted cultural traditions, foreign travelers should pay attention to some taboos when communicating with local people:

Nepal's greeting is "namaste", and the corresponding action is to put your hands together;

Take off your shoes before entering temples and houses in Nepal;

Be careful not to touch other people's food or tableware with your own knife, fork, spoon or hand;

Don't touch Nepalese things with your feet, which is considered a serious offense;

Pay attention to dress, especially female travelers don't wear revealing clothes;

You must get permission before entering a Hindu temple, because the temple is not open to non-believers;

Fur items are strictly prohibited from being brought into the temple;

Walking around the temple or stupa should be clockwise;

Permission should be obtained before taking pictures (whether for people or things);

Public intimacy between men and women is not liked;

Remember: in many cases, Nepalese will shake their heads to show their agreement.