| It's
hard to generalize about the climate of
a country ranging in elevation from near
sea level to Mount Everest. About the only
thing that can be said is that all but a
few parts of Nepal are governed by the same
monsoon pattern, with temperatures varying
according to elevation (see chart). Five
seasons prevail in Nepal, but these are
not mere meteorological divisions: when-ever
you choose to go, you'll have to weigh weather
against other factors, both positive (mountain
visibility, festivals, wildlife) and negative
(crowds, disease).
Probably half of all tourists
visit Nepal in the Autumn (October
to November), and for good reasons.
The weather is clear and dry, and temperatures
will not too cold in the high country nor
too hot in the Tarai. with the air washed
clean by the monsoon rains, the mountains
are at their most visible, making this the
most popular time for trekking. Two major
festivals also fall during this season.
The downside, however, is that the tourist
quarters are heaving and hustly, it's hard
to find a decent room, you'll waltages for
food and for trekking permits, and people
are short on ready smiles and chat.
In winter (December
and January), the snow line descends
to 2.000 - 3000m and though it never snows
in Kathmandu, the "mists of India"
make the capital feel cold and clammy (especially
in unheated budget lodgings). Most travelers
head down into India, leaving the trekking
routes and guest houses fairly quiet too
quiet, sometimes, as many restaurants pare
down their menus for the season.
 Spring
(February to mid-April), brings
warmer temperatures, longer days, weddings
and more festivals. The rhododendrons are
in bloom in the hills towards the end of
this period, and in the Tarai the thatch
has been cut, making this the best time
for viewing wildlife. All of which creates
another tourist crush, albeit not quite
as bad as in the autumn. The one factor
that keeps people away is a disappointing
haze that obscures the mountains from lower
elevations, though it's usually possible
to trek above it. The pre-monsoon (mid-April
to early June) is stifling at lower elevations,
and dusty wind squalls are common. People
get a little edgy with the heat; this is
the time for popular unrest, but also for
the Kathmandu Valley's great rain-making
festival. Trek high, where the temperatures
are more tolerable.
Nepal welcomes the Monsoon (June
to September), which breaks the
enervating monotony of the previous months,
and makes the fields come alive with rushing
water and green shoots. The rains rinse
and renew the land. This can be a fascinating
time to visit, when Nepal is at its most
Nepali, but there are many drawbacks: mountain
views are rare, leeches come out in force
along the mid-elevation trekking routes,
roads wash out, flights get canceled, and
disease runs rampant as the rising water
table brings the entire contents of Kathmandu's
sewers to the surface. |
