Nepal is recovering from a ten-year’ civil war that had made some western governments to issue a travel advisory against visiting Nepal. However, with the assumption of Peace Process since 2007, all governments have withdrawn their warning against visiting Nepal, and the country saw a record arrival of foreign tourists in 2008 exceeding all past ten years’ record. Still the government of Nepal suffers from political instability, and various groups call for a "bandh" (forced closure of businesses, schools and halting of vehicular traffic) in drawing government’s attention to their demand. Such bandh have certainly added hassles to ordinary life and movements as such strikes have been a longstanding form of political expression in Nepal. Moreover no one can deny that road traffic in Kathmandu is simply chaotic.

However, even the U. S. Department of State in its Consular Information Sheet issued on September 14, 2005 acknowledged that the rate of violent crime is low in Kathmandu, relative to that in comparably-sized American cities. Hence, we’d not be wrong to claim that you’re no more vulnerable to crimes in Nepal than you are in your own country and city. The present government has declared a Nepal Tourism Year 2011, and banned all strikes and activities that disturb trade and tourism activities.

Still, it’d be advisable that visitors throughout Nepal find at least one companion or guide even while trekking or traveling on some popular trails or destinations. Solo travelers and trekkers are not only exposed to miscreants, but are also vulnerable to injuries and possibility of getting lost in the high mountain wilderness. Similarly it’d wise to be careful while traveling around Nepal’s unstable southern border with India.