We make sure our volunteers are guided through all they need to know about Nepal’s culture, traditions and etiquette before beginning their placement

Arriving to work in a foreign country can be a nerve-wracking experience, this is why at VSN we provide a friendly and in-depth welcome, induction and cultural immersion in you first week in Nepal. This is what you can expect from the moment when you touch down at Tribhuvan Intl. Airport.

Day 1: Arrival

You will be met at the airport by Sugandha, our volunteer liaison manager and will be driven to either the VSN office or your homestay. Here you can drop your bags and relax before you are introduced to your Nepali host family. Don’t worry, they will be fully trained about hosting volunteers and you won’t be left in the dark about anything: toilets, drinking water, bedding, how to work the shower, where to buy anything you need nearby, basic etiquette. If you want an early night then that is fine, but you will also be given the opportunity to ring home or send emails from the VSN office so any parents or loved ones won’t be worrying about you.

Day 2: Nepali lessons begin, a trip to local amenities and sightseeing

After a leisurely start and breakfast so you can recover from your journey, you will start your Nepali language course at the VSN office. After meeting the VSN team you will have 2 lessons from around 10.30 to 12.45 with our highly experienced language teachers. This will also give you a chance to meet any other volunteers joining at the same time. From here one of our staff will take you round the local area of Pepsi-Cola where the office and homestays are for the induction period.

You will be driven round being shown where all relevant amenities are: the nearest bank, shopping centre, internet café, food shops, post office. You will also be shown the local buses to take you into Kathmandu or to Bhaktapur and also where you can catch a taxi. You will also be told where to keep your valuables and general information about life in Nepal.

After this you will be driven with our guide to see some of Kathmandu’s famous UNESCO world heritage sites. Our guide Gelu Sherpa has over 15 years experience of taking people round the ancient city and can answer any questions you have on ancient and contemporary Nepal. You can visit the famous Buddhist Boudanath and Swayambhunath stupas as well as the Hindu temple complex of Pashupatinath. The Durbar squares on Patan and Kathmandu are also essential visits. If you have other sites you are particularly interested in then this may be integrated as well.

Day 4: Nepali lessons and a visit to VSN’s projects in the Kathmandu valley

Continued Nepali language training in the morning. After lessons you may be driven round some of VSN’s projects in the Kathmandu Valley. This may include the new CBIA school or orphanage in Pepsi-Cola suburb, or a visit to the village of Sunakoti where you will see new toilets, drinking water systems and environmental projects that have all been recently implemented by volunteers and fundraising efforts.

In the afternoon you can do more sightseeing, or if you would prefer you can take the time to explore on your own. It’s also a good opportunity to stock up with anything you may have forgotten before heading up to a rural placement. The tourist hub of Thamel will be able to furnish you with anything from Marmite to an extra pair of Merino socks.

Day 4: Transit to placement and inductions with your new host family. Final preparations to start work the following day

If you are on a longer placement of more than 2 months, this induction period will be extended to up to a maximum of a week. This will be to enable you to focus even more on Nepali language lessons to ensure you are as well prepared as possible for your time here.