Nepal has grown accustomed to tipping though many hotels and better restaurants generally include a tip/ service charge with your final bill and therefore render tipping unnecessary. However, if no service charge is included – then 10% is perfectly acceptable. You will find that some establishments use a tipping box – use this as tips are then divided equally between all staff. 20 rupees is sufficient for anyone carrying your bag. For longer taxi rides it’s generally accepted to simply ‘round up’ the fare.
One thing to be aware of when eating in Nepal is to not handle anybody else’s food, as once you touch anything with your lips it is considered contaminated. Pass food only when in containers, and only using your right hand (using only your right hand for all kinds of gestures and for transferring money is also quite normal). If for example, you want to take a drink from somebody else’s bottle, then try to make sure that the bottle does not touch your lips. Use your common sense whilst dressing – as in most other countries in South East Asia – you will need to dress respectfully while visiting temples – this means covering up your shoulders and below the knee.
