Nepal is a predominantly rural society, and its rich culture and ethnic diversity are best experienced in its villages. A growing number of program's enable visitors to stay overnight in private homes in traditional villages far from the tourist trails.

A few language institutes and other organizations in Kathmandu also organize informal home stays with individual families in and around the valley. Most of these are intended specifically to provide Nepali language immersion, but at least one program is set up for tourists just wanting to spend a weekend with a Nepali family.

Clothing and the body
Nepalese are innately conservative in their attitudes to clothing. Not a few are still shell-shocked from the hang-loose styles of the hippy era, and wary of all budget travelers as a result. A woman is expected to dress modestly, with legs and shoulders covered, especially in temples and monasteries: a dress or skirt that hangs to mid-calf level is best; trousers are acceptable, but shorts or a short skirt are offensive to many. A man should always wear a shirt in public, and long trousers if possible (men who wear shorts are assumed to be of a low caste). It's equally important to look clean and well groomed - travelers are rich, Nepalese reckon, and ought to look the part. You can flout these traditions, but you'll only shut yourself off from the happy encounters with locals that make traveling in Nepal so pleasant.

Still other conventions pertain to the body. In Nepal, the forehead is regarded as the most sacred part of the body and the feet the most unclean. It's impolite to touch an adult Nepali's head, and it's an insult to kick someone. (The Nepali equivalent of tarring and feathering is to force a person to wear a garland of shoes.) Don't put your feet on chairs or tables, and when sitting, try not to point the soles of your feet at anyone. On a related note, it's bad manners to step over the legs of someone seated: in a crowded place, Nepalese will wait for you to draw in your feet so they can pass.

Temples and Homes in Nepal
Major Hindu temples or their inner sanctums are usually off-limits to non-believers, who are technically outcastes. Respect this: what seems like elitism is just Hindus' way of keeping a part of their culture sacred in a country where nearly everything is open to inspection by outsiders. In most cases, you can see everything from outside anyway. Where you are allowed in, be respectful, take your shoes off before entering, don't take photos unless you've been given permission, and leave a few rupees in the donation box. Leather is usually not allowed in temple precincts. Don't touch offerings, nor people when they're on their way to shrines or are in the process of worshipping. A pedestal supporting the deity's carrier usually marks the front of a shrine, and/or a lotus-carved stone embedded in the ground: these define the territory of the shrine, where it's particularly important to be reverent.

Similar sensitivity is due at Buddhist temples and monasteries. If you're granted an audience with a lama, it's traditional to present him with a khada (a ceremonial white scarf, usually sold nearby). Walk around Buddhist stupas and monuments clockwise - that is, keep the monument on your right.

If invited for a meal in a private home, bring an appropriate gift such as fruit. Take your shoes off when entering, or follow the example of your host. When the food is served you'll be expected to serve yourself first, so you won't be able to follow your host's lead. Don't take more than you can eat - it is polite to ask for seconds. The meal is typically served at the end of a gathering; when the eating is done, everyone gets up and leaves.