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An excellent way to see the breath-taking mountains of Nepal is to take the "mountain flight". For $100 a ticket, Royal Nepal Airlines runs this flight several times a day for you to see the whole range of Himalayas in Nepal.
Don't bother. Kathmandu and Pokhara have dozens of book stores to satisfy all sorts of readers. New and used English and other European language books are available in these stores. Most will buy or trade your used books.
Condoms are cheaply available in every drug store. Pills are not.
Yes, but poor sanitation, long arduous treks, different food tastes are some of the things parents need to watch out for. Disposable diapers and baby foods are not available.
Except in tourist lodges in Kathmandu and Pokhara, the general norm is that toilets are smelly squat toilets if at all available. In most cases, the open field is all yours! Nepalese use their left hand and water to clean themselves afterwards, you may want to bring toilet paper (easily available in Nepal). Bury your produce and burn the used toilet paper for environmental and health reasons.
In most cases it is not worth the trouble. Only 10 percent of Nepal has electricity. Moreover, it is very unreliable both due to frequent black-outs and occasional surge voltage. Where and when available, the electricity is 220 volts AC. However, a battery-run short-wave radio may be helpful during treks to listen to weather forecasts and news.
An internal frame backpack is ideal. Suitcases can be very inconvenient while traveling and trekking within Nepal. Also bring along a small day-time backpack to carry around things needed while touring around during the day. A money-belt or pouch to strap around your waist for your money, passport and other valuables is recommended. Specialized gear for trekking need are available for rent in Kathmandu.
Treks may be hard for you, depending on the nature and severity of your disability. Steps, stairs and steep slopes are everywhere. A quiet holiday in Kathmandu or one of the wildlife parks in the Tarai can be great though. However, note that except in the most expensive of hotels, handicap facilities are non-existent.
Nepal, like many countries around the world, denies its naturalness. In a country where love of sexual nature is a very personal business and even heterosexual display of affection in public is absolutely frowned upon, you will be fine as long as you keep your homosexuality a private affair.
Cannabis grow wild in the hills of Nepal, though its farming is illegal. You will get your share of offers for hash, opium, heroin and other drugs. If you are not interested, just offer back a deaf ear, or politely but firmly say no: peddlers will not hassle you. If you are interested, be aware that it is illegal and can land you into a lot of trouble. Jails in Nepal can be quite an experience. That said, however, discreet possession of dope is almost riskless; just don't flash it around.
In the major towns with phone, dial 100 for the police and 102 for the fire department. Emergency in Nepal is one thing where prevention is certainly better than cure. Also, registering with your embassy or consulate in Kathmandu can help. See Diplomatic Listings to see if your country has a diplomatic mission in Nepal. For trekking related emergencies see FAQ on Trekking.
Washing machines and dryers are rare, so laundry can take a day or more depending on the weather. There are shops in the main tourist quarters which take care of this for you.
Yes, a lot. Because a foreign visitor to Nepal consumes far more resources in a day than an average Nepali would in a week, even minor environmental deliberateness on your part can add up to a lot.
When in Kathmandu, use water sparingly. Make your showers brief, for example. Water shortages in Kathmandu is very acute (especially during the dry seasons between October and May, which unfortunately also coincides with the main tourist season). Households can go without any water supply for days! On better days, direct water supply is available in neighborhood water-supply taps for about two hours in the morning and two in the evening. People carrying their day's water supply in various containers from these taps is a normal scene of early morning and early evening Kathmandu. Remember that every time you flush your toilet, you use about a family's water supply for a day. While your hotel will have a storage tank from which running water will be supplied to you through out the day, the water in the storage tank comes from the same supply network that serves the rest of the city.
While trekking, try to patronize teahouses and lodges which use kerosene, electricity or solar energy instead of wood where possible. Rely more on warm clothes than wood-stoves to keep yourself warm. Supplying for energy requirement for travelers make up a significant part of deforestation that goes on in the hills of Nepal: it has been estimated that a trekker consumes, directly or indirectly, up to ten times more firewood in a day than a Nepali. Bring back with you all unburnable litter such as plastic packaging and cans from treks. Also, if there is no latrines out in the trails, keep away from water sources. Burn used toilet paper.