New Nepal is in our sights

Nepal has for years been a popular and relatively safe destination for WA travellers seeking enlightenment and adventure in the Kathmandu Valley.

But in 2025, Gen Z protests and civil unrest prompted Smartraveller’s advice to Australians to “reconsider your need to travel”.

This advice has now been lowered to “exercise a high degree of caution”.

What’s changed?

Look no further than the rise of charismatic hip-hop artist and structural engineer Balendra Shah — who at 35 is Nepal’s youngest Prime Minister ever.

Just last month (March 2026), Balen, as he’s affectionately known, was swept to power as leader of the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party — in large part because of widespread economic and political dissatisfaction among younger Nepalis, fed up with what they saw as an aging, irrelevant ruling elite.

It’s easy to see Balen’s youth appeal. In 2012, he kicked off his rap career fighting it out in Nepali rap battles and plunging up to his neck in the underground hip-hop scene.

A strong showing in Nepali rap competition series Raw Barz further accelerated his career, as did the steady stream of rage-filled social and political justice-focused songs such as Sadak Balak (Street Child) and the viral sensation Balidan (Sacrifice):

You wrap yourself in the flag and call it duty, but your hands are in the till while the streets fall apart. You boast you guard the borders of this nation, yet you cannot guard a child from hunger or a worker from debt. You speak of sacrifice in microphones and motorcades, but the only blood you risk is the ink on your signatures. The ones who truly paid — the dead, the disappeared, the broken — are missing from your speeches, their names edited out of history.

Balen is social-media savvy, straight-talking and walks the walk — as his achievements during his term as Mayor of Kathmandu (2022-2026) suggest.

Some of these were the result of a renewed focus on infrastructure and public services. For example, there are now tactile pavements for the visually impaired, while dilapidated Newari falcha, or traditional resting places, have been restored. Balen also prioritised government transparency and the improvement of education and healthcare.

Nepal remains a country steeped in Hindu and Buddhist culture. A renewed enthusiasm for heritage conservation sits comfortably alongside such innovations as the introduction of digital signatures for permits.

This treasuring of tradition and tech under Balen’s stewardship bodes well for the country’s future.

fact file

DFAT’s advice to “exercise a high degree of caution” when in Nepal means potential travellers should stay abreast of the latest Smartraveller updates. There is lingering protest activity, while general strikes (bandhs) have the potential to disrupt essential services and transport.

smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/nepal