Floods, glacial collapse, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, wildfires, and more unpredictable disasters are happening all over the world. I recently flew to Nepal — shortly after the devastating 2026 floods — but first postponed my trip to decide whether it was still safe or ethical to go. For now, I think it’s still worth visiting Nepal. Kathmandu and Pokhara are carrying on as usual, but I’d hold off on trekking for now. Here’s why.
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My decision to visit Nepal in 2026
When the floods hit Nepal at the end of August 2026, I was only three days out from my flight departing Vancouver to Kathmandu.
My partner Chesney was in Sri Lanka and I was in Canada, and we were due to meet in Kathmandu on September 1. We postponed the trip mainly to give Nepal time to recover from the news that hundreds if not thousands of people had died as the death toll climbed, and partly for our own safety, as it was unclear whether a second flood would come. Changing our tickets to meet in Bangkok instead was surprisingly easy.
We postponed the trip by 10 days, following news stories closely and watching distressing footage of the destruction to stay informed. We were fully prepared to save Nepal for another year.
But what ultimately tipped our decision was the tourism minister’s announcement on social media directly asking tourists not to change their plans.
The tourism board shared this statement.
[At] this difficult moment, we have a simple message for the world: NEPAL IS NOT CLOSED. To our friends, visitors, and the global tourism community, your visit means more than a journey. It is a gesture of solidarity. It supports people, sustains livelihoods, and gives support to communities as they recover and move forward.
Main hubs like Kathmandu and Pokhara were far from the affected regions. And when we’d cancelled our accommodation, the hosts assured us everything was fine and even offered a discount as an incentive to still show up.
What it's like in Nepal today
About a month after the floods, businesses are still reeling. Even though it’s high season, many restaurants, shops, and attractions are empty. However, day-to-day life is moving along for locals, and thousands of people still came out to celebrate the Indra Jatra festival, and are looking forward to Dashain, a holiday through most of October.
But there’s no doubt the tourism industry will suffer a bit this year. The World Bank projects Nepal’s economic growth to slow to 3.7% (via Asia News Network), which is far from the government’s 6% goal. However, it’s not all due to the flooding — the wars in the Middle East have also influenced travel trends globally.
We know we can’t fix everything, but to balance things out (even just a little), we basically don’t haggle and have probably been over-tipping. We also didn’t take our accommodation up on the offer of a discount.
Are glacial floods becoming more common?
It feels clear to me that Mother Nature is sick of our bullshit, and climate change is finally catching up with us.
So I wanted to know, are there actually more disasters and a greater risk these days, or does it just feel that way? Is it still safe or environmentally ethical to be travelling? I asked a couple of Rice University experts for their insights. (You can learn more about them at the end of this article.)
First, I asked professor Dominic Boyer: Are there any specific regions or seasons that are becoming measurably higher-risk in a way that should change travel timing or destination choices?
"Since 2020, every glacial region in the world has steadily declined […] So whether you are traveling to the Alps, the Andes or the Himalayas, risks are elevated for glacial collapse, outburst flooding and avalanches associated with the loss of ice."
Is it safe to travel to Nepal right now?
The safety element depends heavily on where you’re planning to travel in Nepal. Many hiking areas are still experiencing regular landslides that have even led to helicopter evacuations. While we were originally hoping to do some trekking in Nepal, we’ve held off on any of those plans while we sit tight and wait to see what happens.
Kathmandu and Pokhara, while they’ve experienced a lot of rain in the last few weeks, are generally much safer and life is going ahead as usual. While it never fully shut down, some roads within Chitwan National Park were damaged and are slowly being fixed up and reopened for jeep safaris.
That’s the situation as it stands today. But I also wondered what floods like this mean long-term, so I asked Boyer: Could more glacier collapse across the Himalayas eventually create climate displacement on a larger, more permanent scale?
"Absolutely, this is a threat. As previously stable glacial formations begin to destabilize because of global warming, downstream communities will experience more frequent and severe flood events. Some of those events will displace people either temporarily or permanently."
It’s common for floods and landslides to close roads, wash out bridges and trails, and strain hospitals and rescue services. This can also leave you stranded as a visitor.
If your hiking trip takes you anywhere near a glacier, Boyer also recommends contacting experienced local guides for their safety insights. “[They] will have a better sense of which local glaciers, specifically, are at highest risk for a collapse.”
Also, licensed, established guides and tour operators are unlikely to take big risks by plowing ahead when there are serious safety warnings. If they do cancel or postpone your trekking trip due to current conditions, let them! There’s no benefit to pushing back and insisting they take you anyway.
Consider travel insurance
This unforeseeable catastrophe is a good example of why it’s always wise to have travel insurance. I use World Nomads, and I usually buy it three months at a time (because life is expensive) and it’s easy to top up even when I’m already travelling. It’s good for medical coverage and property loss/damage — so your laptop, suitcase, etc.
Insurance can help with emergency medical care and may cover some prepaid costs if a disaster disrupts your trip, but most policies won’t cover a disaster that’s already a known event when you buy. Terms vary by policy and by your country of residence, so read the fine print before you lock it in.
Staying home isn't the answer
I’m sorry to be all doom-and-gloom, but staying home isn’t necessarily safer. I split my time between two home countries, and neither is without risk. Canada has forest fires, landslides, and tornadoes, and New Zealand has volcanoes, earthquakes, and cyclones. (Literally while I was writing this I got news of a wildfire in Queenstown, New Zealand.)
Is it ethical to travel to Nepal right now?
Staying away isn’t automatically the ethical choice because tourism supports livelihoods. So it’s more about how and where you spend your money when you go.
I asked professor Cymene Howe of Rice University, how can we balance the need for tourism (as an economic driver) with the reality of climate-driven landscape changes?
"Tourism can be such a boon to local industries and populations. But, in some cases, tourism harms both the natural environment and local populations. A best practice for anyone travelling is to research destinations thoroughly and prioritize destinations and tour operators that invest in the local environment and communities, rather than simply exploiting them."
Since I'm in Nepal, let's talk about Everest
The world’s highest mountain is on so many bucket lists — it’s understandable that people still want to go. But rising temperatures are melting ice and triggering more landslides, and it’s becoming increasingly more dangerous to visit an already-dangerous place.
At the start of the hiking season in 2014, an ice avalanche killed 16 Sherpas. The tour operators and guides had to then decide whether to shut down the rest of the season for safety (and out of respect for the dead) or keep working to earn their living. If you want a good documentary, watch “Sherpa” on Netflix for the full story. We just watched it for the second time (at my favourite little outdoor movie theatre in Pokhara), and it hit different being here.
"It is very sad that we have gotten to the point where we now fear the environments we have dreamed of visiting. This is another unfortunate outcome of human-caused climate change.”
Beyond the increased safety risk of ice melt, garbage and overcrowding from Base Camp to the summit are a real cause for concern. That’s not to say it’s 100% inherently unethical to summit Everest. Shutting it down tomorrow would be a huge financial hit to several communities. But things can’t continue as they are.
Can we still travel to Nepal and other countries in the face of climate change?
Yes, but I’ll admit my stance is biased and mostly selfish. I want to keep seeing the world — it’s one of my greatest joys in life. But selfish doesn’t have to mean thoughtless, and I think it’s possible to continue travelling in a way that limits environmental damage, puts money in the right hands, and is relatively safe.
"With glacier tourism for instance, we know that the impact of travellers can do more harm than good, both in terms of climate emissions from airline flights and the direct impact of visiting fragile cryospheres. Spending time to “know before you go” and to choose destinations and operators wisely, can help to promote more sustainable travel and tourism."
About the experts
A special thanks to the experts at Rice University who took the time to answer my questions.
Dominic Boyer
Board of Governors, Rice
Executive Board, American
Professor, Rice University
https://www.dominicboyer.org
Bluesky: @dominicboyer.bsky.social
Cymene Howe
Naomi Lai
Naomi is a Canadian travel editor and writer with 13 years of international travel across Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, New Zealand, and beyond. She covers everything from budget backpacking to luxury travel — always from personal experience.
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