Nepal is one of the safest countries in the world, which is all the more remarkable when you consider the gulf between rich and poor. However, theft is on the rise, and political instability seems to be bringing a general rise in lawlessness.

The only real concern is petty theft , and then chiefly from fellow travellers. Common sense suggests a few precautions. Store valuables that you're not using in your hotel's or guest-house's safe, and carry the rest in a money belt or pouch around your neck at all times. In a dormitory, keep your bag locked up and any expensive items with you. A padlock can be purchased cheaply in Nepal; it doesn't have to be big - deterrence is the main thing. Pickpocketing happens in a few crowded places frequented by tourists, and some bus routes have reputations for baggage theft.

If you're robbed, report it as soon as possible to the police headquarters of the district in which the robbery occurred. They're apt to be friendly and consoling, if not much help. For insurance purposes, go to the Interpol Section of the police headquarters in Durbar Square or Naksal, Kathmandu, to fill in a report, a copy of which you'll need to keep for claiming from your insurer once you're back home. Bring a photocopy of the pages in your passport containing your photo and your Nepalese visa, together with two passport photos. Dress smartly and expect an uphill battle - they're jaded by stolen-travellers'-cheque scams.

Violent crime is extremely rare, and the danger of getting raped or assaulted in a populated area is statistically insignificant. The only real concern is a certain amount of hooliganism in the Kathmandu tourist bars; fortunately the government is ploughing back some tourist tax revenue into maintaining a police presence in those areas in the evenings. The countryside is for the most part equally safe, although several Western women have been raped by trekking guides in recent years. There has always been a small risk of violent attack by bandits on remote trekking trails, so it's advisable not to walk alone.

There are several ways to get on the wrong side of the law, none of them worth it. Smuggling is the usual cause of serious trouble - drugs and gold are the big no-nos, and if you get caught with commercial quantities of either you'll be looking at a more or less automatic five to twenty years in prison. While it would be incredibly stupid to go through immigration control with drugs , discreet possession inside the country carries virtually no risk; flash dope around, though, and you could conceivably get shopped by an innkeeper.

In Nepal, where government servants are poorly paid, a little bakshish sometimes greases the wheels. Nepalese police don't bust tourists simply in order to get bribes, but if you're accused of something it might not hurt to make an offer, in an extremely careful, euphemistic and deniable way. This shouldn't be necessary if you're the victim of a crime, although you may feel like offering a reward.