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‘enjoy the adventure from the budget, standard to luxury comfort’
Everest base camp trek is one of the popular and most preferred adventures around the Nepal Himalayas. For many good reasons, apart from picturesque landscapes and the world’s highest peaks and the traditional hospitality of the native Sherpa.
On route Everest base camp, trekkers can experience great delights in the comfort of local lodges. Having toilets, hot showers, and nice room accommodations of various choices from the budget, standard to luxury lodges and guest houses.
The high Khumbu region of Everest is a wonderful place with the best-established villages and well-organized trekking trails. Thousands of trekkers, adventurers, and mountaineers visit all around the year in the best seasons.
The main flow of trekkers is in spring from March to May and autumn/fall, one of the favorable times for trekking.
Everest base camp trek, besides its lovely scenery the other charm is its friendly locals. Where most settlements on route provide excellent facilities for an overnight halt in the comfort of various standard lodges. Trekkers will be amazed to find lovely lodges with cozy rooms around high mountain wilderness.
Every lodge is quite similar around villages and at temporary settlements on Everest base trek till Gorakshep. The last final place where trekkers can find an overnight stand, before or after reaching the Everest Base Camp.
Before heading for Everest Base Camp one can find choices of lodges at designated overnight stops. Likewise, from Lukla to Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, and Dingboche with Lobuche and Gorakshep. These are the main places for overnight halts, where trekkers can enjoy comfort after an exciting day’s walks.
Return journey depends upon the itinerary days either stay in Pheriche, Pangboche, or Tengboche on route Namche Bazaar and Lukla.
Lukla is an enjoyable place for a final overnight halt before flying back to Kathmandu. A famous and busy gateway town for all trekkers, where all adventure begins and ends. Lukla offers lovely hotels, lodges, and resorts with fancy restaurants and pubs, from the budget, standard to luxury accommodations.
ACCOMMODATIONS FROM LUKLA, NAMCHE BAZAAR TO EVEREST BASE CAMP:
Lukla:
There are various choices of teahouse accommodations in Lukla. From budget to luxury or deluxe accommodations are available at Lukla for the last overnight around the Everest region before flying to Kathmandu.
Lukla is a popular and busy town due to its small airport named Tenzing & Hillary Airport. It is a starting and ending point of most trekking around Khumbu. Lukla offers a wide range of hotels, lodges, and resorts as per one choice of accommodation and comforts. Excellent rooms having attached baths and toilets with hot running water provided by local guest houses.
Lodges with common toilets and bathe in simple budget guest houses, either inside the lodge or outside its premises. The hotels and lodges surround the airport to its main market streets a great place for a last overnight halt
Phakding village.
The first overnight stand from Lukla is Phakding village for most trekkers, located on a Dudh Koshi River gorge. Phakding with several nice lodges for all types of trekkers to choose from budget-wise. Most lodges have good rooms, where one can find single, double bedrooms as well dormitory for big groups.
One can stay in a luxury lodge where all rooms have attached baths running hot, cold showers with western-type toilets. Trekkers staying in budget or standard lodges can also choose from single or double bedrooms.
Option for rooms with attached bath and toilets where available. In simple lodges, the guests need to pay extra for hot showers, toilets will be of Asian squatting or western types.
All lodges provide clean bed sheets, pillows with foam mattresses, and blankets in large dining halls. Phakding with many best lodges and resorts, namely Five Star, Sunshine Lodge, Kailash, luxury lodges Joe’s Garden, and Yeti Resort.
Namche Bazaar:
From Phakding village the next overnight stop is at Namche Bazaar, a famous place nearly a size of a town. Namche Bazaar provides many types of nice lodges, hotels, and resorts, nearly all houses serve as guest houses.
One can choose the options from simple, standard to luxury accommodations as per one’s budget. The lodges are located amid a town and as far as on top of Namche Bazaar. Nearly all lodges offer good room accommodations either attached or common toilets and baths.
Trekkers can enjoy the delight of single or double bedrooms also with rooms facing views of grand snow-capped peaks. The hot shower is of western standards or common toilets and baths depending on the standard of the lodges and hotels.
The most popular lodges are Namche Hotel, Hill Ten, Khumbu Lodge, White Yak, and Kalapathar. Trekkers can choose various priced rooms from common toilets/bathrooms, including luxury with well-furnished rooms. Most toilets and bathrooms and other amenities are of a western standard, with few simple lodges having local-style toilets. Experience the strange loo with several holes in the wooden planks of the old and original toilets of the Khumbu region.
Tengboche:
After having a pleasant overnight in the comfort of nice hotels and lodge at Namche Bazaar. The next overnight destination is the scenic and beautiful location of Tengboche and its majestic colorful monastery.
At Tengboche, there are a few nice lodges like the national park guest house, the Gompa, Himalaya, and Ama Dablam lodges. The rooms are simple and basic standard accommodation, having common toilets and bathrooms running hot/cold showers. Although the lodges are of basic needs, the trekkers enjoy more of its surrounding with amazing scenery. Overlooking views of Mt. Everest with an array of snow-clad peaks amidst a lovely forest.
Just 45 minutes downhill from Tengboche, one can stay overnight in Debouche a small settlement within a forest. Debouche with several good lodges like Riverdale, Rhododendron, and Pumori lodges, the rooms are much better than at Tengboche. Some lodges like Riverdale offers well-furnished deluxe room with attached bath and toilets. Most lodges around Tengboche and Debouche provide common toilets and bathrooms.
Dingboche:
Most trekkers visit Dingboche on route Everest base camp, a lovely scenic settlement, situated at beautiful Imjatse valley. At Dingboche nearly all houses are built as guest houses and lodges, having nice rooms and toilets and baths.
Trekkers can find comfort in choosing various best lodges and guest houses, from simple, standard to luxury room accommodation. Most lodges at Dingboche have common baths and toilets, and only a few guest houses provide rooms with attached toilets and bathrooms.
Serving hot meals in a nice cozy dining hall with a fireplace at the center to warm the whole environment.
Lobuche:
Lobuche is the next overnight halt after Dingboche, a walk of 4-5 hours located on an arid, barren terrain. Lobuche provides several good lodges from basic, standard to deluxe room accommodation, from here onward to Gorakshep.
All rooms have common bathing and toilets, due to the nature of the landscapes and cold climate. Most toilets and bathing is within the same roof of a lodge, whereas few lodges have toilets and bathe outside.
The food is served in a nice large warm dining hall, where all trekkers can interact with the day’s activities.
Gorakshep:
Gorakshep is the last and final overnight stand for all trekkers heading towards Everest Base Camp and Kalapathar hilltop. A morning walk of 2-3 hours from Lobuche, located on a glacial sandy field on route Everest base camp.
Gorakshep, at an altitude of 5,180 m high offers several lodges of simple and basic accommodation. However, the rooms are clean, small, and cozy having common toilets and bathing inside or outside the lodge. All guest needs to pay extra for using of hot showers, and the toilet facilities either within the lodge or outside.
Pheriche:
Pheriche is quite similar to Imjatse Valley and Dingboche settlements but can get windy afternoon. Pheriche offers various nice lodges and guest houses, from simple budget, standard to high-class lodges.
Trekkers can enjoy the best of the best facilities options from double or single rooms with attached or common toilets. As well as bathrooms either inside the lodges or outside in the backyard, a lovely place for overnight halt.
Serving a comprehensive food menu in a large warm and cozy dining hall listening to some soft Nepali and Tibetan music.
THE RETURN JOURNEY TO LUKLA FOR KATHMANDU:
On completing the major highlights of the trek to Everest Base Camp, return journey with major stops. Like in Pheriche or Pangboche, can enjoy comfort in a nice lodge. Options from standard to lavish room accommodation either with attached baths and toilets or using common.
CONCLUSION:
Everest Base Camp trek is an enjoyable adventure in the comfort of various standard lodge accommodations, according to one budget.
Around Dingboche, Lobuche till Gorakshep, where attached toilets and bathrooms are not available. Due to its harsh climate and rough landscapes, morning and late afternoon till the night time, with freezing temperatures. Where all plumbing and pipelines for running water for flush in the toilet and hot showers freeze.
When the plumbing does not work due to cold weather and high altitude, best having common toilets and bathrooms. But one can have a great time staying overnights with the warm traditional hospitality of the Sherpa, the highlanders of Everest.
Using a common bathing room for hot showers, at the cost of Rs 200 to 300 per person. Depending upon the route of trekking, around higher areas like Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, and Gorakshep the cost can be higher.
For eco-trekking and responsible tourism, the company does not recommend using the hot shower, heated by fire woods. If it’s warmed by hydroelectricity or solar power, including kerosene and LPG Gas stoves then it is all right to use.
