In no particular order, here are some of the most frequently asked questions we get from our Everest Base Camp clients
Q) Is Coffee Available in the teahouses?
Yes, but manage your expectations! The range of hot drinks is pretty good and everyone soon finds their preference for the time of day.
Some examples are:
Tea, Black Tea, Masala Tea
Coffee
Lemon, Lemon / Ginger, Lemon / Ginger / Honey
Mint
Hot Mango / Juice
You will often get a hot drink at breakfast, lunch, once we get in from the trek and then again after dinner. You can buy additional hot drinks and these range from about 50 rupees through to 300 rupees.
At Namche and Dingboche there are some awesome cafes with proper coffee machines, so you can get a good fix there.
Q) How much spending money to bring?
The magic question, that is quite hard to answer, so I will do my best.
All* of your food (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) are included in the cost of the trek. As before, you will also get hot drinks scattered in every day too. The only time you need to purchase water (as all other water you can treat / filter) is from Lobuche to EBC and back. This is because the water up there is just a bit too dirty to filter and so we encourage people to buy bottles. Unfortunately, the bottles up there are expensive (500 rupees / £3.30 for a litre). I would budget for 5-6 bottles, but with most of the acclimatisation done by this point you’re unlikely to need much more.
If you want to buy additional food or drinks you’re welcome to do so of course. A bottle of fizz is likely to cost 300-700 rupees depending on where on the trail you are. A packet of biscuits may be 300 rupees. As above, there are two places where you can get a really nice coffee and cake where you could easily spend £5-10 a visit. Given we have rest days planned at both spots (so 4 days essentially) it’s up to you how many trips you plan for.
All teahouses offer charging, but there are few who do it for free. Charging depends on the item or time. Again, it fluctuates on the trail, but you could expect to pay anywhere between 200 rupees for an hour, through to 1000 to charge your phone. Powerbanks are great to have with you, but these cost more to charge. You know your devices and what you’ll bring with you, but I’d allocate £5 a day for charging to ensure you’re never without your devices. Solar chargers are a good thing to bring if you have one already.
Wifi is much like charging, it varies from teahouse to teahouse. It’s often 300-500 rupees per teahouse. Wifi coverage is on 90% of the trail too which is nice for contacting home.
Lunches and Dinners are not included in Kathmandu, of which everyone will need to buy at least two, but more if you’re flying early or leaving late. I would budget £20-£30 per day to be safe.
Souvenirs are not cheap, it’s all cranked up for tourists! If you have people to buy for, I’d allow £10 per person and you’ll likely be able to get them something nice.
This leads nicely onto tipping…
Tipping
This is tightly woven in the culture of Nepal and it’s expected. For example, the bus driver and his assistant will need a tip when we drive to Ramechaap (before we fly to Lukla). Allow £75-£100 for the tips for the Nepalese trekking staff please. Add in a few more quids worth for random tips that just spring up!
Rupees is a closed currency so you can only get some in Nepal. There are loads of places to exchange. You need the Tipping money you bring to be in US Dollars or Rupees. You can pay on your card in lots of restaurants or bars in Kathmandu now. When you come to leave, just transfer back any unspent cash.
There are cash machines in Kathmandu, and if you run out on the trek I’m sure we’ll be able to sort you out with some extra pennies.
Q) How much toilet roll should we bring?
Well, this depends on you! But a couple of lush rolls from home will go a long way. You can buy more on the trail, but it ranges from 50 rupees through to 300 rupees, and isn’t too dissimilar to sandpaper…
Q) Footwear
Firstly, wear broken in shoes that you know are comfy. If you have done lots of walking in trail / approach shoes then I’m more than happy for you to wear these on the trek. Your shoes / boots don’t need to be waterproof for this trek.
Q) Visa Requirements
You can only get your visa on landing and it costs £40 / $50. Before we trek, we’ll send you a link to do an online application which saves time when you arrive at Kathmandu Airport
Q) Mobile phone data
You can buy a Nepalese sim card if you wish, but my recommendation would be to use the wifi options where available. The hotel in Kathmandu has free wifi too. If you do want mobile data, I can recommend the HolaFly E-Sim app.
Q) Will I be sharing a room?
During the exped, and the days in Kathmandu within the exped dates, you will be on a twin sharing basis. If you have anyone you want to share with let me know, otherwise we’ll allocate you.
Q) Does someone pick us up at the airport?
Yep! We will get you picked up, and dropped off again too. We will always confirm with you all landing times and departure times with you before the expedition to ensure I have the correct info. The person at the airport will have an LMG Treks & Expeditions logo on a sign.
Q) What vaccinations do I need, is there a legal requirement, do I need the rabies jab?
You’re best to head online and have a look at what is recommended, and also make an appointment with your travel nurse. A rabies jab is very much a personal decision, and the cost of it often sways the choice!
Q) Travel Insurance
Whatever policy you take out, make sure it covers you for trekking up to 5545m, and has the option of helicopter rescue. Make sure you read the small print for your policy and it works for you.
Q) How fit do I need to be to complete the EBC trek?
Well, this is one of the hardest questions to answer, and it depends if you want to complete it, or complete it and enjoy it! My general gauge is if you could complete 3 days of back to back hill walks in the Lake District without being absolutely destroyed at the end of it you’re likely fit enough to take on EBC. Obviously, it’s not a direct comparison, and there’s no altitude involved, but it is a benchmark you can put yourself against.
Just remember, when has being too fit ever been a problem? And it’s never too soon to get training! Start now, no matter how far away your trek is.
For tips and advice on how to train for a trek like this just drop me a message!
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