Teahouses in the Khumbu Region

Teahouses are the most common form of lodging in the Khumbu region. These are small, cozy lodges where trekkers can rest, sleep, and enjoy food and basic amenities such as shower, restroom, and laundry. While they vary greatly and ranges from very basic to luxury hotels, most of them share many commonalities as well. These teahouses are usually simple buildings built mostly with wood and stone. The rooms in these teahouses mainly contain a small bed or two, blankets, and usually a small tibetan-style desk. Below are some of the other things you can expect to find in a teahouse in Khumbu:

Bathrooms: Both shared and attached bathrooms can be found in most places. Rooms with attached bathrooms, however, cost significantly higher than normal rooms. Above Namche, western-style bathrooms (having a commode and flush) are hard to find.

Food: Nepali and Tibetan dishes like dal bhat, momo, thukpa, and chowmein are readily available pretty much everywhere. There are also western-style cafes that offer coffee and bakery items. However, at high altitudes, the settlements are few and far in between, so carrying your own water and some food is recommended.

Specialties: Yak meat, chhurpi (hard cheese made from yak milk), and butter tea (salty tea) are some of the special foods and drinks that can be found in these teahouses. They also offer their local alcohol called "chhang".

Drinking water: You can buy bottled water made by local companies in most teahouses. However, in higher altitudes, boiled water is more common. The main source of water in this region is usually the river. The water is drinkable. Nevertheless, carrying water purification tablets or a filter is highly recommended, especially for foreigners.

Hot water: Hot water is easily available for drinking as well as for showering. However, most places charge you money for it. Also, the temperature of hot water in showers are not constant, and hot water can often run out as well.

Heating: Most teahouses do not have central heating. However, they have a large stove or heater in the living room and kitchen, which keeps you warm when you are in its vicinity.

Electricity: Electricity can be found in most places around this region. In some remote places, solar panels are set up to provide electricity. It not only provides light for your room, but can also be used for charging your phones, laptops, power banks, etc.

Transportation: There is no paved road in the Khumbu region. So you cannot travel by car or any vehicles. You can only travel on foot or by flight. Traveling on a horse is possible but not common. There aren't many horses in this region and the cost of renting one is also quite high. Therefore, unless required, most people don't opt for it.

Cost: Teahouses generally cost around 1000 per night for a normal double room. You need to pay separately for food and drinks as well as other facilities. The cost of the rooms at big hotels will obviously be much higher. The price also increases as you go higher. So, the teahouses at high-altitude regions like Dingboche charge significantly higher than the ones in the lower regions of Khumbu.