I trekked the Everest region in November 2018 and some updates which will be useful for trekkers are below:
Permits
The TIMS permit is no longer required and it is also not necessary to buy any permits in Kathmandu. The Pasang Lhamu Municipality permit is available in Lukla on arrival ( NPR 2000/-) and the Sagarmatha Park permit is available at Monjo ( Foreigners NPR 3000/- Indians NPR 1500/-).
Mobile Phones
Ncell is the service provider of choice and has good connectivity except at Dingboche, Pheriche and Lobuche and Gokyo. Nepal Telecom is the second choice in this area as the coverage is more limited.
Everest Link www.everestlink.com.np
There is now a wifi card available from Everest Link which works in most lodges. The cost of the card is NPR 1999/- for 10 GB data and NPR 2999/- for 20 GB data. I used the 10 GB card on this visit and found it worked quite well. The period of the card is 30 days.
Lodge Accomodations
Since October 2018, above Namche Bazar, it is not possible to make payments to lodges for rooms directly. There is a newly formed Khumbu Hotel Association which has a checkpost at each village and collects the payment for the rooms directly. At present the minimum rates are NPRs 500/- per room excepting in Lobuche and Gorak Shep where it is NPRs 700/- per room. Lodges can and do charge higher rates depending on the type of accomodation, attached bathrooms etc.Updated Prices for Meals etc.
There has been a steep increase in costs of meals, tea, coffee, hot water etc since my last visit. I photograped a lodge menu at Lobuche and the costs as per menu are given below. At Gorak Shep it would be another 5-10% more while at Pheriche/Dingboche/Namche it would be 10-15% less. Based on these costs the average cost per day for meals only (excluding rooms) would range between $30-40 per day.
Trekking Numbers ( October -November)
There were a record number of trekkers in the Everest region this autumn. The month of October 2018 alone had around 14,500 trekkers which was up from October 2017 ( 12,479 trekkers). As result, lodges were extremely crowded, flights overbooked and trails very busy. Trekkers to Everest next year should consider this in planning their dates. Interestingly, the crowds dropped by the 18th of November and when I returned on 26th November there would be around 40-50 trekkers coming in as compared to 400-500 in October!
The statistics for 2017 and part of 2018 as per the Sagarmatha Post is below:
For more information on our Everest and other treks do visit www.southcol.com
For the best seasons for Everest trek do visit http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.com/2017/12/everest-base-camp-trek-best-season.html.
###the average cost per day for meals only (excluding rooms) would range between $30-40 per day.###
ReplyDeleteLow budget trekker can largely lower their expenditures. Personnaly, trekking 17 days for 3 Passes and EBC in early December 2018, I have been spending 1140 NPR/day for eating and accommodation (but not including hot shower, battery charging, and wifi). Less than $10.5/day. Of course, no alcool, no soda, no western style meals.
Definitively more expansive than the Tumlingtar Trek where (after the 3 Passes trek) I have been spending 700 NPR/day on average. A different world: no impressive snow-capped mountains there but very friendly inhabitants living in a traditionnal rural environment.
Fabrice
You must have been starving!!! Dal bhat alone is NPR 500-600 per day in the Khumbu and thats one meal only!!
DeleteYou're right, dal bhat is that prices in the upper part of Khumbu. Even 700 Rs at Gorakh Shep. But I was eating dal bhat only for lunch.
ReplyDeleteFor breakfast, I was usually eating VG Noodle Soup, and for dinner VG Chowmein or VG Fried Rice or momos or soups. Fried potatoes in Thame because it is local. No dessert because I was eating delicious dried raisons bought in Kathmandu. And drinking tap water with Piyush.
If I would have been starving, I don't think I would have been ending my 25 days trek by walking Paiya to Chyawabesi (close to Tumlingtar) in just 4 days ;-).
Fabrice