Highlights of the Everest Base Camp Trek:
- The scenic flight to Lukla
- The vibrant Namche Bazar settled amidst the Himalayas
- Everest view hotel (3880m), the highest placed hotel in the world
- Trek passing through the Sagarmatha National park
- A great opportunity to explore the rich Sherpa culture
- Experience the warm hospitality of the ethnic community
- Sunrise view from Kalapathar
- Witness Khumbu icefall and Khumbu glacier
- Enjoy the panorama of Everest, Nuptse, Yala Peak, Ama Dablam
Top 6 Reasons To Do Everest Base Camp Trek:
1_ The intoxicating Namche Bazar:
Namche Bazar is a small town in the rugged Himalayas that offers nothing but the best views and services to trekkers coming from around the world. Craving coffee? Local vendors of Namche will provide you with the best coffee to mark the beginning or end of your trip to the Everest region. Missing family? Well, they got the WIFI, so facetime is easy and mandatory. Want to discover more about the Everest region and its locals? Visit the Sherpa Culture Museum, where you will not only get an opportunity to explore the Sherpa life through the ages but also study documents related to the exploration of Everest. Namche has answers to all your queries and services to make your trip memorable.
Every trip to the Everest region has at least one day of acclimatization at Namche Bazar, where trekkers can do their last-minute shopping for trekking gear and other accessories. During the acclimatization in Namche, you can either stroll down the neighbourhood or hike to some remarkable landmarks like the Everest view hotel or Khunde peak. Elevating at an altitude of 3880m, Everest View hotel is the highest-placed hotel in the world. The hotel is popular among trekkers for the 360-degree panorama of Everest and other snow-capped pinnacles. A cup of tea/coffee at Everest hotel enjoying the breathtaking sights of the Himalayas is a must during your stay in Namche.
One of the interesting things trekkers will witness during their trip to Namche is the Saturday market, where Traders from Tibet sell different items in exchange for goods brought by the porters from Lukla.
2_ Through Sagarmatha National Park:
Sagarmatha National Park is the first National park enlisted as a UNESCO world heritage site. Although the park is known as a house to Everest, the park is infact home to several other peaks over 5000-7000m. Apart from the mountain, the park is also rich in flora and faunal species.
At lower elevations, the park is filled with rhododendron, birch, Juniper, Fir, Pine, and bamboo and at higher altitudes, mosses and lichens dominate the ecology. Since the lower elevation is filled with rhododendron, the trails during April-May is filled with blooming rhododendron flower, adding charm to the trekking trail. The park has also been giving shelter to several rare to endangered species. Wildlives like Himalayan Tahr, Musk Deer, Lynx, Black bear, Indian Leopard, Snow Leopard and wolf can be encountered during the trip. Apart from this, the park is an important bird-watching site with 208 bird species being recorded to date. Bird species such as Impeyan Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, Himalayan Cuckoo, Oriental Turtle-Dove, and Snowcock are noted in the region.
There are other several treks/trails passing through the national parks apart from the Everest base camp trek. If you want to explore the National park beyond the base camp, you can choose the Gokyo trek, Renjo La Pass trek, Cho La Pass Trek and Kongma La Pass and other treks of the Everest region.
3_ Local tea houses and authentic food:
The small teahouses are the underrated attraction of the Everest region. Imagine walking for several hours, you want tea or anything else to fuel your body, and there's no sign of teahouses around. Exhausting, right? Well, you can find several teahouses in the Everest region that not only serve tea, breakfast, lunch and dinner but share experiences and stories that you will not hear anywhere else.
The owners of the teahouses are always ready to make you feel at home and provide available services. Talking about the food on the trail, almost all teahouses and guest houses have a similar menu with items like the staple Dal Bhat, Momo, along with other dishes like Soup, Thukpa, Spaghetti, Porridge, Pie, Pancake, Noodles, Omelette and many more. Since fueling your body is vital for the trek, we recommend our trekkers to stick to the Nepali staple Dal Bhat served with curry and pickle, as it is very fulfilling and provides the necessary carbohydrate, protein and vitamins required by the body.
Note: Skipping meals and drinking alcoholic beverages is a complete NO. Drink enough water and always take three meals a day to get energy for the trek.
4_ Tengboche and several other monasteries:
The Everest region is filled with several monasteries built 300-350 years ago. Monasteries like Namche Monastery, Thame Monastery, Kerok Monastery, Khumjung Monastery, Phortse Monastery, Pangboche Monastery, and Tengboche Monastery are the major religious site of the Sherpa community.
Among these, the Tengboche Monastery is the holiest and largest monastery in the Everest region. The monastery was built by Lama Gulu in 1916 and is now the centre of Nyingmapa Buddhism in the Everest region. Since it is located at an altitude of 3867m, the monastery offers awe-inspiring sights of Nuptse, Lhotse, Thamserku and Everest.
The biggest festival celebrated in the Tengboche Monastery is the Mani Rimdu that falls between October-November. Mani Rimdu is a colourful festival lasting for around 19 days, of which just three days are open to the public. During this festival, the monks dressed in religious attire perform different masked dances and comical skits. The dance performed by the monks symbolizes the victory of good over evil (Buddhism over the ancient religion of 'Bon). As the festival is during the best trekking season, you can also plan your trip to match the festival date to witness something magical during your EBC trek.
5_ Warm-hearted Sherpa, their culture and hospitality:
The ethnic Sherpa community inhabits the Everest region. Known for their kind heart and climbing skills, the Sherpa of the Everest region are elite Guides for anyone wanting to climb Mount Everest. Having a reputation for being hardworking, helpful, brave, and experts in climbing and mountaineering, trekkers describe Sherpas as the soul of the Everest region.
The majority of the community follows Buddhism and has monasteries like Tengboche, Namche, Thame, and other to perform rituals, ceremonies, and celebrations. Festivals like Mani Rimdu, Lhosar and Harvest festival are the three main festivals of the community. Each of these festivals is celebrated with utmost joy by performing masked dance depicting different religious tales.
The Sherpas of the Everest region have been preserving their local tradition as their priority by offering warm hospitality to the trekkers. The Sherpas welcome trekkers with "Khada" (scarf made of silk) and the famous Sherpa tea made from fresh Yak milk to make trekkers at home. During your stay in the teahouse, you can explore their day-to-day life and culture.
6_ View from Everest Base Camp and Kalapathar:
The view from Everest Base camp and Kalapthar is what trekkers look forward to during their trip to the base camp. And trust me when I say the views are worth all the challenges and days of continuous walking.
The Everest base camp is located at an altitude of 5364m and is one of the most trekked destinations in Nepal. Although you cannot enjoy the unobstructed view of Everest due to other mountains blocking the way, the happiness, and the feeling of being on the base camp of the world's highest peak is beyond explanation. Trekkers can click photos posing on the rock that marks "Everest Base Camp 5364m" and enjoy the sights of the highest glacier in the world, Khumbu glacier and the Himalayas like Nuptse, Ama Dablam and Pumori.
At an altitude of 5545m, Kalapathar is the best viewpoint to enjoy the sunrise and panorama of Everest (8848m), Mount Pumori (7,161m), Mount Lhotse (8,516m), Mount Nuptse (7,561m), Amadablam (6,812m), Changtse (7,543m), Lingtren (6,749m), Lobuche East (6,119m), and Cholatse (6,400m).
Choose your Best Everest Base Camp Trek Package:
✔ Everest Base Camp Trekking 15 Days
✔ Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek
✔ Everest View Trek 8 Days
✔ Everest Base Camp Heli Trip 7 Days
Best Time to do the Everest Trek:
The Everest base camp trek can be done throughout the year. During the peak season, March to May and September to November, the weather is clear and warm. Hence, many people plan their Everest trip during the season leading to overcrowded trail and packed teahouses.
However, if you want to soak up the beauty of the Himalayas without being disturbed, you can also trek during the winter (December to February) and monsoon (June to August). The weather is not always vicious, so if you prepare well to face the challenges, you can plan your trip in any season.
Conclusion
The Everest base camp trek is undoubtedly the once in a lifetime experience and is beyond what we have mentioned in the blog. So, plan your next trip to Everest with us to unravel the beauty of the Khumbu region and experience the warm hospitality of the locals.
