Most of Nepal's treks are 'teahouse' treks, ensuring you end up in a simple lodge with standard rooms and a meal every evening. The great thing about trekking in a teahouse is that you only need to bring a few clothes. Teahouse trekking means sleeping in a lodge every night of your journey.
Nearly all of Nepal's major trekking routes are teahouse treks, allowing trekkers to travel with minimal kit. A teahouse may refer to large cosy, well-built lodges with common areas (as seen in the Solu Khumbu), or a small bamboo hut lodged on a steep hill within the forest.
What do you mean by Teahouses?
Tea houses differ widely from region to region, but most are simple stone-and-wood buildings or cottages with a kitchen, a traditional dining and bathroom area, and a variety of standard bedrooms that typically have two single beds and a table.
Most teahouses are designed primarily for trekkers, but some may act as the family's home in the more remote regions of Nepal.
Accommodation at Teahouses in Nepal
Expect that the rooms are simple but tidy, and pay an extra margin for a bathroom added. Your bed will come with a heavy blanket that you can use as a second sheet over your sleeping bag or as your main blanket for the night (feel free to double up if it's cold).
Most trekkers avoid showers throughout their trek, but at a small fee, some tea houses provide hot bucket showers.
Note: If you are concerned about cleanliness, carry your bedliner or a light sleeping bag home, or buy one in Kathmandu or Pokhara. Bringing a pair of earplugs is often a good idea, as the walls are thin in most teahouses.
Teahouse Protocols
If your lodging and meals are provided as part of a kit walk, besides personal snacks and drinks, all will be taken care of at your teahouse, which you usually pay for yourself.
The cost of your room is very low in nearly all situations (around $5/night), while the owners make most of their money from meals and drinks. That is why you are supposed to eat all of your meals at the teahouse you're staying at.
Meals Provided at Teahouses in Nepal
At almost all the teahouses, you can find an everyday fixed menu of dhal bhat, momos, pasta, pizza, and other rice and noodle plates.
Dal Bhat Power 24 Hour
Few dishes take longer to prepare than others (such as momos), so it is better to see what's new and ready in advance. It is prudent to buy whatever's new to prevent getting sick on the hike.
Most trekkers, guides, and porters opt for dhal bhat; it's usually reliable, safe, and readily available wherever they are. Generally speaking, the further you get in your walk, the more it pays for food.
For example, at Gorak Shep (located high in the mountains near Everest Base Camp), expect to pay more for dhal bhat than you will in Lukla (which is easily reached by its airport and at a lower elevation).
Wi-fi and Electricity
Numerous tea houses in Nepal now have Wi-Fi and charging ports in their dining halls. Even the service's pace and durability are spotty at best and slow down as more users are linked to it (due to the old routers).
The tea houses in Solukhumbu have better internet connectivity (especially in Namche Bazaar), but don't expect much elsewhere in Nepal.
