Nepal trip is difficult blog post, because there are too many details that worth to be share, not only where have i been but the preparation and information to go to this country.
So in this post, i'm going to blog about how to prepare the trip and some basic information.
Assume you guys are going to hike in Everest Base Camp trek and spend few days in one or two city like me (click me to refer my plan), here are some very basic information that you need to know.
Prepare more, expect less.
As i mentioned in the previous post, Nepal is not a developed country, electricity and clean water is something basic like in Malaysia.
How was it?
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So…?
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What should bring/do?
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Electricity
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No matter up to the mountain or in the most developed
city like
Although most of the star-rating hotel (well, i only stay
in budget one) has their own generator, so whenever current cut off, there
have no interruption.
Restaurant or budget hotel has the power supply schedule, eg:
Monday, current cut off time is 6am to 10am, 2pm to 5pm. Tuesday has another schedule.
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Do pre-plan your electronic
devices charging time. We actually woke up and charge our phone and
camera during night time. But when you’re in mountain, you have to pay for it, eg: 1 hour of battery charging charge RS300.
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1. Torch Light
Is very useful especially when you woke up to pee without
light.
2. I won’t recommend extra battery because it is heavy. Remove
the battery and keep it under blanket/sleeping bag could help to extend its
life.
3. Bring less electronic devices! Enjoy the natural =).
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Water
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Yes, only export, so the local one drink only tap water or unclean water.
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You can still get pretty cheap bottle mineral water in the
city, but not in mountain.
So you have to be extra be careful to check if the bottle
mineral water that you bought is refill with tap water.
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1. Portable water purifying bottle will be best choice to
bring to
2. Water purifying pill is the best thing to save your
water money during trekking. 1.5ml bottle water sold with RS200 in the
mountain.
3. Vaccination before depart to
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Transport
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No tram, subway, railway. But taxi is plenty, both private
or registered to travel in the city. When travel to another city, bus and
plane are the only choice. The latter can be very expensive sometime, eg:
less than 2 hours flight cost USD200 for return.
Both VIP or local bus are avaible to travel to another
city, but please google search on the road condition, and you probably will
understand why people would pay more for it.
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Travel in city is still cheap, but you can always bargain
for both private and public cab.
Which way to travel to another city is depend on how much
risk you can take. :D
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1. Do bargain when you take cab. If you have a lot of time
you can always walk to your destination, but please remember to bring map,
kathmandu is complicated.
2. Safest way is to book with travel agency for travel to
another city, they cover your insurance.
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Accommodation
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Guest house, inn, budget hotel and star-rating hotel are available
on the mountain or town. Depend on how much you wanna pay.
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Go for guesthouse, do your research by internet, you will
find plenty of great guesthouse.
We stayed 2 nights in so-called hotel but the condition is
worst than guest house that we stayed in another area.
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1. Do research from the internet, find your ideal place to
stay.
2. if you don’t mind bout money, let agency to arrange for
you.
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Custom and visa (for Malaysian)
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For Malaysian, we need visa to travel to
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Do not try to bring illegal stuff to the country, their
custom check is far strict than
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1. I recommend to get the visa right in the
p/s: some says you have to pay tips when you go thru
custom check to prevent trouble, I don’t give damn and I didn’t get into any
trouble…
hmmm, if only to use more than an hour just for declaration
and visa applied doesn’t consider a trouble.
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So if you are going to Everest Base Camp trek like us, something that you should know so you can prepare for the thing that you know.
But first of all, you have to understand every single trek has different condition, so what i'd suggest to bring or do in EBC trek later, may not suitable for the other trek.
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| Where is EBC and the trek (Grab from internet) |
How was it?
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What should I bring?
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Outfit
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Yes there are 4 seasons on the mountain but even summer
can be chill, especially at night.
If you’ve experience in trekking, you should know how you
should wear. Just bare in mind, during summer day time might be hot, but
night time is as chill as winter. Whatever season you’re going to EBC trek,
you should bring long john for night time.
p/s: most of the teahouse/guesthouse doesn’t provide
heater or electronic blanket, all you have is thick blanket and sleeping bag
ONLY.
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Food and beverage
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Food is expensive along EBC trek, people on the mountain
grow and eat vegetable / potatoes the most, meat is something luxury and
expensive, yet is not recommended, because meat is not fresh, porter brings
meat from big city by walk up for at least 3 or 4 days, you never know if the
meat is fresh or not, so better don’t take risk.
If you’re picky on food, I’m not advice you to take EBC. The
people in the mountain define food with something to give energy with, but
not something to enjoy, lots of food is tasteless or simply salty. The best
food I have on the mountain is instant noodle, which cost RS200 for a small
bowl.
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John loves meat but everyone is not recommend to have meat
in EBC, including my Sherpa guide, so half of our backpack is fill with food.
Except sneaker / chocolate / energy bar, instant noodle /
porridge / soup, we also bring vacuum packaged dried meat aka Bak Gua, simple
because john couldn’t eat only vege.
Candy and chewy / refresh gum to keep myself awake (do not
sleep too much or you will getting tired) and whenever we didn’t have water
to brush our teeth (well, water is expensive).
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Accommodation
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Heaps of guesthouse aka teahouse along EBC trek from Lukla
to the base camp.
Tea house only provide very very simple room, which is 2
single beds with 4 thick blankets, that’s it. Room is made by wood and chill
wind is blowing in from slits during night time, you do need sleeping bag,
which you could rent one in kathmandu.
Room rent doesn’t cover water (of course, you’ve to pay to
bath) and electricity, the rent simply cover one night sleep on wooden bed
with 2 thick blankets.
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Trek
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Trek all the way to EBC is not too difficult, the first
challenge is way up to Namche Bazaar. You will need tough hiking shoes and
walking stick if you’re not fit like me and John.
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What will you need to pre-arrange / prepare before trek to EBC?
1. air tix
2. guide (a must even you've experience, some part of trek is complicated.)
3. porter to carry your baggage.
4. accommodation
5. food and beverage.
6. TIMS card (Trekkers's Information Management System)
Item
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Description
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What you have to know is:
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Air tix
(KTM - Lukla)
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As I mentioned in the previous post, there are several
airline operate Kathmandu to Lukla, but the best company is
The price and airplane might different depend on the
companies, but one thing is same, they only fly in the morning till 1 or 2ish
in the pm.
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* You can pre-book your flight, but you’re not guarantee a
seat, because they do not have a system. They use first come first serve
system. You have to go airport real early to grab your seat. Some people
forced to come back several days because failed to grab a seat even paid.
* KTM to LUKLA only take less than 1 hour, but the cost is
USD200 to USD300 for return tix, depend on which company you go for.
* Small plane with only 20 seats, no seat number, first
come first serve to sit on the left for
* Landed on the world most dangerous airport,
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Guide
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Unless you have been EBC, or you will need a guide to lead
you to the destination.
Alternately, you can hire a porter cum guide to lead you,
but do not expect porter can show / explain the surrounding to you.
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* You can always find a guide in Lukla airport, heaps of
local looking for job there everyday.
* Choose a guide on your own risk, some Asian girl got
raped / robbed by guide that picked up on the street.
* I suggest to get a guide from travel agency, so you know
where to complaint or lodge report is something bad happen.
* the more people (eg 5 to 10) to share a guide is cheaper
(of course!)
* Usually the guide will take care his own meal and stay,
that is including in the fees. Unless both of you agree to pay his stay and
food in exchange of cheaper guide fee. The fees range is USD 20 to 25 per
days.
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Porter
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You can pick up a porter in Lukla airport. Do not judge on
their body size or outlook, they can carry 20kg stuff and run on the mountain
with only sandal.
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* Same as guide, choose on your own risk, as they will not
walk along you, they’re always ahead, so do not let them carry your important
/ expensive stuff, always keep it in a small backpack with you.
* The fees range is USD 15 to 20 per days.
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Accommodation and food
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There are lots of restaurant / tea house / guesthouse
along EBC trek, don’t worry about stay and food as long as you’ve money.
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* Stay is fairly cheap only if you agree to eat in the
guesthouse or teahouse that you stay.
* per night / room stay is bout USD 10 to 15 per night. Per
meal / person is USD 5 to 10.
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TIMS card
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You’ve to pre-apply in
There are a few check points in EBC, the first one is Monjo,
which is 3 to 4 stops after Lukla. Normally you will arrive Monjo in 2nd
or 3rd day or trek.
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* Cost of apply is USD 10, you will need your passport and
2 passports size photos.
* If you’re on tour, your tour guide will arrange that for
you.
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For John and I, we let an agency to arrange for us, simply because we've not much experience in hiking, and cheaper.
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| green is our route, 5 days return. |
We contact Marvel Travels & Tours via email 2 months before we went to EBC, the managing director Dhruba Lamsai agree to arrange us a 5 days tour, which including:
1. one tour guide for 5 days.
2. one porter for 5 days
3. 2 return air tix.
4. accommodation for 4 nights.
5. food and beverage for 5 days. (free order, you can eat or drink as much as you can)
6. TIMS card
7. free rent of sleeping bag and walking stick.
That private tour cost us USD1000 for 2 person, but we think this is fairly reasonable. I tried to let the guesthouse in Kathmandu booked us 2 return tix KTM - Lukla, its cost me USD 700 for 2 person, which is a "ouch" for me.
Marvel travels and tours offered the best, and we're lucky to have Nurbu as our tour guide, he is patient and experienced, he did very good job in taking care of me especially when i about to die on the mountain.
But i must say, you've to be very careful to deal with Dhruba Lamsai, he is tricky but not a bad person. Below is the contact for the agency.
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| Dhruba name card. |
Alternately, you can contact Nurbu directly, he did organize tour for customer. He is just freelance for Marvel Travels & Tours.
He can speak fairly goog English, and he grow up in the mountain, he knows the valley best.
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| I hope you can understand Nurbu / Norbu handwriting.... |
Alright finally! I have been writing this post for 3 days! Its come to the end and next post will be photos, photos and photos!
Do come back and visit ya!
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20130808, 1029am
Rach in going out mood.
