Teahouse lodging and food on the Everest trail

You do not need to carry a tent on the Everest Base Camp trek. Family-run lodges, usually called teahouses, line the route, offering a bed and meals at the end of each walking day. They are simple, warm in the communal area and basic in the rooms, and they are part of the experience.

Rooms

Expect small twin rooms with two single beds, a mattress and blankets. Walls are thin, and rooms are not heated. Lower down, some places have attached bathrooms, but higher up, toilets are usually shared and may be outside. Bring earplugs, because noise carries.

Dining room

The social centre of every teahouse is the dining room, where a central stove keeps the room warm in the evening. Guests gather, charge devices, play cards and wait for meals. Orders are often taken in the afternoon so that the kitchen can plan, and meals arrive in sequence rather than together.

What you can eat

• Dal bhat: rice, lentil soup and vegetable curry, often with free refills. It is filling and widely recommended for energy.
• Noodles and soups: thukpa, garlic soup and noodle dishes.
• Pasta, pizza, fried rice and momos: available in most villages.
• Breakfast: porridge, eggs, pancakes, bread and Tibetan bread.

Prices and altitude

Because supplies are carried up on porters, mules and yaks, prices rise as you climb. A meal at Gorak Shep costs much more than the same dish in Lukla. Many lodges offer cheaper rooms when you eat in the same place, which is the expected arrangement.

Water and hygiene

Drink treated water, because ordinary tap or stream water is not safe. Many villages sell boiled or filtered water, and refill points exist in places. Use hand sanitiser before meals, and carry your own purification as a backup. Single-use plastic bottles are discouraged in the area to reduce waste.

Showers

Hot showers are available at lower altitudes for an extra fee, and become rarer and colder higher up. Wet wipes are often a more practical choice above 4,500 m.

A typical evening

Arrive in the afternoon, claim a bed, wash your hands and face, and head to the dining room, which is the social centre of the lodge. A stove burning dried yak dung or wood, or a heated table with a blanket over it in some lodges, keeps the room warm. People write diaries, play cards, charge devices and compare notes about the day. Dinner is usually served early, and many trekkers are in bed by eight or nine o'clock. In the morning, staff light the stove again and bring tea and breakfast.

Why you order together

Lodges are small family businesses and the kitchen works through orders one by one. Ordering for the whole group at the same time, and agreeing in advance what time dinner should be served, keeps the meal from stretching out. Many guides collect orders in the afternoon, which makes service easier. It also means that if you want an early start, you can place the breakfast order the night before.

Choosing a good lodge

You will usually stay where your operator has an agreement, but if you can choose, look for a dining room with good insulation, a clean kitchen, a working toilet and a friendly host. Rooms facing the sun are warmer in the morning. If you are sensitive to noise, ask for a room away from the dining room and the toilets. Remember that conditions are simple, and a little patience goes a long way.

Etiquette that helps everyone

• Do not dry wet clothes over the stove without asking, and never leave them unattended.
• Eat what you order, because food is costly to carry up the mountain.
• Keep voices low in the evening, since others will be sleeping early.
• Thank the family and, if you enjoyed the stay, mention it to your guide.