We are sure you’ve browsed through many websites of different trekking agencies, spent hours on the internet researching about the destination, reading detailed itineraries and probably searching for a hundred other things to plan and prepare for the trek or the tour. Many people are attracted with the idea of going to Nepal in order to walk the most popular trekking trails in the world.

When it comes to choosing a trekking agency, it gets really difficult and tricky because there are over a 2000 trekking agencies in the country. In order to help you find the right trekking agency, we have listed down some important tips to aid you choose the best travel agency in Nepal.

Most of the tours and trekking company in Nepal speak the green language of money. Trekkers are asked to pay huge sums of money for the trek and most of them end up paying whatever has been asked in hopes of good service throughout the trek.

In almost all cases, the trekking agencies do not walk the talk and the trekkers tend to have a miserable time in the mountains. Given the long list of trekking agency in Nepal, there are only a few that actually deliver what they promise and their clients go back home genuinely happy with the services provided.

Now, everybody is different and everyone has their own way of planning and dealing with the various tour and trek operators. In this blog, we are not trying to teach you how to deal with the various travel agencies in Nepal, Kathmandu. We want to help you by teaching you to ask the right questions to the travel agencies before you commit to a trek or tour with them. Asking the right question is very important as it sets a tone of authority with the travel agency.

Furthermore, it also helps to communicate your level of expectation from the tour or trek operator. They may not be able to answer each and every question that you throw at them but as a result, it will definitely help to ascertain how genuinely concerned they are.

Let us begin by learning to ask some basic questions and then we will move forward with the more detailed and difficult questions. With every topic put forward, we will also provide an answer which should be similar to the answers given by the travel agency/tour operator.

The best season for trekking

This may be the most important question if you are planning to trek in Nepal. What is the best season for trekking in Nepal?

Well, Different seasons bring with it different trekking experiences in Nepal. Spring (March, April to Mid-May) is one of the best times to trek as spring brings with it good sunny weather and lot of flowers and plants also bloom during this time of the year.

Autumn (October to Mid-December) is another good season for trekking in Nepal. You may not find flowers blooming but be sure to find excellent weather to view mountains in all their grandeur during this season.

The difference between teahouse trekking and camping

If you’ve not trekked in Nepal, you probably don’t know the difference between tea house trekking and camping. Don’t forget to ask your travel agent to explain the difference in details.

Most of the popular trekking routes like Everest Base Camp Trek, Annapurna Base Camp and Annapurna Circuit Trek, Langtang Trekking, Manaslu Trek etc. have well-developed tea houses (mountain guest house) with good facilities of accommodation, food, bathroom and all the other basic amenities. In trekking routes with such teahouse facilities, trekkers stop for the night and stay in the teahouses which provide a warm bed and a variety of food.

Camping trekking, on the other hand, is all about carrying your own food and accommodation as you trek in the mountains. You will also have a team of porters, guides and assistant guides who will be cooking, putting up tents and help you with all the other tasks to make the trek as comfortable as possible. Camping is usually done, when you trek in remote routes like DOLPO region of Nepal.

Teahouse Accommodation

Nepal has various options when it comes to trekking and adventure activities. If you are planning to trek in Nepal, please do not forget to ask your travel agent as to what kind of accommodation you will be getting for the trek that you have chosen.

If you go for the tea house trekking in Nepal then you will get a basic room with two beds, mattresses, a bedsheet, pillow and a warm blanket. In higher altitudes, you may have to share the bathroom with a fellow trekker. If you are doing homestay treks, it all depends on what the hosts offer you. Sometimes, you may have to sleep on a mattress in the kitchen, other times; the host may provide a single room with a bed, mattress and a blanket. If it is camping, then you will have to sleep in a camp with a mattress and a sleeping bag.

Food In the teahouses during the trek

Most of the trekkers who come to Nepal for trekking have no idea about the kind of food you’ll get on your teahouse trekking. Since food is the most important thing along with water on the trek, you ought to be aware about the kind of food you’ll be getting in teahouses.

The popular trails in Nepal like the Everest Base Camp Trek, Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang are all mostly teahouse trekking. Since the trekking trails are so popular, teahouses on the trail provide a varied array of dishes to the trekkers. Most of the teahouses provide hearty breakfast option of toasts, eggs, potatoes, as well as tea and coffee. In the Everest region, Sherpa stew is a popular choice among trekkers. Nearly every menu in any trekking region of Nepal has meat dumplings (MOMO) and noodles, which is very popular here in Nepal. However, the most popular perhaps is the traditional DAL BHAT. Lentil soup, rice, spinach and seasonal vegetables along with ‘aachar’ or pickle as they call it in the west are the meal to go for while trekking. Not only is the Nepali Dal Bhat rich in carbs, but also helps in providing the necessary energy required to walk for 6 to 7 hours every day for 14 to 15 days on the trail. We even have a slogan in Nepal which goes like this- ‘DAL BHAT POWER, 24 HOURS’.

TIP: If you have any food allergies or if you want to avoid a particular ingredient from your food during the trek, it is best to inform your travel agent while booking the trek.