seren@r
Namche Bazar, 3440 m
Namche Bazaar is one of the most attractive settlements in the Khumbu. This tight tangle of cobbled streets is often described as a village but it feels more like a town, and new lodges are popping up here faster than you can say ‘Everest Base Camp’. Historically, Namche Bazaar was an important staging point for trading expeditions across the Nangpa La into Tibet, but today the village makes most of its money from the hundreds of trekkers who arrive every day en route to Base Camp, Gokyo or Lukla. On one level, it’s relentlessly commercial, but the spectacular setting and the handsome stone and timber buildings make it feel like a proper mountain village. Because of the steep climb from Phakding, it is essential to stay at least one extra night to adjust to the altitude, but you can fill the time with some excellent acclimatisation treks.
Namche Bazar, 3440 m
Namche Bazaar is one of the most attractive settlements in the Khumbu. This tight tangle of cobbled streets is often described as a village but it feels more like a town, and new lodges are popping up here faster than you can say ‘Everest Base Camp’. Historically, Namche Bazaar was an important staging point for trading expeditions across the Nangpa La into Tibet, but today the village makes most of its money from the hundreds of trekkers who arrive every day en route to Base Camp, Gokyo or Lukla. On one level, it’s relentlessly commercial, but the spectacular setting and the handsome stone and timber buildings make it feel like a proper mountain village. Because of the steep climb from Phakding, it is essential to stay at least one extra night to adjust to the altitude, but you can fill the time with some excellent acclimatisation treks.