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Contents
1. Quality of Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga Trek
I had read several older blogs about the Kanchenjunga trek. The accommodation at that time was very basic and rough. In November 2022 I did the Makalu Base Camp trek and those tea houses were pretty dire! The tea houses on the Kanchenjunga trek were looking to be no better.
However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of most of the accommodation on the Kanchenjunga trek. The accommodation was only poor at Tseram and Ramche, but that was because the better tea houses were closed because of illness.
Your experience at the tea houses will greatly depend on how busy the Kanchenjunga trek is. When I went at the end of October 2023 there were usually at most 6 other trekkers and their guides and porters at each overnight stop. I could choose the tea houses I wanted to stay in and the rooms as well. See my blog Kanchenjunga Trek - Trip Report.
If I had started my Kanchenjunga trek a week earlier it would have been an entirely different scenario. There were several large groups and many tea houses were full. Trekkers had been sleeping in the dining room at Amjilosa. At Khambachen large tents were erected for the guides and porters to sleep in. Lhonak was full.
In autumn I would recommend delaying the Kanchenjunga trek until after approximately the 25th October in order to avoid the peak season. A bit later would be better. There are less trekkers in spring but it can become very busy for a few days at Tseram during the climbing season.
See my other blogs about the Kanchenjunga trek.
2. Tea House Food on the Kanchenjunga Trek
The food was so much better than I expected. On the Makalu Base Camp trek there were no menus and the food was mainly Nepali dishes. On the Kanchenjunga trek most tea houses had menus and they could cook a variety of dishes. I only eat rice and noodle dishes when trekking so I can't comment on the quality of the western food when it was available.
On long trekking days there was usually a tea shop on the way and they cooked dal baht and other dishes. It is best to check if they will be open before leaving your tea house. When I trekked from Selele to Tseram the tea shop had been dismantled and we hadn't taken a packed lunch.
The cost of food and drink increased with altitude. Dal baht cost R200 ($1.50) at the start of the trek but the cost had increased to R800 ($6) at Lhonak. A cup of black tea cost R50 ($0.40) at the beginning of the Kanchenjunga trek and had increased to R150 ($1.15) at Ramche.
3. Internet on the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek
The only tea house on the Kanchenjunga trek that had wifi was at Ranipul, which is just before the bridge to Lelep. I could get internet on Nepal Telecom up to Sekathum. After Sekathum I could sometimes use WhatsApp with Nepal Telecom.
Ghunsa used to have internet at the medical centre but it hasn't worked for a year. However, messages can be sent and received on WhatsApp in Ghunsa most of the time.
4. Electricity on the Kanchenjunga Trek
All the tea houses that I stayed at had mains or solar power and there were lights in the bedrooms. Sometimes the lighting was a bit dim.
At most tea houses on the Kanchenjunga trek up to Ghunsa there was free charging of electrical devices as they were connected to a power line. The exception was at Itahari near Sekathum as they had solar power.
The tea houses north and east of Ghunsa all had solar power. Most of their batteries were not large enough to allow charging of electrical devices. The Kanchenjunga Guest House in Lhonak was an exception. Electrical charging was free for guests and they charged visitors R500 ($4) per device.
I took a solar panel and 2 small power banks. I used the power banks but didn't need to use the solar panel. I had 3 batteries for my video camera but could have coped with 2.
I had 2 USB adapter plugs. One of them had 2 ports which was very useful in Ghunsa as I quickly had to charge several devices one evening. I used the second adapter plug in the dining room. I used USB adaptors with 2 round pins and they can be bought in Thamel.
The adapter plugs are usually loose when plugged into the electrical sockets at tea houses. I take tape so I can secure them properly. In the past I took Sellotape (Scotch tape) but this time I just used some micropore tape.
5. Showers, Toilets etc on the Kanchenjunga Trek
Ghunsa is the best place to have a hot shower on the Kanchenjunga trek. I had a cold shower at Thangyam and could have also had one at Sekathum.
The only rooms with attached toilets are at Ghunsa. The floors in the communal toilets can become icy and you definitely don't want to fall over in their.
Most tea houses sell items like toilet paper, biscuits and soap. The prices increase with altitude!
6. Dining Rooms & Kitchens on the Kanchenjunga Trek
The fire in the dining room can make a big difference to the comfort of a tea house. The fire isn't usually lit until about 16.00. They stop adding wood at around 19.00 unless the tea house is busy.
It becomes cold by 20.00 which encourages the trekkers to go to bed! The coldest time of day is at breakfast time yet the dining room fire was never lit in the morning.
If there aren't too many guests it is often possible to have meals in the warm kitchen. I always enjoyed that for both the warmth and the atmosphere.
7. Cost of Rooms on the Kanchenjunga Trek
A single room costs between R500 ($4) and R1,000 ($8) per night. The price increases with altitude. At Ghunsa the cost of a room with an attached toilet was R800 ($6) . The most expensive room was R1,000 ($8) at Selele High Camp. Later on in this blog I have attached several of my bills and menus that show the cost of food and rooms.
It may be possible to negotiate a lower rate but I didn't try as the cost was low. I was more concerned about obtaining a good room. However, I always determined the room cost before taking a room.
8. Tea Houses at Mitlung and Sinwa
I forgot to take photos of the tea houses in these villages. We had lunch at a tea house in Mitlung and the food was good.
Sinwa is quite a large settlement and there was a modern looking hotel. I met 2 trekkers who stayed there and they enjoyed their stay, except for the dogs barking at night.
9. Chirwa's Tea Houses
There are 2 basic tea houses in Chirwa with about 5 bedrooms in each.
I stayed at the Kanchenjunga Guest House and was charged R500 ($4) for a single room. There wasn't a menu. The cost of tea and food was very reasonable as can be seen from the photo of the bill. I could access the internet on my phone with a Nepal Telecoms SIM card.
The other tea house in Chirwa was the Tamang Guest House. It was almost full when I arrived so I didn't stay there.
10. Tea Houses at Tapethok, Ranipul and Lelep
There are tea houses in all these villages but I only have details of the two tea houses in Ranipul. Ranipul wasn't shown on my map and is across the river from Lelep. Trekkers usually stay at Ranipul at the end of the trek if they have taken the new trail westwards from Tortong to Hellok along the Simbuwa Khola river.
The Hotel Dream & Lodge is the most popular of the 2 lodges at Ranipul and is used by groups. They have hot showers and free wifi.
11. Tea Houses at Sekathum and Itahari
There are at least 2 tea houses at Sekathum and 1 tea house at Itahari which is half an hour past Sekathum. I stayed at Itahari and didn't see the tea houses at Sekathum. The tea houses at Sekathum are larger and would be used by groups.
The tea house at the tiny settlement of Itahari has only 4 basic, but clean, rooms. It has an outside shower and toilet. The internet can be accessed on Nepal Telecom when outside the tea house. They have solar power but electrical devices can't be charged.
There are 2 problems with the tea house at Itahari. Firstly if it was full you would have to walk back to Sekathum to find alternative lodging. Secondly their prices are too high. For example a cup of coffee was R200 ($1.50) whereas at other tea houses at this altitude it was R100 ($0.75). As there is no menu the high cost isn't readily apparent.
12. Lama Tar's Tea House
The village of Lama Tar isn't shown on the map for the Kanchenjunga trek. It is a 2 hour walk from Sekathum and a 2.5 hour walk to Amjilosa. The tea house is basic but looks clean. It could be a good option if you are trekking at a busy time. It wouldn't be used by groups.
13. Amjilosa's Tea Houses
There are 2 tea houses at Amjilosa. I had lunch at the one in the north of the village. The dal bhat was fine and cost R250 ($2). The rooms were dark and basic. They had several beds in each room. The other guest house looked better from the outside but my guide said it was about the same standard.
The tea houses at Amjilosa were full the week before we arrived and trekkers were having to sleep in the dining room. Groups tend to stay at Amjilosa and I recommend that trekkers don't stay here.
14. Thangyam's Lodge
Thangyam is shown on the map as Thyangyani. It is a 2 hour walk from Amjilosa and a 1 hour 50 minute walk to Gyabla. A lodge was built here in 2019 but it wasn't opened until last year because of Covid. It was built by the owner of the large hotel at Gyabla.
The lodge has about 10 bedrooms, a western toilet, an Asian toilet, a shower room and a sink with running water. It is all very nice and the guy running it was friendly and switched on.
It is a far better choice than staying at Amjilosa. It seems that groups don't stay here but unfortunately that could change.
It isn't expensive and I paid R1,470 ($11) for my room, dinner, breakfast and hot drinks. Far cheaper than the rip off tea house at Itahari and it had a far superior standard of accommodation and food.
15. Gyabla's Tea Houses
Gyabla has a very pleasant position on top of a hill. It is sunny and there are excellent views. I didn't stay there but spent an hour relaxing and drinking tea.
There are at least 2 lodges. The Hotel Shingi Namjong is a large modern place. Some trekkers don't like it and prefer the more traditional and rustic tea houses. I have stayed in plenty of those!
If you stay at Thangyam it would be too early to stop for the night at Gyabla. I walked on to Phale but everyone else who stayed at Thangyam walked on further to Ghunsa.
16. Phale's Tea Houses
I stayed at Phale as it is an authentic Buddhist Village at an altitude of 3,215 metres. I could easily have walked another 1 to 1.5 hours to Ghunsa. However, I was in no rush and wanted to acclimatise well in order to go up Drohmo Ri East (5,965 metres) from Kanchenjunga's North Base Camp.
There are 2 tea houses at Phale and I stayed at the Fale Guest House. I was the only guest there and really enjoyed my stay. The dining area adjoins the Tibetan kitchen. The owners were very hospitable and the food was good and plentiful. My bill for lunch, dinner, breakfast and the room was a very reasonable R1,980 ($15).
The other tea house has more rooms but also 2 chained dogs that bark a lot in the evening! They would have disturbed my sleep but fortunately they stopped barking at 22.15. They must have been taken inside.
17. Ghunsa's Accommodation
Ghunsa has more accommodation than any other village on the Kanchenjunga trek. It is the only village that has rooms with attached toilets. There is even a bakery.
I stayed at both the Peaceful Guest House and the Mountain River View Side Lodge. They both had detached huts, with an attached toilet, at a cost of R800 ($6) per night. Only one of the huts at The Mountain River View Side Lodge had an attached toilet.
I preferred the Mountain River View Side Lodge as it was smaller and quieter. Also the owners were very kind and helpful. Groups stay at the Peaceful Guest House and the dining room isn't large enough.
The Kanchenjunga Guest House has a very good reputation but groups stay there. There are also several other decent looking guest houses in Ghunsa.
The wifi in Ghunsa hasn't worked for more than a year. However, there is a Nepal Telecom signal and WhatsApp messages can be sent and received most of the time.
18. Tea Shops Between Ghunsa & Khambachen
There are 2 tea shops at a location about 3.5 hours from Ghunsa. I only stopped for tea but they serve dal bhat and probably some other dishes as well.
19. Khambachen's Tea Houses
The best known tea houses at Khambachen are the Khambachen Guest House and the Kanchenjunga White House. The Sun Rise Hotel & Lodge looked fine from the outside.
I stayed at the Khambachen Guest House as they had a detached hut available. They also had rooms in the main building. I like detached huts as you can't hear other people walking around and they are generally quieter. The cost was R700 ($5.50) per night.
The dining room at the Khambachen lodge was small and gloomy. At lunch time I ate outside at one of the tables. The lodge is in a very nice setting.
I went over to have a look at the Kanchenjunga White House as it has a good reputation. The owner spoke good English and was very friendly. The dining room is large, bright and comfortable. They have a reputation for providing good food. There are 5 attached huts at the Kanchenjunga White House. The White House is popular with groups however.
There are 3 large yellow tents in the photo below. They were erected a week or so before I arrived as all the tea houses were full. The guides and porters slept in them.
20. Ramtang's Tea Shops
There are 2 tea shops at Ramtang which is 3 hours north of Khambachen. I had a really good vegetable noodle soup at the Ramtang Tea Shop.
The other tea shop was called the Himalayan Guest House and it had a couple of basic rooms. The rooms are probably only used when the tea houses at Lhonak and Khambachen are full.
21. Lhonak's Tea Houses
I stayed at the Kanchenjunga Guest House as it had attached huts and no one else was staying there. The room cost R800 ($6). There was a long drop toilet behind the huts.
The Kanchenjunga Guest House had large enough solar powered batteries to accommodate the charging of electrical devices. It was free for guests but cost R500 ($4) per device for visitors.
There were several tea houses in Lhonak and most of them looked reasonable and had communal toilets inside the tea house.
22. Tea Shop between Lhonak and Pangpema
This tea shop is 2.25 hours from Lhonak and 1.75 hours from Pangpema. I had dal bhat and black tea on the way back down to Lhonak. It cost R1,150 ($9).
23. Pangpema's Tea House
This tea house was closed as the owner had gone down to Ghunsa for 5 days to celebrate the festival of Tihar. He promised to return 2 days later to let a group stay there but he didn't keep to his word.
Unfortunately you can't rely on this tea house being open in the off season or during Tihar. The tea house owner usually goes down to Ghunsa in the middle of November but he might go back up if a group wanted to stay there.
At quieter times he stays in Lhonak until there are trekkers walking up to Pangpema. When the lodge owner is at Pangpema he can be contacted by radio from the Lhonak tea houses.
I had read that there were beds in a dormitory but it must be small. There were 3 tents that would comfortably accommodate 2 people in each. There weren't any mattresses but they might have been stored in the building. There was 1 large tent that could accommodate many people.
24. Tea Shop between Ghunsa & Selele High Camp
This tea shop is a 3 hour walk from Ghunsa and a 1.75 hour walk from Selele High Camp.
I ordered dal bhat and while it was being cooked I lay outside in the sun on one of the mats they had provided. It took an hour for the dal bhat to be cooked and it was a very pleasant spot to wait. The dal bhat cost R500 ($4) and black tea cost R100 ($0.75).
25. Tea Houses at Selele High Camp
Until fairly recently there was only one very basic tea house at Selele High Camp. Fortunately the accommodation has greatly improved.
The old lodge was the Himalayan Hotel and they have now built a new annex to supplement the accommodation in the old buildings. This tea house is the first one reached after Ghunsa. It is located by a small river.
I stayed at the Hillside Lodge as 4 French trekkers were staying at the Himalayan Hotel. The Hillside Lodge is on the top of a hill overlooking the Himalayan Hotel. It consists of 3 buildings. One building has a kitchen and dining room and the other 2 buildings have 7 bedrooms.
The Hillside Lodge has an outside toilet. The floor was icy and in the evening we were warned not to use it! The room cost R1,000 which was the most expensive on the trek.
26. Tea Shop between Selele High Camp & Tseram
In the high season there is a tea shop between Selele High Camp and Tseram. It isn't in an ideal position as it is a long 5.5 hour walk from Selele High Camp and then it is only another 1.25 hours to Tseram.
It is better to take a packed lunch and just stop for a hot drink at the tea house. The tea shop had been dismantled for the season when we reached there. We hadn't taken a packed lunch and regretted it!
27. Tseram's Tea Houses
Unfortunately when I stayed at Tseram the Kyabru View tea house was closed, as the owner was sick, and the Blue Sheep Hotel was full. I therefore had to stay at the Yaluangkhang Guest House which is old and rustic. I kept my rucksack in a bedroom but slept in my tent.
The other 2 tea houses looked better. The Blue Sheep Hotel is close to the Yaluangkhang Guest House and the rooms are in single storey buildings. The 2 storey Kyabru View tea house is the furthest north and has 6 rooms.
I have read a blog on the Kanchenjunga trek that mentioned that all the tea houses were full for a few days in April with expedition teams on their way to climb Kanchenjunga.
28. Ramche's Tea Houses
There were 2 tea houses at Ramche but only the very basic Hotel Snow Home was open when I was there. It was the most basic tea house of the entire Kanchenjunga trek. It was probably representative of what the accommodation used to be like on the Kanchenjunga trek.
There were about 5 very basic bedrooms and there were several beds in each room. I kept my belongings in my room and slept in my tent. I had a good night's sleep but it was a hassle packing up the tent the next morning as it was covered in frozen dew.
The dining room is a structure covered with clear plastic attached to the kitchen. The dining room is warm on sunny days but very cold in the evenings. I had to go into the kitchen to warm up. Everyone went to bed by 20.00.
There is a long drop toilet in a very small outside cubicle. It was the most basic toilet of the Kanchenjunga trek.
The other tea house was closed as the owner was ill. It was a small modern building with a large tent for the dining area. I doubt that there would be space for many trekkers.
29. Tea House at Andhafedi
Andhafedi is equidistant from Tortong and Tseram. It is a 1.25 hour walk from either village. There is a tea house just off the trail. I have read that it is often closed and I didn't visit it.
Two trekkers that I met in Tortong had tea there. If it was open you could sleep there. However, there isn't a toilet.
30. Tortong's Tea Houses
There are 2 tea houses at Tortong and I stayed at the Hotel Green View. The room cost R500 ($4). The other tea house was the rustic Torantang Hotel.
I had a good stay there but it could be noisy if the hotel was full. I was disturbed by 4 Nepali lads in the room below me and had to move into another room.
I heard that around the 5th November the tea houses at Tortong were completely full.
31. Kengsra's Tea Houses
It is a very hard 5 hour hike from Tortong to Kengsra. Many trekkers don't stop at Kengsra and continue on for another 3 hours to Ranipur. If you have the time it would be more pleasant to break the hike in Kengsra.
There are 2 new tea houses but only one was open when I was there. I stayed in the Kengsra Hotel & Lodge and had a good stay. The owner was very helpful and arranged a private jeep for my journey from Hellok to Taplejung.
There was a very limited Nepal Telecoms signal that could only be accessed with an older type of mobile phone.
The Kanchenjunga Hotel was closed but looked nicer. As it was at the top of a hill it would receive more sun than the Kengsra Hotel & Lodge. The sun went behind the mountains at around 14.30 at the Kengsra Hotel.
32. Hellok's Homestays
There aren't any tea houses in Hellock but there are a few homestays. I had lunch at the one below. The dal bhat was excellent and the lady running it was very friendly and helpful.
Most trekkers pass through Hellok at the end of the trek when taking the new trail west of Tortong. However, most trekkers don't stay at Hellok and walk another half an hour down to Ranipul.
As I stated earlier in this blog there are 2 tea houses at Ranipul. Trekkers often stay the night there and take a jeep back to Taplejung the next day. The road does continue from Ranipul to Hellok but there is very little traffic.
33. Bhadrapur
I stayed at the Pasupati Hotel and Lodge which is just outside the entrance to Bhadrapur airport. I had a room with a ceiling fan, and an attached bathroom, for R1,500 ($11.50) per night. Rooms with air conditioning cost R3,000 ($23).
As is typical of many Nepalese hotels the bathroom hadn't been cleaned for a long time. The hotel was quiet until 22.30 when five Nepali arrived singing. Fortunately they quietened down after half an hour.
It turned out to be a good choice as it was so close to the airport and the food was good as well.
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