Everest Base Camp Trek. They call it the most epic Himalayan adventure, high on hard-hitting mountain scenery, this trek enjoys some of the most breathtaking views in an electrifying adventure that brings you deep into age-old Sherpa culture and history. As you ponder how to go about – look at Everest Base Camp Tour Cost and the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary, there is one thing that might come in handy (no matter how short or long g trekker you are). And here is something some people tend to forget:t You should make sure that staying in contact with your loved ones will be possible. It’s not only about sharing those epic photos; it’s a safety thing as well, and the key to staying both safe and keeping in contact on this classic trip is getting a local Nepali SIM card.
This comprehensive guide will cover all of the primary items you need to take for your Everest Base Camp Trek, but more specifically, how you can conveniently and quickly get that one item that will allow you to stay connected to the world while trekking in the high mountains.
Why You Should Stay in Touch While Trekking the Everest Base Camp
Sure, the vast majority of trekkers who come here do so to unplug from their laptops and smartphones, but purchasing a local SIM card on arrival once here also has its undeniable perks that can make your adventure safer and more convenient. While traveling down the road, and while trekking towards the EBC trek, lower down and main places like Namche Bazaar, mobile data will also give you a more private access to the web, which is usually faster (initially always) than paying/crouching inhaling a teahouse wifi that can be costly or slowest when reached at higher altitude.
Local SIM: This will help you to easily contact your host, message with friends without costly international roaming charges, and arrange local bookings and transport. Plus, if you’re doing a Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek, then obviously you need an active local number, which could coordinate the luxury services and private transportation for you. That little Everest Base Camp hike price of the SIM card is peace of mind.
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How to Choose a Good Network for your EBC Trekking Trail
In Nepal, there are two primary telecoms companies, Ncell and Namaste, which provide coverage on different Mount Everest Base Camp Tour trails. To sum it up, while booking your Everest Base Camp Trek package, you should be familiar with what is included in the package. As a semi-government organization, NTC normally has wider coverage throughout Nepal, even in the most rural areas of Nepal, but sometimes slower as well, as the UGH network takes time to reach. Ncell (privately owned mobile operator) generally has better speeds in populated areas and the bigger trekking hubs.
Especially in the Everest Base Camp region, Ncell has been pouring a lot of money into new telco infrastructure and generally gives better coverage than the competition – Their signals reach even as high up as Lukla, Gorak Shep, and even sometimes to Base Camp itself (though that is intermittent). Some savvy trekkers actually find that Ncell is the preferred option for their EBC trek. Choose the travel seller that has traditionally been able to stay connected above 10,000 feet.
How to get a Nepali SIM card: The easy way
After you have arrived in Nepal, buying a SIM card is a piece of cake, with it being fast, cheap, and easy. The most convenient place to grab a SIM card and have it activated is at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (TIA) – or from an official service centre, e.g, in Thamel – the tourist district of the city. Don’t wait until you are in Lukla or on the trail to do this, as options will be more limited and less reliable.
For the application you’ll need Your original passport to identify yourself A photocopied version of your passport (sometimes the SIM card seller will make one for you) An up-to-date small passport-sized photo of yourself, though nowadays most airport and official vendor kiosks actually take a digital picture then and there And anywhere between US100 – $5 when factored into EBC Trek Cost for SIM itself. You will have to fill in a short form (it probably takes about 1-2 minutes maximum) – they will register and activate the SIM card for you “in the moment”, when you leave the airport, you are already connected!
This High-Altitude Trail Takes Time With Power and Data
And then once you have your active SIM card, data and battery usage are very important on Hike to Everest Base Camp in cost. The best cell phone reception from any network can be altered significantly due to elevation and weather. Turn off your auto-downloads and, if it’s possible, avoid streaming to save data. For best battery life, which will be drawing down fast in the cold: Keep your phone on you — whether between the layers of a sleeping bag, inside that pocket at night, or something else; close superfluous apps (goodbye forever Pokémon Go); and put it into airplane mode while untethered to data.
You can also charge your battery at tea houses, but for an extra charge (approx $2 – 5 per hour or full charge), so it’s worth bearing in mind when calculating the costs of the Everest base camp trek yourself. It is strongly recommended that you have a high-capacity power bank, one that can recharge your communication lifeline without being subservient to paying for electricity on an ongoing basis.
Alternative Connectivity: Wireless & Satellite
As with the local SIM, a teahouse’s Wi-Fishere and there is an option, but it honestly won’t have as much bandwidth as your own personal means of communicating. In a variety of lodges and through the popular “Everest Link” service, Wi-Fi is available — generally for a fee (by the hour or by device) that becomes precipitously more expensive as you climb higher; by the end, it can cost more than you’d pay in total for a tourist data plan.
Satellite Phones – When only the actual Get-Me-Out connection is king – On a top-film crew, mountaineers, or for Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek, then it has to be satellite phone area of being better connected than any cell tower coverage. Though hiring a satellite phleaveseave an additional impact on the EBC Trek cost, and it will not be needed by any regular trekker who can do well with intelligent usage of local SIM/teahouse Wi-Fi.
What Your Local SIM Card Means for Safety
Aside from maintaining a pad back home with social media posts, COB’s SIM card is its most important safety precaution. That way, in the worst case possible scenario, say if a crew member is critically injured and needs help more quickly than the boat can make it to land with wind and waves at its stern, he or she can use a line tied to their harness be haul himself or herself in.
Your trekking guide (all our guides) carries communication devices, but the opportunity to enable you or another member of the group to make a short local call to one of your ground control agency contacts, air-evacuation helicopter service, or even a local medical post can prove very advantageous in saving time. It is this important safety cover, that means including the local SIM card in your Everest Base Camp Trek Price, that means something you absolutely cannot afford to be without if you are serious about trekking here.
Thoughts on smooth communication in the Khumbu?
In the last minute, Everest base camp trek companies can spoil the trip on the outset. So why not pick up a local SIM card early in your trip to Nepal, and prove that you’re not just taking brag-worthy photos of Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse but also ensuring that all important line back home stays open for what matters. It’s a small, affordable act that pairs well with the likely costly investment you made in your Everest Base Camp Trek package – but it’s enough to transform terrifying concepts of isolation into unity and faith; a beautiful, lasting experience. Train hard, hike slow — but remember that even at the bottom of the highest mountain on earth, you are never truly off the grid.
