As the Langtang Valley Trek is a tea house trek, the meals and accommodation are provided by locals in teahouses and lodges. However, no roads to the Langtang Valley means the upper portion of the trek will be more expensive.
Food in Langtang Valley Trek
As the main source of income for the tea houses, food ranging from spaghetti to the staple Nepali food, rice, and lentils is available in the Langtang Valley Trek. Food both vegetarian and non-vegetarian is available. Drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic are also available.
Tea houses start to serve breakfast from 7 to 9 in the morning. This is done so that trekkers can move at around 8.00 am. Teahouses sell the same things for breakfast. This includes bread, eggs, soup, and potatoes.
Lunch hour is usually 11 am to noon, 1 pm at the latest. Rice, lentils, and seasonal vegetables are the cheapest and most popular lunch options. Items like pasta, pizza, and noodles are also prepared to cater to tourists.
Dinner is usually served from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm. The items are mostly similar to the lunch menu. Skipping meals is not recommended. In Kyanjin Gompa, the locally produced Swiss cheese is also a delicacy. As you may have noticed, all food items are high in carbohydrates. This is to energize trekkers with calories. It is to be noted that the menu becomes more limited the higher you go.
Drinks with caffeine and alcohol are not recommended due to their dehydrating nature. However, tea houses serve their guests teas, coffee, and hard drinks.
Drinking water in Langtang Valley Trek
You can purchase mineral and hot water from tea houses. Mineral water is not recommended as they come in plastic bottles. Instead, carry a water bottle or thermos and buy hot water from teahouses. Most teahouses will sell hot water cheaper than mineral water. Although there is spring or tap water, it is not recommended to drink from them. Purification systems such as LifeStraw, SteriPEN, and purification tablets are required if spring or tap water must be consumed.
What types of accommodation would trekkers use while trekking in Nepal?
The Langtang Valley Trek is described as a tea house trek. The quality of the tea houses depends on the altitude. Lower altitude usually has well-equipped rooms with electricity, commode toilets, Wi-Fi, and a hot shower. As the ascent becomes higher, the accommodation facilities become basic. Only solar power is available in higher altitudes, and you may have to pay USD 2 - USD 3 per hour to use it. Wi-Fi may be unreliable, but you can cellular data with a local sim.
The rooms along the Langtang Valley Trek are mostly on a twin-sharing basis. Most teahouses offer rooms with twin beds with foam mattresses. A pillow and adequate blankets are provided. A padlock for securing your valuables can also be obtained. The facilities might be scarce but more than enough for a comfortable stay. The locals and authorities have set the accommodation price to USD 5-USD 10 per night.
Western and Asian 'squat' toilets can be found in the lower regions. It depends on the tea house. But on the higher altitudes, squat toilets are the only ones available. They may even be in a separate hut outside the teahouse. They may lack toilet paper. So, it is always recommended to carry some just in case.