How much Money on EBC Trek?

[Grummy]

Hi all, have just found this forum & love it, some really great information.

My wife & I are heading off to do a 15 day Everest Base Camp trek in Dec 08/Jan 09. Just a quick question about how much money to take with us. We are going on a fully guided tour with Peregrine (we simply don't have the time to do it all ourselves!). This means that all meals, accommodation, guides & porters are already paid for. How much spending money would we require each day for the 2 of us? I would imagine that we will be buying some extra snakcks along the way as well as drinks at night. I have heard the figure of 1000 rupees a day per person for incidentals. How does this figure sound to those who have been there? We would also be looking to buy some souvenirs on the trek back to Lukla.

One other thing for any Aussies out there, whats the ATM situation like in Kathmandu? Are Aussie cards accepted. I have a Westpac card that is an ATM card aswell as a Mastercard.

Thanks,

[salantar]

money depends on you . it mean how much you want to expencese for nepal. everest base camp trek is expencive then annapurna trek because you need both way flight ticket. flight ticket is extra. when you to do want trekking? budget is depends on you it means what you want it if you want eat simple food 1000 rupies is sufiesent . if you want eat deliciouse food like pize burger and many westwen food it is not inoff. you can take one guide and one porter if you have a more money and we want to get more relax if you have no more money you can just take guide-porter who speak little bit english and carrige your bag also. what you want everything is possible.

[yakshaver]

Hi all, have just found this forum & love it, some really great information.

My wife & I are heading off to do a 15 day Everest Base Camp trek in Dec 08/Jan 09. Just a quick question about how much money to take with us. We are going on a fully guided tour with Peregrine (we simply don't have the time to do it all ourselves!). This means that all meals, accommodation, guides & porters are already paid for. How much spending money would we require each day for the 2 of us? I would imagine that we will be buying some extra snakcks along the way as well as drinks at night. I have heard the figure of 1000 rupees a day per person for incidentals. How does this figure sound to those who have been there? We would also be looking to buy some souvenirs on the trek back to Lukla.

One other thing for any Aussies out there, whats the ATM situation like in Kathmandu? Are Aussie cards accepted. I have a Westpac card that is an ATM card aswell as a Mastercard.

Thanks,

1000 rupees a day is more than plenty for "incidentals". Too much perhaps, Unless you decide to buy 10 bottles of coke and 6 beers every day....

But for souvenirs, well, the sky the limit.

There are plenty of ATMs in Thamel and the rest of KTM these days. I had no problem ever with getting cash of the credit card, but sometimes there seem to be issues of getting money of the normal debit card... Not always.

[Escher]

1000 rupees a day per person is enough for someone to pay for all their own accomodation and food whilst tea house trekking in the Annapurna region or Everest region. So you won't need anything like that amount. Chocolate bars are about 100 nrps each and a beer around 200. How many will you want? I would take a couple of thousand between you for extras and souvenirs. You may also need to budget for a tip for the porters. I think it is something like 10-25% of their wages and customarialy given to them at the end of the trek. Ask your tour group for an idea.

[Oli]

Do take cash, and make a point of spending it. There is no need to flaunt or squander your wealth, but try to spread it around a bit. Consider that if you can afford a fancy holiday, jetting around the world for a fully supported trek in an exotic location - you are vastly more well off than the average Nepali.

And be aware that from the money you pay most profit will stay with Peregrine, their agents in Kathmandu will keep a large slice and as like as not hire crew from Kathmandu rather than locals in the hills, the lodge owners will shave their margins to retain the Group business, and the lads with the hardest job (carrying you bags) will likely get the least pay.

Take your random custom to the smallholders and don't waste your karma by haggling over a few rupees on the price of a cup of tea, if you see what I mean...

They have no ATM in the Khumbu (yet), but you can change currency and travellers cheques in Namche & Lukla. The rates are not as good as in Kathmandu, and I'm not sure about AUS$ but US$ & UK£ are acceptable.