Unplug or not. Your choice!
While many people travel with us in order to get off the grid for a while, “real life” often dictates otherwise. Family, work, checking in with your dog sitter, social media posts…all require us to stay connected (at least periodically) during our trip. For travel in Nepal, the Everest and Annapurna regions offer the best options for Wi-Fi coverage along many of the trekking routes.
The Everest Region
The Everest/Khumbu region is serviced by the Kathmandu-based company Everest Link. With the goal of keeping the locals and visitors connected to the outside world, Everest Link offers high speed, affordable internet service throughout the Everest region. Coverage includes the areas around, but not limited to: Lukla, Phakding, Monjo, Namche Bazaar, Thame, Tengboche, Pangboche, Dingboche, Pheriche, Lobuche, Gorekshep, Everest Base Camp, Phortse, Dole, Machermo and Gokyo.
Despite providing service in an extremely mountainous, high-altitude topography, Everest Link is reliable, high-quality and surprisingly fast internet. You can purchase an Everest Link card in Kathmandu or at most shops and lodges along the Everest Base Camp route. Prices are $20.00 for a 10GB card or $30.00 for a 20GB card. Both cards are valid for 30 days.
You can read more here: https://everestlink.com.np/
Our Suggestion
At home or in Kathmandu, download WhatsApp on your phone and set up your contacts. Upon arrival in Lukla, your OWT guide will take you to a shop to purchase an Everest Link card. Get the 20GB card. You are now ready to text, voice message and make calls over Everest Link’s Wi-Fi service. If you use up your 20GBs, you can just purchase another card along the way.
The Annapurna Region
Unlike the Everest/Khumbu region, the larger Annapurna area doesn’t have a dedicated Wi-Fi service. The valleys along the Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Base Camp treks offer the best Wi-Fi coverage. Along the Annapurna trekking routes, Wi-Fi is available on a lodge to lodge basis. That is, every lodge offers its own Wi-Fi service either for free with an overnight stay or for a small charge ($3.00 to $5.00). One important note: Wi-Fi coverage in the lodges is almost always limited to the area in and directly around the main dining room. Service most likely won’t extend to individual guest rooms.
Another option is to purchase a pre-paid SIM card for your phone in Kathmandu. A local SIM card (we recommend a Nepal Telecom/NTC SIM card) is probably the most practical, cost-effective and possibly reliable option for the Annapurna area. This way you don’t have to pay as you go and are pre-connected to an established network. However, even with a SIM card, service can be spotty and disconnect depending on where you are along any given trekking route.
Our Suggestion
At home or in Kathmandu, download WhatsApp on your phone and set up your contacts. For a trek in the Annapurna area, you can simply pay for Wi-Fi as you get to each lodge. This is a good option if you don’t require daily service. For more frequent use and possibly more reliable service, we suggest purchasing an NTC SIM card. Before leaving Kathmandu on your trek, an OWT agent can assist with the purchase of your card. If you plan on using Wi-Fi daily, you should consider buying a large GB card or even multiple cards, as the ability to purchase a refill will be few and far between once you hit the trails.