Food · Tumling
Dal-bhat by the stove in a Tumling lodge
Eat the ridge's standard dinner the way the families eat it: rice, dal, potato curry, saag and chilli pickle, with seconds offered. Sit by the stove, ask about the dishes and learn the habit of refills that keeps trekkers going up here.
Dal-bhat is the fuel of every Himalayan trail, and Tumling's lodges cook it well. A full plate holds a mound of rice, a bowl of lentil dal, a dry curry of potato or squash, cooked greens and a pickle of radish, tomato or the small round dalle chilli. In most lodges the rice and dal are refilled on request at no extra cost.
Order around 5 pm so the kitchen knows how many to cook; dinner usually comes at 7. If you want variety, noodle soup, fried rice, momos and eggs are on most menus, but they cost more and fill you less. Hot lemon with honey, or black tea, are good evening drinks at altitude.
Eat in the dining room, not your bedroom; it is warmer and the family can clear up. The guides usually eat in the kitchen. Afterwards, settle the bill for the day before bed so you can leave early, and ask for a flask of hot water for the night.
Cost: ₹200–350 a meal
Questions people ask
Good to know
How much does dinner cost at Tumling?
A plate of dal-bhat costs about ₹200–300, with refills of rice and dal usually free. Noodle soup or fried rice costs ₹120–200, and eggs ₹30–40 each. Prices rise a little as you go higher on the ridge. All are indicative.
Can lodges at Tumling cater to vegetarians?
Easily. Dal-bhat is vegetarian by default, as are most noodle and potato dishes. Jain or no-onion-garlic meals need advance notice and may be simpler. Tell your guide in Maneybhanjan so he can let the lodges know.
Is the water safe to drink at Tumling?
Drink boiled water or use a filter or purifying tablets. Lodges will fill a bottle with boiled water for a small charge. Bottled water is available but costly and adds plastic to the ridge. Avoid untreated spring water.
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