NAMCHE BAZAAR

Namche Bazaar in eastern Nepal is a town situated high (3440m) on the old Chinese and Tibetan trade routes and is now one of the main rest stops on the trek to Everest base camp. It is the administrative centre for the Khumbu region.

The name Namche comes from the Sherpa word “Namoche” or “Nawoche” meaning we have spring water here. "Sherpa" means "shar-wa" or "shar-pa" - people from the east and the original settlers of Namche came from Kham, in eastern Tibet. Traditionally, Sherpas were traders and Namche Bazaar served as a staging point for expeditions over the Nanga La into Tibet taking zopkio (a crossbreed cow that the Tibetans use for plowing fields), buffalo hides, dye, and needles to use as barter for the wool, meat, and salt they needed. Namche Bazaar remains an important trading centre even though the salt trade from Tibet has finished and the tourist and trekking industry provides an alternative, lucrative source of income.