In addition to these three, there are many other reputable operators around town, along with a handful of fly-by-nighters. By prudent comparison-shopping and bargaining, you may well be able to shave some more off the prices I've given above.

Winging to the whitecaps

The best prices for flights to Kathmandu come from Ticket Planet (800/799-8888; ticketplanet.com), which charges $999 round-trip from Los Angeles and $1,099 from New York, year-round except between December 7-25.

Be their guest

There's no shortage of perfectly acceptable guesthouses in Kathmandu, especially in the areas known as Thamel and Chhetrapati. Try one of these four:

Marco Polo Guest House (tel. 977-1/251-914 or 251-892, fax 977-1/250-513, e-mail marcopolo@wlink.com.np). Possibly the friendliest guesthouse in Kathmandu. Rooms with private bath range from $8-$10.

Tibet Guest House (tel. 977-1/260-556 or 251-763, fax 977-1/260-518, e-mail tibet@guesths.mos.com.np). Down a side alley, rooms here are clean and fresh, and the staff couldn't be more helpful. Rooms start at $14 and go up to $39 for the deluxe variety with A/C and minibar. They also include a free pickup from the airport, saving you an immense amount of stress as well as a $5 taxi ride.

Nirvana Garden Hotel (tel. 977-1/256-300, fax 977-1/260-668, e-mail nirvana@wlink.com.np). The Nirvana is just beyond the Tibet Guest House, at the end of a cul-de-sac, and is about as quiet as you'll find in the city. Double rooms, all of which have a telephone and TV, start at $40.

The Holy Lodge (tel. 977-1/416-265, holylodge@wlink.com.np). A perennial trekkers' favorite, the Holy Lodge offers rooms with private bath starting at $10-$12 if you want one of the newly constructed rooms.