Dingboche

Perched high up above the treeline of the dusty Khumbu region, surrounded by cloud-splintering peaks with brilliant white tips of snow and glacier, Dingboche is a favourite pitstop on the route to Everest Base Camp. It's a traditional Sherpa village, made up of a clutch of rough-stone cottages and earthy teahouses that bubble with chatting trekkers and the scents of spice-infused masala tea.

Altimeters will clock up a whopping 4,410 meters here, which means acclimatisation is a must before you arrive. Despite the thin air and icy winds that roll down from Tobuche and the soaring Himal, thousands still make the journey each year, eager to seek out Dingboche tour guides who can reveal the mysteries and wonders of the world's highest mountain range.

Days can be spent wondering at the colossal ridges and ice fields that erupt all around the town, talking to local Sherpa folk, and photographing the terraced farm fields and their rows of drystone walls. Others will have their sights set on climbing the challenging peaks of Ama Dablam, Imja Tse, or – of course - Mount Everest itself.