Salleri, Phaplu and Chiwong
The green Solu valley below the Khumbu: the district headquarters, an airstrip, apple orchards and the clifftop Chiwong monastery.
Solu is the lower, gentler half of Solukhumbu, where Sherpa villages mix with Rai and Chhetri settlements among pine forests and fields. Salleri is the district headquarters and Phaplu, a short walk away, has an airstrip and a hospital founded by the Hillary trust.
Chiwong Monastery, perched on a rock spur above Phaplu, hosts a Mani Rimdu festival in autumn and has fine views. The area is now reached by road from Kathmandu and makes a quieter alternative start for walks towards Everest.
