Tea houses are hotels that offer basic lodging and meals along Nepal's trekking routes. In the Everest area several Sherpas own and run tea houses along the trekking routes of Everest. To the west the Annapurna region is covered by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) in a large conservation area. The NTNC regulates tea houses in the Annapurna and has to meet specific criteria including fixed pricing, standard menus and restrictions on how many tea houses can be built along specific routes.