Introduction
Tibet is a rich and beautiful land with an average altitude
over 4,000m (13,120ft) above sea level. Possessing more
than fifty peaks above 7,000m (22,960ft), Tibet is home
to eleven Himalayan mountains over 8,000m (26,240ft). China,
India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Burma and Kashmir border the
Tibet. Over two million people inhabit this land of rich
natural resources and ancient cultures. Spiritual traditions,
temples and monasteries, lakes and rivers, and mighty snow
clad peaks are just a few of the intoxicating wonders to
be experienced by adventurous travelers destined to visit
this place.
Buddhism, with a history of some 1,300 years is shaped into
a unique form of "Lamasm". Tibetan history, culture
and religion are mixed together and infiltrate every aspect
of social life. Tibetan religious arts have a distinctive
style with adoption of Indian and Chinese Buddhist influence,
thus forming a pearl of Oriental Buddhist art.
People living on the Tibetan plateau, such as Tibetans,
Monpas, Lhopas and Moslems, have their own ways of living,
marriage, burial and other ceremonies. Festivals in Tibet
are in big variety. The Tibetan New Year, the largest festival,
is followed by others such as the Wangkor Festival and horse
races. For the dead, sky burials, water burials, cremations
and stupa burials are practiced, but the sky burial is the
most common.
Science and culture in Tibet include technology, medicine,
grammar, logic, Buddhist philosophy, rhetoric, words and
expressions, syntax, drama and astrology. Tibet is known
as the Sea of Songs and Dances; folk songs and dances are
diverse, especially during the "Shoton Festival"
in August.
Why to Visit
Tibet
Whether you are drawn to Tibet for its natural surroundings
or culture you will have a diverse experience with lots
of extremes. Treks and expeditions encounter mountains,
lakes, plains, glaciers, grasslands and more. Tibet's cultural
philosophy, religion, and spiritualism can be found in contact
with native people and their arts. Architecture, rug weaving,
Thangka painting, metal work, butter sculpture, sand mandalas,
textiles and jewelry are just few things to be sampled.
The Himalayas
The mighty Himalayas, like a silver screen, zigzag along
Tibet’s southern horizon adjacent to Nepal. Mount
Everest, known locally has Qomolangma, needs no introduction,
as it is the world’s highest peak ( 8,848m). The optimal
weather season is from April to June for adventurers set
on mountaineering. Lhotse (8,516m), the world’s fourth
highest peak, Makalu (8,463m), the fifth highest, Cho Oyu
(8,201m), the sixth highest and Shisha Pangma (8,012m),
the 14th highest, also reside Tibet
The landscape at the northern side of the Himalayas is as
attractive as it is in the south. The world’s highest
glaciers are found on these slopes, which are mysteriously
in wait for man’s exploration. A pilgrimage to Kailas
can take you through the northern grasslands with many beautiful
lakes to experience Tibetan nomadic life of long ago. Also,
Kailas may be approached from another direction that offers
a rich view of bird life.
Any trip to the Himalayas promises lots of unforgettable
memories!
Lhasa – The Land of Gods
Lhasa is the capital of Tibet. Bordered by the north bank
of the Kyichu River, Lhasa is at an altitude of 3,650m above
sea level. Its 1,300 year history has put it at the center
of politics, economy, culture and religion in Tibet since
ancient times.
There are numerous scenic spots and famous historical attractions
among which Potala Palace, Norbulingka, Drepung Monastery,
Sera Monastery, Ramoche Temple, Jorkhang Temple and Barkhor
Street Market.
Shigatse – The Estate that Fulfills One’s
Wishes
Shigatse, is Tibet’s second biggest city and it is
the center of transportation and a distribution center for
agriculture and husbandry products into the southeast. Monasteries
such as Tashilhunpo and Shalu are its major historic attractions.
Yamdrok Yumtso – The Sacred Lake
One of the three largest lakes of Tibet, lies about a hundred
kilometers southwest of Lhasa. The surface of the lake covers
some six hundred square kilometers. Interior hills form
islands that provide homes to flocks of wild ducks. Fish
are plentiful and supply a tasty for diet for the locals.
Terrestrial Heat in Tibet
Northern grasslands, called Changthang, bear an extremely
cold climate. Eight or nine months a year is the freezing
season. Boiling hot springs send cloudy vapors into the
air and provide a picturesque landscape. This Terrestrial
Heat is eighty–seven km northwest of Lhasa and covers
some forty km. You can see underground steams shooting up
a hundred meters into the air and can be seen from ten kilometers
away.
Ganden Monastery
Founded in 1409 by Tsongkapa, the founder of the Gelugpa
Sect, this monastery is the earliest of the Three Great
Monasteries of Tibet.
Jorkhang Temple
Four storied temple of Golden Splendor featuring architecture
of the Tang Dynasty from the 7th century AD. Murals and
historical relics depict famous figures and stories from
the past.
The Karo Ruins
These four to five thousand year old ruins include house
architecture, stone paved roads, stone built walls, cave
dwellings, and many different kings of chipped stone implements.
Their discovery provides new threads for the study of migration
and exchange between people of the Neolithic Age.
Ruins of Guge Kingdom
Originally built in the 10th century, historical
records show sixteen hereditary kings that dominated this
kingdom. The extensive ruins are found on a hillside about
300 meters in height and cover an area of 180,000 square
meters. They include more than 300 chapels, 300 caves, 3
stupas and five magnificent temple palaces. In the temples
many lively murals and clay sculptures can be still seen.
Tumuli of Ancient Kings
The tombs are massive knolls of earth with flat top-like
platforms. There are eight or nine tombs among which some
have been identified with Kings Songtsen Gampo, Tride Tsukten
and Trisong Detsen.
Tradduk Temple
Established by King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century and
belonging to the Gelugpa Sect (Order of Excellence), the
main building is the Assembly Hall. The images enshrined
here are all bronze and the corridors are full of murals.
Sera Monastery
Situated at three kilometers to the north of Lhasa. Jamchen
Choje, a disciple of Tsongkapa, the founder of Gelugpa Sect
founded sera Monastery in 1419. The Monastery is erected
grandly at a mountain slope with a colorful architecture.
Sera Monastery together with Ganden Monastery and Drepung
Monastery in Lhasa are known as the Three Great.
Samye Monastery
Known as the first monastery ever built in Tibet. It was
founded by the Tibetan King Trisiong Detsen and belongs
to the Nyingmapa and Sakyapa sects. The construction consists
of three styles, namely, the Han, the Tibetan and the Indian.
It is said that the monastery was destroyed by fire and
was rebuilt for three hundred years as the residence of
the 6th Dalai Lama. Finally, Rating Rimpoche completed it.
Sakya Monastery
This monastery is the center of the Sakyapa Sect (White
Earth Order). The northern part of the monastery was built
in the year 1079 and the southern founded in 1268 by a famous
abbot of Sakya named Pagpa. The monastery has great influence
over the Tibetan history and cultural development. Owing
to its valuable and voluminous amount of Buddhist sutras
and cultural remains, the monastery is often considered
as the "Tunhuang the Second".
When To
Visit Tibet
Although Tibet may be visited easily year-round,
Dec-Feb remain the off season due to cold, dry weather.
Coordinating trips with festival dates is a popular practice
so the current information is provided below. These are
just a sampling of many local events.
Climate Basically, the Tibetan climate is not as
harsh as many people imagine it to be. The best time of
year to be in Tibet is from April to the beginning of November,
after which temperatures start to plummet.
The central Tibet, including Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and
Tsedang, generally has very mild weather from April to November,
though July and August can be rainy - these two months usually
see around half of Tibet's annual rainfall.
October and November often bring some dazzling clear weather
and daytime temperatures can be quite comfortable at Tibet's
lower altitude.
The coldest months are from December to February. It is
not impossible to visit Tibet in winter. The low altitude
valleys of Tibet (around Lhasa, Shigatse and Tsedang) see
very little snow.
Spring does not really get under way until April, though
March can have warm sunny days and is not necessarily a
bad month to be in Tibet. More specific information in different
areas:
Lhasa - the border of Nepal/China: The
Friendship highway is basically in good conditions year
around. But from December to February, the thawed road could
make some trouble Besides, try to avoid August - landslide
could happen in the rainy season.
Mt. Everest Region: Early May and early October are the
best time to visit Mt. Everest. Due to the clear weather,
you have great chance to see Mt. Everest's true face. From
December to February, it's too cold to go to this region.
But the magnetism of Mt. Everest always attracts people
anytime of the year.
Ali ( MT KAILASH & LAKE MANASAROVAR):A HOLY
PILGRIMAGE WITH CHALLENGES
MT. KAILASH (6741 m) is perhaps the most scared of the Holy
Mountains in TIBET. Together with the two lakes of MANASAROVAR
& RAKAS, the region is one of the few truly natural
wonders of the world. Three of the orient’s greatest
rivers; the BRAHMAPUTRA, the SUTLEJ, and the INDUS, all
take their sources within a hundred kilometers of this ‘SNOW
CAPPED JEWEL’ which attracted Hindus, Buddhists, Jains
and Bonpos from the four corners of Asia for centuries.
MT. KAILASH - also known as TISE or KHANG RIMPOCHE ( Jewel
of the snow), has since the time immemorial been celebrated
in many eastern cosmologies as MT MERU, the axis mundi (the
centre of the physical and metaphysical universe). For the
Hindus, it represents the abode of Lord SHIVA and for the
Buddhists, a terrestrial projection of the cosmic MANDALA
of the FIVE DHYANI BUDDHAS & the Wheel of Life.
Although the journey entails a long ride by Landcruisers
over TIBET’s great western plateau through the region
inhabited by few wild animals and only the occasional nomad,
this existing tour involving four day trek with yaks in
the remotest parts around MT KAILASH will offer the most
fascinating experience on the ROOF OF THE WORLD. This is
a new destination which is attracting more and more visitors
day by day.
Even without climate restrictions, this area is already
inhospitable. Big rain and snow could make the journey worse.
However, for those determined tourists, the appropriate
time is May, June, July, September and October.
Eastern Tibet: Don't touch this area in
July or August, the rain could ruin the road, and make terrible
landslides. While in winter, the road could be frozen.
Northern Tibet: With the average altitude
of 4,500m, this area offers very limited time for tourists.
Summer is the prime time to enjoy the great plain in northern
Tibet.
Temperature
in Lhasa |
| Month |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
| The Highest ("C) |
6.8 |
9.2 |
12 |
13.7 |
19.7 |
22.5 |
21.7 |
20.7 |
19.6 |
16.4 |
11.6 |
7.7 |
| The Lowest ("C) |
-10.2 |
-6.9 |
-3.2 |
0.9 |
5.1 |
9.2 |
9.9 |
9.4 |
7.6 |
1.4-5 |
-5 |
-9.1 |
CANCELLATIONS
For cancellation made 16 days prior to the scheduled date
of arrival, no cancellation fee is charged: for cancellation
made 15 days prior to arrival, a cancellation fee of 30 percent
of the prepaid package tour rate is charged: for cancellation
make with 72 hours before arrival no refund will be made on
the tour price.
VISA AND
DOCUMENTATION
You must be in possession of a valid passport. We will obtain
your visa for Tibet, and will require the following information
when making your reservation: full name as it appears in your
passport, passport number, date of expiry, place of issue,
nationality, date of birth and occupation. Two passport size
photographs are also required. Additionally, you must allow
a minimum of three full working days in kathmandu for the
visa to be physically stamped in your passport. This normally
means you spend four nights prior to your departure for the
Tibet, in Kathmandu. A 14 days visa for Nepal (extendable
to three months) can be obtained at the airport upon arrival.
INSURANCE
Full travel insurance coverage, particularly for trip cancellation
and interruption is strong recommended.
ALTITUDE SICKNESS
As Lhasa lies at over 12000 feet, most people will experience
some of the minor symptoms and discomfort of altitude sickness
(headaches, mild nausea, loss of appetite) until their body
adjusts to the elevation. This can take from a few hours to
a couple of days, depending on the individual. Take it easy
and rest when you first arrive. Eat light, but drink plenty
of non-alcoholic liquids. Proper hydration is critical to
acclimatization.
KATHMANDU TO LHASA ROAD
The journey from Kathmandu to Lhasa by road should be viewed
as an adventure, not a sightseeing tour by bus. The road itself
was poorly constructed and is prone to closure by landslides,
particularly from June through September. It can be very dusty
and some kind of face Mask is a good idea. As you drive to
altitudes of over 17,000 feet at some points, altitude sickness
becomes a real possibility and most will feel some symptoms.
You must make sure to drink plenty of fluids to help you acclimatize.
The choice of hotels enroute (except Lhasa) is extremely limited.
Hotels are basic with showers, flush toilet, a small shop,
a restaurant and laundry facilities only.
Food is not readily available enroute until the stopover hotels
are reached. We recommend you carry packed lunch from the
hotels. We suggest you bring a canteen or water bottle with
purification tablets or a water filter pump and refill your
bottles at every opportunity. Meals enroute (until Lhasa)
tend to be greasy and you may want to bring snacks or other
foodstuff with you. We therefore suggest you to carry Tinned
food, biscuits, Chocolates, Cheese, Drinking chocolate/coffee,
Soup cubes, Instant noodles, Vegemite, Nuts and raisins, chewing
gums, etc.
RESTRICTIONS:
There are strict control over taking pictures inside the monasteries
but upon paying a fee, monk may turn on the lights making
the flash less necessary. Do not carry any Dalai Lama picture,
Free Tibet posters or Tee shirts, Tibetan Flags or any political
magazine or books.
CURRENCY
US$ 1 is equal to Chinese Yuan 8.2. Either US$ or YUAN is
preferred at the remote areas from the border to Xigatse.
TC can be exchanged at the bank of China at Xigatse, and Lhasa.
In case the banks are closed, please borrow cash Yuan from
your guide.
