I am planning a three week trip to Tibet and have a few
questions about organising trips etc. Here goes: 1.Is it
quick and easy to buy flight tickets from Kathmandu to
Lhasa once in Kath or is it best to purchase these from
home? 2. Once in Lhasa do I have to be on a tour or can I
do my own thing? 3. Where is the best place to meet other
travellers in Lhasa to join me in my return overland trip
to Kath? 4. Is it easy to organise your own itinery on the
return trip as I do not want to go to the base camp and
this seems almost fixed on the return journey? 5. Is 3
weeks enough to organise all travelling once I get there or
will I get stuck somewhere eg Kath without a flight to
Lhasa? Thanks for your help
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Once you get to Lhasa, you will not need to be on an
organized tour. However, you ticket getting you there may
include the cost of an "included tour". The tour likely
does not really exist, or even if it does, it merely takes
you places you can easily go on your own, like the Potala.
You can do Lhasa without the assistance of an organized
tour.
In regard to meeting other travelers. I suggest staying
somewhere like the Banok Shal or the Yak Hotel, and you
will meet other travelers there.
In regard to travel in other places in Tibet, when I
was there in the end of 1997, there were certain areas that
you still needed to get a permit from PSB to travel in. At
that time I found that the PSB in Shigatze were much more
likely to give such permits than the PSB in Lhasa.
In regard to travel back to Nepal. There are plenty of
travel agencies in Lhasa, where you can hire a vehicle with
others to go the the Nepalese border. You can determine
ahead of time exactly where you want to stop along the
way. However, a cheaper route is a bus that goes directly
from Lhasa, to the border. Back when I was in Lhasa,
informaion on buses could be obtained a restaurant at the
Banok Shol Hotel.
When I was looking for other travlers to share the cost
of a vehicle to Nepal, I posted notices up on the boards at
the various hotels where all the travelers stay (they are
all quite close to each other). I received so many
inquiries from other travelers that were interested in
sharing the vehicle that I could have easily filled four
Land Cruisers. So, you should not likely have trouble
finding others to share the ride to Nepal.
Have a great trip. Both Tibet and Nepal are beautiful.
Travelers please don't patronize the Chinese interlopers as
the money only goes to further repress the Tibetans. The
Chinese government is worse than the Third Reich was to
Jews: killing millions of weaponless children, monks, and
adults and destroying over 6,000 of their defenseless
monasteries--former centers of trade and commerce as well as
shelters for love and peace. Don't let the rape continue,
Tibetan enclaves in India are much better representations of
the former Tibetan sovereignity of Tibet. Visit these and
don't let your money go towards furthe
Travel to Tibet via Chengdu, China is possible. It cost 3,700 Y which includes a return plane flight and a three day "tour" - what ever that may be. It is limited to Lhasa only though. Once in Tibet travel individually is very very difficult and most people suggest the best way to travel is organising a trip with other travellers while in Lhasa (ie. a group). Apparently they are much stricter than they were in even late 1998 due to a whole bunch of anniversaries of events in Tibet plus the recent Nato bombing of the Embassy. I am hoping to give this a try but have heard that most people have a lot of hassles in Tibet from agencies and some have been forced to pay "tour fees" (US $10-15/day) just to stop the agency from turning them in to the police (PSB). Two Dutch girls got sent back after three days (despite paying 3,700 Y) and were very disappointed and angry because of the false promises made by the travel agencies. Basically it is expensive and harder than before. Everyone expects the situation to improve perhaps later in the year. Hope that helps...cheers,
Ryan, in Chengdu.
Travel to Tibet via Chengdu, China is possible. It cost 3,700 Y which includes a return plane flight and a three day "tour" - what ever that may be. It is limited to Lhasa only though. Once in Tibet travel individually is very very difficult and most people suggest the best way to travel is organising a trip with other travellers while in Lhasa (ie. a group). Apparently they are much stricter than they were in even late 1998 due to a whole bunch of anniversaries of events in Tibet plus the recent Nato bombing of the Embassy. I am hoping to give this a try but have heard that most people have a lot of hassles in Tibet from agencies and some have been forced to pay "tour fees" (US $10-15/day) just to stop the agency from turning them in to the police (PSB). Two Dutch girls got sent back after three days (despite paying 3,700 Y) and were very disappointed and angry because of the false promises made by the travel agencies. Basically it is expensive and harder than before. Everyone expects the situation to improve perhaps later in the year. Hope that helps...cheers,
Ryan, in Chengdu.
Travel to Tibet via Chengdu, China is possible. It cost 3,700 Y which includes a return plane flight and a three day "tour" - what ever that may be. It is limited to Lhasa only though. Once in Tibet travel individually is very very difficult and most people suggest the best way to travel is organising a trip with other travellers while in Lhasa (ie. a group). Apparently they are much stricter than they were in even late 1998 due to a whole bunch of anniversaries of events in Tibet plus the recent Nato bombing of the Embassy. I am hoping to give this a try but have heard that most people have a lot of hassles in Tibet from agencies and some have been forced to pay "tour fees" (US $10-15/day) just to stop the agency from turning them in to the police (PSB). Two Dutch girls got sent back after three days (despite paying 3,700 Y) and were very disappointed and angry because of the false promises made by the travel agencies. Basically it is expensive and harder than before. Everyone expects the situation to improve perhaps later in the year. Hope that helps...cheers,
Ryan, in Chengdu.
The Tibetans may not have political & religious autonomy,
but they are certainly not murdered like Jews in the Third
Reich. The Chinese government has put in more funds in
this province than any other in China, hoping that they can
"convert" the Tibetan people politically and perhaps even
culturally - of course with little results. A lot was also
spent rebuilding temples damaged during the Cultural
Revolution, although some may argue that this is to gain
tourist revenue. The Cultural Revolution of Mao's days
were devastating, but so were the effects of that era on
Chinese culture and historical relics.
Therefore, to compare the current regime to Nazi Germany's
persecution of Jews is not only a gross overstatement, but
also demeaning to the memories of murdered Jews as well as
the Chinese people.
If you want to see change, visit the place and improved
economics and standard of living will bring winds of
change. Over-romanticisation of the Tibetan people
(especially about their peaceful nature - students of
Tibetan/Central Asian history would know about their
military machinery that once striked terror across the
surrounding areas)and exaggeration of issues are no
different from propaganda about the "brotherhood" of
nations proclaimed by Soviet and Chinese communists.
If you are truely concerned about oppressed nations, please
also do something for the Kurds and Palestinians, all of
whom have much greater populations than Tibet.