Tibet Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Tibet (Classical Tibetan: Bod; Lhasa dialect: Pö; Chinese: 西藏, Xīzàng) is an autonomous region of China.
Entering Tibet you feel as though you've entered an entirely different world. As much as the Chinese government pushes forward with its campaign of cultural assimilation, Tibetans try to preserve their unique heritage.
Some areas which are not part of the Tibetan Autonomous region — much of Qinghai, the Kham region of Sichuan, and parts of Yunnan — are Tibetan in history, culture and language.
Contents |
Regions
There are seven prefectures in the Tibet Autonomous Region:
Cities
- Lhasa - the capital of Tibet
Other destinations
- Mount Kailash - a sacred mountain revered by both Tibetan Buddhists and Hindhus.
Understand
Talk
Almost all Tibetans speak or understand some Mandarin Chinese. In the cities people speak Chinese fluently; in the villages it may not be understood at all. Chinese is also the language of the police. Han Chinese people, on the other hand, normally don't know any Tibetan at all.
Although this makes Chinese a more useful language for travelers in many ways, you should remember that language is political in this charged environment. If you speak in Chinese to Tibetans you are associating yourself with the Chinese government, which is resented by many Tibetans. That said, many Tibetans seem to view Chinese as a useful lingua franca and a few Tibetan pleasantries is enough to befriend Tibetans. If you speak Tibetan to Chinese police you'll raise suspicions that you may be in Tibet to support Tibetan Independence. Try to avoid letting police (even ethnicly Tibetan officers) know you speak any Tibetan.
Get in
By plane
You can fly to Lhasa but flying in from a much lower altitude city puts you at high risk of altitude sickness because of the quick transition. If you are in Sichuan Province or around (and aren't satisfied visiting the many easily accessible ethniclly Tibetan areas to the east of the Tibetan Autonomous Region) flying from Chengdu is the easiest option.
According to signs (posted in tarin stations among other places) to go to Tibet after June 26th you need a great deal of official paperwork. Hostels in Chengdu can handle that paperwork for a very reasonable fee, and you shouldn't be intimidated by it. Just show up at a large hostel and ask to book a flight to Lhasa, they'll handle the rest (cost ~3000 RMB).
By train
The Qinghai-Tibet (Qingzang) Railway from Golmud to Lhasa started operating in July 2006. The journey all the way from Beijing takes just under 48 hours, costing 389 yuan in the cheapest hard seat class and 1262 yuan for a soft sleeper.
By road
There are four roads into Tibet, roughly corresponding to the cardinal directions:
North: The road from Golmud (Ch:Ge'ermu) is the easiest legal land route at present. It is however nearly as costly as flying, if one follows all the rules, i.e. travels by bus. The landscape is beautiful but difficult to appreciate after the long rough ride.
It's possible to travel this way by hitch-hiking on trucks if you are well prepared (camping equipment, food and water for a day). Expect to spend a few days. There are police checkpoints on the way but the only one that is a problem is the one 30 or so km out of Golmud. If you walk around it and a few km beyond you should be able to get a ride without too much of a problem. There are plenty of places to eat on the way but be prepared to get stuck in the middle of nowhere. There are also are places to sleep ranging from truck stop brothels to comfortable hotels, however these should be avoided as you're likely to get picked up by the police.
East: There is no legal way to travel this road and the security is tighter than from the north. Travellers do get through this way, but for people who are obviously not Chinese it's dificult.
West: From Kashgar (Ch:Kashi) much of the way is technically off limits. However there is a steady stream of hardy travelers coming this way, usually hitching rides on trucks. The road is totally unpaved for over a thousand kilometers with villages and water few and far between. The main advantages of this way is that it passes by Mount Kailash and through a beautiful, very remote region inhabited by nomads. You should be very well prepared to travel this way and take everything you would need for independent trekking: camping equipment suitable for freezing temperatures even in summer, a good tent and at least a few days of food (there are a few truck-stop places on the way but not always when you want them). Expect the trip to take two weeks or more. From Kashgar it's much farther to go to Lhasa via Urumqi and Golmud but the better transport (trains and good paved highways) make it no more time consuming to travel this way. There are many interesting things for the tourist to see on the way and it is worth considering traveling this way instead of via Mount Kailash.
South: From Nepal the international border makes any sort of breaking of the rules impossible, so the only option is to book a tour with a travel agent in Kathmandu. If you have a Chinese visa before getting to Nepal, you will probably be able to stay in Tibet after the visa expires, if you get the visa in Kathmandu it will probablly be only be for the duration of the tour. The drive takes five days to Lahsa, from Kathmandu and is very rought, but pretty.
After 44 years of closure, the Nathu La pass to Sikkim, India — a part of the historic Silk Road — opened again in July 2006. At time of writing, the border is not yet open to foreign tourists, but this is expected to change soon and there are plans for a Gangtok-Lhasa bus service.
Get around
Many parts of Tibet are technically off limits to foreign tourists without travel permits. Exactly where you are allowed to go and where not, is a matter of great debate among travelers. It is complicated by the fact that the police don't seem very clear about it themselves and as you normally get the permit through a travel agent they have a tendency to overstate the need. The truth seems to be that you don't need one for Lhasa Prefecture, you do for all others, and permits can be acquired in the prefecture capital or in Lhasa. The term "prefecture" is being used to refer to the administrative level one down from state. The police in each prefecture seem to hold discretionary powers to a large degree. In Lhasa they do not give permits to travelers directly, only through a travel agent and only once a tour has been booked. In other words it's expensive in Lhasa. In Xigatse the police are happy to give travel permits to tourists directly for a small fee, but they can only issue them for their prefecture, which includes the road to Nepal. Ali is another prefecture where the police give out the permit without any unneccesary difficulties, their administration includes Mount Kailash.
Bus
Central Tibet has an OK public bus network, although the strict need for a travel permit when taking a bus (the driver/conductor will want to see it) limits the usefulness of buses.
Jeep
Jeep tours are a popular way of getting around Tibet, while not cheap, the tour operator will sort out all the necessary paperwork, and they offer you a reasonable chance of sticking to a schedule.
Your driver will likely be an indiginous Tibetan who can speak Chinese. He'll get to eat and sleep for free wherever you go (because tourists are a huge part of the Tibetan economy, he'll often be treated like a king), and he'll often need to stop for a smoke or a pee by certain vendors on the road. 4500 RMB will get a jeep that can seat 4 people and luggage comfortably for 4 or 5 days.
Hitchhike
Hitchhiking can be a good way to get around the country for someone who is flexible and has a lot of time. It can, however, mean you end up getting stuck without a lift for days. In the west of the country this probably means hanging around truck stops, as the distances are far too long to walk, and finding water would be a major problem. Trucks often break down though and it can take a long time before the journey continues. Hitchhiking in general is not free and a small fee often combined with cigarettes is expected. In central and eastern Tibet, there's more water and villages, and so walking becomes a more reasonable option. In short, hitching may or may not get you to your destination any quicker, but at least it offers a change of scenery.
Hitchhiking from Lhasa to Mount Everest
A few travellers choose to ignore the travel permit requirement and continue to travel south of Shigatse which is the limit for traveling without a permit. This is very adventurous but can be done even the traveller might risk in the worse case imprisonment. It is a good advise to check with foreigners who live in Lhasa to point out the location of road check points and get tips on safety. Take enough food (snacks) and cigarettes (for truck drivers) and only go on this trip after you have adjusted to the high altitude.
From Lhasa to Shigatse you can take a public bus. A travel permit is not required for buying a bus ticket. Have an overnight in Shigatse. It is impossible to buy a ticket at the ticket counter (in Shigatse) without a travel permit, but sometimes it works fine to show up before the bus leaves and buy the ticket in the bus. Keep a low profile while seated in the bus. Before departure the conductor checks the ticket. Hand him over the fare money plus a little tip. The bus might leave, only to stop again a few minutes later around the corner. It might happen that the offical from the ticket counter who refused to sell tickets without permit shows up with your ticket in hands and wishes you a happy journey. Immediately outside Shigatse are the first check posts. Usually a very young chinese official enters the bus. Keep a low profile or smile at him. If he asks something, just show him the tickets.
After this checkpost the journey continues on dirt roads with occasional stops at small stone huts which serve Tibetan food or noodles. You find a room with restaurant in small inns, usually there is one in every bigger village, but don't expect any luxury. Many times the only shower facility consists of a bucket of water.
Further south there are no public buses one can use, but truckdrivers can be asked to get a ride. A fee is usually negotiated before the ride. Truckdrivers won't take a traveler through checkpoints. It is wise to walk or hitch to a checkpoint, then walk around it, out of sight of the officials and try to get another ride from the other side. Sometimes a ride on a local transport, e.g. tractor up to the checkpoint can be arranged.
Around Mount Everest is a huge Everest National Park. Park tickets have to be bought before arriving at the National Park Checkpoint. Towards Everest there are hardly any local transports and no trucks, but numerous jeeps coming from Nepal all go to Mount Everest. Tourists usually pay a high price for this tour and are very reluctant to take on a free guest. The driver and tourist guide might refuse to take you in without a travel permit. Some gift money to the Tibetan driver plus a bold lie to the mostly chinese tourguide might work. Once the jeep stops at the National Park Checkpoint, all passengers have to leave the car and pass through the checkpoint where car documents, park tickets and passport with travel permits are checked. If you have already travelled that far without a travel permit, the moment of surprise might add to your luck and the young chinese officials might let you pass. Again keep a low profile, have a big smile and some money which changes hands might work. If not, be prepared for a long walk around of the check post.
From there it is a direct way to Mount Everest over stunning 5500 m passes. When you arrive at the tiny monastery which serves as a very simple hotel and restaurant be prepared for a wonderful sight of Mount Everest at sunrise - if you are lucky. Everest can be shrouded in clouds for many weeks. Only continue to the base camp when you have adjusted to the high altitude. If you want to continue from Base Camp 1 to Camp 2, paying some fee is unavoidable.
Getting back from Mount Everest to Lhasa usually is less of a hassle. When stopped tell that you are heading to Lhasa. Sometimes you might be lucky and find a ride in a tourbus which returns empty to Lhasa having unloaded the tourists at the Nepalese border.
If you decide to hitchhike to Mount Kailash be prepared for an even harder journey. Villages are more remote and it is a long journey sometimes taking up to 2 or 3 weeks to Kashkar.
Bicycle
There are a surprising number of tourists traveling Tibet by bicycle, both foreigners and Chinese. The roads vary from rough dirt tracks to good quality paved roads. There are restaurants, truck stops and shops scattered around often enough so that you don't need to carry more than a day's worth of food (with the important exception of the west of the country). The roads are often well graded, being built for overloaded trucks. 26 inch wheels would be prefrable as 700c are almost unknown in China. Good mountain bikes are avalable in large cities of China or in Lhasa. Golmud is not a good place to get a bicycle (assuming you want it to get you past the check point 30km outside of town).
Maps
Good road maps of Tibet are common in China, but only in Chinese. These are of limited use even for people literate in Chinese as the Chinese names are very different from the ones used by the Tibetans. They are useful for reading road signs, even for people with low literacy in Chinese.
The Star publications map is probably the best. Amnye Machen Institute[1] publishes an excellent map of similar scale and detail but with the Tibetan names, with a version written in Latin script and one in the Tibetan. It makes a useful companion. Tibetmap.com has a free downloadable set of maps covering much of Tibet with detail almost good enough to use for independent trekking.
See
- The Potala Palace, the home of succesive Dalai Lamas, is in Lhasa,
- The Jokhang Temple in Lhasa was built in 647 AD by Songtsen Gampo and is one of the holiest sites in Tibet.
- The Barkhor Street in Lhasa is a street of traditional Tibetan buildings that encompasses the Jokhang Temple.
- The 'Summer Palace of the Dalai Lama is located in Lhasa, about 1km south of the Potala.
- Samye Monastery - constructed in 779AD, Samye was the first Buddhist Monastery established in Tibet, and is located in Dranang, Lhoka Prefecture, 150 kms south-east of Lhasa.
- Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas. It was constructed in 1447 and is located in Xigatse
Do
Unfortunately big parts of Lhasa have been destroyed by the Chinese and only a small part of the traditional Lhasa remains. This part is now under renovation to attract tourists and give them the impression of a free and autonomous Tibet. It is still worth to take a stroll through the old part of Lhasa and buy goods from Tibetan vendors, who sometimes come from remote provinces of Tibet. Watch the impressive bargaining for Shish stones but refrain from buying turquoise or coral items as most of them are synthetic or dyed. Nevertheless Tibetan vendors have a huge range of beautiful Tibetan articles and it pays out to buy directly from them instead of spending money in westernized chinese shopping malls which started to appear everywhere in the centre of Lhasa.
There are some small cafes and bars run by young Chinese or Tibetan people which are very good hangouts and a fantastic meeting place for the few expats who live in Lhasa. They provide great information about Tibet.
A must are the small Tibetan restaurants who serve authentic Tibetan food. If you have never tried Momos or Gyantok, a definite must together with a cup of salted Tibetan butter tea.
Tibetan people in general are wonderful and friendly people who always have a warm smile. Some speak a bit of English and are happy to have a chat with you.
Don't
If you visit the Potala Palace (tickets are issued only at certain times) please respect the Sacredness of this building and don't follow the example of many chinese tourguides who try to explain at the top of their voice the sights within the Potala Palace often mentioning dubious historical connections to China.
After the invasion, tens of thousands of Tibetan monks were killed and thousands of monasteries were destroyed. They are now rebuilt by the Chinese government mostly for tourists and filled up with monks who are not always genuine Tibetan Buddhist monks.
Despite the heavy punishments and restrictions regarding HH Dalai Lama, the love of Tibetan People for him, has never ceased but cannot be publically displayed. Even the possession of pictures of HH Dalai Lama is punished. There are many spies and many conversations are overheard. Please be cautious when speaking about issues like HH Dalai Lama, the independence of Tibet or criticizing the Chinese rule, not to bring your Tibetan friends in a difficult and dangerous situation.
Eat
Tragic as the Chinese takeover may be, many Tibetans will nevertheless admit that at least it brought some decent restaurants. Even good Tibetan food is very monotonous with most Tibetan restaurants serving nothing other than thukpa (noodle soup) and tea. Even Chinese restaurants in villages often put out some excellent food. Some travelers feel that Hui (ethnic Chinese Moslem) places are cleaner because of halal food laws; they can be recognised by the green flags and crescent moons (and because they do look cleaner).
While traveling be prepared for the bus to depart late or break down. Carry a snack on short trips and enough food for a few days or a week or more for longer journeys, such as to Mount Kailash. Instant noodles are convenient even if you don't have a camp stove. They can be eaten cold or softened with boiled water. Tsampa (roasted barley flour) is an ideal travel food because it's already cooked. Eat it mixed with tea, butter and salt, or as a high energy snack by mixing it with water, milk powder and sugar.
Drink
Tea houses are an important social venue in Tibet, and offer a chance to sit down and relax. The tea houses in the larger town and cities offer sweet tea, or salted; in the villages you may only have the option of salt tea. The line between a tea house and a restraunt is blurred and many also offer thukpa.
Stay safe
When traveling in the countryside be prepared for the vehicle to break down and for bad weather. Carry a snack and some warm clothes.
Be aware of the dogs. In the cities there are numerous stray dogs about and in the country side the villagers and nomads keep large guard dogs (usually chained up). A modest level of caution is enough to prevent you from being bitten, as the strays are normally more afraid of you than you of them. If guard dogs are unchained, keep them at bay by staying away from the house or tent they are protecting and pick up (or pretend to pick up) some stones. Much is made of the viciousness of the Tibetan dogs, but few travelers have problems with them.
Stay away from political protests and keep up to date on political developments. Tibet info network (www.tibetinfonet.net) is a good source of up to date new from inside Tibet. It's usually blocked in China but you can get around this by signing up for email news letters before going to China.
Get out
Generally speaking, it is easier getting out of Tibet than in.
It's easy to get travel permits in Xigatse and once you have one you are free to travel to Nepal by any form of transport you like.
Respect
- Circumambulate stupas and other sacred objects in a clock-wise direction.
- Do not climb onto statues, mani stones or other sacred objects.
- Do not discuss politics; much friction exists between Tibet and China due to the 1959 invasion and occupation of Tibet. Watch what you say and do to avoid confrontation with the Chinese.
- Don't photograph people without permission. Some locations prohibit photography without a fee.
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