Home ›› General Information
General Information
" To bring the ember to roaring life is what I seek - shoot for the stars and be graced with a full moon on a plain under the clear Tibetan sky, I got that and more..."
Tibet: For thousands of years, Tibet lay under the ancient Sea of Tethys. Eighty million years ago, India crashed into Asia, pushing up the Himalayas, lifting the ocean bottom above water, and creating this magical land. Mystical land, Shangrila, Forbidden Country: Tibet has many names and inspires an air of mystical dreams. However, Tibet is real and a beautiful place to travel. It possesses a unique culture, firmly rooted in Tibetan religion, but with strong influence from the geography of the Himalayas, and the neighbouring civilisations of India and China.
Geographically, Tibet can be divided into three major parts - north, south and east. The eastern part is forest region, occupying approximately one-fourth of the land. Virgin forests run the entire breadth and length of this part of Tibet. The northern part is open grassland, where nomads and yak and sheep dwell here. This part occupies approximately half of Tibet. The southern and central part is agricultural region, occupying about one-fourth of Tibet’s land area. All major Tibetan cities and towns such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse and Tsetang are located in this area and is considered the cultural center of Tibet.
Accommodations
Hotels/guesthouses have basic facilities and even a hotel in Lhasa may not meet your expectation. We always try to provide our clients a twin room but it may not always be possible. Sometime, because of weather factor or road condition, we may not be able to bring you to the hotel of our contract or rooms may be already sold out due to delay arrival and we may have to request you to adjust in whatever accommodation available at that moment. In Lhasa, Gyantse and Xigatse, you can expect twin room with attached toilet/shower but other places; you will have to adjust with common restroom facilities.
Electricity and hot water supply may be disrupted although the hotels of cities promise them.
Transportation
From Kathmandu., you will be transferred by a van/coach to Kodari (Tibet border 116 km) accompanied by our escort and from Tibet border onwards, Tibetan crews will drive you all the way to Lhasa. In the event of landslides or road blockade by any reason and service of porters are required to carry your luggage or hire another means of transport between the two landslides or for onward journey, you will be asked to contribute a nominal sum of money.
During the change of vehicle in the border, you are requested to help yourself about your luggage.
Guide
Tibetan guides are reported to have limited English and you may not expect a fluent explanation about culture and religion or any other academic topics. He will serve more as a geographical guide and will be responsible for dealing with bureaucracies on the way. However, we will try our best to assign you the best guide available though.
Clothing
The weather is cold, harsh and dry. You will need enough warm cloths , tennis shoes, suntan cream, sunglasses, hats, scarves, lip guards etc.
Food
Your trip includes only breakfast. So, you may want to carry with you energy bars, dry foods like chocolates, cookies etc to eat on the way. Restaurants in Lhasa,Gyantse and Xigatse
serve varieties of cuisines ranging from Chinese to Continental but in other places, you will find basic Tibetan foods.
Money
In China, you will have to use RMB (Chinese money). Saturday and Sundays, banks are closed but in the border sides, you may encounter with a moneychanger everyday. Travelers’ cheques or credit cards are not accepted in most parts of Tibet. So, you may want to carry about 100 dollars in cash for lunch/dinner and for small souvenirs.
Tipping
Guides and Drivers would be happy to receive tip and in fact it motivates them to work harder and provide better service.
Altitude Sickness
Travelers to Tibet are reported to exhibit mild symptoms of altitude sickness. So, some measures of precaution and remedies should be taken. Complaints of headache, fever, loss of appetite, uneasiness, stomach disorder etc can come up before acclimatization. Travelers with heart, lungs and blood diseases should consult with their doctors before they sign up for a trip.
Consumption of enough liquid food (not a liquor!) and enough rest is recommended if you notice the symptoms of sickness.