Life on the Tibetan Plateau

Shelkar

Shelkar ཤེལ་དཀར, also known as New Tingri, is 7kms off of Highway 318 as you approach Dram from Shigatse along the Friendship Highway in the Tsang region of Tibet. In Tibetan, Shelkar means "white crystal". Even though scores of tourists pass through the region each year along the way to Mt. Everest Base Camp, relatively few people make it to Shelkar. Lying at 4150m above sea level, the village of Shelkar is not a bad place to spend the day, especially if you like hiking. 

There are two main attractions in Shelkar. The first is the Shelkar Chode Monastery. This Gelugpa sect monastery was founded in 1266. Though in the past it was home to several hundred monks, today there are only a couple dozen or so living at the monastery. The hike up to the monastery will offer good views of the the village below. The monks are friendly and usually don't ask for any admittance fee like many of the other monasteries in the area do. People from the village below can often be found walking the small kora around the monastery.

The second attraction in Shelkar is the Shelkar Dzong (dzong means "fort). The remains of the fort lie above the monastery. The fort lies at the top of the mountain which is at least 1000m above the rest of the town. It is quite a hike and will take around 4 hours to reach the top. From the top, you will be rewarded with a good view of Mt. Everest. The trail leading to the top is decent for the most part, but some sections are in disrepair so make sure you have good hiking shoes on and watch your step. If you are unsure of which way to go, teen-aged guides can be hired in town for about Y40 to take you to the top. These guides don't speak English, but do speak standard Lhasa dialect as well as standard Chinese.

If you want to enjoy a nice hike and not be around lots of other tourists, make Shelkar a stop along your way to Everest or the Nepal border.

For more information about Shelkar or other areas of Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Surmang Namgyaltse

 

Lying 65kms from the town of Sharnda in Nangchen county in Yushu Tibet Autonomous Prefecture is the small town of Surmang (ཟུར་མང་). Surmang sits at 3900m in the Kham region of Tibet in far southern Qinghai province. Historically, Surmang was not just a town, but a large region within Kham. The traditional region of Surmang covered territory not only in Nangchen county, but also in adjacent Yushu, Jomda and Chamdo counties. Today, Surmang is separated into two main regions. Surmang Namgyaltse, or Maozhuang in Chinese, is found in Nangchen county while Surmang Dutsitil (Xiao Suomang in Chinese) is found 60kms away in Yushu county. Though these two main areas of Surmang now lie in different counties, they very much remain united in the 21st century.

Surmang Namgyaltse Monastery belongs to the Karma Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in the 15th century by a disciple of the 5th Karmapa. The word "Surmang" means "many cornered" and refers to an oddly shaped meditation hut (and perhaps more than one) that was originally built at the location. Today the monastery is home to around 325 monks, though in the past the monastery has had well over 1000 monks. Surmang Namgyaltse has been destroyed several times throughout its 600 year history. The central government of Lhasa destroyed the monastery in the 1930's for failing to pay taxes. The monastery was destroyed again during the Cultural Revolution. Since the late 1980's, the monastery has undergone massive restoration. The restoration continues to this day.

 

Not many people travel to the Surmang region. It is not listed in many guidebooks on Tibet and isn't the easiest place to get to. There are no public buses that go to the area. The cheapest way to reach the area is to take the overnight sleeper bus from Xining to Nangchen. There are daily buses from Xining. The bus takes anywhere from 20 to 25 hours to cover the 1000kms. From Sharnda, the county capital of Nangchen, you will have to hire a private vehicle or taxi to take you to remaining  60kms  to Surmang Namgyaltse. The road from Sharnda is a fairly good dirt road that passes over the 5000m Ya La pass. Along the way, you pass through rich nomadic pasturelands. In the summer, the nomads in this area live in yak wool tents while herding their yaks and sheep. I didn't see any accommodations in the area, though it may be possible to rent a room at the monastery for a few nights. Camping would be another option. The town and monastery sit in a valley with 4500m mountains all around. There are several small restaurants and several small stores to stock up on supplies.

For more information on Surmang or other regions of Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Back after a time away...

The past 5 months have been busy for me. I have not really had a lot of time to write about Tibet on this site, Land of Snows or post any information on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree travel forum. As usual, I traveled quite a lot across the Tibetan Plateau this past summer. I spent a few weeks in the Kham region, specifically in Nangchen county and Chamdo county.  I also spent a considerable amount of time traveling across the northern Tibetan Plateau in the Amdo regions. Earlier in the year, I spent over 6 weeks traveling through the Himalaya's in southern Tibet and Nepal. The past 2 months, I have been in North America. My son, Norbu, was born a year ago with some medical concerns that needed to be addressed. Fortunately, he is going to be okay and we plan on returning to the Tibetan Plateau in about a month.

In August of this year, I sold my portion of the travel agency that I help start about 3 years ago. It was a  difficult decision to make, but one I do not regret making. It was an excellent experience and I was able to create jobs for Tibetan people that didn't exist before. I knew a lot of about Tibet travel before I started the company and know even more now. It's possible that I may start another travel agency in the future, but for now I am quite content with my life the way it is. I have always enjoyed doing community development and aid projects in Tibet and I plan to do more of that over the next 12 to 18 months.

My apologies to those who have sent me emails the past few months and didn't receive a response from me. I usually try and write responses to the people who write me concerning travel to Tibet, but the past several months I have not had time to reply to people. This winter I should have more time to post new articles on this site as well as give advice on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree travel forum. If you have any questions about Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com.

Train Tickets To Lhasa During The Busy Season

Train tickets to Lhasa during the high season months of June through early October can be extremely difficult to get. It seems like Lhasa is the place where all the domestic tourists in China want to go. In 2007, over 4 million tourists (average of 11,000 people per day), mostly domestic Chinese, visited Tibet and most of them took the train to Lhasa. While 2008 was a down year in Tibet tourism, it looks 2009 will be much better. Already it is becoming difficult to get train tickets to Lhasa from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and even from Xining. Most travel agencies arranging train tickets to Lhasa have to add sizable surcharge to the price of the train tickets. Here is the reason why...In Xining, train tickets to Lhasa only go on sale to the public 5 days before departure. However, large government owned travel agencies in China are able to buy up large amounts of tickets to Lhasa 7 days before departure, or 2 days before they go on sale to the public. So when the train tickets from Xining to Lhasa go on sale to the public, there are usually only a small amount of tickets available since the large government owned travel agencies have already bought up most of the tickets, which means that small travel agencies have a very hard time getting tickets. These large government owned travel agencies then sell these train tickets to the smaller travel agencies, but add a hefty surcharge to each ticket...usually between Y1400 and Y1600 per ticket for hard sleepers and up to Y4000 per ticket for soft sleepers. This is not legal to do, but it happens all across China on the trains to Lhasa.

Travel agencies usually try to get the lowest possible priced train tickets to Lhasa by buying them directly from the train station. But, since during the summer season it is extremely difficult to get them from the train station because the tickets sell out so quickly. Agencies sometimes have to adjust the price based on the difficulty of getting train tickets or by arranging flights to Lhasa instead of the train.

UPDATE

The Chinese government wrote an article on July 2nd, 2009 stating that they anticipate 1.1 million tourists to take the train to Lhasa during the months of July and August. This works out to nearly 18,000 people per day to Lhasa just on the trains. This does not include those who will be flying to Lhasa from Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Xi'an. For more about it read this article.

If you have any questions about traveling on the Tibetan Plateau, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Sogwo: Mongolia in Tibet

Sogwo (སོག་བོ་) in southeastern Qinghai is a Mongolian Autonomous County, although it is located in the heart of the Amdo region of Tibet. The population is made up predominantly of Mongolian yak and sheep herders, though they speak the Amdo dialect of Tibetan. In fact, little of the culture in this area is Mongolian. In addition to the language, the customs, dress and religion are all the same as the native Tibetans who live in this region. The only real noticeable difference between the Tibetans and Mongolians in Sogwo is that most of the Mongolians still live in the felt style of yurts (pictured below) that are common in Mongolia.

Sogwo, known as Henan in Chinese, is located 39kms south of Tsekog and 140kms south of Rebkong. The area lies between 3500m and 3800m and consists mostly of grasslands. These grasslands are some of the best in the Qinghai region of Amdo. Sheep, yaks, goats and horses are seen throughout the area. Nomad tents are dotted all across the grasslands. Sogwo is a great place to go to experience nomadic culture (shearing a sheep below). There are daily buses to Sogwo from both Rebkong and Xining. It is also possible to go from Sogwo to the Tibetan towns in Gansu province such as Luchu (Luqu), Machu (Maqu) and Taktsang Lhamo (Langmusi).

Very few foreigners make their way to Sogwo. It is only listed in a handful of guidebooks, but is a great place to go with great scenery and an amazing culture to experience. It is one of the few places across the Tibetan Plateau to see Mongolians. In the county town of Sogwo, there are a few hotels and guesthouses to stay at, but the best way to experience this area is to bring a tent and camp alongside a nomad family. For more information about this area, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Lhasa-Yangpachen-Gyantse-Shigatse

The route from Lhasa to Yangpachen to Shigatse (via the Nyenchen Dangla Mountains) and then on to Gyantse and Yamdrok Lake is a great route for travelers who want to huge snow-capped mountains, lakes and Buddhist monasteries. The route from Lhasa to Shigatse via Yangpachen and the Nyenchen Dangla mountains is not a route many people take, but it is amazing. The Nyenchen Dangla mountains are home to many nomads living in traditional style tents. This high elevation area is the furthest southern region of Tibet's famous Changtang or Northern Tibetan Plateau. The highest pass alogn the route from Yangpachen is the Sugu La which tops out at 5420m/17,780 feet. At the Sugu La, there is an excellent view of the snow-capped Mt. Chomo Gangtse (pictured above) which rises to 7048m/23,118 feet. From the Sugu La, you drop over 1500m down to the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Here is what this itinerary would look like:

Day 1: Take the train from Xining to Lhasa. Xining is the starting point of the Tibetan Railway that opened in 2006. Xining, elevation 2300m, is a good place to spend a day or two to help your body acclimatize before going to the higher elevation areas of the Tibetan Plateau.

Day 2: Arrive in Lhasa

Day 3: Lhasa

Day 4: Lhasa

Day 5: Lhasa to Shigatse via Yangpachen. This rarely traveled route goes through the Nyenchen Dangla mountains near the small town of Yangpachen and past the 7048m Mt. Chomo Gangtse. The mountain is best viewed from the 5420m pass of Sugu La. This region is home to many Tibetan nomads living in tents and riding horses.

Day 6: Shigatse. Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet and is home to the famous Tashilhunpo Monastery (pictured below). The monastery has a kora around it that offers great views of the city. The hike around the monastery takes about an hour.

Day 7: Shigatse-Gyantse. Gyantse is home to the Kumbum Chorten, the largest chorten/stupa in Tibet. Gyantse also has the towering hilltop fort of Gyantse Dzong which offers a stunning view of the plains surrounding Gyantse. 

Day 8: Gyantse-Yamdrok Lake-Lhasa. Yamdrok Lake is one of the most holy lakes in Tibet. It is a bright turquoise color and sits at 4488m/14,720 feet high. The snow-capped Mt. Nojin Kangtsang sits behind the lake and rises to 7191m/23,588 feet. Yamdrok (pictured below) is one of the most photographed lakes in Tibet.

Day 9: Depart from Lhasa

The 9 day trip from Xining to Lhasa on the train and then from Lhasa to Yangpachen, Shigatse, Gyantse and Yamdrok lake is a great route to take in Tibet. With high mountains, lakes, nomads, monasteries and old military forts it has plenty of things to see and do.

For more information about Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

 

 

Tingri

Tingri (ཏིང་རི་) is a small town along the Friendship Highway about 190kms before the Nepal border. Tingri, also known as Old Tingri, is a one street town that has plenty of small restaurants guesthouses, shops...and dogs. Most people stay in Tingri for a night on their way from Mt. Everest Base Camp. Though it isn't the most comfortable place to stay along the route from Lhasa to Nepal, the excellent views of the Himalaya's make it a worth while stop. The view looking south of the town offers a sweeping view of the Himalaya's including Everest and Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world. Great views of Cho Oyu (below) can be seen about 20kms south of Tingri heading towards Everest.

Tingri has several good guesthouses to stay in and all of them have restauratns serving basic Tibetan and some wesern food. All of the guesthouses offer clean sheets and plenty of blankets. Tingri sits at 4300m/14,105 feet and has some very cold winters. No place in town has rooms with private bathrooms or showers, but most of the guesthouses have a separate shower house with plenty of hot water. Showers are around Y10 per person. Tingri often has limited electricity with the power coming on until around 7pm and staying on until around midnight.

For more information about Tingri or travel advice for Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Nepal to Tibet

I am frequently asked if there are any differences between entering Tibet from the rest of China and entering from Nepal. In this post, I hope to clear up some misunderstandings about entering Tibet from Nepal and the differences compared to entering from China.

1. Chinese Visa
If you plan to enter Tibet from Nepal, you can usually only get a 15 day group Chinese visa, though if you book a longer tour to places like Kailash you can get a 21 or 28 day visa. This visa is usually not placed in your passport, but is a sheet of paper that lists all of the names of the people in your group along with nationalities, birth dates and passport numbers. This group visa is usually not able to be extended, even though many travel agencies in Kathmandu will tell you that it can be extended. Many travelers find out the hard way when they go to get an extension and find out that instead of getting a visa extension, they have less than 48 hours to leave China. With the group Chinese visa, you have to enter AND EXIT with all of the members of your group at the same time and the same place. It is not possible for you to split from the group (prior to 2008 it was possible) since your group Chinese visa is only on one piece of paper. This can cause huge problems if some people in your group plan to exit China to Hong Kong while others are planning on flying out of Beijing. For most people, 15 days is not enough to travel overland to Lhasa and tour the rest of China.

The group Chinese visa can only be arranged through a travel agency in Nepal. If you arrive in Nepal with a Chinese visa already in your passport, you will NOT be able to use it (I tried this on my own as I have had a Chinese residence visa for over 7 years). The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu will cancel whatever type of Chinese visa you have (there are some small exceptions to this, but for 99% of the people reading this, those exceptions don't apply). Entry from Nepal into Tibet requires you to have the group Chinese visa that is usually only valid for 15 days of travel.

If you plan on going from the rest of China into Tibet, this visa restriction does not apply. From China, there is no need to be on a group visa. You can enter on a standard 30 or 60 day tourist visa. Tourist visa's can be extended for an additional 30 days at any city in China, however, visa's cannot be extended in Lhasa or anywhere in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

2. Tour Prices
Tour prices from Nepal to Tibet are generally higher compared to going from China to Tibet. I contacted dozens of travel agencies across China, Tibet and Nepal for their tour prices and found that 95% of the time the agencies based in Lhasa, Xining and Chengdu were the cheapest. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that the agency in Nepal not only has to arrange your permit, but they also have to arrange your Chinese visa for you. More paper work to process means more money.

The second is that most travel agencies in Kathmandu use travel agencies in Lhasa to arrange the tour. Arranging tours to Tibet in Nepal means that 2 or 3 agencies will be used and all of them add to the total price (example: a small backpacker travel agency in Thamel can arrange tours to Lhasa, but first have to contact a larger travel agency in Kathmandu who then contacts the agency in Lhasa. This means that 3 agencies are involved in arranging your tour). The third reason that tours from Nepal into Tibet are more expensive than going from China into Tibet is that most people go to Tibet from either Xining or Chengdu. Not nearly as many people enter Tibet from Nepal so that means that the tour prices are higher since there are fewer customers. Since there is so much competition in Xining and Chengdu, it keeps the tour prices lower. Chengdu has always been (and probably always will be) the traditional gateway to Lhasa, but now that Xining is the starting point of the Tibetan Railway, more and more people are going to Lhasa from Xining.

The last major reason that tour prices form Nepal to Tibet cost more is transportation. The only way to get from Kathmandu to Lhasa is to either go overland in a Land Cruiser for 5 days or fly. Since taking public transportation in Tibet is not possible, foreigners have to use private vehicles which are not cheap. The flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa only takes about 55 minutes, but usually costs around $325USD or so.

Entering Tibet from mainland China is cheaper because you can take the train to Lhasa. The train is a very affordable and comfortable way to get to Lhasa. Also, from China you can either arrange a tour from a travel agency in Lhasa or from a travel agency in Xining, Beijing or Chengdu that is well connected to a travel agency in Lhasa. Because of the high number of tourists who go from mainland China to Lhasa, prices are very competitive and considerably less than in Nepal.

3. Ease in Arranging

Arranging tours from Nepal to Tibet aren't difficult to do, but they do take some time. The travel permit will take at least 5 days to arrange (average time based on all of the agencies I contacted in Nepal) plus you have to wait for the Chinese group visa to be issued. This means that if you arrive in Kathmandu, don't expect to be on your way to Lhasa the next day. You will most likely have to wait up to a week. Since the travel agency will have to arrange your group Chinese visa, it is difficult to arrange tours from Nepal to Tibet in advance (they can't arrange your tour in advance because they need to have your passport in order to begin the process).

On the China side, travel permits normally take around 3 business days to arrange. Most travel agencies can arrange your tour in advance as long as you email them copies of your passport and Chinese visa 10 days before you plan to depart. It is very common for customers to arrive in Xining or Chengdu and depart for Lhasa the next day (this is only possible if the customers have arranged their tour in advance). Even if you don't arrange your tour in advance, it is possible to be on your way to Lhasa from Xining within 3 or 4 business days.

In general, it is easier, cheaper and you get a longer visa for China if you go from China to Tibet then to Nepal. Doing the tour in the reverse order (Nepal to Tibet to China) means that the tour will cost more, take longer to arrange and you will only have a 15 day group Chinese visa (again, if you book a long Tibet tour such as to Kailash, you can get a longer group visa). I am not writing this to discourage people from going to Nepal. Nepal is a great place to visit and the overland route from Lhasa to Kathmandu is one of the best in Asia. I highly recommend people to go to Nepal. However, it is important to realize that the travel regulations are very different regarding Tibet if you start your tour in Nepal rather than China. Again, it is much easier and cheaper to begin your journey in China and then work your way to Nepal through Tibet rather than beginning in Nepal.

Sometimes people's travel plans are quite rigid and changes cannot be made and they have to go from Nepal into Tibet. If that is the case, there is no need to worry! Please don't let this article discourage you if you have to go from Nepal into Tibet. There are many good and reliable agencies in Kathmandu that can arrange tours to Tibet. The point of this article is to point out the differences between the two and not to discourage people from going from Nepal into Tibet.

If you have any other questions about travel in Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

 

Jigdril and Mt. Nyenbo Yurtse

Jigdril, known as Jiuzhi in Chinese, is a county in Golog Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in southeast Qinghai province. Jigdril lies over 800kms from the provincial capital city of Xining and about 70kms from Ngawa (Aba) county in Sichuan. Jigdril (གཅིག་སྒྲིལ) is part of the Amdo region of the Tibetan Plateau. Most of the inhabitants of this area are Tibetan nomads. During the summer, black yak wool tents are seen throughout this area. This area does not get the coverage it deserves in guidebooks and is one of the true hidden gems of the Tibetan Plateau. Very few foreigners visit this area though it is perhaps one of the most amazing areas in Qinghai.

There are numerous Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the area, mostly from the old Nyingma Sect. The largest and most famous monastery in Jigdril is Tarthang Monastery. It has over 400 monks and has many nomads coming to worship at it each day. Monks at Tarthang come from all over the Golog region and from neighboring Ngawa (Aba) county in Sichuan province. The mountains behind the monastery are worth hiking to get a good view of the monastery and surrounding area.

Going southeast from Tarthang Monastery you cross over a 4400m/14,435 feet mountain pass offering a sweeping view of the Nyenbo Yurtse mountain range. A little over an hour from this pass you will reach the road leading to the holy mountain of Nyenbo Yurtse. Nyenbo Yurtse, rising to 5369m/17,612 feet, is the second most important mountain in the Amdo region of the Tibetan Plateau. Nyenbo Yurtse is an impressive looking mountain with a deep blue colored alpine lake surrounding the north side of the mountain. Thousands of pilgrims make the 12 day outer circuit or the 6 day inner circuit around the mountain each year. The entrance fee into the the Nyenbo Yurtse park is Y60 per person and is good for 2 or 3 days. From the park entrance to the mountain, it is a 3 to 4 hour hike. There are no hotels, stores or restaurants in this area so be sure to have all the food and water that you will need. Nyenbo Yurtse is one of the most amazing places in Amdo.

The county town of Jigdril is quite small, but offers inexpensive rooms in basic guesthouses. There are several small restaurants and plenty of small stores to replenish your stock. Getting to Jigdril is not easy. There are daily buses to Jigdril from Xining that take between 14 and 18 hours depending on the weather. There are also daily buses to Jigdril from Machen (Dawu) and from Ngawa (Aba).

For more information about Jigdril or other areas in Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Tibet Travel Update June 2009

I have had a lot of requests for updated information regarding travel regulations in Tibet for 2009. I will do my best to keep accurate, up-to-date reports on Tibet travel regulations throughout the year. All of the following information is current as of December, 2009.

Lhasa and all areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region are now open to foreign travelers. The Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) said that it will take 3 to 4 days to issue travel permits.

All Tibetan areas in Yunnan province are currently open. No permits or tours are required to go to Dechen Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Yunnan. It is not likely that this area will close as Tibetans only make up about 1/3 of the population of the prefecture.

All Tibetan regions in Gansu province (Ganlho/Gannan Tibet Autonomous Prefecture), including Labrang Monastery, are now open! We have been waiting to report this for many months and it is finally true! Along with Labrang Monastery, the small town of Taktsang Lhamo (Langmusi) is also open. There are daily buses to Labrang from Xining. Lanzhou and Rebkong.

The Tibetan areas in Qinghai province are all open including Rebkong, Qinghai Lake, Golog, Jyekundo and Nangchen. There have been recent reports of foreigners being in all of these areas without any problems.

Many regions in far western Qinghai (Haixi Prefecture) remain closed as they have been for the past 25+ years.

The Tibetan counties in Ngawa (Aba) Prefecture in Sichuan are all open to foreign tourists.

The Tibetan counties in Garnze (Ganzi) Prefecture are all open. Many foreigners have reported going to Kangding, Dege, Manigango, Litang and Batang without any problems. For more information about the Sichuan Tibetan updates, contact Sim's Cozy Garden Hostel in Chengdu.

And again, Lhasa and the TAR are now open and will be for the rest of the year.

The following are the travel regulations that foreigners have to follow in order to travel to Lhasa and the Tibet Autonomous Region:

All foreigners traveling to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), including Lhasa and the surrounding area must have a Tibet Travel Permit and a tour guide (yes, you need a tour guide even if you are only going to Lhasa). Your permit will be checked before you board the plane or train to Lhasa. I just recently returned from spending 3 weeks in Central Tibet (U-Tsang) and before I boarded the train in Xining for Lhasa, my permit was thoroughly inspected. A police officer inside the train station read it carefully and wrote down all of the information from the permit and recorded it in a ledger. People report the police doing the same thing in both the Chengdu and Beijing train stations as well as at airports when flying to Lhasa. The days of going to Lhasa without a permit are over...at least for now. If, by a miracle, you somehow arrive in Lhasa without a permit, don't expect to be able to pick one up in Lhasa so that you can continue down the Friendship Highway to Nepal or to Everest Base Camp. It will be difficult to get travel permits to go outside of Lhasa if you came to Lhasa illegally (ie. without a permit). If you hear rumors of people arriving in Lhasa without any permits, consider them to be VERY lucky. It is VERY unlikely that you will be able to make it to Lhasa without a tour or any travel permits.

All travel in the TAR requires you to have a tour guide with you, even in Lhasa. Some people and a few travel agencies will report that a tour guide is not needed in Lhasa, but that is not true. I regularly call the Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) regarding travel regulations. The TTB is the department of the government that sets the travel regulations for foreign travel in Tibet. Each week they report the same thing: that foreigners must have a government licensed tour guide with them while in Tibet and while in Lhasa. All hotels must be booked by the travel agency that you choose before arriving in Lhasa. You have your choice of government approved hotels, but you have to have all reservations made before you arrive in Lhasa. Most travel agencies in Lhasa, Xining and Chengdu have good relationships with hotels in Lhasa and can offer better rates than you can find on-line.

If you are traveling within the Lhasa City Municipality (Lhasa Metro Area), you can use public transportation for the most part, though your tour guide will have to accompany you. If you want to go to places like Ganden Monastery, Tidrum Nunnery or Drigung Monastery, you do not need to book a Land Cruiser tour to get out there. You can take public buses to reach all of these places.

If you want to travel outside of Lhasa to places like Kham, Kailash or down the Friendship Highway to Everest or the Nepal border, you have to book a tour that includes a Land Cruiser and a driver (as well as a tour guide). It is not possible to take public transportation anywhere outside of the Lhasa City Municipality. There are numerous checkpoints throughout the Tibet Autonomous Region that will be difficult to get around if you are traveling independently.

In addition to your Tibet Travel Permit, there are other permits that are needed for traveling to certain regions of Tibet. If you only plan on being in the Lhasa area, no additional permits are needed. However, if you plan on traveling west of Shigatse or east of Lhasa to Lhoka, Nyingtri or Chamdo Prefectures, you will also need an Alien Travel Permit. An Alien Travel Permit is usually arranged by your tour guide at the Tibet Tourism Bureau in Shigatse. (UPDATE: All foreigners going to the Everest region beyond Shigatse now need a Military Permit. This rule began on June 1, 2009). You cannot get this on your own. If you plan on going west of Lhatse into Ngari Prefecture or to Mt. Kailash (West Tibet), you will also need a Military Permit in addition to your Tibet Travel Permit and Alien Travel Permit. Military permits usually take several days to arrange and again, can only be arranged by a travel agency. If you plan on traveling to sensitive border areas near India, you will further need a Foreign Affairs Permit in addition to the 3 other permits mentioned above. Again, there are numerous police checkpoints throughout Tibet. It will be nearly impossible to travel without having these permits, a tour guide or a private vehicle with driver. If you are caught without having these permits, you can expect a fine between Y300 and Y500 and to be escorted out of Tibet immediately. In certain areas such as near the India border, you can expect the consequences to be even stiffer with the possibility of being detained by the police for a few days.

There are always going to be stories of people who were able to travel to Lhasa without a permit or who were able to make it to places like Kailash or Chamdo without any hassles, but in reality the chances of this happening are very low. If you are set on traveling through Tibet illegally, good luck to you! But keep in mind that your chances of success are quite minimal.

The Tibetan prefectures in Qinghai, western Sichuan and southwest Gansu do not require permits or organized tours. These great Tibetan areas can be explored independently using public transportation, though a private vehicle will allow you to see places that the public buses do not go to.

I will keep this post updated as situations change.

If you have any questions regarding travel in Tibet, feel free to send an email at thelandofsnows.@gmail.com. I would be happy to help you with your Tibet travel related questions.

Jomda

Jomda, known as Jiangda in Chinese, is a small county located in the Kham region of Tibet. Jomda (འཇོ་མདའ) is 70kms west of Dege and 230kms east of Chamdo and lies at an elevation of around  3200m/10,500 feet above sea level. The Dri Chu River, or Yangtze, separates Jomda county from Dege county and is used to mark the border between Sichuan province and the Tibet Autonomous Region. Jomda was once part of the Kingdom of Dege. Because of that, this area is still referred to locally as "Dege Jomda".

The county town of Jomda is a mid-sized town built along the banks of the Dzi Chu River. There are a few clean guesthouses to choose from and several decent restaurants. The town is full of Kham Tibetans with the men wearing black tassels in their long hair and the women wearing a large piece of turquoise above their forehead. If you are trying to travel this area without a tour (not recommended), stay away from Jomda. The police have a good eye for finding foreigners. Your chances of making it out of Jomda without the required tour (guide, multiple permits, private vehicle and driver) are very small, especially since March 2008.

The houses built around Jomda are quite unique to Tibet. Most of Tibet is treeless, but around Jomda there are large forests. Many of the houses are amazing log cabins. These types of houses are not found in other regions of Tibet. Timber and farming are major industries in Jomda. Unfortunately, many of these areas are being clear-cut and the trees are not being replanted.

Very few foreigners make their way to Jomda. Jomda is best visited as part of an overland journey going from Lhasa to Dege. If you have any questions about Jomda or any other travel related questions regarding Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Responsible Tourism in Tibet

Responsible tourism is something world travelers should all be aware of, particularly while in Tibet. Tibet, with its vast grasslands, high mountains and alpine lakes has seen a huge increase in tourism since the train to Lhasa began operating in 2006. It no longer takes days or weeks to reach Lhasa. In 2007, over 4 million people visited Tibet...an average of 11,000 people per day (UPDATE: The 2009 summer saw upwards of 25,000 tourists per day arriving in Lhasa). The Tibetan Plateau is the source of many of Asia's most important rivers and trekking in these head water regions has become increasingly more popular. With the drastic increase in tourism to Tibet comes the possibility of doing damage to its sensitive ecosystem and cultural ways. Unfortunately, a lot of times we as travelers do harm unknowingly to these places and people we came to see. Here are some ways that you can be a responsible tourist while in Tibet.

The first is to be responsible in the travel agency that you choose. There are now travel agencies in just about every major Chinese city as well as in major cities across the globe that arrange tours to Tibet. Try and choose a travel agency that is actually based on the Tibetan Plateau and is managed and staffed by Tibetan people. A Chinese travel agency based in Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou probably knows very little about Tibet and often times the person answering emails in these agencies has never even been to Tibet or seen a Tibetan person. By choosing a local Tibetan agency to use, more of your tourism money will be put back into the economy of the Tibetan people. Try and use as many Tibetan owned hotels, shops and restaurants as possible. This will also help to better the economy of the Tibetan people. If your guide and driver did a good job on your tour, don't hesitate to give them a tip. Since the tourism season is relatively short in Tibet, guides and drivers make the bulk of their money during the busy summer season. If your guide and driver took good care of you and helped to educate you more about Tibet, you should give them each a tip.

There are numerous guidebooks on Tibet available. Do as much research as possible regarding Tibet before you arrive. The Tibetan culture is quite unique and travel to Tibet is much different that other parts of the world. Try and research the area as much as possible to avoid confusion and frustration later on.

Traveling in Tibet is much different than traveling in the rest of China. Travel in Tibet is similar to travel in Bhutan in that you can only enter as part of a tour. You don't need to be in a large group tour with a bunch of strangers. It is possible to be in a group as a solo traveler or with your friends and family. Every person entering the Tibet Autonomous Region has to have a Tibet travel permit. This permit can only be arranged through a travel agency. You cannot get it on your own or at a Chinese embassy or consulate. Travel in the TAR has to be guided. You will have a licensed tour guide with you each day. If you travel outside of Lhasa, you will have to do so by private vehicle. You cannot travel outside of the Lhasa city limits using public transportation.

Over the years I have heard of many reports of foreigners breaking the law while in Tibet by traveling off to different regions on their own without their tour guide or by entering Tibet without any permits. I understand that a lot of people do not like the tourism policies of Tibet. I cannot say that I always enjoy them either, but by breaking the law and traveling off on your own, you can cause serious problems. If you arrange a tour with a certain company to go to Lhasa, your permit is only valid for travel in Lhasa and for the duration of your tour. After your tour if you decide to break the law and stay in Tibet and travel off on your own, as soon as you get caught by the police (there are checkpoints throughout Tibet) they will run your name in the tourism database and find the travel agency that arranged your permit. The police will then contact that agency and ask them why they allowed a foreigner to travel to restricted areas without additional permits, guide or private vehicle. The travel agency, which has no idea that you are still in Tibet, could then be fined up to Y50,000 and even lose their license and be forced to close their business. You will only be fined between Y300 and Y500, but you could potentially put Tibetan people out of a job. If you travel to Tibet, please be responsible and abide by the laws. Please do not travel to restricted areas without booking a tour. 

Be respectful when entering into a Buddhist temple or monastery. Dress appropriately by wearing long pants rather than shorts or skirts. Take your hat off before entering and take your shoes off when required. Try to avoid talking loudly while inside and do not take pictures without asking permission first (in popular monasteries there will be a fee to take photos inside a monastery). Walk in a clock-wise direction inside Buddhist monasteries and in a counter clock-wise direction in Bon monasteries. Most monasteries do not allow women to enter the protector chapel and some monasteries forbid women altogether (Rabgya Monastery in Golog is one example). Women should avoid touching monks and men should avoid touching nuns.

When trekking in Tibet it is extremely important to be responsible. Pack out all of your trash. Try to minimize your waste by not bringing food wrapped in excessive plastic. Use reusable cups, plates and silverware rather than plastic. Don't use the bathroom near lakes or rivers. Make sure your laundry and dish detergent is environmentally safe. Avoid using even environmentally safe detergents near water sources. Keep on existing paths and avoid making new paths. Soil erosion is a major problem in many regions of Tibet. When camping, make sure you get permission from the local nomads. Nomads always have large dogs that will attack people they are unfamiliar with. By asking permission first, the nomads will usually make sure their dogs are tied up and not trying to devour you.

Even though Tibet is extremely poor, try to avoid passing out money or candy as it encourages begging. Also try to avoid passing out medicine. There are several travel agencies and organizations that do projects across Tibet. Try to donate to these organizations rather than passing out medicine or clothes on your own.

Don't pay people to take their picture and never take pictures of people who do not want their picture taken. If you tell someone that you will send them the pictures, make sure you follow up on this. Most guides in Tibet go to the main destinations many times each year and would be quite happy to deliver your pictures the next time they are in that area.

Avoid political discussions while in Tibet. You could get yourself in trouble, but more importantly you could get the person you are talking to in worse trouble. 

Tibet is an amazing place to travel to. Most people don't just go to Tibet once, but try and go back as often as they can.

If you have any questions regarding travel in Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Sershul

Sershul (སེར་ཤུལ), known as Shiqu in Chinese, is located in far northwest Sichuan in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham. This remote area has some of the best grasslands in all of the Tibetan Plateau. Located 140kms east of Jyekundo and 230kms northwest of Manigango, Sershul sits at 4100m/ 13,450 feet above sea level. Winters are extremely cold in this area and snow is possible even in the summer. There are around 45 Buddhist and Bon monasteries in Sershul county with Sershul Monastery being the largest with around 800 monks.

Sershul, knows locally as Dzachuka, is made up mostly of nomadic Tibetans who spend their lives herding sheep and yaks. During the summer, the grasslands in this area are an amazing color of green. There are mountains all over the county with the highest reaching over 5500m/ 18,000 feet. The county town in Sershul serves as a trading hub for the area. Each day nomads arrive in town, many on horseback, to buy and sell goods. Sershul has been modernizing over the past few years and now has several decent restaurants and hotels to choose. from. There are daily buses from Sershul to Jyekundo and Garze.

Sershul has a small horse festival each summer, usually in July. Nomads from across the area come to participate in dancing, yak and horse races and several different sporting events.

Most people only spend a night or two in Sershul before going to Jyekundo, Manigango or Dege. Sershul definitely has a "wild west" feel to it. Though remote and a bit wild, this area is safe and is a great place to see nomadic Tibetan culture. Though organized horse trekking is not available in the area, you should be able to hire some horses from nomads and go out for a day or two. If you arrive in town using public transportation, you can hire taxi's in the county town to take you out to the surrounding monasteries and mountains that cannot be reached using local transportation.

For more information about Sershul or any other travel related questions about Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Xinghai and Drakar Tredzong Monastery

Xinghai, known as Tsigortang (རྩི་གོར་ཐང་) in Tibetan, is a nomadic county located in northwest Amdo in Qinghai province. Tsigortang sees very few tourists as there is not much information available about the area. However, it is one of the most beautiful areas of the Tibetan Plateau. Located 290kms southwest of Xining and 630kms northeast of Jyekundo, Tsigortang is remote and well off the beaten path. The Amnye Machen range sits just south of Tsigortang and the Yellow River is found in the eastern part of the county. All together, there are 15 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the county.

The county town of Tsigortang is not what brings people to the area, but what is outside the town does. Driving to Tsigortang from Xining takes you across wide expanses of grasslands that are home to nomad Tibetans. From late spring until early fall the nomads in this area live in white canvas tents and spend their days grazing their yaks and sheep. Most of this area lies between 3300m/ 10,825 feet and 3700m/ 12,140 feet. The mountains in this area are usually snow-capped year round. During the summer, these grasslands are bright green.

The main attraction in Tsigortang county is Drakar Tredzong  Monastery. The "White Monkey Fortress" is one of the most famous monasteries in Amdo and brings many pilgrims each year. The monastery currently has around 400 monks, though in the past it has had close to 1000. Located at the base of a 5000m/ 16,400 ft. mountain, Drakar Tredzong has one of the few evergreen forests on the northern Tibetan Plateau. Wildlife such as wolves, deer, foxes, gazelle and a large variety of birds all live above the monastery. There is a pilgrimage kora winding around the mountain that takes 5 or 6 hours to complete. The mountains above the monastery offer abundant hiking routes and have excellent views of the area.

The Tsigortang area is very poor. There is a simple Tibetan style hotel located near Drakar Tredzong Monastery and some slightly better accommodations in the county town. Even though this area is poor, if you are interested in a remote Tibetan adventure, this area will not disappoint you. Most people traveling to Yushu never see this area since it is usually passed through during the night. Due to the high elevation of many areas in Qinghai, Tsigortang serves as a good place to spend a night or two before going to the higher elevation areas of Amnye Machen or the Yellow River source area in Maduo. Tsigortang can be visited as part of a tour that includes Qinghai Lake, Kumbum Monastery and Amnye Machen.

For more information about Tsigortang and Drakar Tredzong Monastery, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Train to Tibet

The controversial train line linking Xining to Lhasa opened in July 2006. The train line from Xining to  Golmud was completed in 1984, but the goal was always to have the train extend all the way to Lhasa. In 2001, the construction work commenced. Over 100,000 workers were brought to the Tibetan Plateau to work on the railway. The railway was finished 2 years earlier than the projected 2008 date. The first few months after the new train line opened, it was extremely difficult to get tickets. I was very fortunate that I was able to get tickets for the new train only a few weeks after it began. Since then, I have taken the train many times across the Tibetan Plateau.

The official starting point of the Tibetan Railway is the city of Xining in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo. However, there are also trains to Lhasa beginning in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Lanzhou. Contrary to popular belief, there is no train to Lhasa originating in Golmud. All trains to Lhasa pass through Golmud, but there is no train originating in the central Qinghai city. It is possible to get train tickets to Lhasa in Golmud, but since there is no train originating in Golmud there is only a very limited amount of tickets available which quickly sell out. Plus, the travel agencies in Golmud that arrange permits for foreigners to go to Lhasa tend to charge far too much for their tours. Prices for permits and tours to Lhasa are much cheaper in Xining or Chengdu. Only arrange your permit and tour in Golmud if you don't mind being ripped off. There also is no train to Lhasa originating in Xi'an. The trains from eastern China pass through Xi'an enroute to Lhasa, but no train begins operating in Xi'an that goes to Lhasa. For this reason, Xi'an is not the best choice in trying to get tickets to Lhasa. Since the train only passes through Xi'an, there is a very limited amount of tickets for Lhasa and they quickly sell out. If possible, try and begin your train journey to Lhasa from Xining, Chengdu or even Beijing. It will be much easier and cheaper to arrange your permit and tour in these cities.

From eastern China, the train to Lhasa passes through endless farming villages. The scenery is good, but becomes quite monotonous, especially by the end of the second day. Beginning early on the third day from Beijing or second day from Xining and Lanzhou, the scenery has drastically changed. The train is now on the northern Tibetan Plateau heading south from Golmud. Gone are the farmlands and what you see instead are endless grasslands inhabited by yaks, sheep, Tibetan antelope and other wildlife native to the Tibetan Plateau. High snow-capped mountains can be seen in the distance. Around 120kms south of Golmud, the train passes the 6178m/20,270 feet Mt. Yuzhu, the highest mountain in the eastern Kunlun Range. On a clear day, the view of the mountain from the train is amazing.

Around 400kms south of Golmud you pass through the small village of Tuotuo He. Tuotuo He is located near the headwaters of the Yangtze River, known as the Dza Chu in Tibetan. Though Tuotuo He is listed as a destination along the Tibetan Railway, it actually is not possible to get off there. A couple of hours south of Tuotuo He you will enter the Kekexili Nature Preserve. This nature preserve located in far southwestern Qinghai and the far northern Tibet Autonomous Region is home to most of Tibet's remaining antelope, wild yaks and snow leopards. This protected area is basically uninhabited and is often covered in snow even during the summer. You should be able to see several herds of antelope from the train as you pass through this area. 

If taking the train from Xining or Lanzhou, you will cross the Tanggu La Pass, the highest point on the Tibetan Railway at 5072m, at around 3pm. This is the highest railway pass in the world and forms the border between Qinghai and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). At around 3:50pm (from Xining or Lanzhou) you reach Amdo, the first town inside the TAR. This is the first stop from Golmud where pasengers are allowed to get off the train. Lying at 4702m, Amdo is one of only a handful of towns located on Tibet's northern Changtang region. This area is home to nomad Tibetans who live in black yak wool tents.

One and a half hours south of Amdo is the town of Nagchu sitting at 4500m. Nagchu has one of the largest horse festivals in Tibet each year in August. Nomads from across the Changtang arrive in town for the festival. Few foreigners stay in Nagchu, but it is actually a pretty nice place to check out for a day or two. After Nagchu the train continues heading south. About 2 hours after leaving Nagchu you arrive in Damshung which is near Nam Tso. Two hours after Damshung and a little over 14 hours past Golmud, you arrive in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.

The railway from Beijing to Lhasa is 4064kms long. From Guangzhou Lhasa is 4980kms away and from Xining it is 1972kms. Over 960kms of the railway lies above 4000m with 550kms being on permafrost. During the busy summer tourist season, over 8500 people arrive in each day in Lhasa on the train. The only way foreigners can take the train to Lhasa is to have a Tibet Travel Permit, which can only be arranged by a travel agency, and to book a tour. Permits are usually checked before boarding the train. If you don't have a permit and are checked, you will not be allowed to board the train.

For more information about travel in Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Xining to Chengdu Overland Through Amdo

The overland route from Xining to Chengdu through Amdo has become more popular in recent years. This 10 to 12 day trip goes through some of the best regions of the northern Tibetan Plateau. This journey begins with spending a couple of days in Xining (ཟི་ལིང་). Xining (ele. 2275m) is the capital of Qinghai province and is the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. The city has an interesting mix of Chinese, Tibetans, Mongolians, Tu, Hui and Salar people. It is easily one of the most diverse cities in China. From Xining, you can take day trips out to Kumbum Monastery, Gonlung Monastery or Qinghai Lake. 

From Xining, the mid-sized Tibetan town of Rebkong (རེབ་གོངར) lies 180kms south. Rebkong (ele. 2400m) is famous all across Tibet for producing some of the most skilled painters, specifically thangka painters. Rebkong has 3 large monasteries in the vicinity. Rongwo, Gomar and Wutun monasteries are all great for exploring. Staying 2 or 3 days in Rebkong will give you enough time to see all of the major sites.

A little over 100kms southeast of Rebkong is Labrang Monastery (བླ་བྲང་བཀྲ་ཤིས་འཁྱིལ་) located in the picturesque town of Xiahe. Labrang (ele. 2900m) is the largest and most important monastery in Amdo. It is home to over 1500 monks. Labrang sits in a valley with mountains, rivers and forests surrounding it. It is truly one of the most beautiful places on the Tibetan Plateau. Along the way from Rebkong to Labrang, you pass through the Gangya Grasslands which are home to numerous Tibetan nomads herding their yaks and sheep.

Around 230kms south of Labrang is the small monastery town of Taktsang Lhamo (Langmusi). Taktsang Lhamo (ele. 3300m) sits along the Gansu-Sichuan border. Along the way from Labrang, you will pass through grasslands that are home only to Tibetan nomads. When it snows, the mountains surrounding the town are awesome. The 2 monasteries of Kirti and Setri sit in beautiful locations. Horse trekking is available for reasonable daily rates.

About 100kms south of Taktsang Lhamo is Zoige (Ruo'ergai). The town itself isn't that impressive, but the grasslands along the way definitely are. The grasslands around Zoige (ele. 3440m) are some of the best in Amdo. During the summer, most nomads around Zoige (མཛོད་དགེ) live in either black yak wool tents or in white canvas tents. The nomadic way of life in this area is very laid back. The Tibetans here are very friendly and always enjoy seeing foreigners.

From Zoige, the town of Songpan lies 180kms to the south. Songpan (ele. 2880m) is nice little town that is worth staying in for 2 or 3 days. Songpan is well known for its horse treks. Horse treks from 1 day to 2 weeks can be arranged. Near to Songpan is the 5588m Mt. Xuebao which is quite impressive. Songpan has a mixed population of Tibetans, Chinese and Hui Muslims. From Songpan, it is only a 2 hour drive to Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve.

From Songpan you will drive through Mao Xian to Wolong where the national panda reserve is located. At Wolong there are over 75 pandas who have been bred artificially. In addition to panda's, the nature reserve has golden monkeys, deer and supposedly some snow leopards. Wolong is a great place to go if you have small children. Around 350kms south of Songpan, you will finally arrive in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province.

The journey from Xining to Chengdu through Amdo is an excellent trip to take if you are interested in Tibetan culture. With a great mixture of monasteries, temples, mountains, grasslands and people, this journey is not going to disappoint.

If you have any questions regarding Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Zhangmu: The Tibet-Nepal Border

Zhangmu, known as Dram (འགྲམ་) in Tibetan and Khasa in Nepali, is an interesting town sitting along the Tibet-Nepal border about 750kms southeast of Lhasa. Unlike most of Tibet, Zhangmu sits only at 2250m/ 7380 feet and has a very humid, almost tropical climate. From the Thong La mountain pass at 5050m/16,570 feet, it is all downhill to Zhangmu. From the high pass to Zhangmu is 95kms/60 miles of winding road with more hairpin turns that you can count. The elevation drop of nearly 2800m/9184 feet is quite noticeable. You go from the frozen, barren, desolate Tibetan Plateau to the sub-tropics of Nepal in a very short time. It is quite amazing and can't be fully explained unless you see it for yourself. As you get closer to Zhangmu, the scenery changes drastically. Forests and dense vegetation appear as do numerous waterfalls that form from melting snow from the nearby Himalaya mountains. During the rainy summer season, the road can be quite rough and muddy to Zhangmu and the road closes periodically due to rock and mudslides.
Zhangmu sits along the foothills of the Himalaya. The town has one narrow, winding street that is usually blocked by incoming Tata trucks from Nepal. From the top of Zhangmu, it can often take 1 or even 2 hours to drive the 2 or 3kms down to the center area of town due to all of the truck traffic blocking the road. The traffic is unbelievable. The town itself has an interesting mix of peoples. The population is roughly 1/3 Tibetan, 1/3 Chinese and 1/3 Nepali. Most of the signs are written in these 3 languages as well as in English. There are several decent, though overpriced, hotels in the city and a few really good restaurants serving Nepali, Tibetan and western food.

Most people only stay in Zhangmu for an hour or so in order to catch a meal before crossing the border into Nepal. The town isn't a bad place to stay, though there really isn't any reason to stay longer than 1 night. If you have been on the road to Everest or Kailash, Zhangmu and its hot showers and good food will be a welcome treat. Most of the Nepali's in town speak decent English and are always eager to talk to foreigners that are on their way to Nepal.

The Chinese immigration office is open daily from around 9:30am until around 6:30pm. Leaving China is a pretty simple process. Your driver and guide will take you to the customs office, but you will have to cross the bridge into Nepal on your own. At Nepali customs you can get a visa, but make sure you have a passport photo with you. The visa will cost $30 of the equivalent in Chinese RMB or Nepali Rupees. From outside of Nepali customs you can hire a car to take you the 4 hours or so to Kathmandu.

If you have any questions about Zhangmu or travel in Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Sakya Monastery

Sakya (ས་སྐྱ་) is a small town 25kms off of the Friendship Highway and about 155kms southwest of Shigatse. The town, which sits at 4300m/14,105 feet, is famous for the great monastery of Sakya. Like Riwoche Tsuglhakhang in east Tibet, Sakya Monastery has a very unique architecture to it that is not found in other areas of Tibet. The walls surrounding the monastery are 16m high and are 3.5m thick. The structure looks more like a fortress than a Buddhist monastery. Sakya Monastery is the seat for the Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The northern monastery, which is mostly ruins now, was founded in 1073 while the southern monastery was founded in 1268. Like all Sakyapa sect monasteries, it is painted grey, red and white. Of all the monasteries to see in Tibet, Sakya Monasery is one you shouldn't miss.

On the mountains behind the monastery, old ruins from the original monastery can be found. These ruins are great to hike through and you can get a great view of the town and of the monastery. Like most monasteries in Tibet, there is a pilgrim path (kora) going around the monastery along the side of the mountain.  The entrance fee to the monastery is Y45. Most people who go to Sakya just spend the day there before driving to Lhatse for the night, though it is possible to stay the night in Sakya as well.

If you want more information regarding Sakya, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Peiku Lake

Peiku Tso is a beautiful alpine lake located near Shishapangma, the 14th highest mountain in the world. This remote lake sees very few tourists, but is a great place to go if you are wanting to see some of the off-the-beaten-path areas of Tibet. The lake sits at an elevation of 4600m/15,100 feet and is a bright turquoise color all year round. The drive to the lake is amazing with excellent views of Himalaya Mountains. There is also usually a lot of wildlife in this area including wild horses, wolves, foxes, deer, gazelle, black-necked cranes as well as yaks and sheep.

To get to Peiku Lake, turn west off the Friendship Highway just north of the Lalung La mountain pass. The turn-off is approximately 72kms south of Tingri or 81kms north of Nyalam.  The lake is a 1 1/2 hour drive from the turn-off. After driving for about an hour, you will come across the small village of Seylong. Near the village there is a checkpoint where your driver will need to register and your guide will need to show your permits. You will also have to buy an entrance ticket for the Qomolangma Nature Preserve. The entrance ticket is Y65 per person and Y40 for a vehicle entry ticket. The road doesn't lead all the way to the lake. You will need to hike the last hour or so to the lake, though the hike is quite worth it. If you have time, hike around to the far side of the lake for an amazing picture of the lake with Shishapangma in the background.

Peiku and the area surrounding it are truly some of the best areas in Tibet. With bright blue water, the snow-capped Himalaya Mountains and abundant wildlife, it is strange to think that this area sees so few tourists. The road leading out to the lake is all dirt and is quite rough in spots, but the scenery makes it well worth the drive. There are no hotels or restaurants anywhere near the lake. The closest town is Saga, which is 4 hours away (the town of Dzongka is 1 1/2 hours away from Peiku Lake but is completely closed to foreigners). If you decide to camp in this area, make sure you are well equipped with tents, sleeping bags and food.

For more information about tours to Peiku Lake and Shishapangma, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Shishapangma

Shishapangma is the 14th highest mountain on earth and rises to an elevation of 8013m/26,289 feet. It is the highest mountain that sits entirely in Tibet. Other mountains in Tibet, such as Mt. Everest, sit on the border with Nepal or India. Shishapangma, known in Nepal as Gosainthan, means "crest above the grassy plains" in Tibetan. Shishapangma is an impressive mountain that few foreigners see. I recently traveled there and my driver told me that in his 15 years of working as a tour driver in Tibet, it was his first time driving to Shishapangma. Most guidebooks on Tibet provide little information on this area.

The journey out to Shishapangma is stunning, though the road is quite rough in spots. To get to Shishapangam you need to turn west off of the Friendship Highway just north of the Lalung La mountain pass. The turn-off is approximately 72kms south of Tingri or 81kms north of Nyalam.  The mountain is a 1 1/2 hour drive from the turn-off. When I did this journey in February '09, I saw just about every type of wildlife Tibet has to offer. I saw wild asses, gazelle, deer, foxes, rabbits, black-necked cranes, vultures, wolves, marmots along with the standard yaks and sheep. After driving for about an hour, you will come across the small village of Seylong. Near the village there is a checkpoint where your driver will need to register and your guide will need to show your permits. You will also have to buy an entrance ticket for the Qomolangma Nature Preserve. The entrance ticket is Y65 per person and Y40 for a vehicle entry ticket. About a half an hour past Seylong along a rough dirt road, you will come to Shishapangma Base Camp.

The elevation at Shishapangma Base Camp is 5000m/16,405 feet. There is an old stone marker there listing the elevation written in Tibetan, English and Chinese. Besides a brick bathroom there really isn't anything else at base camp. Unlike Everest Base Camp, there are no tent hotels, guesthouses or shops. Still, Shishapangma and the scenery along the way make it well worth going to. If you are going to go to Shishapangma, you also need to go out to Peiku Tso, one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in Tibet. Peiku Tso is about an hour past the small village of Seyong.

If you want more information about tours to Shishapangma or Peiku Lake, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Gyantse

Gyantse (རྒྱལ་རྩེ་) is a mid-sized town located 260kms southeast of Lhasa. It lies along the southern route of the Friendship Highway that links Lhasa with Kathmandu, Nepal. Sitting at an elevation of 4000m/13,125 feet, Gyantse has a population of around 20,000.  Most people only stay in Gyantse for a day and honestly, that's really all you need in order to see all the sights. In the early summer Gyantse hosts a horse festival which is well worth checking out.

The main attraction in Gyantse is the Pelkor Chode Monastery. Pelkor Chode was founded in 1418 and was originally a compound containing 15 monasteries from 3 of Tibet's 4 main sects of Buddhism. The Gyantse Kumbum (pictured at top) is the biggest and most famous chorten (stupa) in Tibet. It rises to 35m/115 feet high and the inside is covered in endless Buddhist murals. Unlike other chorten in Tibet, you can actually go inside the Gyantse Kumbum. The entrance fee into the Pelkor Chode Monastery is Y50/person.

The second attraction in Gyantse is the Gyantse Dzong. The Dzong is an old military fort that was originally built in the 14th century. The top of the Dzong is a 20 minute hike from the gate. The top (pictured above) offers great views of the city and of the plains surrounding Gyantse. Be careful hiking around the Dzong as there are a lot of places where you could twist an ankle...or worse. The entrance fee into the Dzong is Y30/person, but it is quite easy to bargain it down to Y20/person.

Gyantse can be visited all year long. Summer brings in a lot of tourists while winter is quite slow. Gyantse has several good hotels to choose from and several good restaurants with English menu's.

If you have any questions about Gyantse or any other region of Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Gonlung Jampaling Monastery

Gonlung Jampaling Monastery is tucked away in far northeastern Amdo about 70kms from the city of Xining. This rare gem is not well known and sees only a handful of foreign visitors each year (monks recently told me that they haven't seen any foreigners in well over a year). Of all the guidebooks covering the Tibetan Plateau, only 1 gives a detailed write up on Gonlung and that is Footprint's "Tibet" written by Gyurme Dorje (UPDATE: The 2009 edition of Lonely Planet China now includes a write up on Gonlung Monastery). The monastery is set on the base of a mountain at an elevation of 2900m / 9515 feet. The mountains around Gonlung rise to nearly 4000m. Most of the Tibetan Plateau is treeless, but there is a small evergreen forest surrounding parts of Gonlung. The mountains around the monastery are often snow covered in the winter and spring and offer some of the best hiking in the area.

Gonlung Monastery was founded in the early 17th century. The area was visited by the 3rd Dalai Lama in 1584 and the 4th Dalai Lama in 1602 while they were on their way to Lhasa so the area was revered before the monastery was built. It is one of the largest monasteries in the area with a monk population of around 300. At it's peak, it was home to over 7000 monks. Though there are some Tibetan monks at Gonlung, most of the monks there are Tu (pronounced "Two"). The Tu people are originally from Mongolia and settled in the area in the 13th century. Their language is still very similar to Mongolian. Along with their own native language, the monks at Gonlung also speak Tibetan.

Gonlung Jampaling Monastery offers excellent hiking with stunning scenery. The mountains surrounding the monastery have many beginner and intermediate hiking trails. It is a great place to spend the day. There is no public transportation to the monastery. If you wanted to get there on your own, you can take a public bus from Xining to Ping'an (32kms east of Xining). From Ping'an you can take a bus going north to Huzhu. Twenty-seven kilometers before Huzhu and 28kms past Ping'an, there is a road going off to the right leading to the monastery. You will need to get off at this intersection and either hike the remaining 6kms to the monastery or try and hitch a ride. Gonlung does not charge an entrance fee.

If you have any questions about Gonlung Monastery or any other region of Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com

Amdo

The traditional Tibetan region of Amdo (ཨ་མདོ) is located on the northeast corner of the Tibetan Plateau. Though most of Amdo lies in modern day Qinghai province, large regions also are located in southwestern Gansu and northern Sichuan provinces. Amdo is broken up into 8 prefectures: Golog, Malho, Tsolho, Tsonub, Tsobyang, Tsoshar in Qinghai province, Ganlho in Gansu province and Ngawa in Sichuan province. Roughly 1.6 million Tibetans live in Amdo which accounts for over 25% of the total Tibetan population. Amdo is famous for producing some of Tibet's most famous spiritual leaders including Tsongkhapa and the late 10th Panchen Lama.

If you have ever seen pictures from Tibet of nomads herding their yaks, chances are it was taken in Amdo. Amdo has large expanses of grasslands which are home to nomadic herders.  These herders live in traditional style tents during the summer and usually move to small mud-brick houses during the winter time. The grasslands of Amdo lie between 2800 and 4000m above sea level. Along with the grasslands, Amdo is also home to several large mountains. The mountain that really symbolizes Amdo is Amnye Machen. Amnye Machen rises to 6282m and is considered to be the holiest mountain in the region. Each summer, hundreds of Tibetan families walk the 7 day kora around the mountain in an attempt to gain karma.

Amdo also has a large amount of beautiful lakes. The largest lake on the Tibetan Plateau is Tso Ngon or Qinghai Lake. Many of the lakes in Amdo have high snow-capped mountains behind them and often have nomads camped around them during the summer. Most of the lakes

Amdo has many areas that offer great camping and hiking. With a high amount of nomads and Buddhist monasteries, Amdo is not lacking in traditional Tibetan culture.

Though Amdo is often overlooked by travelers on their way to Lhasa, it is an amazing area that does not get the respect it deserves in guidebooks. Many people who are well traveled in Tibet say that Amdo is one of their favorite regions. Since Amdo is quite cold in the winter, the best times to visit is between May and October. The city of Xining (ཟི་ལིང་) the main starting point for travel in Amdo. From Xining, there are public buses to every Amdo county in Qinghai and to most Amdo counties in Gansu.

Chengdu is the main starting point for exploring the Tibetan prefecture of Ngawa. Most counties in Amdo are open to foreigners without having to book a tour through a travel agency. Some counties in Golog and Ngawa prefectures however, do require an Alien Travel Permit and some counties in northern Qinghai are completely closed to foreigners. Though you an travel through Amdo using public transportation, a private vehicle will allow you to really explore the area. Some of the best areas of Amdo cannot be reached by public bus.

If you have any questions about the Amdo region of Tibet, please send an email to thelandofsnows@gmail.com