Thorn Tree travel forum

PERMIT SITUATION UPDATE

OK.......just spent yesterday trying to get to bottom of the permit situation for the next few weeks. Here is what I have found out.

1. Some Tibetan areas of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai are closed to foreigners until the end of March (I could not get confirmation of which areas...sorry!)

2. Lhasa and central Tibet (Namtso, Shigatse, EBC etc) IS open (with permits) at the moment.

3. American and European travellers are being denied Chinese visa's in Nepal. and the rumour is that this will remain until the end of March. (this means there may be NO WAY to enter Tibet from Nepal until the end of March) This news comes from friends in Kathmandu. It is tough to officially confirm this news as this decision comes from the Chinese Department of Foreign Affairs.....not from the Tourism Bureau who is low on the totem pole!

4. As usual there are a few independent travellers (usual... more »

Train out of Lhasa question

Going on a 8 day tiour with this tashi delek operation out of Kathmandu on Nov 28. They are charging 180$ to book a train ticket to Chengdu for after the tour. Is this reasonable? Should we just try and organize a ticket out of Lhasa when we arrive or is the hassle really enough to warrant paying up for an advanced ticket.

thanks

New tourist routes between Tibet and Nepal.

I saw this article today in the Xinhua Tibet news. They are trying to open some new areas for tourists, including a trekking route from Nepal's Mustang region to Tibet's Lake Manasarovar. There is no exact time frame for these as of yet.

Here is the link to the article -

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/18/content_12481879.htm

Airport in Ngari

Hi!

There is a mention in the LP Tibet about openning of a civilian airport in Ngari in 2010.

Will appreciate if anyone may enlighten about the progress of the airport. I had seen a news item re: testflight to it. Question is: Will there be flights from Lhasa only or from mainland China, say, Chengdu also?
I understand it a day's drive to Darshan (in the neighbourhood of Manassarovar and Mt Kailash kara) from the airport. What about a trip to Pongong lake in the Sino-India border Tibet side ? A visit to Kara Korum pass ?

I have apprehentions about permision for Indian citizens visiting these remote corner of China in west Tibet region.

Thanks

TIBET AS AN INDEPENDANT TRAVELER

Dear all,

I am in China right now (Chengdu) and wish to go to Tibet in the next days, in order then to enter in Nepal (by land).
Basically, what I have been told so far is just: you MUST go through a travel agency, with a group and a guide (although you can be a group by yourself if you're rish enough! :)
But - as many people I guess - I would like to try to avoid that and travel on my own.

In the guesthouse where I am staying, a Tibetan girl told me all the "group and guide" thing is actually not true and I should be able to go there by myself, proceeding as follows:

• I go to the police and buy there my Tibetan travel permit ;
• I buy my Chengdu-Lhassa train ticket in the train station ;
• And once in Lhassa there will be plenty of buses to go to the Nepalese border.

• Can I get an acc...

train from Lhasa to Xining

I would like to take the train from Lhasa to Xining, maximizing the daylight views. However, the travel agency insists that the 12:15 train is better than the 8 am train. Is there some difference in the service (one is speedier than the other)? Will I miss any especially scenic areas by leaving 4 hours later or score on the other end approaching Xining? Any ideas from those who are familiar with the route? Thanks for the help.

Lhasa in January

I am ticketed for a short trip to China arriving Beijing in early January and plan on traveling to Lhasa for 4 days or so. I have some inquiries out for prices / details and have not heard much back yet. I hope the SIms email is current, no answer from them. I would like any feedback on my tentative early plans. I am traveling alone this time. I will arrange all of the flights from Canada but need Tibet Permit, train, and Lhasa (and maybe Chengdu, Xining) hotel arranged.

I am thinking of one day in chilly Beijing then flying to Chengdu. Two days in Chengdu, flying to Xining area for a couple days of altitude acclimatization. Then train from Xining to Lhasa. In Lhasa I would like little to no guiding as I want to go at my own pace and plans and spend time doing Kora, unwinding and photography. Maybe a day trip from Lhasa with a tour group. I would like to spend 4 nights in Lhasa... more »

Tibet-Nepal tour space

Hi all,

Myself and two others are in the process of booking a tour starting in Lhasa this weekend and heading to the Nepal border next week, via Gyantse, Shigaste and Everest Base Camp. We have one, or maybe two spaces to do the trip if anyone is interested.

None of us have our permits either yet but we have been told we can get them Friday, so it's not a problem you don;t have yours yet. We've managed to get a very good 'offseason' winter price through Tibetan Connections. We're a group of 20-something backpackers looking forward to seeing this beautiful part of the world.

Get in touch asap if you're interested!

Keven