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Looking for people to join in Beijing-Tibet-Kathmandu tour

Replies: 5 - Last Post: 17-Apr-2009 00:32 Last Post By: vistet

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Posted
15-Apr-2009 11:58
by: graybeer

Posts:  1
Registered:  15/04/09

Looking for people to join in Beijing-Tibet-Kathmandu tour

We are a couple from European, and we are going to travel to Tibet on May 12th from Beijing, however, we have only 2 persons and we have booked the tour from a travel agency in Tibet, but the price is pretty high, so we are looking for someone else who also want to visit Tibet to share the cost with us. If someone else who wants to join us, we can share the costs on car & guide.The travel agency said that if our group can be 4 people, we only need to pay USD 1000 per person. And for this trip they will offer us a soft sleeper berth train ticket & a private car to Kathmandu. I think the trip is rather wonderful. I am eager to find 2 partners. If someone who want to join us, please contact me as soon as possible. We'll appreciate it very much for your joinness.

This is my hotmail: tonycodescue@hotmail.com

Below is our detailed itinerary.

Day01 May 12, 2009 Train Beijing to Lhasa
Take Train T27, depart from Beijing on 21:30.

Cities you will go through today are Beijing/Shijiazhuang/Lanzhou/Xian
Overnight on the train, soft sleeper berth

Day02 May 13, 2009 On the train
Today, you will arrive in Xining City in the afternoon, the first train station of Qinghai-Tibet railway. Then turn north ahead to Lhasa.
Overnight on the train, soft sleeper berth

Day03 May 14, 2009 Wonderful window excursion along Qinghai-Tibet Railway, arrive in Lhasa at night
Today's train travel is the most wonderful section of Qinghai-Tibet railway, you will see land of snows, desert, grassland, ice mountain and travel along the lakeside which will strongly go to your heart. arrive in Lhasa in the evening,
Overnight in Lhasa Mandala Hotel, 3 star

Day04 May 15, 2009 Lhasa Sightseeing: Potala Palace /Jokhang Temple(B)
Today you will visit Potola Palace, Jokhang Temple,bustling bazaar along the Barkhor Street.Today, you will enjoy 1-2 hours feature service of meditation, including teaching and learning,under the guidance of a knowledgeable Lama in Jokhang Temple.We guratee your visit to Potala Palace, no matter how busy the entrance ticket purchasing is.
Overnight in Lhasa Mandala Hotel, 3 star

Day05 May 16, 2009 Lhasa Sigtseeing: Sera/Drepung Moanstery (B)
The escorted today will cover some other two important Monasteries in Lhasa - the Drepung Monastery, the Sera Monastery. Also you will visit the famous Dalai lama summer palace - Norbulingka and Tibet History Museum which is rebuilt at the end of 2008.
Overnight in Lhasa Mandala Hotel, 3 star

Day06 May 17, 2009 Lhasa/Yamdrotso lake/Gyangtse/Shigatse(500km, 6hours driving, asphalt road in good condition , 3900m) (B)
Morning time around 08:00am depart from Lhasa pass Gangbala Mt. which is over than 5000m, then to Yamdrotso lake which is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet (another 2 is Namtso lake and Manasarova), after visiting Gyangtse Kumbum and having a far view of Zongshan ruins,arrive in Shigatse
Overnight at Shigatse Wuzi Grand Hotel, 3 star

Day07 May 18, 2009 Shigatse/Lhatse/Tingri/Rongphu Monastery( 340km, 8 hours driving, 4980m) (B)
Visit Tashlunpo Monastery in the morning, then take the Friend-ship way to pass Lhatse to Tingri. One the way you will pass the checking point with your TTB permit, travel permit and passport. Then pass by Tingri. Buy the entrance of Everest Base Camp. From Tingri to E.B.C with the very rough road, pass the wild grassland, cross the rapids river and high mountains. During this route,you can have a glimpse of 4 mountains which is 8000m high or more.
Overnight at Rongphu Everest Hotel, 2 star

Day08 May 19,2009 Rongbu/Old Tinggri ( 60km, 2 hours, Rough road around mountains,4980m-3750m) (B)
Whole day trek at Everest Area, include Rongpu Monastery, Everest Base Camp, part of Rongpu Glacier. Drive to Old Tingri at late afternoon.
Overnight in snow leopard Guesthouse, twin room

Day09 May 20, 2009 Old Tingri/Nyalam/Zhangmu(280km, 6 hours, Rough road around Mountains, 3700m-2300m) (B)
Drive from Old Tingri to Zhangmu
Overnight in Zhangmu Caiyuan Hotel, 3 star

Day10 May 21, 2009 Zhangmu-Kathmandu(260km, 5 hours, Rough road around Mountains) (B)
Our Guide will drop you off in the morning at the border bridge, then to cross the Friend-ship Bridge cross the border by yourselves.

Tips: How to Cross the Nepal border
Zhangmu is a very cute border town at around 2400m above sea level,after having breakfast, our guide will accompany you to China Exit Border Office in Zhangmu to regisiter and stamp your leaving. then drive you towards to border bridge.our vehicle will stop at 50m away from border bridge where the China side border check office is, you are kindly required to hike on your own to cross the border bridge which is 50ms long, then check in Nepal side, Our Nepli driver will post a sign with your name on Nepal side of the border bridge to pick you up to Kathmand.
End the tour when you arrive in Kathmandu

Services Include (Based on 4 travelers)
1. Breakfast, Remarked in the itinerary with (B)
2. Transport:
D3 Train station pick up, Private Mini Van
D4-D5 In Lhasa City,Taxi
Day06-Day09 Lhasa-Gyantse-Shigatse-Everest-Nyalam-Zhangmu,Toyota 4500 Land Cruiser, 4WD
Day10 Zhangmu-Kathmandu, Private Mini Van
3. Accommodation: 9 nights, include 7 nights twin room or single room according to your requirement, 2 nights on the train; Hotels listed in itinerary are 3 star with breakfast buffet expect 2 star Rongpu Everest Hotel with simple breakfast
4. Guide: English-speaking guide available
5. Entrance tickets of scenic and historic
6. Tibet Entry permit & PSB Travel permit
7. Travel Insurance
8. The entrance fee for 4WD in Mt. Everest Nature Reserve
9. The entrance fee for Guide in Mt. Everest Nature Reserve
10. Environment friendly car from Rongpu Monastery to Everest Base Camp
11. Oxygen supply on 4WD
12. Government Tax
13. Train Tickets from Beijing to Lhasa, Train T27, soft sleeper berth, One low berth and one upper berth at the same side or two lower berths

Excluded Service
1. Your own expense, like beverage and shopping
2. Tips for the guide and driver.
3. Lunches and Dinner, all meals on the train
4. Nepal Visa you get at the border, 30USD per person

Posted
15-Apr-2009 17:24
by: vistet

Posts:  2,147
Registered:  13/09/02

1

The travel agent involved here had a fresh new approach to acclimatization :

2.Please don't take shower at the first two days when you are in Lhasa..

You learn something new every day....

(Yes , they are clueless. Yes , you will need that oxygen they are carrying the night in Rongphu , but I doubt they are carrying enough to last you through the night , or are competent to administer it. Yes , 1000+ meters higher in a single day involves both comfort and safety issues.)

high road to ..

Posted
16-Apr-2009 01:24
by: mrcjonesy

Posts:  886
Registered:  26/03/06

2

yep...the agent that created this itinerary is obviously very Chinese and does not have a clue about the route.

Here are just a few of the rather questionable statements in this itinerary:

1. "Then turn north ahead to Lhasa." Lhasa is southwest of Xining not north!?
2. "you will enjoy 1-2 hours feature service of meditation, including teaching and learning,under the guidance of a knowledgeable Lama in Jokhang Temple" There is no such "service" in the Jokhang temple so I wonder what what this is all about?
3. "then to Yamdrotso lake which is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet": There are significantly more than 3 holy lakes in Tibet.
4. "Then pass by Tingri. Buy the entrance of Everest Base Camp. From Tingri to E.B.C with the very rough road, pass the wild grassland, cross the rapids river and high mountains." This is so incorrect it is laughable. Tingri (old or new Tingri) is no where near EBC. Most folks refer to new Tingri these days so if your driver goes this way it is not the direct route and you'll be doubling back on the same road.
5. "Zhangmu is a very cute border town" that really has me laughing. Zangmu is a chaotic dump. There is nothing even remotely cute about Zhangmu unless you think festy dogs in the streets, late-night disco bars and skanky Chinese prostitutes is your thing.

AND perhaps most importantly this itinerary is 100% guaranteed to give you altitude problems. Going from Lhasa to EBC in 4 days (even after a day on the train) is taking rather stupid risks.

Personally......I wouldn't touch this company with a barge pole.

Posted
16-Apr-2009 06:29
by: vistet

Posts:  2,147
Registered:  13/09/02

3

The cute border town part made me chuckle as well.... those who enjoy town character assasination can read what Ed Douglas has to say on Zhangmu in Chomolungma Sings The Blues , an all good read .

high road to ..

Posted
16-Apr-2009 06:45
by: mrcjonesy

Posts:  886
Registered:  26/03/06

4

It is possible that I may be a touch cynical....( Ed certainly is!) But calling Zangmu "cute" has me in stitches!!

The number of totally ignorant Chinese travel agencies jumping on the Tibet bandwagon right now is incredible. If only there was some sort of industry accreditation so travelers could tell if their agency is half decent or not. I wonder how many tourists will be killed or made painfully ill from insane itineraries which ignore the reality of altitude illness?

I've had the unfortunate experience of finding a deceased person in a guesthouse one morning (at 5000m elevation) the trip leader denied any responsibility what-so-ever when it was very obviously cerebral edema (= bad case of altitude illness) from ascending way to fast and then sleeping high. I wonder what it takes to educate mainland Chinese travel agencies (and Nepali too to some extent) about the real risk of altitude? As can be seen by the repeated itineraries posted on TT most of their staff have absolutely no clue what-so-ever.

Posted
16-Apr-2009 19:50
by: vistet

Posts:  2,147
Registered:  13/09/02

5

Interestingly enough , the itinerary in the link above has changed (rush job , Lhatse is said to be at 4890 meters ) . Taking showers is still dangerous....

high road to ..

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