journey to Kailash

Replies: 4 - Last Post: 23-Feb-2007 07:37 Last Post By: blokeman

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kaamiljj

19-Feb-2007 10:09
Posts: 8

journey to Kailash

Hi,

Before I start I want to thank everybody here for some useful information you put on this forum I couldn't find anywhere else, keep doing good job. I'm one of those confused people planning my trip to Kailash (early April) who found out about all the problems, about being turned back to the border, permits, costs etc. I'd like some honesty here and I ask you if you could help me answer few questions. I'm departing from USA but the costs of joing the group in Nepal seem unreal and I already know I can't afford it. I've read that crossing the border from Nepal as an independently travelling tourist is impossible because they require everything to be booked through a travel agency and of course permits issued through the agency. Now all I say may or may not be true, just quoting what I've found on several websites.
-What would be "the cheapest" and "the safest" way to get to Nepal and finally to Kailash, through Nepal or through China?
-If through Nepal can I get all the needed permits and Alien Travel Permit in Nepal on my own and how long would it take?
-If through China, can you provide all the information about public transportation and the shortest way to Kailash?
It seems that if I go through Nepal then all I have to do is to catch the flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa, then the bus (if they sell me the ticket?) to Manasarovar, and from there I could walk. I don't want any problems with China's government and since it's a time and money consuming task I don't want to be stopped somewhere in the middle of nowhere and put bu local police on the bus going back to the border. Please help me figure it out. The things I'm most concerned about are all the permits/visas and public transportation (where, how, how often). Once I get to Kathmandu or to China (whichever way) my spending limit is only about $1100-1200 which is not much comparing to $1600 and up offered by several travel companies. I'm aware that information change all the time and there is no way to track them all, but if any of you have grone through this recently, please speak up. Thank you,

Kamil

Love All, Serve All, Help Ever, Hurt Never

kaamiljj

19-Feb-2007 10:31
Posts: 8

Also, what do you think of driving from Kathmandu (by any means of transportation) to Nylam, crossing the friendship bridge, then heading to Saga, Parayang, and finally Kailash. Is there any public transportation on the way, if not do you have any idea how long would it take to get there?

Love All, Serve All, Help Ever, Hurt Never

celinaa

20-Feb-2007 01:50
Posts: 45

Hi,

I haven't been to Tibet yet but as I have been reading the Thorntree forum a lot, I might be able to answer some of your questions (someone please correct me if I'm wrong!).

The cheapest way to get to Kailash should be from China, not from Nepal. You can't cross the border (either by road or by plane) into Tibet without a tour booked through a travel agency and that's pretty expensive. The trips to Kailash from Lhasa seem to be about USD2,000 (probably cheaper in early April) so if you can find two or three more people to do with you, you might be able to afford it.

Probably the cheapest way though would be to take the bus from Lhasa to Ali... and here I'm not sure but I read somewhere that there is a way to get to Darchen from Ali using public transport. If you did that, you would have to go to the police in Ali who would fine you for not having a permit, and pay a fee, get the permit and keep going. For what I've read so far, if you just get caught without a permit in that area you will be fined (not a very big amount) and given the permit, I haven't heard anything about anyone being deported for not having a permit.

The visa to enter China should be arranged before you leave the US, and the permit for Tibet can be arranged at Chengdu (most people recommend Sim's Cozy Guesthouse, the website address has been posted several times, just do a search for it on the forum -they arrange your plane ticket to Lhasa as well). The permits for the Kailash region are arranged by the travel agency if you go with a 4WD tour from Lhasa.

Hope that helps.

kaamiljj

20-Feb-2007 10:41
Posts: 8

Thank you for the response, although there is so much "not sureness" in there that I'll have to do a deeper research. I spoke to an owner of one of the travel agencies in Nepal and he said that I can actually travel independently on a "one person" group visa, but I'd have to cross the border with the group. Now, if I can caught when travelling on my own, do I automatically get turned back to the border? Did anybody ever travel the way from Nilyam to Kailash independently? What is the nearest place to the Friendship Bridge where I can get the Alien Travel Permit? If I go to get there on my own, will I be stopped and sent back to the border? Coming back to the question, how and where to cross the border when on my own?

Love All, Serve All, Help Ever, Hurt Never

blokeman

23-Feb-2007 07:37
Posts: 78

It's quite painless to do it as a jeep trip booked in Lhasa, much less than $2000, I think it cost us about $1300 to go all the way to Ali. That cost included permits and enough time to do the Kailash Kora, ,Mt everst etc, and is per jeep so the more people the better, although I wouldn't want more than 4 in the landcruiser for comfort. Booked from the place to the left of the Pentoc as you're facing it from the main road. Adverttise in Lhasa for a week for travelling companions while seeing the sights.

What celinaa says about the Ali PSB and permit fines is correct as far as I know. You could get the bus to Ali from Lhasa, but from the description I got from someone who took it, it was a pretty hellish multiday, almost nonstop trip. Much better to be able to stop when you like to get out and take a photo or fancy a snack, rest etc. Incidentally, the bus takes the more northern of the 2 roads that go across to Western Tibet. If there's a bus to Manasarovar (I can't recall if there is) then bear in mind it's still a fair few km to get to Kailash from there.

To get there independently from Friendship Bridge you're looking at hitching. People do it but there's not much traffic, much of the traffic is tourist jeeps who don't pick up hitchikers and I met a lad who waited several days for the right lift in one place.

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