Hong Kong to Lhasa, or not Lhasa, or ... - Thorn Tree travel forum

Hong Kong to Lhasa, or not Lhasa, or not Hong Kong.....

Replies: 12 - Last Post: 27-Jun-2007 07:38 Last Post By: ellyse

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Posted
21-Jun-2007 03:11
by: mdurli

Posts: 6
Registered: 18/07/04

Hong Kong to Lhasa, or not Lhasa, or not Hong Kong.....

Hello, this i just an idea for my holidays from 20/7 to 17/8...
I'd like to fly to Hong Kong (can I make chinese visa in hong kong at the airport?) and then see a little bit o south china and then go to lhasa (I need a visa for Tibet? can I get it in hong kong?)
Then I can come back by train (how long does it takes?) or fly (how much will it cost?).
I have travelled a lot in India and SouthEastAsia, how can you compare trains and transports in china to other countries of the area? are in time? are comfortable to sleep in?

Any other suggestion like:
- don't go to lhasa, it takes a lot of time and there's so much stuff to see in the south of china
- don't go to hong kong if you want to go to lhasa, better go to bejing and still there's a lot to see there
- nice places where to go in south china, I just heard of yangshuo from fellow travellers...

I'm on early stages of planning, thank you very much for any suggestion!
Mattia

Posted
21-Jun-2007 03:14
by: mdurli

Posts: 6
Registered: 18/07/04

1

Still me... forgot: if we want to do a few days on a beach, which opprtunities we have?
thanks again!

Posted
21-Jun-2007 03:35
by: ellyse

Posts: 8,932
Registered: 27/04/02

2

You didn't state your passport nationality. Are you Italian? Most nationalities need to apply for a visa for mainland China before arriving at the border. This can be quite easily accomplished in Hong Kong, a good agency to use would be Forever Bright.

You don't need another visa for Tibet, but you do need a Tibet Travel Permit.

Trains in China are one of the best methods for getting around, very punctual and usually quite clean. I find the sleepers very nice for sleeping. Flights are frequently delayed. I wouldn't like to take buses for any journey longer than 5-6 hours, although there're exceptions.

What exactly are your sightseeing preferences and interests? History, scenery, culture, architecture, food, arts, something else? You're too vague for us to tell you where you should go. What's your expected daily budget?

Chinese beaches are nothing wonderful, especially when compared to South-East Asia. The most popular spots would be Sanya (very touristy though), Qingdao and Dalian.

Cheers!

Posted
21-Jun-2007 04:46
by: mdurli

Posts: 6
Registered: 18/07/04

3

Thank you for your very prompt answer!
Yes I'm Italian, I'll check how long does it takes to get the visa there and here, and costs differences too...
Where can I get the Tibet travel permit?

Interests: all that you wrote.. except architeture... but well, my girlfriend is an architect... let's add that one too...

I'd like to see nice simple towns (not interested at all in big modern cities), meet people, do some short trekking if possible, learn some more of china history, relax a bit... but also die in a 30 hours train ride if needed to get to a nice place...

What do you reccomend, expecially about the trip to lhasa? I've been for a long time in nepal and would really enjoy to go to tibet....

Thanks!
Mattia

Posted
21-Jun-2007 05:00
by: ellyse

Posts: 8,932
Registered: 27/04/02

4

Please do a browse or search on this forum about getting the Tibet Travel Permit. This is a FAQ. Also read this.

Here's an itinerary suggestion: Hong Kong & Macau (3 days) -- bus -- Xiamen (2 days) -- bus -- Hakka roundhouses around Yongding (2 days) -- bus -- Guangzhou (1 day) -- bus -- Yangshuo (4 days) -- overnight train (via Guilin) -- Kunming (1 day) -- overnight train -- Dali (2 days) -- bus -- Lijiang & Tiger Leaping Gorge (4 days) -- bus -- Zhongdian aka Shangri-La (2 days) -- flight -- Lhasa (4 days) -- train (2 days) -- Guangzhou (transit only) -- bus/train/ferry -- Hong Kong

There would be many other possibilities, but this one concentrates on south China and is relatively easy to do for a first-timer to China.

Cheers!

Posted
21-Jun-2007 12:50
by: Han_Girl

Posts: 463
Registered: 16/12/05

5

If you're considering dropping Lhasa or Hong Kong, I suggest dropping Yangshuo instead - it's got none of the fascinating religion of Lhasa or the east and west of Hong Kong.

Han Girl

Posted
22-Jun-2007 01:17
by: mdurli

Posts: 6
Registered: 18/07/04

6

Thank you very much for the information!
I've looked at some pictures of the places you suggested (with panoramio and googlearth), and I must say I really like places like Zhongdian, Dali, Yangshuo.. but I'm not interested at all in the other big cities.

About Lhasa: I would really like to go there, but we don't have the time to go there from Zhongdian and return with bus or car, and I prefer not to fly....(oh well, maybe one way fly and return by bus or car.... but 5 days bus is really too much for a 27 days holiday...)
Maybe we can catch the behing-lhasa train in Xining, and go with that one... from xining it should be no more than 30 hours.
But then, it is worthy to fly to Hong Kong? maybe is better to fly directly to bejing, make our way to Xining visiting the north and then head straight to Lhasa with that train.
What do you think? Please consider that of all the places you suggested the ones I probably would enjoy more would be Zhongdian, Dali, Yangshuo... are there similar places in the north?

Thanks again!
Mattia

Posted
22-Jun-2007 04:40
by: ellyse

Posts: 8,932
Registered: 27/04/02

7

#6, the landscapes and scenery in south and north China are hardly similar, much less the same. If you had different ports of entry and exit, I would've given you a totally different itinerary, most probably.
I know you don't fancy major cities, but please understand that you have to go to bigger cities to get transport to the smaller and relatively more remote places. You can't just parachute down from a helicopter, much less teleport yourself around.
Cheers!

Posted
22-Jun-2007 05:00
by: mdurli

Posts: 6
Registered: 18/07/04

8

Hello ellyse,
I thought honk kong as an entry because I wanted to go to lhasa going thorugh southern china, it seemed to me the shortest way... but well, with the Bejing-Tibet railway as an option I can change my entry point...
If you are willing to help me again: which tour of the north would you suggest before going to lhasa by train?
Obviusly passing through major cities, I know that I have to go there... but it doesn't mean that I have to stay there for more than needed to catch the following bus/train...
I looked for a Bejing/HingKong entry/exit, but is getting too expensive.
Thank you very much!
Mattia

Posted
22-Jun-2007 08:52
by: ellyse

Posts: 8,932
Registered: 27/04/02

9

I would probably suggest the Silk Road, but that could be difficult to link up with Tibet.
Cheers!

Posted
22-Jun-2007 20:05
by: lagiselle

Posts: 76
Registered: 24/04/07

10

my girlfriend and i did a trip in north-western yunnan near the tibetan border over the new year. the trip was amazing and perfect for anyone wanting to travel off the beaten path, see some amazing wilderness, and to get a real insight into tibetan culture without having to cross the border. all the info is at the link below...

A World Less Travelled...

Posted
27-Jun-2007 04:27
by: mdurli

Posts: 6
Registered: 18/07/04

11

Thanks to all!
I booked a flight to/from hong kong , and I have 23 days to spend in south china.
Considering that I really don't like big modern cities, if not to pass by and catch a transport, I was planning something like this:
Hong Kong -> Hakka Roundhouses (?) -> Yangshuo -> Kunming -> Lijang -> Dali -> Zhongdian -> Degin (?) and then back....
I've seen picture of the Tiger Leaping gorge and I've not beened impress that much... I think we'll drop it.
I'd like to do some trekking in the mountains but no more than 2/3 days, where do you think I should spend those 2/3 days? Dali, Zhongdian, Degin?

About the "back" part, there are so many options and I hope you'll be able to help me drop some...
- Zhongdian/Degin to Lhasa by car/bus: how long does it takes? really 3 days of bus or things got better? then fly back to Chengdu or Guilin (direct to HongKong is too expensive)
- Litang Tatong (where to start?) route to Chengdu (how long does it takes?), and from there fly to Guilin or Hong Kong
- normal "back"... Kunming Guilin... maybe fly back from zhongdian

Let's say we can afford a 300$/400$ flight to speed up things... but I'm not sure where to use it...

Any more suggestions or considerations? we don't want to rush, and in case we really enjoy the places we may end up in Zhongdian with barely enough time to go back to hong kong....

Thanks again,
Mattia

Posted
27-Jun-2007 07:38
by: ellyse

Posts: 8,932
Registered: 27/04/02

12

Try Yubeng in the Zhongdian area, if you don't fancy Tiger Leaping Gorge or Haba mountain.
Zhongdian -- Lhasa by bus seems to be at least 4 days.
Cheers!

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