Thorn Tree travel forum

1

Hi

I sympathise with you mate. I have been in Tibet for 10 days now and to try to get across to Kailash independently is quiet a challenge, simply because unless you organise it with an agency there is no on (i stress NO ONE!!) who would want to take you there. Here are the information i have got so far...there is a bus company with buses going to Ali (the company does not locate at the bus station but outside of lhasa, near sera monestry) and it would take around 3-4 days. I wanted to get on it and get off around Kailash but as soon as they knew i'm not chinese they refused to sell me the ticket. Just in front of the bus company there were a few land cruisers which would charge you 1500 yuen for a 2 days ride but they wont let you in if you dont have a permit.

I have spoken to a few people at the bus station and the way to do it is to try to get a bus to shigase then try to take local buses, mini buses, vans, donkeys, yaks (whatever you could get basically) from there from one town to anothere until you get there.

I have also spoken to one agency who i think was the cheapest I got so far and it would take 5-6 days to do Lhasa-Kailash kora and back. That's with a land cruiser though.

I was planning to hike it there too but from Lhasa to Kailash it's about 1000km (more or less) and I have talked to some bikers who had been down that way and it took them around 15 days (with a few stops here and there along the way) just to come from Kailash so to walk or to hike it would definately take more than that (unless you are lucky enough to get a hike from some truck drivers but i'm not sure if they are willing to do that at this time)

If you are up for it then there are some other ways, if you are interested then let me know cuz i'm looking into it as well...mail me at allhallows@hotmail.com or i'm staying at kirey hotel room 313 or i'm going to be at the spinn cafe tonight from 5pm.

Good luck
Chat

2

With the public landcruisers it takes 2 days to darchen, If you then plan on spending 4 days there with the Kora and everything, then 2 days back. If everything goes smoothly it takes at least 10 days. But with no permit and hitchhiking it can take a lot longer.

3

Not sure what permit you you mean, Is it the Alien Permit that is needed to go to western tibet? Is it not possible to get one from other than the travel agencies? Do you know where i can get that? And what does it mean to travel without that?

Thanks a ton for the information you guys have already given me.

cheers
sreekanth

4

It is the Alien permit you need. As far as I know the only place where you cab get it without involving a travelagency is in Ali.
If caught without a permit at a checkpoint it is really unpredictable what will happend. Everything from dont do this again to a fine and be sent back to where you came from (they will make sure you get on a bus or car in that direction). Then you can try again.

5

hi,
i'm also trying to get there individual, thinking of a hitchhiking/ hiking combo or even cycling. i started to look yesterday and as it seems even the jeeps are hard to find. want some company on your way to kailash? andrea

6

I cycled Kashgar to Lhasa this summer. I met a few people trying to hitch back from Kailash - it seems to be possible but takes a lot of time as very few trucks go that way. All the waiting around means it takes about the same amount of time as cycling, so I doubt you'be be able to get there and back in 17 days.

The above advice about taking local buses wouldn't work. No problem to Shigatse, but after that there aren't any buses foreigners are allowed to take. Even if you manage to get a ticket, the driver won't take you.