Hey guys,
I was planning on heading to Nepal via Tibet (from Chengdu) in April 2011. I have contacted a reputable company; Snowlion Tours regarding this, and the intial outlook looks good. But expense adds up alone, so I'd like to find out if anyone else was keen for a trip around this time. If you are, hit me up! :)
You might want to have a backup plan. There has been some discussion that Tibet might be closed in May as well as the usual time in March. Whether this would mean that it would be closed in April as well, I can't say but as the Chinese are very unpredictable about this, I would make back up plans.
Ruth
Thanks for the heads-up Ruth! By back-up, you mean other possible dates I suppose?
The worrisome thing is if I book in advance, and suddenly the whole place gets shutdown. That would be a real bummer.
Thanks though!
Prasatt
Back up could mean alternative dates or it could mean an alternative plan for someplace different for the same dates. You might want to consider places on the Tibetan plateau which are not inside Tibet but that have Tibetan culture which might be open during these time periods.
If you book with a reliable company then you should be able to get refunds or have the amount applied to different dates.
Unfortunately there is no way to predict what the Chinese will do. In fact, the decision is unlikely to be made until mid February, if then, assuming that things follow past performance.
Ruth